KS4 History (Year 9-11)

​Students will begin GCSE History in Year 9 if selected as an option and study the OCR SHP B specification. The specification is linear which means that all exams will be completed at the end of the course in Year 11. Year 9 is treated as a transition year where we slowly work through the thematic study and really practise embedding historical writing skills.

Students will study the following topics as part of the GCSE, all are assessed by a written examination.

Paper 1: Thematic study and British Depth Study.
Exam: 1 hour 45 minutes. 80 marks
Thematic study: The People’s Health c.1250-present (40 marks, 20% of the GCSE)

●       An investigation of the cultural, social and economic changes in Britain from the Middle Ages, through the Early Modern period, the Industrial Revolution and Modern Britain.

●       Case studies of the Black Death and subsequent plagues, Cholera, Spanish Influenza and Aids.

●       Analysis of the changing living conditions, lifestyles and population and the impact of Government approaches to Public Health on people and places. Gaining an understanding of the diverse nature of Britain’s past and changes and continuities within it.

Skills assessed: Knowledge and understanding.

British Depth Study: The Norman Conquest 1065-1087 (40 marks, 20% of the GCSE)

 ●       An investigation of the upheaval caused by the Norman invasion in 1066, considering Anglo-Saxon England before this turning point and the study of the political, military, religious, economic, social and cultural impact of Norman rule to 1087.

●       Case studies of the Battle of Hastings, the Harrying of the North and other rebellions as well as the diverse experience of religious and cultural shifts under the ‘Norman Yoke’.

●       Analysis of interpretations of this time period and how and why these have been constructed, from children’s books to historians to popular film.

Skills assessed: Knowledge and understanding and use of interpretations.

Paper 2: History Around Us.
Exam: 1 hour. 50 marks

A site study of Temple Newsam (50 marks, 20% of the GCSE)

●       We will visit Temple Newsam on a trip as part of a case study of the house and its changing purpose since the initial house was built in c.1500, from drama connecting to Mary Queen of Scots, to the First World War, to tourism and art.

●       Analysis of how Temple Newsam House compares to similar sites and why it developed in the way it did.

●       Investigation of what Temple Newsam House reveals about local and national trends in history as well as how the current building and uses of the site inform historical interpretations.

Skills assessed: Knowledge and understanding and use of sources.

Paper 3: Period and World depth studies.
Exam: 1 hour 45 minutes. 80 marks

Period Study: The Making of America 1789-1900 (40 marks, 20% of the GCSE)

●       An investigation of the expansion of America and the struggles and upheavals that facilitated this from the treatment of indigenous people to the rise and fall of slavery whilst a modern United States was born.

●       Case study of the nature and impact of the Gold Rushes of the 1840s and 1850s as well as the experiences of Native Americans throughout the century.

●       Analysis of the Civil War and the impact of Reconstruction on black Americans, the political and social implications of this for indigenous people and the cultural changes to ways of life as America expanded into the 20th Century.

Skills assessed: Knowledge and understanding. 

World depth Study: Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945 (40 marks, 20% of the GCSE)

●       An investigation of the creation of the Nazi state and the impact of dictatorship on Germany and Europe. Case studies of the cultural and social impact on diverse groups of people of control methods as well as the levels of opposition to the Nazis.

●       Careful consideration of the political, military, religious, economic, social and cultural forces at work at this time with sensitive attention paid to the persecution of Jews and other minorities under Nazi rule.

●       Investigation of Germany at war and the impact on the people as well as the events and nature of the Holocaust and resistance to this. Analysis of contemporary sources and later interpretations to further shed light on this dark time in world history.

Skills assessed: Knowledge and understanding and use of sources and interpretations.

Past papers and other materials can be found here:

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/history-b-schools-history-project-j411-from-2016

If you require any further information about the KS4 curriculum, please contact Ms Kesterton (Curriculum Leader: History)