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Level 3
History A-level
COURSE OVERVIEW
The course looks at important historical issues in breadth as well as in depth. It helps students to understand how the world has become what it is and our place in it. It develops students’;; ability to think critically and reach conclusions based on evidence.
Topics studied include:
Unit 1: The British Empire, c1857-1967
Part One. The High Water Mark of the British Empire, c1857-1914:
Expansion in Africa and India, The Suez Canal, Imperial Policy and the Scramble for Africa, Trade and Commerce, Attitudes in Britain, Indian Rebellion 1857, Relations with the Bantu people, , the Second Boer War, popular culture and empire, key individuals such as Joseph Chamberlain, Cecil Rhodes and David Livingstone.
Part Two. Imperial Retreat, 1914-1967:
The impact of the First and Second World War, Colonial Policy in India, Withdrawal and Partition, The Role of Gandhi and Jinnah, Decolonisation in Africa, The Suez Crisis, The Creation of the Commonwealth, Trade and Commerce and Post-War Reconstruction, Post-Colonial Ties, Relations with Indigenous Peoples, the Mau Mau, Rhodesia and Ian Smith
Unit 2: Revolution and Dictatorship, Russia, 1917-53
Part One. The Russian Revolution and the Rise of Stalin, 1917-29:
Nicholas II and the Russian War Effort, The February Revolution, The Dual Power, Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, The October Revolution, The Russian Civil War, The Early Bolshevik State and Economy, Foreign Relations and the Russo-Polish War, Lenin’;s Death and Power Vacuum, Ideological Debates, ‘The Great Turn’;, The Start of the Stalin Cult
Part Two. Stalin’;s Rule, 1929-53:
Agricultural and Social Developments, Collectivisation, Gosplan and the Five Year Plans, Stalin’;s Cult and Socialist Realism, Dictaroship and Stalinism, The Yezhovchina and the Great Purge, Stalinist Society, Co-Operation with Germany and the Nazi-Soviet Pact, The Impact of the Second World War, High-Stalinism, The Emergence of the USSR as a Superpower
Unit 3: The Crusades, 1071-1204
Coursework Unit: 3500-4500, using primary and secondary sources.
We use a range of teaching and learning methods: formal presentations by the teacher; discussions; group work; presentations; independent research; e-learning. We aim to take account of different learning styles and learner experiences.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You need a minimum of five GCSEs at 9-4, including grade 5 in English Language and grade 4 in Maths. Although previous historical knowledge is helpful it is not essential. Students do not need to have studied History GCSE. An interest in current affairs and a willingness to read widely in a range of texts is desirable.
Politics, Law and English all work particularly well with History but it has been successfully combined with most A Levels. History is an important academic subject and an excellent preparation for higher education. It is particularly useful if you are considering higher education and a career in public service, law, media, education, and indeed, most professions.
Throughout the course students complete essays and source based investigations.
TBC
To succeed in History students will need to absorb a lot of quite complex information quickly and to write fluently and concisely. Students will need to develop useful study skills including note-making and essay writing. Students will also need to read, understand and evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources.