HISTORY (EDX)

A2 Course Outline

Why Study History at A2?

History is a traditional and challenging academic discipline that enables students to develop essential academic skills.

The second year of Advanced Level History requires students to develop and deploy their academic skills to a standard significantly beyond AS requirements.

The study of evidence, construction of coherent arguments and the assimilation and deployment of knowledge are core parts of A2 History. Learning how to construct essays will be a fundamental part of the course.

History Unit 3
This exam unit comprises 60% of the A2 course. It will last two hours and you will be expected to analyse and interpret secondary sources as well as complete an in-depth essay. Students attending AS history will be consulted on the topic of study, if they seek to continue their studies the following year for A2. For the last two years, students have chosen German history (1900 to 1945) as their topic of choice.

History Unit 4
Students will construct their Unit 4 coursework from September which contributed the remaining 40% of the A2 course. Students will complete two essays of 2,000 words each. The course must cover more than one hundred years of any period in history. Students attending AS history will be consulted on the topic of study, if they seek to continue their studies the following year for A2. For the last two years, students have chosen Russian History (1856-1964) and the Tudors (1485-1603).


HISTORY (EDX) A2 Specification

(this may be altered if students agree on alternative topics)

Unit 3
Exam (2 hours)
60% of A2;
30% of A-level

Covering German history from 1900 to 1945, most people have some familiarity with this topic, especially the period 1933-45 under Adolf Hitler. Students will again study a state in transition - from Kaiser, through Weimar democracy, to the Third Reich - studying and comparing, analysing and evaluating why Germany took the course of development that it did which impacted so profoundly upon the rest of the world.

Unit 4
Coursework
40% of A2;
20% of A-level

The selected topic will be Russia 1856-1964, exploring the most tragic and tempestuous historical period in human experience. Embracing the last Tsars of Russia as the country attempts to modernise and compete for global prestige, the revolution that brought about the Communist State, and the respective governments of Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev. It is a story of dictatorship at its most brutal and ruthless.

Structure of the Course
This course will be taught for 6 lessons per week. Homework will be set weekly and deadlines must be adhered to. Reading of textbooks is essential.

Recommended Reading

Germany (Unit 3)

Russia (Unit 4)

Fees and Dates