Year 11 History Bridging Work

“I am pleased I chose History because the topics within the course have been very interesting and the work is challenging, yet also rewarding when it pays off in our essays. Throughout my studies in Year 12 History I have enjoyed learning about Britain’s political history as well as studying aspects of World War II in the American section of the course. Additionally, seeing my grades on essays gradually improve over the course of the year as we have learnt more has been quite satisfying. I think if I was to redo my time in Year 12 History I would definitely prepare myself to be more organised!” (Callum)

New students in history should watch these documentary episodes:

1. The BBC series Andrew Marr’s The Making of Modern Britain is normally on YouTube. Episodes 1-3 give you some goof background about Britain between 1900 and 1918, helping to prepare you for the starting point (1918) of the course itself.
2. The PBS series The Century: America’s Time is also on YouTube. It provides a good overview to the history of the USA since 1900. For background to the A Level course (which starts c.1920) you should watch Episode 1: The Beginning: Seeds of Change and Episode 2: 1914-1919: Shell Shock.

As you are watching these episodes, you should make notes on the key things you have learnt about life in Britain and the USA at the start of the twentieth century.

The Year 12 courses (Britain and the USA) both start after the First World War. As such, your focus needs to be to use these programmes to learn about the two countries c.1918-20 – in other words, what were the two countries like at the starting point of the course?

You should make bullet point notes about this (separately about Britain and the USA) under these headings:

• What was the role of the government of Britain/USA in providing for their people?
• How far was Britain/USA a divided society at the start of the twentieth century? For this question, think about divisions between class, race, gender and religion.
• What was daily life like for ordinary people in Britain/USA?
• What did people do for entertainment in Britain/USA?
• How did the First World War affect Britain/USA?
• Were there any big problems or issues affecting Britain/USA between 1918 and 1920?T

This work can be hand written or typed.

 

If you would like to learn more, try our Enrichment Activities for this course
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