The IB History course is designed to enable students to:

• Understand the historical concepts of change and continuity, cause and effect, and be able to use them in their interpretation of current affairs
• Understand the significance of certain twentieth century events and ideologies in their global dimension
• Understand the nature of history as a discipline through the study of different sources, visual and written
• Develop an awareness of different interpretations of the past
• Respond to historical issues with empathy and critical analysis
• Promote a lifelong interest in the study of history

Areas of Study

Standard Level and Higher Level

World History Topics

A selection of materials is studied from the following topics:

• Authoritarian States
• Single party systems are examined in their ideology, social composition, structure, means of attaining goals and in the role of the leader. Rulers studied could include Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Castro.
• The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries.

Document Analysis of a Prescribed Subject

Rights and Protests: USA and South Africa

Higher Level

Regional Study: Oceania

Students engage in an additional study.

In this unit we will be looking at British Colonialism and Emerging Identities in Oceania 1788-1919 and the Development of Oceania Post WWII.

Assessment

Assessment is part of the regular teaching and learning programme. General assessment monitors of the student’s performance are made on a selection of assessment tasks chosen from the following:

• Analytical exercises, including visual evidence
• Essays (time and research)
• Oral presentations
• Research assignments
• Tests
• Film reviews
• Short reports
• Short answer exercises
• Multimedia presentations
• Biographical studies

IB Final Assessment

Standard Level

External Assessment:

• Paper 1: Document Analysis of a Prescribed Subject – 30%
• Paper 2: World History Topics – 45%

Internal Assessment:

• An in-depth study on any historical subject – 25%

Higher Level

External Assessment:

• Paper 1: Document Analysis of a Prescribed Subject – 20%
• Paper 2: World History Topics – 25%
• Paper 3: Regional Study – 35%

Internal Assessment:

An in-depth study on any historical subject – 20%