HISTORY AND MODERN STUDIES

The Department

We aim to encourage a critical approach to the past and a desire to think independently and rigorously about political, economic and social issues both past and present.

HIGHLIGHTS

Learning extends beyond the classroom with regular field trips both local and international. Pupils from Forms IV, V and VI have visited the USA, Poland, Russia, Cuba, China. Berlin nd Krakow.  Visits to the Scottish Parliament, museums and historic sites are established parts of the departmental curriculum.

Frequent visits by a range of experts and speakers enhances learning.
The History and Modern Studies Department contains six members of staff with interests and expertise ranging from Nineteenth Century British Social and Political History to Modern Russian and Chinese History; Contemporary American Politics and Culture to African History and Contemporary Politics.

Pupils are encouraged to become active historians and critical thinkers, examining sources, analysing evidence and debating crucial events and personalities.

Form VI pupils have the opportunity to further their critical thinking by studying two units of Philosophy at Intermediate 2 level.
Form VI pupils also take a law module which considers the rule of law, structures and functions of the judiciary in a national and international context.

COURSE INFORMATION

History

All pupils study History for one hour per week in both Forms I and II.

Forms I and II

Our study covers the national and European study of political development.  We open with an examination of Scotland from the 1600s-1800s. We then consider the change in political power in Europe during the French Revolution and Bonaparte’s regime.  The twentieth century is our focus in Form II where we consider world history and the the turbulent eras of WWII and the Cold War.

Form II History: Era of the
Second World War

Pupils are expected to participate in their learning and develop their knowledge base alongside their ability to analyse sources. They are introduced to essay writing and are asked to interpret primary sources. Of particular interest is their investigative work in Form II.  As part of the study of the Era of World War Two pupils decide on an area to research which normally links to their own personal history.  This has proved a fruitful area of historical endeavour which pupils very much enjoy and the results are most rewarding for them personally.

Standard Grade History

The Standard Grade course is a two year course which runs for three hours per week. It begins by charting the history of Britain and Scotland between 1830-1930.  A broad range of topics is covered within this study including the impact of industrialisation and urbanisation, the development of the railways, health and housing all the way through to the Suffragist and Suffragette movements.
     
The origins, course and impact of the Great War is then examined in detail.  This is complemented with a trip at the beginning of Form IV to the battlefields of Northern France and Belgium to visit places such as Ypres, Passchendaele and the Somme.  The battlefields experience is one that pupils will carry with them long after long after their time at Dollar.

The course finishes with a study of Europe in the immediate aftermath of the First World War focusing on Weimar Germany and the rise of National Socialism up to 1939. 

Each of these three units is examined by testing Knowledge and Understanding and Enquiry Skills.  The latter requires pupils to develop the ability to analyse sources.

Higher History

Essay Paper

The development of British Political History between the 1850's and 1979 is undertaken alongside a detailed investigation of the Cold War. The former is a study of authority identity and ideology through the steps to democracy and suffrage, and the development of social policy to the establishment of a welfare state. The latter is an evaluation of the reasons for the emergence of the Cold War, up to 1955 covering the effectiveness of Soviet policy in controlling Eastern Europe up to 1961 the reasons for the Cuban Crisis of 1962 why the US lost the war in Vietnam, why the superpowers attempted to manage the Cold War and why it ended.

Pupils will learn to write analytically, bringing to their discussion detailed evidence and wil be able to structure a convincing and argued piece of work.  They will do this by completing home work essays, participating in peer marking and undertaking timed essays throughout the year.

Documents Paper

A study of the impact of the Great War, 1914-1928 and its political, social, economic and cultural effects, illustrating the themes of conflict, change and identity. Here we consider the Scots on the Western Front, the domestic impact of war on society (recruitment, strikes, loss, commemoration and remembrance), on industry (agriculture, fishing, rationing and emigration post-war) and politics (the growth of radicalism, the ILP and Red Clydeside, continuing support for political unionism and the crisis of Scottish identity).

Pupils will develop more advanced source analysis skills and will be able to compare sources and interpret sources whilst placing them in a wider historical context.   Pupils will be asked to complete timed source questions in class and past paper questions at home.

Extended Essay
Pupils set an essay of their choice and research it extensively.  This provides the opportunity to study a topic and issue in more depth and to develop more sophisticated essay writing skills. Normally two weeks is given to prepare and draught their work before sitting it under examination conditions. This is usually taken in March and makes up one third of the final mark.

SQA Exam requirements
In addition to the course work, students will undertake 3 NABs (National Assessment Bank) and must pass these in order to complete the course. One NAB is taken for each of the Paper 1 Units and one NAB for Paper 2. The Higher is a one-year course and the final examination takes place in May.

Advanced Higher History:

Pupils undertake a detailed examination of Russian History from the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, through the establishment and consolidation of the Bolshevik State, to the death of Stalin in 1953. All pupils undertake a dissertation of 4,000 words focusing on a chosen topic relevant to the course. In this study the transition to university teaching and learning is the focus.  The department benefits from an excellent in-house library, expertise in teaching and excellent university links. Throughout the year seminars take place led by speakers and pupils themselves.  The dissertation which is one third of the final mark allows for a much more self-directed study.

SQA Exam requirements
In addition to the course work, students will undertake 2 NABs (National Assessment Bank) and must pass these in order to complete the course.  One NAB reflecting the exam and the second NAB as evidence of researching the dissertation The final examination takes place in May.

Modern Studies

Modern Studies is a subject unique to the Scottish curriculum and is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective.  There are strong links between Modern Studies and other areas of the curriculum as well as the Literacy and Numeracy strategies and to Core Skills including Working with Others and ICT within the subject context.

Form II

Modern Studies is taught to all pupils in Form II for one hour per week. Pupils develop a knowledge and understanding of current issues such as human rights and political and social issues in Scotland, the UK and the world. Issues might include: the refugee crisis in Darfur; population policy issues in China; knife crime in Scotland; the Arab- Israeli conflict; democracy in the UK today.  Skills such as enquiry, decision making and discussion are at the core of Modern Studies. A ‘big day’ event is held where all Form II pupils take part in a number of group and individual activities.  Examples of such events include a Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA) and a refugee day.

Standard Grade Modern Studies

This is a two year course which is taken in Forms III and IV and runs for three hours per week.

The curriculum covers the following topics: Living in a Democracy; Changing Society; Ideologies - USA; International Relations - Politics of Aid and Alliances.  

Enquiry skills such as decision making, detecting bias, drawing conclusions and testing hypotheses are developed throughout the course.  Speakers and visits are integral to an in-depth understanding of issues such as NATO and how the Scottish Parliament operates.

Each of the four units is examined by testing Knowledge and Understanding and Enquiry Skills.

Higher Modern Studies:

Pupils studying Higher Modern Studies will be taught for five hours per week. The curriculum includes a study of:

Political Issues in the UK with a focus on electoral systems and voting behavior.  The latter is essentially an answer to the question, “What makes a voter choose a particular party?”

Social issues in the UK centring on Wealth and Health inequalities

International Issues.  Here we study the People’s Republic of China, its politics and the consequences of its economic development, and the Politics of Development in Africa, which examines the reasons for under-development and the roles and effectiveness of the leading aid agencies. 

Active learning is central to our teaching methodology and a variety of activities helps pupils develop their understanding of the course.  This is enhanced by visiting speakers and attending relevant conferences with academics and other professionals who are experts in their field of study. 

Half the course considers the politics of wealth and health in the UK and the decision-making report writing will be of benefit to future medics. A unit of study can be obtained by them.

In addition to the course work, students will undertake 3 NABs (National Assessment Bank) and must pass these in order to complete the course.  One NAB is taken for each of the units.  The Higher is a one-year course and the final examination takes place in May.

Advanced Higher

For those pupils interested in developing their independent thinking skills and research techniques in the area of Law and Order in the UK, this course provides the challenging and relevant course.  Causes and effects of crime as well as penal systems are studied in depth with pupils completing a personal research into an area that interests them.  Visits to prison and guest speakers are important aspects to this in-depth study. A dissertation of 5,000 words is completed as part of this course.  Pupils set up their own hypothesis and use primary research, through interviews, statistics and case studies to develop their answer.  They also consult the latest academic texts in our in-house library and work with our librarian in school. 

SQA Exam requirements
In addition to the course work, students will undertake 2 NABs (National Assessment Bank) and must pass these in order to complete the course.  One NAB reflecting the exam and the second NAB as evidence of researching the dissertation The final examination takes place in May.

Philosophy

Pupils in Form VI are able to take two units of Philosophy at Intermediate 2 level. These two units - Moral Philosophy and Problems in Philosophy - are studied using a wide range of resources and focus on such issues as War, Punishment, Euthanasia, the existence of God and the limits of our knowledge.

SQA NAB assessments are taken here. 

Politics

Pupils in Form VI are able to study Higher Politics.  Political Theory is an examination of the concepts of state, power and authority and the ideologies of liberalism, socialism and conservatism, underpinned by the great political theorists from Hobbes, Locke and Burke to Mill, Marx and Weber.

The Political Structures unit is comparative is nature and contrasts the legislatures, executives and judiciaries of the UK and the USA, with a particular focus on the Scottish dimension.  Current political developments are used to enliven discussion and act as exemplification for written work. 
SQA NAB assessments are taken here. 

Law
Pupils in Form VI can elect to take the Law module in their final year and for those considering a career either at University or beyond, it can offer a good introduction to the challenges that lie ahead. 

A comprehensive look at the Scottish Legal System is offered with examination of District, Sheriff and High Courts offered alongside a number of guest speakers and key visits.  Pupils have been fortunate to visit and meet with Lord Malcolm at the High Court in Edinburgh as well as attend a talk by Caroline Flanagan who was the first female president of the Scottish law Society. 

A British and more international perspective is also given with a look at areas as diverse as the Death Penalty, Euthanasia, Guantanamo Bay, O.J. Simpson, the Lockerbie Disaster and Tony Martin.    

Clubs and Societies
The department is committed to the education of its pupils beyond the classroom and to that end is involved in many clubs and societies. We encourage pupils to participate in all of them, but those which wil be of a direct benefit to their academic studies would be The Literary and Debating Society and The Politics Society, which organizes a programme of visiting speakers from across the political spectrum.

International dimension
The department enhances curricular study with a range of opportunities for international educational visits.  The Battlefields experience, Moscow exchange, Auschwitz educational project, visits to the USA, Cuba and China.