79 replies to this topic

[hayleyrose88]

Im currently taking A2 history, just starting second year and the topics i did in GCSE were Nazi Germany, and Medicine through time. I really loved and throughly enjoyed Medicine through time and would recommend it xxx

[Smile]

What is Medicine like?
Also, what periods in history do you study in that course?
I'd like to do that , as its not a part of history that I have ever really considered, or studied (minus a little on the plague). I'd also like to do it as both my parents are GPs so I've been taught a little about current medicine by them, and the comparison would be interesting.

[PeterH]

I'm studying GCSE History at the moment and our course (AQA History A - I think?) has some really nice sections, but it is also quite disappointing in that it takes you right up from 1900 to 1939 when Hitler moves into Poland. I would have really liked to have studied WW2, but unfortunatly I won't be.

My perfect (and realistic course given the limited time) would be:

Roman Empire: Rise and Fall
Causes of WW1
Causes of WW2
WW2
Russian Revolution

It doesn't make much sense having the Roman Empire in there since everything else is modern history, but I love that period. Also I put Russian Revolution in there because I don't know much about it and I know that my great grandfather and his family were part of it so I'd like to learn more about it.

I think that some of these things are covered in our schools A-Level courses, but I'm not sure I'll do History at A-Level.

Despite this being what I would like to study, I don't think that they should change the course to this because the current course is probably more valuable to students in the long run. I mean, understanding the causes of the two world wars, the Treaty of Versaille, the Great Depression and the Cold War help you to understand a lot of what you see to day, in terms of international relations, a map of Europe - which has changed enormously throughout the last century, and also politics.

- Peter

Edited by PeterH, 06 December 2006 - 08:42 AM.

[Jimmy_Morecambe]

How does the amount of content in the History courses compare with the amount in other subjects? It would be very interesting to hear what pupils think about this area, especially as decisions about content of courses are being made fairly soon.

a massive amount of work in my AS history, this has made it hard for me to keep up with other subjects, making history the most pressurising subject, just becuase of the constant reading, essays and note taking

[Levit]

I really enjoyed GCSE history. History got a lot more popular in my year and onwards, as we were the first people to do modern history. Before that the school taught "history of farming" or something like that, and no one liked it. I did AQA, with modules International Relations (from the causes of the first world war up until the beginning of the cold war), Germany 1918-39, USA 1918-45 and Britain During WW2. For essay coursework we did Vietnam war and for sources coursework we did Battle of the Somme. This was good as I like modern stuff, it was not good for people who don't.

I most enjoyed doing International Relations, as it gave a nice overview of history. I also enjoyed USA, as that was a more unusual topic to study and I thought it was very interesting. I like topics with political themes. Vietnam coursework was also really good.

Britain during WW2 seemed really stuck in there so we had to do about Britian and how good it was. I didn't like that one much.

At AS I don't like the modules were're doing. We do two Germany modules: one on Nazi Germany and one that's almost all on Nazi Germany. I don't like this, it's really boring. This is partly because I did all that in the Germany GCSE module, but I just find the Nazi period really uninteresting: The Weimar period is a lot better. The other module is the Norman Conquest of Britain. I like this one better as it is at least new material. It's not quite my thing, but I think it's quite good. No one else seems to study it though. I like the idea of mixing modern history with medieval as it's something for everyone, I just think the choice of modern topics is rubbish. I would much rather have done... anything else, really. Other modules that have been mentioned have been Italy, and lots of stuff about Russia. I've never studied those and wish we were doing them instead.

I think something that is missing from school/college that seems to feature a lot in university is studying a theme across periods, modules such as "history of women" or "history of transport" or whatever.

[cornishpixie]

For our GCSE history we took Britain (liberal reforms, WWI), Nazis and USA 1920-30 it was quite interesting but a bit outdated so it would be interesting to study the Gulf war and all that recent stuff.

For my A Levels we have got the best course available for Edexcel because most of them are really boring like the study of railway development. So the Civil War and Cromwell were really interesting compared to that.

It would be nice if History was a bit more updated and had a broader range of topics, we studied the Civil War in Year 8 and again at A Level so to do something different would be a lot more interesting

Amy

[George]

I am only year 8 but history is a subject that i would love to take when i get to GCSE's. I have really enjoyed school history so far and look forword to things to come. I wish that some of my class mates would look at history the same.

George.

[Tudor]

I would have loved to have done a depth study into ELizabeth I my favourite person in history and i would like to look further afield maybe into Jerusalem and learn about the crusades.

[Arguia]

On my course we have four sections: single party states, causes, effects and practices of war, peace and cooperation and cold war.

At the moment we are doing the first two sections... studying Russia and World War One (just moving into inter-war years) right now.

I personally am not a fan of Russian history, and would love to do something about Argentina (recently researched the Dirty War for an English presentation and Argentine history sounds really interesting). However I would like to study lots of topics... and of course there isn't the time.

[ahoythere]

I think we should learn more about Medieval history for examply lets say just after 1066 to around the 16th century, I used to be bored by history which wasnt from the French Revoloution to the Second World War but I really have found this time quite intresting as to how the Medieval age was. I found out about a numerous amount of strange royal familys I think based in France or the Holy Roman Empire origianlly which all seemed to have to marry there cousins and all were inbred. The Family spanned across europe!

I feel we should also learn more about the crusades. Im in year eight and we havent touched the Crusades and I doubt it in the future, I would love to learn the crusades because well I know quite alot about it, with Pope Urban and the Byzantine empire in Greece. Definatly some more Medieval History in there!

I would also like more up to date modern history, Cold War and on-wards around the gulf wars. And maybe some on the wars which everyone seems to forget about, the first and second boer war, the Korean war and more indeapth in some civil wars including the Spanish Civil war and American. I understand they cant fit all this in with the existing curriculem, but these are things I would love to learn about.

+Sorry for making lots of posts on a previous topic, didnt see the "reviewed by adminstrator" bit and thought they were just not being posted!

[Smile]

Well I'm yr 11 and in year 10 we did crime and punishment. This was quite interesting but it was everything from the Romans to today so there's SSSSSSOOOOOOOOO much to learn now, and it seems to be just all learning dates and I don't like it much. But this year we are doing Germany in the run up to WW2 which is really good, as it is in depth and interesting but also something specific so it is easier to learn. I've really enjoyed this year (even though there's been lots of essays) and so I think that perhaps in depth studies are much better just because everyone finds it easier to become interested and so will learn it better. Plus it means you learn a detailed section of history as opposed to a really vague overview. So I reckon that in depth studies are probably the best things to study.

[MWRY]

Im in Year 11, studying Modern World History, and I must admit, the course is not as good as I would have liked.

We are studying:

Russia. Tsarism up to Stalinism
World War I
International Relations (Mainly Cold War)
End World War I Germany to World War II Germany.

Id much rather have been doing the Schools History Project Course, but this was only open to lower ability groups at my school.

Id much rather be studying Inca's, Aztecs, Ancient Greeks and the like.

[elzaco]

Hi

I am a year 11 student taking AQA Modern World History B

Specifically: Russia, Germany, WW1, Vietnam, Britain's role in the post-WW2 world, and International Relations 1919-1963.

I feel like many other posters in that GCSE History is too Europe-based. I accept that it may be the most relevant topic to students, but there are other issues that I feel are simply not given any weight, just because the exam boards are coming from a Caucasian-centred viewpoint.

Here are some topics that I feel would make good ones (the best are in bold):

Mao and China
American Civil War
The Mongol Empire
The Chinese Dynasties
Colonialism in South America
The Hundred Years' War

As you can see, three of these topics are Far East-based. I think that to an extent the exam boards are guilty of subconscious discrimination against the Far East. Mao and China is a far more important topic than the Gulf War, I think you'll agree, as well as one which has a far more engaging history and is further-reaching in terms of consequences today.

I might be wrong of course, feel free to tell me that I am a would-be tokenist.

I. N. H.

[ljh6378]

im doing my a2's this year and for my gcse's i did germany pre ww2 and medicine through time, these were good to study, but my secondry school did not have a sixth form so i had to move, i am now doing tudor history, which is amazing and i think that there should be more a of a choice of what the students can study, maybe even let them pick, because people get put of history if the time period they are studying is boring.

[WatTyler]

I've heard so many different accounts of learning tudor history as to puzzle me exceedingly. It's never been my favourite period. A few friends hate it, a few friends love it; perhaps its dependent on the teacher.

I'd love to study the english civil war again. I loved it when I did it in year eight, and the role of religion as either a real reason or an excuse is something I keep finding myself coming back to...


Re: Modern world history: It's an amazing course....the amount of times I was reduced to tears, to hysterics....the memories...