Course Description
Course Structure
SL and HL
Prerequisites:
Nil
Exclusions:
Nil
Course Description
The IB Diploma Programme (DP) History course is a world History course. It involves the study of a variety of types of History, including political, economic, social and cultural from a variety of perspectives.
The course emphasises the importance of encouraging students to think historically and to develop historical skills as well as gaining factual knowledge. It puts a premium on developing the skills of critical thinking, and on developing an understanding of multiple interpretations of history. In this way, the course involves a challenging and demanding critical exploration of the past.
The course is designed so that there is significant overlap between the SL and HL courses. SL and HL students attend classes together. Students who study the HL course will attempt additional questions on many of our topics in Paper 3. The content and skills in the two-year course are assessed by written examinations (details below), these examinations are worth 80% (HL) or 75% (SL).
Students’ undertake independent research projects (the IA) on topics of their own choice, which are completed during the course. The IA makes up 20% (HL) or 25% (SL) of the final grade.
Studying IB History will prepare students for a range of careers that require clear communication and critical thinking skills, such as law, journalism and government.
Coursework
| Group 3: | History Standard Level | History Higher Level |
| Components | ||
| Prescribed subjects | Focus Study: Political and Economic Transitions, the Meiji Restoration and Russian Federation | As per SL |
| Thematic Studies: | Authoritarian States (Nazi Germany, Mao’s China) Conflict (World War One, Chinese Civil War ) | As per SL |
| HL Options: Depth studies | Regional study 6: Europe and the First World War (1871–1923) Regional study 8: European totalitarianism (1918–1941) | |
| Internal assessment | Historical investigation | Historical investigation |
Assessments in the IB: SL
| Assessment component | Weighting |
| External assessment (3 hours) | 70% |
| Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes) Source-based assessment on the five focused studies, linked by an overarching inquiry question. Students respond to three static questions. Students answer all the questions for one of the focused studies. (24 marks) | 30% |
| Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes) Section A: two questions on the specified concepts. Students choose one question to answer. Section B: two questions on each of the four thematic studies. Each question consists of two parts—a short response and an essay response. Students choose one of the two questions for their thematic study and answer both parts of that question. (25 marks) | 40% |
| Internal assessment (20 hours) | 30% |
| Historical investigation (20 hours) This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Students investigate a historical topic of their choice. They formulate an inquiry question, identify and choose sources, synthesise information and evaluate sources to produce a response. (24 marks) | 30% |
Assessment in the IB: HL
| Assessment component | Weighting |
| External assessment (5 hours) | 80% |
| Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes) Source-based assessment on the five focused studies, linked by an overarching inquiry question. Students respond to three static questions. Students answer all the questions for one of the focused studies. (24 marks) | 20% |
| Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes) Section A: two questions on the specified concepts. Students choose one question to answer. Section B: two questions on each of the four thematic studies. Each question consists of two parts—a short response and an essay response. Students choose one of the two questions for their thematic study and answer both parts of that question. (25 marks) | 25% |
| Paper 3 (2 hours) Separate papers for each of the four regions. Two essay questions on each of the 12 regional studies within the selected region. Students must answer two questions, each from a different regional study. (30 marks) | 35% |
| Internal assessment (20 hours) | 20% |
| Historical investigation (20 hours) This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Students investigate a historical topic of their choice. They formulate an inquiry question, identify and choose sources, synthesise information and evaluate sources to produce a response. (24 marks) | 20% |
