| 6th | 7th | |
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| Higher |  |
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| AS Level | |
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| A Level | |
This is an excellent course for those who are only doing one year of History in the sixth form, and a good preparation for university for those who are carrying on.
Progression
Higher History has practical benefits as a preparation for university work in History, Law, Politics, Economics, Philosophy, Literature, or any of the Social Sciences. It develops the ability to handle factual material in ever increasing quantity and sophistication, the ability to read critically and efficiently, and the ability to present, in a fluent essay, a logical argument supported by perceptive reasoning and detailed evidence.
It also has a wider educational value, providing as it does a sense of chronology and historical perspective, a broadening of experiences and interests, and a daily invitation to think critically about opinions, interpretations and evidence. The emphasis is on essay-writing skills and on the evaluation of printed sources.
The content has been chosen to dovetail closely with our AS-Level papers. Pupils who wish may sit the AS Level Units this year, with a maximum overlap of content and very similar exam technique. They will then be ready to move on to A-Level and the full A-Level.
Entry requirements
Most candidates will have studied History at GCSE or Standard Grade. But others are welcome, and will be at no disadvantage, provided they are interested, and have reasonable abilities at reading and writing.
The Higher History syllabus
The structure of the syllabus obliges us to concentrate all Units in one period – in this case the modern period. This in no way limits the breadth and fascination of the material, ranging from the arrival of Woolworths in Britain and the arrival of Lenin in Petrograd to the arrival of American troops in Vietnam. Opportunities to study medieval or early modern history will arise in the A-Level course.
The course revolves around three big questions:
- Why do great wars happen and can they be prevented?
- Why do revolutions happen, and can they ever be beneficial?
- How did the UK become as it is today - for good or ill?
UNIT ONE: Aspects of Modern British History
The Labour Movement Poverty and the Welfare State 1906-1951 Changing Scottish Society 1880-1939 (Popular culture, religion, education) |
UNIT TWO: Russia 1881-1921
Revolutionary movements and the crisis of 1905 Revolution and its consequences 1917-1921 |
UNIT THREE: The origins and development of the Cold War 1945-1985
The Berlin Blockade and the Korean War Soviet intervention in Hungary and Czechoslovakia The Cuban missile crisis US intervention in South East Asia |
Assessment
(a) Essays There will be two papers in the final examination. There is also an “Extended Essay” – a coursework essay, externally marked, that is written under controlled conditions on a prepared title, so that candidates can give of their very best without the excessive demands of a dissertation. |
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Democracy and the British people.
Tsarist autocracy in the late nineteenth century
Ideological and military rivalries
The examinations and end-of-unit tests will consist of: This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / history / higher.htm
