Download S2 course rationale

S2 History – WW2 (1st Rotation), Slavery and Civil Rights (2nd
Rotation)
Our S2 course aims to provide learners with knowledge of the conditions and circumstances
throughout History that have contributed to inequality and genocide.
The S2 History course expands pupil understanding of Scottish and World History, providing an
opportunity to reflect on the ways in which historical events have impacted on the world of today.
Pupils will continue to develop their historical skills, alongside literacy, communication, interpersonal,
and analytical skills. In Unit 1, pupils study the Second World War, including the rise to power of the
Nazi Party, experiences on the Home Front and the Holocaust. In Unit 2, pupils explore slavery and
the civil rights campaign in the USA. Personal stories, as well as important events, are examined to
allow pupils to empathise with people in the past and contribute to pupil understanding of present
events.
What do we Study?
We cover fewer topics in S2 and this allows pupils to develop more detailed understanding of key
historical events. The topics run as follows;

Hitler’s Rise to Power (Group work, ICT, Co-operative learning)

Nazis in Power (ICT, active learning, hidden anti-Nazi messages)

The Clydebank Blitz (Group work, Co-operative learning)

Stalingrad (Active learning, Co-operative learning)

The Holocaust (Group memorial posters)

Slavery and Civil Rights
This gives our S2s a solid grounding in the History of WW2 and inequality in America. The course
demonstrates the conditions required to facilitate inequality and discrimination, and allows pupils to
compare society in the past to ours today. We utilise a number of different assessment methods
including personal and group investigations, ICT, Co-operative learning and active learning tasks to
maintain enthusiasm and engagement, as well as promote excellent teaching and learning.
We actively seek pupil feedback in the History department and aim to amend courses where
either staff or pupils feel that they could be improved. Please contact our department with any
comments or suggestions regarding our S2 course.