79 replies to this topic

[SuziSu]

The Edexcel Individual Assignment Unit 4i A2 module has thrown up some interesting topics around teh classroom. If nothing else, it has shown me how many interests and sectors of history there really are. What you start studying feels exciting until you (think you) see how green the grass is with other students.



Topics have included:

To what extent did the characters of William and Harold determine the victor and the loser at the Battle of Hastings in 1066?

How significant was the Boer War in the decline of the British Empire?

How effective was Martin Luther King in igniting racial and religious change in American society in the 1960s?

etc,.....

[Satirical]

Hmmm I enjoy all topics since I love History with a passion. If I'd have to choose, I'd take anything American. I love English history but for example, the reformation (Henry-Edward-Mary-Elizabeth) is too repetitive. It, mostly goes "and the act of 10 articles was passed...and the act of 6 articles was passed...and the act of 10 articles was passed and then etc etc". By the end of the topic you pretty much get mixed up on policies unless you revise HARD. I'm exaggerating above but you get the gist. American reconstruction, or to go even earlier from the 1700s up to even the 2000s...has a story which (In my opinion anyway) links things in such a way that it's hard to forget. The policies, acts that are passed more or less fit in this story so if somebody asked me "when was the emancipation proclamation" I'd easily remember "during civil war..hmm..1862!"

I like anything foreign...India, China, Korea, America. I guess there's a fascination that comes with trying to learn somebody else's culture/policies and it's this fascination which give better grades.

Oh and Vlad the Impaler is a really cool topic...It's never been studied, but I checked it and I think people would be interested!

[Charlieee]

I'm doing AS History and at the moment I am doing about Weimar and Nazi Germany and The Early Tudors!
I find Nazi Germany extreamly interesting, especially the Holocaust, but I find The Early Tudors, (Henry VII and how he became king) a bit boring for my liking. I can understand though why they haven't chosen to do Henry VIII or Elizabeth I because a lot of this has been touched on throughout school life, especially in Primary school, as they are probably two of the most famous monarchs in British History.
I think it would be a good idea if we had a choice of 4 topics to choose for AS/A2 level history, and you would have to do 2, what do you think?

[painmaster2005]

hi there i am doing the wejc exam board i think? i like what we are doing in history it is realy good and because of theis i am going on to do A level i am only in yr10 i like it now more than ever

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[l'histoire]

Sorry to post on something which hasn't had a reply in over a month, I assume that's alright?

I study History at GCSE, I'm currently halfway through Year 11. My school chose to study the Modern History, and as they promoted it well at the end of Year 9, about 150 of the 300 students chose History. I doubt many regret it

There are some very interesting topics on the course;

-Causes of WWI (Long & Short term)
-WWI and trench warfare, conditions for soldiers etc
-The Home Front, lives of women etc
-Weimar Germany, leading to hyper-inflation, through the Stressmann years, the Dawes plan, Hitler's rise to power and so on
-Causes of WWII (we don't actually study WWII)
-America between the wars; prosperity, prohibition and so on

And instead of coursework we do;

-Vietnam
-The changing roles of women

Yay


It's an incredibly enjoyable mix of topics, in an incredibly enjoyable subject!

Edited by l'histoire, 08 December 2004 - 05:22 PM.

[Harriet-812]

I am in lower sixth studying history. I did schools history project which was really good as we got to look, to some extent, at lots of periods of histroy - we studued medicine through time, and also some stuff we hadn't covered before, the American West. I wasn't so keen on the local study though! The only problem with our course was that when we gotto college those who studied late history (Nazis etc) found they were behind those who had studied this period at GCSE so perhaps GCSEs should focus on different areas to those offered at AS and A level?

[historyisace]

I'm going to choose history , i don't really know what things you do in the exam.

but i think that students are more likely to opt for history if they get the idea that history isn't a time to go to sleep and boring subject.

My history teacher does "role plays" and "reanacts the the topic.

I really like that (i like history anyway) but it makes dates and times stick in your memory as opposed to reading text book and copying questions.

Edited by historyisace, 04 January 2005 - 03:22 PM.

[Mr Field]

I'm going to choose history , i don't really know what things you do in the exam.

but i think that students are more likely to opt for history if they get the idea that history is a time to go to sleep and boring subject.

My history teacher does "role plays" and "reanacts the the topic.

I really like that (i like history anyway) but it makes dates and times stick in your memory as opposed to reading text book and copying questions.

I think this is a good point - but surely you mean they are more likely to opt for history is they get they idea that history is not a time to go to sleep!

Good teachers always try to look for ways to make the learning more interesting because, as you say, this helps you really understand and learn.

[historyisace]

I think this is a good point - but surely you mean they are more likely to opt for history is they get they idea that history is not a time to go to sleep!

Yes! i do mean that, i will edit it right away

[Icklewomble]

I would like to learn about, more of the British hisory and less about war. I know war is important part of our History but i would prefer to learn about groups of people such as Incas and Tudors. I would also like to learn about the past royal family because i think it is important.

[will-siddall]

well ive always loved history and everything about it and really i would love to learn more on nelson and his famous battles like trifalger or the saints or the nile

[crazy_emma]

i'm in year 11 and have studied Russia 1900-1925 and germany 1920-1945 which are indepth studies. i found these really interesting. i also have to do USA 1920-1990 which i find really boring as you do not go into much depth and it is mostly based on president, politics and the Race Issue.

i am hoping to do AS History where i will study british and european histroy which i think will be a lot more interesting than the USA work i am doing at the moment.

i glad that we dont have to do any history before 1900 as i am much more interested in modern history.

i have completed two coursework assignments one on the evcuation of dunkirk and the other on women during world war two. i enjoyed both these pieces of coursework, however the dunkrik peice was more structured and therefore easier to write.

[Hazza]

I'm in year 11 and have just finished the course of Medicine Through Time and Germany. I have really enjoyed these topics they both have really fun bits as well as being interesting and intriguing.

I also had to study Northern Ireland (painful) I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wasn't able get the topic into context. I really don't think that this is a suitable area of study for 14, 15 & 16 year olds.

We also did a local study and travelled to the town we were studying, I loved finding out the history of a place that I regularily visit.
My friend and I also filmed a documentary in the town, it was definately a good way of revising the information, you should try it if you can!

I would really like to study the Vietnam War and the time that surrounded it. I went to see Miss Saigon (sounds like a silly reason) and I felt that students arn't taught enough about it and I found that there were historical references that I didn't understand.

Does anyone know which AS and A2 levels cover this time?

[Laineyizme]

As a current year eleven student who has just about finished their history gcse course I would say that their are several really good topics that I enjoyed studying. However I speak for many people from the present and the past and maybe even the future when I say that the Weimar Rebulic topic was not the most eye opener and doesnt really make the students want to learn....... that is just my opinion, I hope I have helped

[vesanus_puella]

i'm at the end of year 9 and have looked at several sites to do with GCSE history so i could get warmed up for it, particularly castles and Germany, yes i've mainly been on the bbc bitesize sites, but i thonk that the course that has been set out for us to do is a very good one as it has a large range of topics covered.

i hope you take my post seriously even though i haven't really started the course yet