History IB
Build a Research Question for History
Key Concepts for IB DP - History
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Web Sites & Digital Collections:
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Change
The study of history involves investigation of the extent to which people and events bring about change. You should think about and look for change, even if some claim none exists. You can also look for evidence to challenge orthodox theories and assumptions about people and events which led to significant change. Your questions and judgments about historical change should be based on deep understanding of content and on a comparison of the situation before and after the events under examination. Continuity While historical study often focuses on moments of significant change, you should also be aware that some change is slow, and that history there is also significant continuity. You can demonstrate deep historical knowledge and understanding by, for example, showing awareness that there are times when there has been considerable continuity in the midst of great historical change. Alternatively, you may question and assess whether a change in political leadership, for example, brought about a change in foreign policy, or whether it was more accurately mirroring policies of previous governments. Causation Claims about the past try to explain and understand how a certain set of circumstances originated. Deep historical understanding is demonstrated where you recognize that most historical events are caused by an interplay of diverse and multiple causes that require you to make evidence-based judgments about which causes were more important or significant, or which causes were within the scope of individuals to direct and which were not. Consequence History is the understanding of how forces in the past have shaped future people and societies. You demonstrate competency as a historical thinker when you understand and explain how significant events and people have had both short-term and long-lasting effects. You use evidence and interpretations of those people and events to make comparisons between different points in time and to make judgments about the extent to which those forces produced long-lasting and important consequences. Significance History is not simply the record of all events that have happened in the past. Instead, history is the record that has been preserved through evidence or traces of the past, and/or the aspects that someone has consciously decided to record and communicate. You should ask questions about why something may have been recorded or included in a historical narrative. Similarly, you should think about who or what has been excluded from historical narratives, and for what reasons. Additionally, you should think about, and assess, the relative importance of events, people, groups or developments, and whether the evidence supports the claims that others make about their significance. Perspectives You should be aware of how history is sometimes used or abused to retell and promote a grand narrative of history, a narrowly focused national mythology that ignores other perspectives or to elevate a single perspective to a position of predominance. You should challenge and critique multiple perspectives of the past, and compare them and corroborate them with historical evidence. You should recognize that for every event recorded in the past, there may be multiple contrasting or differing perspectives. Using primary-source accounts and historians’ interpretations, you may also investigate and compare how people, including specific groups such as minorities or women, may have experienced events differently in the past. In this way, there are particularly strong links between exploring multiple perspectives and the development of international-mindedness. |
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Resources for history
These pages are general and specific resources that can be of use to students that are taking a History course. Please email me if you have a good suggestion for a history resource site for this page.
Useful Resources
- S-COOL Revision - GCSE and A-Level revision website.
- School History.co.uk - Games and online revision notes for all age groups.
- A Research Guide for Students - An invaluable site for help with your writing!
- Revision Notes - This is an extremely useful and basic site that opens links specifically for both A-level and IB revisions. While not exhaustive, if is a good place to start.
- www.encarta.msn.com - A good starting point for weaker students.
- www.encyclopedia.com - This is also a good starting point for weaker students.
- www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk - A simple website for students to start but is lacking detail.
- www.historylearningsite.co.uk - Another website that gives a general overview but is lacking in detail.
- www.ihffilm.com - This site offers military, political and social historical films of the 20th century.
- Revision Notes: IB History - IB History Notes.
- Casahistoria.net - Very useful site with notes and links on a variety of topics, arranged thematically.
- BBC History - General interest, interactive features and detailed resources.
- The History Channel - On this day in history, discussions and 'specials'.
- The History Guide - Very easy to use. Contains the complete content of three undergraduate courses in European History: Early Modern Europe, Modern European Intellectual History, and 20th century Europe.
- Artcyclopedia - An excellent site for expanding your knowledge of artists and specific works. Very easy to navigate.
- Virtual Library - History - History resources by topic and by region.
- Art History Resources - Another useful site for Art History.
- Yahoo's History Links - An excellent index of links to many other sites. Good place to start when looking for maps and various subcategories of the historical profession
- Eastern and Central European History - A somewhat uneven site that nonetheless contains some relatively easily navigable links and hints for an often misunderstood and understudied area of Europe.
- IB History Page - High School Project page from California
- AP European History / Pojer - A useful, and user-friendly site designed to review material for the AP Modern European History test.
- AP European History / Chaffey - Excellent revision site with very useful outside links.
- Hanover Historical Texts - In 1995, the History Department and Hanover students initiated the Hanover Historical Texts Project. The Project's principal aim is to make primary texts readily available to students and faculty for use in history and humanities courses.
- Internet Modern History Sourcebook - Probably the single best Primary Source site in English. Includes links to many sub-categories.
- Interactives - Renaissance - An easy-to-use interactive site devoted to the Renaissance.
- Interactives - Reformation - Another user-friendly site about the Reformation.
- Britain Express - A basic, but quite useful, introduction to English medieval history. A very good starting place, easy to use. Especially good for learning about the Angles and the Saxons and history of Medieval England.
- Tudor England - A fine introductory website; easy to use. Some interesting primary sources and good general bibliographic references
- Tudor History - Excellent site, with pictures, primary sources, a great glossary, and a fine bibliography.
- The Emergence of Modern Britain 1465-1660 - This is an excellent introduction to various aspects of English history. Does a fine job of integrating maps, pictures, texts. Very easy to use.
- First World War - A link from Spartacus Educational with an indexed list of links to various topics dealing with the Great War.
- World War I Document Archive - Primarily military history, easy to use, some fascinating primary source links (memoirs, biographical dictionary etc.)
- History of Germany: Primary Documents - Superb site covering German history from the Middle Ages to the present. Extremely useful for finding primary material.
- Germany in the 20th Century - A link from Spartacus Educational. Organized thematically; very useful and easy to use. Excellent source for biographical information
- Nazi Germany foreign policy - A link from Spartacus Educational. Another well-organized and user-friendly site.
- Spanish Civil War - A link from Spartacus Educational. Good place to begin one's study of this topic.
- Russian Revolution (Spartacus Educational)
- Russian Revolution - Websites which guide you through the Russian revolution.
- History of the Soviet Union - An excellent site subdivided into time periods. Includes useful bibliographic references and contains further hyperlinks to primary sources.
- Joseph Stalin. Biographical Chronicle - Easy to navigate. Contains many photographs. Great for browsing.
- Gorbachev and the Breakup of the USSR - A useful site on the final years of the Soviet state.
- Cold War - Another link from Spartacus, but not as well-organized as others. Still useful, though requires a bit more time to browse through and find things.
- Vietnam War - A Spartacus link, similar in its organization to the Cold War link, though shorter.
- Cold War revision notes - Pretty thorough outline of major issues and events from 1945 through detente.
Revolutions in World History Culturegrams- Information about the customs, festivals and geographical information about countries
Issues - current hot topics available here!
World at War - All the details of war, past and present
World History - Ancient and Medieval Times - Find all you need for your projects!
World History - Modern Era - Up to date information on historical events!
INTERNET WEBSITES FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/
Internet Public Library provides information on popular teen topics.
2. General Encyclopedia http://www.encyclopedia.com
An encyclopedia which provides easy and simple information. Good place to start if you just need the basics.
INTERNET WEBSITES FOR YOUR SPECIFIC TOPIC
These are a few websites to get your search started. If you find a good website, please let us know and we'll add it here!
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/
FRENCH REVOLUTION
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/hist7.html
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html
http://history-world.org/french_revolution.htm
SPANISH SOUTH AMERICA INDEPENDENCE
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericaindependence/a/independence.htm
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-SpanishSthmrcnWrsfndpndnc.html
MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE
http://www.mexonline.com/mexican-independence.htm
http://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/p/independence.htm
CHINA'S BOXER REBELLION
http://www.answers.com/topic/boxer-rebellion
http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html
MEXICAN REVOLUTION
http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch03mex.htm
http://www.mexonline.com/revolution.htm
INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-history/modern-history/indian-independence.html
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Indian_independence_movement
PAKISTAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
http://yespakistan.com/history/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107629.html?pageno=5
KENYA NATIONALIST MOVEMENT
http://africanhistory.about.com/od/kenya/a/MauMauTimeline.htm
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/african_history/91796
NIGERIA NATIONALIST MOVEMENT
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/countries/ng/ng_full.html
http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/20.htm
DOUBLE REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA
Note: pay close attention to the website source - Marxist, Socialist and Communist sites will write with a 'point of view'
http://www.history.com/topics/russian-revolution-of-1905
http://www.answers.com/topic/russian-revolution-of-1917
http://www.factsmonk.com/stalin_and_communism
http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/communism.htm
CHINESE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION
Note: pay close attention to the website source - Marxist, Socialist and Communist sites will write with a 'point of view'
http://www.ehow.com/about_4569238_chinese-communist-revolution.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/09/99/china_50/nodhtml.htm