This course is a partnership between Victoria University and Wellington College, and it is designed to act as a bridge between college and university. It is a hybrid model where the teaching remains mostly classroom-focused and the students earn both university and NCEA credits.
This is a chance for students to come to grips with how university works, and to prepare themselves for tertiary study. The students who have got the most out of this course in the past are not just those who have done well, or who hope to continue with history. The real benefits lives in the grounding it provides for future university study, regardless of subject or discipline.
Students will spend Terms 1 and 2 completing their internally assessed NCEA history standards. By the end of Term 2 they will have 15 level 3 credits in History. In Term 3 (the VUW second trimester), the students switch their focus to the HIST113 course at Victoria University. This course is titled: Between the Wars: The World Remade, 1919-1939. Students will attend some lectures in person in a block course run over one or two separate days, and then watch recorded lectures for the remainder of the course, sometimes in class, sometimes for homework. The WC staff will supplement the teaching and run the mandated tutorials as "tutors", but the assessment will be set and marked by the lecturers.
This course offers 20 university credits through Victoria University of Wellington
This course offers a combination of external and internal NCEA assessment
This course offers 14-21 NCEA credits in a UE approved domain
This course offers 14-21 University Entrance Literacy credits (10-21 reading and 4 - 6 writing)
Course endorsement available
CLICK ON THE QUESTIONS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COURSE
This is a chance to sample university study while still receiving help and support from a Wellington College teacher in a history classroom. You will learn how to write essays in the style required at university, and how to formulate your own arguments rather than writing in the more formulaic style for NCEA history assessments you have learned so far.
You will also have the same benefits as any other history course such as being better able to understand current events and to think and write analytically. The research and writing skills learnt through the study of History are directly transferable to most other academic disciplines, especially in the fields of Commerce, Humanities, and Law. Those seeking a legal career should take History alongside English. Careers in fields such as business, public policy, and journalism are also jump-started by a sound background in History.
Where can studying History lead me to in the future?
People with a background in History are employed in a wide range of in-demand and well paid roles including:
During Term 1 and 2, you will complete two units of work. One will align with the scholarship theme for the year, and the other will be at the discretion of your teacher. The following is the current list which our staff draw upon, but additional topics may also be added. Topics may be combined to create a thematic approach such as a wider study of the British Empire or US History:
Indian Mutiny
Israel and Palestine Conflict
Atlantic Slave Trade
American Revolution
Historical Debates on WWII and its origins
Berlin Olympics
Vietnam War & Pentagon Papers
French Revolution
British Empire
Strategic Bombing Campaign
Tuskegee Airmen
There will also be a scholarship tutorials available to students interested in sitting the Scholarship examinations. These sessions develop students’ ability to engage with conceptual thinking in History.
For Term 3, students will be completing the content of the VUW HIST113 Course: "Between the Wars: The World Remade, 1919 -1939." Here is the blurb from the course:
The global catastrophes of the Great War and the 1918 influenza pandemic were followed by hope, reconstruction, crisis and conflict as the world was re-made. Taking an international approach and using as entry points the extraordinary events of 1936 — e.g. the Berlin Olympics; Spanish Civil War; Gone with the Wind; the first trans-Pacific passenger flights — this course examines cultural and technological change, nationalism and internationalism, colonialism and anti-colonialism, political challenges to liberal democracy, and changing views of the body, sport and consumer culture. It develops critical and digital skills and fosters the ability to make connections across disciplines and contexts.
In a typical history lesson you might:
Read a textbook, answer questions, and make notes.
Examine historical sources such as newspapers or cartoons or speeches.
Listen to a presentation (and take notes).
Engage in a class discussion or debate.
Watch a film or documentary.
The university component will include:
Attending lectures in person or watching them pre-recorded.
Writing essays in the university style.
Group work tasks.
Participating in university style tutorials.
Entry to this course is at the discretion of the HOD, but students need not have studied history before. You should:
Have a preponderance of Excellence grades from your previous study of either history, classics, geography, politics, or English in Year 12. Or be working towards an Excellence Endorsement overall
If you are currently in 12HIS and looking to take this course next year, then your ability to gain an Excellence in the 3.4 perspectives internal will be a good gauge of your suitability.
In addition, students should:
have an interest in studying the past
be comfortable with writing lengthy essays
be comfortable reading large tracts of text
For the NCEA component, you will sit four achievement standards as follows:
Internals
3.1 - An internally assessed research project (5 credits - UE literacy reading).
3.2 - An internally assessed essay where you discuss key historical ideas related to an historic event and its significance to New Zealanders (5 credits - UE literacy reading).
3.4 - An internally assessed essay where you discuss perspectives on an historical event (5 credits - UE literacy reading). Many students coming from the 12HIS course will have already completed this standard. For those who have not (or wish to improve their grade), this will be incorporated into one single essay that will be used towards both the 3.2 and 3.4 at the same time (students will not be required to write more words, they will simply write a single essay which will meet the requirements of both standards).
Externals
3.3 - An externally assessed source based task where you examine historical sources and answer questions about them (4 credits - UE literacy reading and writing).
Or
3.5 - An externally assessed essay-based task (6 credits - UE literacy reading and writing).
Advanced students can also sit the History Scholarship exam.
For the university component, you will complete:
One large essay of approximately 1800 words
A series of small quizzes completed online
A research project on a theme during the relevant time period, and a specific event inside of it. A portion of this task will be completed as group work.
NZQA History Subject Resources
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/history/levels/
School Policy for NCEA Assessment
You should be aware of the school procedures for NCEA assessment. They can be found on the school website at this link. There you will find answers to frequently asked questions about how NCEA works as well as guidance about how to apply for extensions, reconsiderations or the process for withdrawing from a standard.
We hope you have a successful and interesting year!
Mr Tester is in charge of 13 History– please feel free to contact his email: