A Guide to Independent Learning at AS/A2 History

1. A Guide to Independent Learning at AS/A2 History

2. History in Sixth Form Teaching and learning in sixth form has moved away from the traditional approaches of dictation and an over reliance on text book exercises. This guide outlines many of the principles which characterise the post 16 learning experience in History at TCC. This guide also aims to illustrate how approaches to learning can be transferred from History lessons to the home, so that they might be supported by parents. An awareness of how content and new ideas are delivered in lessons will help parents in providing active support, and advice, in tackling the challenge of sixth form History study. Transferable skills are the key to success at this level, and so approaches used in History lessons are common to the range of subjects, and by consequence, can be applied elsewhere.

3. Acquiring specialist vocabulary in History How does History support this? History presents students with specialist vocabulary which will create new demands with every unit of study. Teachers will frequently provide key word lists in lessons, or through discussion and displays. Students will be expected to learn key word definitions and apply their understanding in tests, written tasks, and presentations. Teachers may ask students to construct their own key word glossaries as they move through a new unit. The student should carry this out throughout the course, and not need repeated reminders. How can parents support the learning of specialist vocabulary? A home dictionary is essential. Make it available by keeping a dictionary in an accessible place where it can easily be found. If your son or daughter asks you for a spelling, encourage them to use a dictionary. This will help them to develop greater independence, and avoid over reliance on asking the people around them.

4. Independent learning and research in History How does History support this? History involves elements of independent research to reinforce the understanding of a new or current unit. Students will be encouraged to read around the topics studied to understand the context. Some units will be entirely focused on independent research and learning. How can parents support independent learning and research? Students should be going to the library to extend their knowledge. Some units will limit the teacher’s input to test students’ research skills. Encourage your son or daughter to get an Exeter library card. A morning trip to Exeter library can be easily mixed with an afternoon spent in town with friends. Direct them towards sources of information other than the internet.

5. Developing a wider understanding of History How does History support this? It is important that students establish an understanding of History that goes wider than the specification. A deeper understanding of the subject hinges on a student’s ability to make overarching links between one period and another. A student’s willingness, therefore, to engage with a story and chronology that goes wider than a given unit is crucial. Students are set a wider reading task which involves them selecting an historical novel which is of their choice, and from any period of History. They are then asked to present a review of the book at the end of the Autumn term. Students are directed towards a list of wider reading texts that will compliment the class notes and the unit of study. See list at the back. Students are directed towards films and television programmes of interest as they are broadcast. Films, television programmes, or even visiting an historical site do not have to be directly relevant. It is about developing a wider interest in the subject of History and understanding wider links. How can parents support this? Parents can discuss which historical novel their son or daughter has chosen, or ask what is it is about, or what is happening. If they are finding one text a little too demanding help them to select a more appropriate one. Parents can look for opportunities to watch historical films or programmes with their sons or daughters, and then discuss them.

6. Collaborative Learning in History How does History support this? History offers opportunities to work collaboratively; whether it is to problem solve, peer assess, or simply discuss what they are doing next. Collaborative learning enables students to reinforce their understanding of key ideas. How can parents support collaborative work? Parents can encourage these collaborative work sessions at home. Working with other students at home can be helpful in dealing with more challenging tasks. Focused discussion combined with sharing and expanding on ideas can help to problem solve.

7. Understanding the main points and building up the detail How does History support this? Lessons often start with the basics and then add further detail. This is especially important when trying to understand a topic for the first time. If students understand the basic information first, it is easier for them to digest further detail afterwards. When faced with large amounts of text, students are encouraged to select out, highlight, write down, and then discuss, the key pieces of information to add to their notes. The selection and writing out of key points, in their own words, helps students to digest new ideas before adding more detailed information. What can parents support this? Encourage them to look back at their summarised notes first to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the amount of learning or revision that is required of them. Direct them towards creating a table, spider gram, or poster to get the key points and main themes organised in their understanding. So basics first, and then try to remember the detail. Remind them to use student resources on the college desktop. Manysubjects will also make summary revision notes and materials available.

8. Note taking skills How does History support this? Students are encouraged to organise their notes in a way which will enable them to remember precise information. Notes must be clearly taken. For some students, writing on the back of picture cards will help them to visualise and remember information. For others, diagrams, bullet points, flow charts or tables may be more useful. Teachers will encourage students to experiment with different styles of note taking. What can parents do to support this? Parents may wish to check that their son/daughter has organised their notes effectively and clearly. Students may benefit from talking through their notes at home, and explaining why they have chosen to record information in a certain way. Encourage them to write notes as key points which are in their own words. If they are just copying, they are not engaging with, processing, or understanding key ideas. A simple way of gauging their understanding is asking them to explain what a particular point means in their own words. This will reveal if they really understand. Storage and space are essential for organisation. Make sure that students have folders and space to work at home. History distributes a lot of materials and students must be organised.

9. Effective note taking strategies, referencing approaches, and how to avoid plagiarism How does History support this? Students are required to complete a coursework which focuses on independent research. Students must follow certain steps to ensure that they take notes correctly, and do not plagiarise other people’s work. This is cheating and could lead to disqualification. Students are given a step by step guide to help them to take effective notes, and avoid plagiarism. How can parents support this? Take an interest in the notes that your son or daughter are taking. Check some simple things to see if they are doing it properly. • Are the notes in their own words, or clearly copied? • Are their pages numbered for organisation? • Have they written the title and referenced the page number of the text that they are taking information from, or writing from which they are quoting?

10. Quality control and constructive self-criticism 36 How does History support this? Students are responsible for the quality of their work. Students will be encouraged to reflect on, and evaluate, their own work. This is with the aim of enabling students to monitor their work more independently. The most important thing is that they are encouraged to read and engage with their own responses. How can parents support this? Encourage your son or daughter to check through their work. Proof reading and checking through completed work is crucial. Checking the spellings of key words, or whether they have explained their ideas fully and in detail, will help.

11. Challenge and target setting How does History support this? History teachers inform students of what they need to do to achieve a certain grade. Teachers will also explain which exam board students are following. This will determine the grade criteria. Teachers will ask students to use mark schemes to assess their own work, the work of others, and to set targets for improvement. Students will be encouraged to review targets based on teacher feedback throughout the year. How can parents support this? Parents may wish to ensure that their son/daughter knows exactly what they need to do to continue to improve. A conversation about how improvements can be made will soon reveal if a student understands the material and what they should be doing with it. Students should continually refer to mark schemes, and teacher/peer feedback, when they are working at home and completing assessments and assignments.

12. Checking memory and understanding How does History support this? History demands that students recall huge amounts of information. Developing effective strategies to do this is essential. There are quick ways for students to check what they have remembered. History teachers will have their own suggestions as to how to do this. For example, students may be asked to speak to someone else for 30 seconds on a particular topic, and then listen to feedback on what they did well, and what they missed out. Lessons will also target memory through visual and auditory methods, such as revision movies. How can parents support this? Parents may wish to use similar strategies to test their son/daughter on what they have remembered and understood. They could do this by: • asking them to explain what they know about a certain topic; • reading the answers back to their son/daughter from their notes. It does not matter if parents do not understand the topic. Some students find it easier to consolidate their knowledge if they can have a conversation about what they know.

13. Examination and assessment preparation: developing techniques How does History support this? Students must be able to arrange their knowledge around exam questions or assessment tasks. This is a key way of monitoring whether they are prepared for examinations and assessments. Aspects of some lessons will be focused on checking that students can select out relevant information in their responses. Where appropriate students may also do this in timed conditions to prepare them for exam expectations. How can parents support this? Students will be given a range of exam questions, assessment tasks and assignments to plan at home. Encourage students to plan and practise responses as part of their home learning routine so that they are ready for assessments and examinations. Where appropriate set time limits to practise examination conditions. Encourage them to look back through their material and mark their own work when they have completed an answer. Staff routinely provide mark schemes and assessment criteria with which to this.

14. History Recommended Wider Reading List (specific to the units studied) Some of the titles are core texts used to create the course that you are following. Others offer a wider, and more general read, around the periods studied. AS History Mid-Tudor Crises 1536-69 The Tudor Years by John Lotherington Henry VIII and the Government of England by Keith Randell England 1485-1603 by Derrick Murphy, Allan Keen, Michael Tillbrook, Patrick Walsh-Atkins Tudor Rebellions By Anthony Fletcher, Diarmaid MacCulloch Voyages of Discovery and Exploration 1453-1553 The Age of Reconnaissance By John Horace Parry The Age of Reconnaissance: Discovery, Exploration and Settlement, 1450-1650 by J. H. Parry The First Imperial Age: European Overseas Expansion, 1400-1715Geoffrey Vaughn Scammell The Age of Discovery, 1400-1600 By David Arnold A Voyage Long and Strange By Tony Horwitz Years of Renewal: European History, 1470-1600by Katherine Brice, Adrian Roberts, David Grossel, and John Lotherington A2 History Nazi Germany: coursework I. Kershaw, ‘The Nazi Dictatorship’, Hodder 4th edition, 2000 A. Owings, ‘Frauen’, Penguin, 1993 G. Aly and S. Heim, ‘Architects of Annihilation’, Phoenix, 2nd ed.2003 M. Collier and P. Pedley, ‘Hitler and the Nazi State’, Heinemann 2005 L. Davidowicz, ‘The war against the Jews’, Penguin 1975 R. Gellately, ‘Backing Hitler’, OUP 2002 Civil Rights in the USA: American History 1863-1992 OCR A Level History a: Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1980 Civil rights in the USA, 1863-1980 by David Paterson, Richard Griffiths, Susan Willoughby United States, 1776-1992 by Derrick Murphy, Kathryn Cooper, Mark Waldron An Introduction to American History, 1860-1990 by Alan Farmer, Vivienne Sanders Modern America: The USA, 1865 to the Present by Joanne De Pennington The Penguin history of the United States of America by Hugh Brogan