Chatsworth International School Singapore
IB Diploma - Group 3 Individuals and Societies

History

"Henry Ford is believed to have said, 'History is bunk!' while making history himself with the Ford motor car. Likewise George Santayana cautioned that 'those who forget history are doomed to repeat it'. The truth perhaps lies somewhere between those two views. Above all, history is an enquiry in to the events that have shaped the past, have an impact upon the present and also influence the future."

IB History is a 2 year course of study. All IB History students have to study a Core topic and 20th Century World History topics. There is an additional regional option for HL students only.

All the students taking this History course will undertake an historical investigation on a topic of their choice. This is a compulsory component of this course. The historical investigation is assessed by the subject teacher but is moderated by an external examiner.

The IB History course will focus on the following topics:

• Core topic: The Arab Israeli Conflict or Peacemaking between 1918-1936
   
• The twentieth century topics will include a focus on the 1st and 2nd World Wars with special emphasis on the Pacific War, In addition they will study the causes, course and nature of the Russian Civil War, the Chinese Civil War and the Spanish Civil War. They are also study some sections of the Cold War and its impact on the relations between the US and USSR.
   
• The rise and rule of single party states: Russia and China will be studied with special emphasis on Stalin and Mao, their rise to power, their policies and impact on history of the 20th Century.
   
• For the HL students only: the additional regional option will be the East Asia Option: the history of China Japan and Korea from 1839 - 1976 will be studied.
   

The aims of the IB history course are to

1. Promote an understanding of history as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of its sources, methods and interpretations
2. Encourage an understanding of the present through critical reflection upon the past
3. Encourage an understanding of the impact of historical developments at national, regional and international levels
4. Develop an awareness of one’s own historical identity through the study of the historical experiences of different cultures.

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Assessment

	SL Weighting	HL Weighting
External Assessment	2 hours 30 minutes Paper 1 (1 hour) 30% Prescribed subjects or core topic Four short-answer / structured questions (25 marks) Paper 2 (1 hour 30 minutes) 45% Two extended-response questions (40 marks)	5 hours Paper 1 (1 hour) 20% Prescribed subjects or core topic Four short-answer / structured questions (25 marks) Paper 2 (1 hour 30 minutes) 25% Two extended-response questions (40 marks) Paper 3 (2 hours 15 minutes) 35%
Internal Assessment	25% Historical investigation on any area of the syllabus. Approximately 20 hours (25 marks)	20% Historical investigation on any area of the syllabus. Approximately 20 hours (25 marks)

Textbooks and Resorces

The IB History course covers a wide range of topics and events, so there are a number of books that the students are expected to use. The key texts that they will use are:

• Key Features of Modern History by Dennett and Dixon
• Rebellions and Revolutions in China by Jack Gray
• History of Modern Japan by Andrew McClain
• Russia under Stalin 1924-1953 by Michael Lynch

There are other books in the library which are used for specific units of study.

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Career Options

History students have a wide variety of career options open to them. History as a subject will be important for students who wish to study the following:

• Liberal Arts Courses
• History as a core subject (B.A. History Honours along with a second subject)
• International Relations
• Journalism
• Law
• Tourism, Hospitality and Hotel Management courses
• Art History and Art Appreciation courses
• Anthropology
• Archaeology