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Why study History?
Studying History provides us with an insight into our own lives and of the society and the wider world in which we live. Through an understanding of the concept of continuity, you can better appreciate change and its significance, both in your own times and in the past. It is also intended to enable you to develop skills in explaining historical developments and events, evaluating sources and drawing conclusions.
The skills you learn in History are valuable in a wide range of career sectors, including public administration, business management, law, museum work, teaching and journalism.
What do I need to get in?
Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
History helps you to understand the world. You will study topics from Scottish, British, European and world history, including aspects of political, social, economic and cultural history. You will learn how to investigate, analyse and evaluate sources in order to understand and explain historical events. You will learn how to research and present information on historical developments.
The course has three compulsory units. The units are the similar to those for National 4 but you will be expected to achieve a higher standard of work.
Historical Study: Scottish (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop your ability to comment on historical sources
- learn more about themes and events within an area of Scottish history from the Medieval, Early Modern or Later Modern period.
Historical Study: British (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop your ability to comment on the impact of historical developments
- learn more about events and themes of British history from the Medieval, Early Modern or Later Modern period.
Historical Study: European and World (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- develop your ability to comment on factors that contribute to historical developments
- learn more about events and themes of European and world history from the Medieval, Early Modern or Later Modern period.
How will I be assessed?
Course Assessment (6 SCQF credit points)
Units will be assessed internally by your teacher or lecturer as 'pass' or 'fail'. Your work will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the course. Items of work might include:
- written work - such as research assignments, reports and case studies
- projects
- question papers/exams.
Units do not contribute to your overall grade but to achieve the course qualification, you must pass all units plus a course assessment.
The course assessment for this course consists of two components:
- question paper (60 marks)
- assignment (20 marks).
For the assignment component, you will be asked to choose and research a topic drawn from Scottish, British or European and world contexts and record and organise your findings. The assignment component will be set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
The question paper will be set and marked externally by the SQA.
The course assessment is graded A-D.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - History (National 5)