Record breakers!

Well, they did it! Our best ever History GCSE results with 72% of you getting an A*-C grade last week. Plus a massive 29% of your achieving an A*/A grade. Well done to you all for all of your hard work and extra effort this year, it really paid off!

You have set the bar high, can the next Y11 raise to the challenge? Time will tell... Keep your browsers pointed at the History blog to see how it all goes down.

Another year down...

The torch is passed to another Y11 group and another batch of first class historians is turned out of the Priory History Department production line.

Make sure that you all sign up for email alerts, they are the best way to find out when the blog is updated. Also, look out for Mr Marande's Sociology blog coming soon!

The History exams are over!

Well done everyone on two years of hard work and (hopefully) good fun. Your Priory History journey is over today but I hope that many of you continue to enjoy History at college.

I'm sure that you have all done yourselves proud and that you have all earned the summer off.

See you all at the Prom!

(This site will shortly go over to the current Y10, although feel free to pop a comment on from time to time. Will they be able to top your performance?!?)

USA Podcasts

I have made available two podcasts that you should all listen to before Thursday's exam.

They are fairly in depth but they will help you if you are looking for the B grade and above. They cover all three questions but will be very good for the Society and Wider World questions.

You can download them as .mp3 and either listen to them on your computer or your MP3 player.

USA 1929-1945

USA 1946-1960

Unfortunately the next installment in the series is not on until this Friday, so after your exam (but we will be able to use it next year!).

Here is the BBC iPlayer link to the second one as well.

America, Empire of Liberty

This website also has some good podcasts on the Depression and New Deal.

GCSE Podcasts

Let me know if you find these useful or if they need to be different.

One down...

One down, one to go!

Well done on your hard work yesterday everyone, I think the general feeling is that the papers went quite well. Mr Cotton and I hit the nail on the head with the question predictions, so hopefully you all revised them well!

We are holding 'BIG' America workshops next week. Mr Cotton is doing one on Tuesday 9th June morning P2 (10:15am) and I will be doing one on Wednesday 10th June afternoon P4 (1:20pm). You do not need to come to both and they will be full school uniform.

Comment here to let us know that you are coming.

And good luck with your other exams!

Good luck!

Good luck for tomorrow.

Just a few last minute tips...

1.) Stay calm
2.) Keep writing until the very end of the exam - scrape out every last fact/bit of info on to the page
3.) The USA paper ENDS with the Wall Street Crash (DO NOT talk about the New Deal, JFK, etc...)
4.) Remember the Law of Sources

Its your chance to make history now... here comes the BEST ever Priory History group!

The Law of Sources

I have created and linked below a handy Law of Sources document. Learn this (if you don't know it already) off by heart for the exam on Tuesday. I was very encouraged by your responses today, you have all learnt a lot.

I have also tried to make it even easier to remember each of them with a picture to represent each law. Can you match each picture to a type of source question? (Check the document for the correct answers)

The Law of Sources

One 'final push'!

Bloggers,

I'm thinking about holding the 'final push' workshop on Wednesday 27th May from 10am in room 11. Can you all make it? I know that there might be some Science workshops on then but I believe that they are on all week anyway.

We will take a look at anything you would like, suggestions below please. We will take in Germany and American foreign policy. The main focus will be on the first couple of History exams.

Not long now...

Mr M

Exam Question Predictions (pt. I)

Mr Cotton and I have been trying to predict (or 'gazing into a crystal ball') what questions might come up during this year's History exam papers.

This information comes with a BIG warning... it may not be 100% accurate and you should NOT base all of your revision around our guesses. Having said that, it would certainly not harm to make sure that you cover these topics in your revision plan.

Germany 1919-1945 Paper

- Problems of the Weimar Republic, 1919-29 (2006)
- The Rise of the Nazis and their Consolidation of Power, 1929-34 (2003 & 2007)
- Changing Life in Germany, 1933-39 (2004 & 2008)
- Germany During the Second World War, 1939-45 (2005 & 2009?)

The USA 1910-1929

- Problems & Challenges (2006)
- The American Economy (2004 & 2008)
- American Cultures & Society (2007)
- Foreign Policy: War & Isolationism (2005 & 2009?)

These predictions are for the COMPULSORY first questions on Paper 1. Paper 2 always has the option of two questions from the same three topics each year.

Let me know in the comments section if you have any questions about any of these topics.

Past Exam Papers

One of the best ways to revise and prepare for what is coming in an exam is to use past exam papers.

To the right of this post (in the green box at the top of the blog) is a section called 'Resources'. I have gathered together the last 3 years worth of WJEC exams papers for you to use.

You will have exactly the same format of exam for the THREE papers that you will sit this summer. The first papers are the Germany (1919-45) and the small USA (1910-29) ones (1 hour each) with a compulsory sources question to start each one. For these you should learn the '4 Laws of Source Questions' (I will post about this later in the week).

Your last paper is the big USA (1929-90) one (1 hour 20 mins) with a large 10 mark question after each section (you need to pick 2 out of 3 sections to answer).

Let me know if you have any questions/comments.

Easter Holidays Workshop

Mr Ricketts and I will be in room 11 from 10am until about 1pm on Wednesday 8th April 2009. We will run an exam skills workshop with some content revision.

You should all now be well stuck into your revision timetable. If you are unsure how to revise or want to mix it up a little bit, then check out this very short Power Point presentation.

Revision Tips Power Point

Also well worth checking out is the Need 2 Know revision site...

Need 2 Know

See you on Wednesday!

Lives of the Presidents

The Independent did a series of booklets a couple of months ago about the lives of the Presidents.

I have created a booklet with all of the Presidents important to the course in. It would be a great way to revise, by doing a couple of Presidents per week. The booklet also contains 'funny facts' about each person that will help them to stick in your mind. This is an excellent revision aid for A*/A/B candidates.

The articles are still on the Independent website to read as well

The Lives of the Presidents

As usual copies of the booklet will be availible from me in room 11 and I will give one to each of the other Y11 teachers to distribute as they see fit.

'Operation Human Shield'

As promised here is the clip from the South Park film about 'Operation Human Shield'. This is a clever (and risky) joke about the 'Jim Crow Army' and should help you remember that during WWII the US Army was segregated. Just don't write in your exam about things from the clip, it is satire, taking a grain of truth and building it up.

More information on the 'Jim Crow laws' can be found on this link.

Ali

For those of you missed the film 'Ali' last night on Channel 4 I recorded it and have popped it on DVD. I will have copies available after school tomorrow.

It is essential viewing for anyone thinking of doing the Black Peoples question on the big America paper. It also stars Will Smith (who you can mention in the same question but only for his early TV/Rap work to 1990).

This is from Wikipedia...

'Ali is a 2001 American biographical film directed by Michael Mann. The film tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali (Will Smith) from 1964 to 1974 featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and, lastly, his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. The movie also discusses the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.'

See me before the revision session or later in the week for a copy to borrow. Watching this actually counts as revision!

The Dream Team?

They certainly think so... but it's all about the revision now!

BBC GCSE History Bitesize

USA Revision Podcats (mp3)

I have just made available two superb USA revision podcasts. They are taken from a BBC Radio 4 series and cover our course perfectly. They will help refresh you on the topics that we have already covered.

These links will take you to the Priory VLE. You will need to log in (normal school username/passwords) and go to the 'History' page.

USA 1915-1929 (mp3)

USA 1929-1945 (mp3)

I recommend that you listen to the second one at least once before the mini mock exam in a couple of weeks. You can try listening to them in 15 minute chunks if the full hour seems too long.

Apparently the last series is 'coming soon' (hopefully before your exams!) and I will put them up here when they are released.

Get downloading and swap Boyzone for History on your iPod!

Martin Luther King/Malcolm X - Debate

Your homework this week is to discuss and compare below the black civil rights leaders, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

- What were their different ideas?
- Which one did more for black civil rights? Why?
- Which leader is the most significant?
- Which one would you have supported? Why?

Let the debate commence!

Half Term Coursework Workshop

I will be in room 11 from about 9:30am until 2pm on Tuesday 17th Feb for a Y11 coursework workshop. This is to help anyone that needs to finish their Swinging Sixties or Jack the Ripper final drafts.

Over the Easter holidays I will be in again but running an exam skills workshop, details to follow later.

I have also placed the sources and help sheets for the Swinging Sixties coursework online. I can't put the Ripper stuff up as we only have paper copies.

Swinging 60s? - 'Swinging' Sources

Swinging 60s? - 'Fantasy' Sources

Swinging 60s? - Coursework notes

Swinging 60s? - Coursework structure

Y11 History Workshops

The Y11 History workshops have now started on Monday's after school in room 11. They focus on essential exam skills and form a crucial part of an A* pupil's diet. (They can also count towards any detentions that you have built up!)

They are all lovin' it! And you could too...

The best thing is that they are completely FREE of charge. That's right, you can buy now and pay nothing (ever!).

Last year, the pupil's that performed the most above their target grades all attended these awesome workshops, FACT.

They are starting up again after half term, the INSET day and our Progress Review week on Monday 9th March 2009. Be there or be square!

1929: The Great Crash - BBC2

BBC2 are showing a new documentary on the Wall Street Crash of 1929 tomorrow night at 9pm. This event was massive and had huge knock on effects.

It is very important that you fully understand the Crash for each of our exams. For Germany, it helped Hitler to seize power. It was the end of the Roaring Twenties and it shaped America until at least WW2.

If you can't watch it/record it tomorrow night it is also on Wednesday 28th Jan at 11:20pm.

1929: The Great Crash

Frost vs. Nixon DVD - Free in The Independent this Saturday!

If you buy The Independent this Saturday you will get the original Frost vs. Nixon interview on DVD for free. I think that the paper is less than £2, so this is a steal.

Make sure that you grab a copy. The new film (see last post) is based on the true story behind this legendary interview.

The Independent Free DVD

They are also starting a series of booklets on the life of each US President and you get the first one in the paper as well.

As if that wasn't enough, you can even read the paper (The Independent is a quality broadsheet) and this will help with your Citizenship exam (current affairs). A lot of educational bang for your buck (or £2)!

Frost/Nixon - Out next week!

In what is fast shaping up to be a 'History Movie Week', Frost/Nixon is released in cinemas next week as well.



Again this film looks very good. It tells the story of our own David Frost interviewing Richard Nixion after the Watergate scandal.

Watergate Scandal

Questions on this have come up in previous year's papers and you can always fit it into the longer extended question on American society.

It is rated 15.

I have a DVD of the original interviews and I will bring this in to share with you. Be thinking about what happened and why this event had such a big impact on American politics still to this day.

Valkyrie - Out 23rd Jan!

This film looks ace and has direct relevance to our course. It's been delayed for some time and it feels like I've been telling pupils about it 'coming out soon' for years.

Check out the trailer...



It tells the story of the plot to kill Hitler towards the end of WWII. Members of the German Army knew that the war was lost and hoped to kill Hitler and end the war quickly.

The film will be good for looking at the 'Germany during WWII' topic. The main learning point about this area is the idea that at first life for German people at home was fairly good at the start of the war. This was when Germany was winning. However after 1942, things started going badly for Germany in the war and this had a knock on effect on the home front. By 1945 many German cities were in ruins and the German people were suffering terrible hardships.

Anyway, the film is out soon and is rated 12A, so don't waste your pocket money on High School Musical 3 and watch this instead!

www.valkyrie-the-movie.co.uk