DP History Program

The DP History program at WIHI really focuses on a wide range of topics from all of World History. Following the IB Curriculum Guidebook, we offer History at both the Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL). The curriculum for the class of 2022 is listed below:

• Paper 1: Rights and Protest

  • US Civil Rights Movement 1954-1965

  • Apartheid South Africa 1948-1964

• Paper 2: Independence Movements

  • Zimbabwe, Cuba, Vietnam, India/Pakistan and Ireland

• Paper 2: Authoritarian Leaders

  • Hitler, Castro, Mao, Nasser

• Paper 3: History of Africa and the Middle East

  • Middle East 1914-1945

  • Middle East 1945-2000

  • South Africa 1880-1994

In Paper 2, students study an independence movement and an authoritarian leader as a case study as a whole class. Our cases studies this year include the independence movement of Zimbabwe and the authoritarian regime of Adolf Hitler. Students are then given choice to choose the other independence movement and authoritarian leader they wish to study and compare/contrast with the one studied in the case study by the whole class.

With the class of 2023, our program will drastically alter our course paths in the DP History program. We truly value and support student autonomy and their ability to control and manage their own education. We are striving to give students the choice to study something that is driven by their own passion. It is with this in mind that we are expanding our choices to give students more voice in their learning. In the 11th grade all students will take the exact same course covering historical thinking skills, Authoritarian Leaders, Independence Movements, Apartheid and the completion of the Historical Investigation*.

*Please note: completion of the final draft of the Historical Investigation is a requirement in the 11th grade in order to begin studies in 12th grade.

In the 12th grade, all students begin with the same unit, Civil Rights, which at this point, all students have technically completed the entire History curriculum at the SL level. During this unit, students will begin to decide if they wish to take the IB History course at the HL or SL level. For students choosing the course at the SL level they will study two additional Paper 2 topics: 20th Century Wars & Cold War Rivalries, spending 45 hours studying each topic for a total of 90 hours. For students choosing the course at the HL level, they choose a major, either studying: History of Africa & the Middle East, History of the Americas, History of Asia & Oceania or History of Europe. Students will study topics within their major for 90 hours as required by the Diploma Program for the IB. The graphic below lists possible concepts of study for each major. This model also shows balance and equality between the HL and SL students in terms of hours of instruction and class time with exactly 90 hours each. Please see the graphic below for more details.