What is history? It sounds such a simple question doesn’t it? Oscar Wilde said of the study of history “Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” But it can cause a lot of disagreement. Napoleon called it ‘a myth’ and Henry Ford called it ‘bunk’! Other people think it is much more important, believing, like the American historian David McCullough, that “History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” Whatever they think about the usefulness of history most people will, however, agree that history is the study of the past. In fact, historians are a bit like detectives – using evidence to find out what happened and why. This is not an easy job. You must be able to recognise evidence, decide how useful it is and come to conclusions based on what you have found out. Where can the subject lead me? For some careers, particularly Law, History is a helpful background and for all occupations, because History is founded on a study of people, it provides a background to our Western cultural tradition and a surer appreciation of the present. History is a very popular and highly regarded subject, it goes well with other arts and social science subjects like English, Geography and Sociology. History is also one of the most popular choices of scientists looking to add a little breadth to their A level programme. With a qualification in History, you can work in a great variety of jobs such as law, business and administration, the police service, the armed forces, journalism and the media as well as teaching or working in the cultural sector. Programme Content Course description What is history? It sounds such a simple question doesn’t it? Oscar Wilde said of the study of history “Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” But it can cause a lot of disagreement. Napoleon called it ‘a myth’ and Henry Ford called it ‘bunk’! Other people think it is much more important, believing, like the American historian David McCullough, that “History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” Whatever they think about the usefulness of history most people will, however, agree that history is the study of the past. In fact, historians are a bit like detectives – using evidence to find out what happened and why. This is not an easy job. You must be able to recognise evidence, decide how useful it is and come to conclusions based on what you have found out. Where can the subject lead me? For some careers, particularly Law, History is a helpful background and for all occupations, because History is founded on a study of people, it provides a background to our Western cultural tradition and a surer appreciation of the present. History is a very popular and highly regarded subject, it goes well with other arts and social science subjects like English, Geography and Sociology. History is also one of the most popular choices of scientists looking to add a little breadth to their A level programme. With a qualification in History, you can work in a great variety of jobs such as law, business and administration, the police service, the armed forces, journalism and the media as well as teaching or working in the cultural sector. Programme Content Examination Board and Specification OCR A AS (Year 1) Unit F961 Option B – British History Period Studies- Option B Domestic Issues 1918-51 Unit F964 European and World History Enquiries - Option B Dictatorship and Democracy in Germany 1933-63 A Advanced Level (Year 2) Unit F965 Historical Interpretation and Investigations America Between the Wars 1918 – 1941 Unit F966 Historical Themes Civil Rights in the USA – 1865-1992 Teaching and Learning Styles Learning will be achieved by note taking, reading and research from primary and secondary sources, videos, Internet and CDROM. Teaching styles vary from formal lectures to discussions and debates. A key element of this course is the opportunity to visit major historical sites.

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