2012

CHANGES TO HY1 FOR TEACHING FROM SEPTEMBER 2012 WITH THE FIRST EXAM IN MAY 2013

HY1 CHANGES

Changes to the GCE History AS units, HY1 and HY2 have been accredited by the examinations regulator, OFQUAL. These changes result from a Government scrutiny of the subject in 2009. They apply for first teaching from September 2012. The first examinations in the amended style will be available in May 2013.

HY1 CHANGES

THE SPECIFICATION HAS CHANGED FOR ALL HY1 UNITS. Please ensure that you are teaching the new specification – only available online.

The amended specification and the amended specimen assessment materials are available now on the WJEC website www.wjec.co.uk

HY1 CHANGES

Each period study for HY1 now offers a choice from

four topic areas.

Some of these are additional content areas, some have been created by splitting existing topic areas. Some of the other general topic areas have had their

content amended slightly

to make the coverage clearer.

There are NO changes to the content of the Period Study at HY4 – these changes apply only to HY1.

HY1 CHANGES

An example of the specification layout for HY1 showing FOUR topic areas: the original template has been retained.

HY1 CHANGES

A summary of the main changes to the Period Studies.

Period Study

Wales and England 1485 1603 Wales and England 1603 1715 Wales and England 1780 1886 Wales and England 1880 1980 Europe 1515-1621 Europe 1696-1815 Europe 1815-1917 Europe 1878-1989

Summary of new topic areas

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

Social and economic change in Wales and England, 1525-1588 .

The current general topic 2 has been split into two new topics:

Changes in government: Civil War, Regicide and Republic, 1637-1660 The Restoration and the reign of Charles II, 1660-1685

The current general topic 2 has been split into two new topics:

Popular protest, 1815-1848 The campaigns for social reform, 1815-1848

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

The changing role and status of women, 1880-1929

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

Spain during the reign of Charles V, 1516-1556

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

International relations, 1710-1756

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

The Eastern Question, 1815-1856

Introduction of a fourth general topic:

Germany 1878-1919

HY1 CHANGES

The nature of the questions and the expectations of the Examiners have not changed – though the mark scheme has. The question paper will still be worth 120 UMS marks.

More time will be allowed for the paper to meet concerns that 90 minutes left no time for thinking and planning. We are adding 10 minutes THINKING TIME to the paper in the hope that candidates will spend the extra time to consider and plan a response to the exact questions set. The HY1 examination will last for

1 hour and 40 minutes

from the Summer of 2013.

HY1 CHANGES

In each question on the examination paper,

key words

which relate to historical concepts will be highlighted. For example:

4. The changing role and status of women, 1880-1929

(a)

Explain why

women were granted the right to vote by 1928. [24] (b) Was the First World War

mainly responsible

for the changing role and status of women 1880-1929? [36] There is no other change to the style or layout of the question papers – an example of which follows:

HY1 CHANGES

An example of the HY1 examination paper showing the instruction page and all four questions on the reverse.

HY1 CHANGES

The mark schemes for HY1 have changed considerably but we have retained three levels in both Part (a) and Part (b).

The current arrangement of splitting the assessment objective up into strands of AO1a and AO1b has been replaced by an amalgamated version: Assessment Objective 1.

This is the official description of Assessment Objective 1:

Candidates recall, select and deploy historical knowledge appropriately, and communicate knowledge and understanding of history in a clear and effective manner. Candidates demonstrate their understanding of the past through explanation, analysis and arriving at substantiated judgements of key concepts such as causation, consequence, continuity, change and significance within an historical context; the relationships between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.

HY1 CHANGES

The mark scheme is laid out as follows for Part (a) and Part (b).

HY1 CHANGES The mark scheme then has a generic grid showing the three levels. In each level there is a general description of the type of response expected and then each level is divided into LOW, MID and HIGH responses with a description of the characteristics at each point and the mark range available. Here is a Part (a):

HY1 CHANGES

A LEVEL 3 GRID IS SHOWN NEXT FOR CLARITY

HY1 CHANGES

LEVEL 3 OF THE PART (a) GRID. Note that the demands of the mark scheme has not changed – we have been required to amalgamate AO1a and AO1b.

HY1 CHANGES

Then there is a section showing the INDICATIVE CONTENT for each sub question – the general introduction here is not a get out clause: it is simply a reflection of the range of possible content.

HY1 CHANGES

HY1 CHANGES

The mark scheme for Part (b) follows the same structure.

THE THREE LEVELS OF THE PART (b) GRID .

HY1 CHANGES

INDICATIVE CONTENT FOR QUESTION 4(b)

NOTE: This content is not prescriptive and candidates are not expected to mention all the material referred to below. Each answer will be assessed on its merits according to the generic mark scheme as well as the indicative content.

QUESTION: To what extent was the First World War mainly responsible for the changing role and status of women 1880-1929?

Candidates are expected to reach a substantiated and supported judgement about whether the First World War was mainly responsible for the changing role and status of women 1880-1929. The impact of the First World War on the changing role and status of women should be analysed and evaluated in relation to issues such as: • introduction of legislation which gave women more access to work • the response of women to the war effort • the changing attitudes of many men as a result of the war • the general demand for more political reform The impact of the First World War on the role and status of women should be evaluated against other factors responsible for the changing role and status of women in this period. Some of the issues to discuss may include: • the change in attitude of the various governments across the period • the overall impact of the suffrage movements • the economic emancipation of women • social and cultural change in general • changing educational opportunities • impact of specific individuals and campaigners • the high points of the extension of the franchise in 1918 and 1928