Only 20% of the assessed material is unseen, and coursework is worth 25% of the total GCSE.

There are four key areas to the course, these are

1)       Medicine: A development study of the changes and continuity from prehistoric times to the modern day of the treatments and understanding of disease and infection.

2)       Local Study: A detailed local history coursework focus on Saltaire as a Model village.

3)       American West 1840-95: This depth study requires a new set of skills to examine, assess and evaluate the events and personalities of the American West.

4)       Northern Ireland: A detailed coursework piece on the causes, consequences and events of the troubled History of Ulster.

The marks are gained from the two pieces of coursework – a total of 25%. The remaining 75% is from two exam papers in the Summer of Year 11. Paper One consist of testing the Medicine element of the course, whilst Paper Two is the American West depth study exam.

Trips

We have at least two trips as an integral part of the GCSE History course. These are opportunities to enlarge the knowledge and understanding of the key topics and questions we study in class. It also presents pupils with the ability to approach the topic in their own way, and access the information in the best way for that individual.

The first visit is to Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds which is an excellent resource. It presents a variety of situations and charts the medical advances in terms of how people on the (rancid, open-sewer, diseased) street would have seen them.

Thackray largely concentrates on the Modern aspect, giving pupils a chance to experience 1840s Leeds and the Public Health problems of the time. It also looks at the training of medical professionals and surgical advances.

The Trip acts as revision for topics studied, in addition to adding new and real dimensions to pupils learning. [Add pupil’s assessment of the Trip, + views.]

The second visit is to Saltaire, the subject of the second piece of coursework. This presents a chance for students to collect information, photographs and a sense of the scale of Saltaire. It also reveals the power of Sir Titus and the size of his wealth and production.

Pupils are encouraged to go beyond the work booklet in their groups. To investigate and register unusual features and to examine all areas of the Victorian community.

These trips are a very significant part of the teaching and learning of this course, and as such we demand the highest levels of commitment to learning and of behavior.

Lastly we are hoping this year to attend a Doctors Show Revision session which teaches both detailed exam technique and finishes in the afternoon with an amusing look at the 5000 Years of Medical advances. This is currently under review at the moment. More very soon.

“We have at least two trips as an integral part of the GCSE History course..”

MEDICINE
The Five chronological time periods studied are

·         Prehistory

·         Ancient World

·         Medieval

·         Renaissance

·         Modern

Five key questions which will be analysed throughout each module are:

1)       What caused people to be healthy or unhealthy?

2)       What ideas did people have about the causes and treatment of illness and injury?

3)       Who provided medical care?

4)       What caused diagnoses and treatments to remain the same of to change?

5)       How far did new ideas and treatments affect the majority of the population?

The role of these agents of change will be examined.

•          Special People

•          Government

•          Special People

•          Chance

•          War

•          Science and Technology

•          Religion

•          Communication

Northern Ireland

This piece of coursework is focused on the background to the Trouble and the causes of the escalation of violence in the 1960s. It also examines the ways in which the conflict has changed and been tackled both successfully and unsuccessfully. The nature and success of the peace processes and the final result, and whether there can ever be one.

Saltaire

The local aspect of the Coursework addresses the question of whether Saltaire is a typical model village which will need to draw comparisons with other model villages such as Bourneville. Port sunlight and New Lanark.

American West

This Unit is a depth study which is taught with a focus on the growth and development of the movement of settlers westwards, this is prefaced by an investigation into the life and environment of the Great Plains Indians.

The different groups who moved West such as the Mormons, Homesteaders and cowboys form the next part of the study.

The American West unit allows for the further development of source skills and powers of analysis.