History
Opening time capsules and tracing footsteps
At RIC we empower our students to become adept interpreters of historical narratives, capable of constructing compelling arguments rooted in evidence and analysis. Through meticulous research and thoughtful reflection, our students engage with the past not as passive observers, but as active participants in the ongoing dialogue of history.
We explore at A level the challenges and triumphs that shape nations and ideologies and the seismic shifts of American history and politics.
Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat raggedly on into the future.
Exam Specifications
Assessment methods
Length of exams: 2x AS exams (1x 1h15; 1x 1h45); 2x A2 exams (1x 1h15; 1x 1h45)
Breakdown of units
The course is broken into an AS and an A2 component, which combine to create the A level qualification. There is no coursework component; the entire course is assessed in four exams.
The AS component covers the major events of United States history from 1820 (the Missouri Compromise) to 1941 (the entry of the USA into World War Two). This is a crucial period to study to understand the evolution of the USA from a newly-independent republic to the dominant global power of the last century. The main topics covered are: the origins of the American Civil War; the Civil War and Reconstruction Era; the Gilded Age and Progressivism; and the Great Depression and the New Deal. There will be opportunities to consider the impact of the changes of this time on African Americans, immigrant groups, and women, as well as engage in historical debates over the success and failure of US governance and leadership at critical turning points. Part of this component will be assessed based on analysis and use of sources; a vital practice that develops critical evaluation, the ability to discern bias, and confidence in making informed judgements.
The A2 component is in two parts, the first of which continues the study of the USA from 1944-1992. This era saw the USA surpass its economic and political competitors to emerge unrivalled as a world leader by the end of the 20th century. This component has a particular focus on the changes of US foreign policy throughout a period dominated by Cold War tensions. The second part of the A2 component focuses on the causes of World War One c. 1890-1914. While there is chronological overlap with other parts of the course, this study attends uniquely to an ongoing historical debate: who was to blame for the war? Students will look at the events leading up to the outbreak of war in 1914, as well as the various historical interpretations that have arisen over the subsequent 110 years.
Assessment method
Two exams worth 73% (paper 1: 40% and paper 2: 33%) and coursework worth 27%
Exam length
Paper 1: 2hrs
Paper 2: 2 hrs
Breakdown of units
Paper 1: This paper assesses students’ ability to recall, select, organise and deploy knowledge and the ability to construct historical explanations. The paper has two sections.
Section A is on the Core Content. There will be 4 questions on Core Content Option B, and students must answer two.
Section B is on the Depth Study, there will be 2 questions and students answer 1.
The Core Content Option B of the IGCSE syllabus covers: 20th century international relations since 1919:
Were the peace treaties of 1919–23 fair?
To what extent was the League of Nations a success?
Why had international peace collapsed by 1939?
Who was to blame for the Cold War?
How effectively did the USA contain the spread of Communism?
How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989?
Why did events in the Gulf matter, c.1970–2000?
The Depth Study will be Russia: 1905-41 (subject to change). This course covers 4 key questions:
1. Why did the Tsarist regime collapse in 1917?
2. How did the Bolsheviks gain power, and how did they consolidate their rule?
3. How did Stalin gain and hold on to power?
4. What was the impact of Stalin’s economic policies?
Paper 2: This paper primarily assesses students’ ability to understand, interpret, evaluate and use a range of sources as evidence. For the June 2022 exam the prescribed topic is: How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989? For the June 2023 examination the theme will be: Why had international peace collapsed by 1939? The source and questions will be on this topic only. The topic changes every year.
Coursework
Students need to write a 2000 essay addressing a question set by the teacher. The topic of the coursework will be based on the content studied for the Depth Study (Russia). The coursework will require students to engage directly with a question related to assessing the significance of a specific aspect studied. The coursework will be completed in year 11.
Curious about History?
Listen
In Our Time (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl)
Broad BBC radio show with 20 years of archives. There are a wide range of historical programmes, neatly ordered by topic or century on the website.
More Perfect (https://bit.ly/2IK7ZAA)
An interesting series of discussions of the Supreme Court, its relationship with the rest of government, powers and some key cases relevant to the course.
Backstory (https://www.backstoryradio.org/)
A podcast created by historians which discusses an aspect of US history each week.
Presidential (https://wapo.st/1l3gx4r)
Washington Post podcast surveying all US presidents. WP has a similar podcast exploring the Constitution called Constitutional.
Revolutions (https://www.revolutionspodcast.com/archives.html)
A podcast charting and comparing the causes, courses and consequences of most major revolutions in history.
Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/ap-us-history)
A website with a range of ‘lessons’, articles and videos available.
Read
Germs, Guns & Steel by Jared Diamond
convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world.
Sapiens: A brief history of humankind by Noah Yuval Harari spans the entirety of human history and explains how humans dominated the earth.
Watch
13th (Netflix)
Documentary covering the African American experience since Reconstruction. Advances a position but has useful and interesting arguments regarding the changing nature of representation in America.
Race for the White House (Netflix)
A more traditional documentary, covering key presidential races.
Ken Burns: The Roosevelts: An Intimate History; The West; Prohibition; The Civil War; The War
A wide range of Ken Burns documentaries are available on various streaming platforms.
Crash Course: US History (https://bit.ly/1dJkSTo) and Crash Course: World History
Short videos on a range of periods and topics. The World History series is more wide-ranging and exploratory and the US History more thorough.
Socials
Social History Cool Kids (Instagram) (https://www.instagram.com/historycoolkids/)
An interesting account introducing lesser-known events in history.
History Photographed (Instagram) (https://www.instagram.com/historyphotographed/)
An eclectic collection of photography, by necessity largely covering the twentieth century.
RIC detectorists and dark academia
RIC amateur archaeologists have been digging up the past under the enthusiastic historical oversight of Vice Principal and History teacher Ellen Crozier. Ethan in year 8 found a medieval coin that sparked a College wide numismatic investigation. His coin was eventually identified as a very lightly clipped and pitted halfgroat of Henry VI with the KCC finds specialist saying ‘Your group has done a much better job than the average archaeologist could do, coins tend to be a quite specialist field.”
Even more exciting is the discovery of RIC’s very own witch’s bottle, dating we suspect from the 17th century. Witch bottles were countermagical devices, supposed to ward off witches and were placed in walls, often containing pins, human hair and urine.
Ours was discovered in a cesspit behind Gainsborough when we were extending the building over ten years ago. It was not recognised as a witch bottle by the archaeologist at the time and stored with other finds considered less significant in the RIC cellar until visiting mudlarker Fleur Alston of Kit and Caboodlers fame who was trawling the College site identified it as a witch bottle this summer. We followed guidance from the Museum of London’s bottles concealed and revealed team live streamed the opening of its contents.