IB History of the Americas - Class Information “History is the record of an encounter between character and circumstances.” - D. Creighton

Welcome to History of the Americas. Please be sure to look to the left of this page for links to important information including class files, homework, and the various units of study. You will find PowerPoint presentations, additional notes, readings, and other class related information on the various topic pages. Homework will be posted on the Homework page.   You can turn completed work to me on the Assignment Collection Box page.

DESCRIPTION:

This course will study the history of the United States, Canada, and Latin America from 1865 to 2000. There will be an emphasis on the political, economic, and social history of the region. The course is the companion course to IB 20th Century World History. Students will prepare to take the Higher Level History Exam in May 2012.

The IB exam in Higher Level History will come from the following four parts:

       Paper 1           A document based paper of 4 questions on either Prescribed Subject 2 The Arab-Israeli Conflict 1945-79 - {20% of IB exam score}

       Paper 2           An essay paper covering the World History topics (Topics 1, 3, 5). Students will answer 2 questions each from a different topic. {25% of IB exam score}

       Paper 3           An essay paper covering History of the Americas topics. This is an in depth study of the region which will cover material learned in IBMYP United States history (10th grade) and material covered in History of the Americas to be studied in 12th grade. Topics include United States history, Canadian history and Mexican history. Students will answer 3 essay questions. {35% of IB exam score}

       Internal    Assessment     A researched historical investigation that is undertaken in the senior year. Topics for research will be based on History of the Americas topics. {20% of IB exam score}

NATURE OF THE SUBJECT

History is more than the study of the past. It is the process of recording, reconstructing and interpreting the past through the investigation of a variety of sources. It is a discipline that gives people an understanding of themselves and others in relation to the world, both past and present.        

Students of history should learn how the discipline works. It is an exploratory subject that poses questions without providing definitive answers. In order to understand the past, students must engage with it both through exposure to primary historical sources and through the work of historians. Historical study involves both selection and interpretation of data and critical evaluation of it. Students of history should appreciate the relative nature of historical knowledge and understanding, as each generation reflects its own world and preoccupations and as more evidence emerges. A study of history both requires and develops an individual’s understanding of, and empathy for, people living in other periods and contexts.

Thus Diploma Programme history provides both structure and flexibility, fostering an understanding of major historical events in a global context. It requires students to make comparisons between similar and dissimilar solutions to common human situations, whether they be political, economic or social. It invites comparisons between, but not judgments of, different cultures, political systems and national traditions.

The content of the history course is intrinsically interesting and it is hoped that many students who follow it will become fascinated with the discipline, developing a lasting interest in it, whether or not they continue to study it formally.

The international perspective in Diploma Programme history provides a sound platform for the promotion of international understanding and, inherently, the intercultural awareness necessary to prepare students for global citizenship. Above all, it helps to foster respect and understanding of people and events in a variety of cultures throughout the world

AIMS:

The aims of all subjects in Group 3, individuals and societies are to:

·         encourage the systematic and critical study of: human experience and behaviour; physical, economic and social environments; the history and development of social and cultural institutions

·         develop in the student the capacity to identify, to analyse critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments about the nature and activities of the individual and society

·         enable the student to collect, describe and analyse data used in studies of society, to test hypotheses and interpret complex data and source material

·         promote the appreciation of the way in which learning is relevant to both the culture in which the student lives, and the culture of other societies

·         develop an awareness in the student that human attitudes and opinions are widely diverse and that a study of society requires an appreciation of such diversity

·         enable the student to recognize that the content and methodologies of the subjects in group 3 are contestable and that their study requires the toleration of uncertainty.

The aims of the history course at SL and HL are to:

·         promote an understanding of history as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of its sources, methods and interpretations

·         encourage an understanding of the present through critical reflection upon the past

·         encourage an understanding of the impact of historical developments at national, regional and international levels

·         develop an awareness of one’s own historical identity through the study of the historical experiences of different cultures

Teacher Websites © 2012 Edline