History: Level 3

Course Outline

History graduates are highly valued in many areas of employment, such as law, politics, academia, publishing, consulting and journalism, as they develop strong skills in analytical and critical reasoning. It gives those studying medicine the ability to see a situation from multiple perspectives. History is also an excellent subject for learning research skills crucial to further tertiary learning and many types of employment.

History presents students with the dilemmas, choices and beliefs of people in the past. It connects students with the wider world as they develop their own identities, standpoints and sense of place. Students engage with History at many different levels by investigating the histories of New Zealand and the wider world. Constant connections are also made to the news and its ties to what we are studying.

The course content for the year takes the students through the colonialism of the British Empire and its impact on various places around the world, including NZ. We then examine the origins of World War I right through to the Final Solution in Germany and on to the consequences of the Holocaust, although there is flexibility of course content in terms of what the particular year group is most interested in. This gives those wanting to attempt Scholarship a huge knowledge base to take into both the History Level 3 and Scholarship examinations.

The research report can be done on a wide range of topics. The type of research undertaken each year depends on the interests of that particular class and is often tied to the generic Scholarship theme to help prepare those interested in taking it too. We also consider potentially relevant NZ trips and the fact that Hocken Library has a multitude of primary resources on New Zealand based topics. 

Prerequisites 

14 credits in History Level 2, or proven ability to achieve an external written essay in English at Level 2, or with approval from the HoD of History.

Scholarship History

Tutorials are held at Columba throughout Term 3. There is a shared Google Classroom where resources are provided and discussed throughout the year. Professors and lecturers from the University of Otago and other tertiary institutions discuss the topics in persona and online. Each year a new theme is set for this external assessment, such as the role of myth in a nation's history (2018), remembering and forgetting as a narrative in history (2019), populism (2020) and colonisation (2021). The Scholarship paper is now split into 3 sections on the topic, with each section including relevant sources to weave into an argument. One section is specifically related to NZ. We have a strong record of success with our History Scholarship students. 

Candidates must demonstrate their ability to:

•  Analyse and think critically about key ideas relevant to the historical context and setting
•  Evaluate historical relationships such as cause and effect, continuity and change, past and present, specific and general, patterns and trends
•  Judge the reliability and usefulness of historical evidence and evaluate the strengths and limitations of historians’ narratives
•  Use highly developed knowledge, historical ideas and skills to develop an argument which demonstrates an understanding of a complex historical context(s) and setting(s)
•  Communicate a substantiated and balanced argument within an effective written format including an introduction, conclusion, and structured paragraph that are organised around a focused argument, a detailed knowledge of chronology and accurate supporting evidence to the context(s) and setting(s).