Revised Guidelines for Teachers

These revised guidelines refer to the Junior Certificate History Syllabus which has been implemented in schools since September, 1989. The material augments the Guidelines for Teachers which were issued at that time, in which specific reference was made to a "later addition to these guidelines" (p. 12). The guidelines for Section I, "How we find out about the past", remain unchanged but are included here for convenience of use. The guidelines for Section 1I, "Studies of Change", provide additional advice to teachers in respect of that section of the syllabus. The revised guidelines for Section III, "Understanding the Modern World", replace the guidelines for that section which appeared in the original "Guidelines" booklet and will henceforth define the content of Section III. N.B. The Revised Guidelines are to be taken in conjunction with the syllabus document as an integral unit. The Guidelines, serve viz.

• to assist the classroom teacher in realising the objectives of the Syllabus.
• to clarify the subject matter which will be assessed.

From 1998 onwards the examinations at Junior Certificate level will be based on these revised guidelines.

1. INTRODUCTION

In order to give a greater insight into the thinking behind the syllabus, it will be useful to outline the particular features of the course before giving a detailed commentary on its various sections.

1. The Method of History

One of the special features of this course is the way in which it emphasises the methods of historical enquiry as well as the content of history. The skills and concepts necessary for historical enquiry are therefore spelled out specifically in the objectives for the course. When students gain an understanding of how we find out about the past they can then approach historical knowledge in a more enlightened and critical way. It is important to emphasis however, that this is not intended to be a sophisticated or theoretical study, but rather (especially in first year) a practical and concrete introduction t o the process of historical investigation.

2. Wide Span of Content

Although study of the process of history is being encouraged in this syllabus, a lot of consideration was also given to the content to be studied. Several criteria influenced the eventual selection of content for the syllabus. One of these criteria arose out of the belief that the course should be a comprehensive one since it might be the only systematic history course that some students might follow. The course is comprehensive in a number of different ways: it encompasses a wide span of historical eras (without necessitating the study of everything within that span); it features social, economic, political and cultural history; it allows for the treatment of topics at local level as well as at national and international level, and it treats Irish history both as a separate topic and in an integrated way where the historical context encourages the exploration of a common idea or concept. The course therefore attempts to provide a wide range of historical experiences for students.

3. Developmental

The selection of content was also influenced by what students should be able to handle at various stages in the course. The topics and approaches being advocated in the first section reflect the fact that most students will learn best if the materials and content of the course are concrete and practical. There is a specific intent to incorporate an element of progression into the syllabus by gradually dealing with more complex topics and concepts and building on the skills acquired in first year.

4. Chronology

The wide span of historical eras mentioned above has been structured in a chronological way in the syllabus, but it is important to realise that the course is essentially a selection of patch studies within that chronological framework and not the traditional race from 'Plato to NATO'. This chronological structure is seen as a background against which students can focus their sequenceof studies.

5. Flexibility/Choice

While this course does not provide for choice of major sections, a great degree of flexibility is provided for teachers in respect of specific content and approaches to be adopted.

6. Local History

This syllabus provides teachers and students with the opportunity to study topics at local level. In studying topics such as Pre-Christian and Early Christian Ireland; Castle, Church and City; and Social Change in the 20th century the themes and issues can be pursued at local, national or, in some cases, international level. This enables teachers to exploit resources in the local area and to provide students with an additional interest in being able to see how events and features in their local area compare with events and features in other areas. Thus, it should make history more real for students.

7. Two Levels

While the range of aptitude and achievement of students necessitates some differentiation the course committee was anxious that categorisation of students should not occur too soon.
With this in mind, it was decided that there should be no distinction at all between Ordinar and Higher levels in the first section of the course. In the second section of the course, the distinction which is made is a subtle one which relates more to approach than to content; this should not necessitate dividing students into groups but should allow them to achieve at their own level. Only in the last section (taken in Third Year when most students and thei teachers will be making a decision about which level should be attempted) is a clear distinction made in the amount of material to be studied by Ordinary and Higher level students. This was done so as not to over burden Ordinary level students with a lot of new material as they approach their examination. Care has been taken therefore to ensure that the syllabus does not demand streaming if such did not prevail heretofore

2. COMMENTARY ON THE SYLLABUS (with suggested approaches to teaching)

The commentaries on the Syllabus are contained on their own respective pages

Section I: How we find out about the past

Comments

1. Although it is only mentioned specifically at the outset, an understanding of the job of the historian underlies the whole syllabus, and as mentioned above, should be exemplified throughout the course.
2. It is a useful starting point to a junior history course to introduce students to the process of historical investigation. Teachers should not feel, however, that this is to be a very lengthy or indepth treatment of the topic, since opportunities will arise throughout the three years of the course to deepen students' awareness of this process. In particular, the whole of the first section of the syllabus could be said to be about the job of the historian, viewed from different angles. Therefore the length of time spent introducing this topic here at the beginning of the course is up to the discretion of the teacher. Some suggestions are given here about how it could be introduced.

Approaches

1.A Time Capsule Exercise

Whereby students could be asked to select some items which they think would represent the "now" of their school, town or country, imagining that such items are to be put into a time capsule which is buried and subsequently discovered by people in the future. This should help students to understand that we have only a limited selection of evidence from which to reconstruct the past. Sometimes evidence from the past has been deliberately selected and preserved like this, but often evidence survives by accident.

2. Building a Story from Clues

An analogy for history with which students are likely to be familiar is that of a detective who has to reconstruct a crime from limited clues. Although the clues are limited and haphazard, the detective is working from a particular structure, trying to impose a certain order and logic on what is found and turn it into a clearer picture.

3. Classifying Evidence

The ideas contained in the two activities above could be applied to the past, by asking students to list the sort of things which have survived from the past. These can then be classified into three broad "eras" - 100 years ago, the Middle Ages, Pre-Historic times (or
any other classification the teacher may wish).
Alternatively, students could be asked to fill in a "survival" grid such as the one below, where the items which have survived are awarded a tick e.g.

This sort of exercise will help students to see that certain things survive for a long time and
others do not. It could also show that the further one goes into the past, the less evidence
remains.

4. Examining Evidence

Because evidence is so limited, historians must be able to examine it carefully and "read between the lines" in their reconstruction. For example, a site where a building once stood can give a lot of evidence about the building (e.g. postholes, ashes from fires, rubbish pits etc.) and therefore something about the people who lived there. Modern technology has helped to date things with a relative degree of accuracy, thus providing yet more clues.
As an exercise, the teacher could show students actual artefacts from different times (or pictures/slides thereof) - preferably items with which students might not be immediately familiar. (This collection could also be augmented by items brought in by students from their own homes). Students are asked to place these items in chronological order; this will require careful examination and discussion. Students could also be asked to roleplay historians/archaeologists and describe the items to an imaginary audience/readership, suggesting ways in which they might have been used.

5. Family History

Another possible approach to introducing students to historical enquiry is to ask students to investigate their family history and complete a simple project with family tree, photographs, information about family members involved in wars, national movements or other historical events. In this way the materials and methods of historical enquiry can be introduced and practiced in a context which is familiar to the students. Teachers should of course approach the investigation of family history with sensitivity and discretion.

These are just a few suggestions of possible ways in which this topic can be approached. As mentioned at the outset the teacher may decide whether it should be explored in detail in the beginning of the course or whether it should be returned to intermittently throughout the syllabus. The important principle is that an understanding of the nature of historical enquiry should underlay the student's experience of the syllabus.

The three later sections from Section I each explore this idea of historical inquiry from different angles. By the time students have completed their study of Section I they will have had a variety of experiences of the way in which we find out about the past.

Comments:

1. Pre-Christian Ireland can be interpreted in its broadest sense, it does not have to mean immediately Pre-Christian.
2. Early Christian Ireland can be interpreted in its broadest sense, as extending to c. 10th Century.
3. When selecting the other Ancient Civilisation teachers can choose any ancient civilisation. They need not feel bound by traditional choices such as Greece or Rome. Civilisations from South America, Asia, Africa or the Celts in the European context would also be possibilities.

Approach

1. The aspects of society (under "Description" above) and the recommended approach should help teachers to limit their study of this topic. The more abstract aspects of ancient societies have not been specified (e.g. philosophy, political ideas or religion) but rather those aspects which can be studied in a concrete way and for which archaeological evidence yields rich resources.
2. The use of a variety of pictures, drawings, models as well as textbook material is advocated for the study of this topic. This will provide students with opportunities to discuss and come to understand the way in which evidence is used by archaeologists to build up a picture of civilisations in the past.
3. Slides, filmstrips and video films can also provide the basis for discussion of sites, artefacts or monuments.
4. In studying Pre-Christian and Early Christian Ireland teachers are encouraged to explore local examples where they exist. A visit to an archaeological site would be a useful opportunity to see the methods at first hand. This won't always be possible but visits to sites and monuments or museums in the local area will also help students to understand the material sources of the work of the archaeologist.

Comments:

1. Medieval may be defined as dating from the 12th Century approximately, until about the 15th Century.
2. The study is not intended as a chronological account of this period but as interpreted through the surviving buildings (ruined or otherwise), settlement evidence with possibly artifacts and documents.
3. While the British or European origins of these can be considered, it is recommended that Irish and local examples will be cited, and put in context.

Approach

1. Medieval Society
   It is not expected here that Medieval Society be studied as an abstract idea, but rather that, as outlined in the "Approaches" column of the syllabus, it be exploredthrough the surviving features of that society as outlined below (cities, manors, castles, monasteries, and churches).
   Thus, such features can provide starting points for imaginative "reconstruction" of ways of life in cities, manors, monasteries etc.
   Where remains of such features exist locally, these should, of course be exploited. Teachers may also consider field trips to such features elsewhere in the country.
   Whether local or further afield, it is important that a visit to these churches, ruins, settlements etc. be fully integrated into the students' study. Work sheets, trail booklets, task cards etc. all help focus students' attention and link the experience of the field trip to the topic being studied.
2. Medieval City and Manor
   Medieval settlements can range from the core of our cities and towns to abandoned settlements and manorial sites. Thus, for instance, surviving town walls (or other defensive features) or surviving maps showing such features can be used here.
3. The Medieval Castle
   Here, students should become familiar with (and distinguish between) the various types of defensive features of the period - e.g. mottes, 13th Century castles, tower houses and possibly ring forts and moated sites. They could discuss why such defensive features were necessary and look at the lives of the people who lived with them.
4. The Medieval Monastery and Parish
   Parish names, churches (ruined or otherwise) and cemeteries as well as outline plans of monasteries will all help to illustrate the intimate nature of medieval religious organisations. Students can explore the function and status of the monastery through studying the layout, the buildings and the architectural styles and features on many monastic sites helps to show the continuity of site and changing fortunes of many of the monasteries.

Comments:

1. This study is intended to be an overview of the developments which took place during the Renaissance which flowered in Europe from the early 14th Century to the 16th Century.
2. It is not intended that students would study every artist, architect, scientist and scholar in every country. It is sufficient to study the life and work of a limited representative number of Renaissance figures.
3. It is suggested that the sample of figures chosen would represent more than one country and more than one phase of the Renaissance (i.e. Early, Middle and Late Renaissance).
4. Art can be interpreted in a broad sense; it can mean sculpture as well as frescoes and paintings.
5. In studying Renaissance learning, students should concentrate on the various areas of practical new learning (e.g. astronomy, medicine etc.) and the effect which such developments and the development of printing had on society. The social impact of the new learning should therefore be emphasised as being a fairly concrete and accessible way for young students to study this topic. Students are not expected to study abstract, theoretical or philosophical issues (such as the abstract concept of the Renaissance or humanism).

Approaches

1. It is important that the approach that is taken to the whole topic of the Renaissance would be a concrete and practical one since its position in the syllabus (at end of Section I) recommends that it be studied by fairly young students, probably towards the end of First Year.
2. The interpretation of visual sources is a particular skill to be fostered in this part of the course. Thus the use of visual sources in the classroom, whenever possible, is encouraged in order that students gain the experience of looking at pictures as a source and not just an illustration.
3. Visual sources can be used to help students make comparisons between and see trends evident in various works of art and architecture. They can also be used to help students understand the background to the lives of the Renaissance figures.
4. Film strips, slides, art books as well as history textbooks, will provide excellent resources for this kind of work.
5. This section of the course provides opportunities for co-operation with the school's art department and teachers are encouraged to exploit such opportunities.
6. The biographical approach is the second one recommended in studying this topic. Studying the lives of individual Renaissance figures is an easy way for younger students to approach the Renaissance, and many of them find it very interesting. This biographical approach also provides the first opportunity in the course for the gathering of information together in order to compile a continuous piece of work on the life of a person. The skill of sequencing events into a coherent narrative will be fostered by this approach.

Section II: Studies of Change

General Comments

1. Theme

The overall theme of Section II is change. The concept of change, its causes and consequences, which is essential to the study of history, is to be explored in a variety of contexts:

1. Geographical (Exploration)
2. Religious (Reformation)
3. Land Ownership (Plantation)
4. Political (Revolution)
5. Social (Agricultural and Industrial Revolution)

2. Levels

Students taking either ordinary or higher level should understand each context of change, its causes and consequences. However, Section II presents the first distinctionbetween the requirements for Ordinary and Higher Level. At Ordinary Level the concept of change in each of the five cases is studied in aconcrete way in relation to a specific event, movement or person involved in the change i.e. one exploration, one reformer, one plantation, one revolutionary, one study of contrasting lifestyles. These studies are indicated in the syllabus as "Special Studies" for Ordinary Level candidates.
Higher Level students, on the other hand, would be expected to understand the particular change involved, its causes and consequences in the wider context as well asin relation to the given special study.

3. Mixed Ability

Since many teachers will be teaching classes of mixed ability, and as it is not considered necessary or desirable that decisions would be made early as to whether students will take ordinary or higher levels, the differentiation between the two levels need in many cases only become necessary when students are revising for their terminal examinations. Initially, therefore, teachers should feel free to explore each context of change in full with their students. With this in mind the common base at both Ordinary and Higher levels has been provided, where the focus is on change, its causes and consequences in various contexts.

4. Time Allocation

Since teachers will envisage covering Section Two within one school year, and taking into account the need for revision, the planning for teaching the Studies of Change should allow approx. 5-6 weeks for each one.

*Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level may concentrate on the Special Study.
*Students studying the syllabus at Higher Level will be expected to explore, in addition, the more general aspects of each topic, as indicated above in BOLD TYPE.

The context of this study is the period of exploration which lasted from approx. 1400 to 1750 and involved countries such as Portugal, Spain, England, France and the Netherlands.

It is not envisaged that students would have detailed knowledge of all the voyages and explorations that took place. The general study asks for an investigation of the contexts of the change: what caused it, what helped to facilitate it and what effects it had.

SPECIAL STUDY

Special study is required of one exploration and this does not have to be a sea voyage nor need it necessarily be one of the most obvious or popularly studied voyages. It should also be noted that the special study specifies one exploration rather than one explorer. Therefore a detailed study of one exploration, rather than a biography of an explorer, is what is asked for. In choosing the exploration the only qualification that need apply is that there is access to sufficient detailed information about it to make the study of change a full one in terms of cause and consequence.
The special study should be concrete and practical since it is designed to be studied by ordinary and higher level candidates. It is through a detailed practical study that ordinary level candidates can grasp the more abstract notion of change.
In investigating the consequences of change, the long and short term view should be explored as well as the viewpoints of the explorer and exploring country and the peoples and area being explored. Although the title of this study is Changes in European view of the world this very title illustrates that that was not the only view.

The use and study of maps and globes is central to the teaching of this topic. The maps could include detailed maps of the individual voyages or explorations; also, maps showing contemporary knowledge of the world and sea routes.

*Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level may concentrate on the Special Study.
*Students studying the syllabus at Higher Level will be expected to explore, in addition, the more general aspects of each topic, as indicated above in BOLD TYPE.

The context of this study is the conditions in Europe from the late 15th century to the mid 17th century which led to the Reformation in the Christian church in Europe.
It is not expected that every reformer would be studied in detail. In studying how different people went about reform, such figures as Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII could be used to illustrate the reasoning behind the reforms and the methods adopted by different reformers.
In studying the consequences of the Reformation, the Catholic Counter Reformation may be treated as one of these consequences. The consequences should be looked at both in the short and long-term and need not necessarily be confined to Europe.
While the main focus of this study is religious, students could also be made aware of the social and political aspects of the change (both causes and consequences).

SPECIAL STUDY

The Special Study is an investigation of a reformer, not just a biography. It should be a study of the causes and effects of change as it involved that reformer. In choosing a person for study in this case, a character from either the Protestant Reformation or the Catholic Counter Reformation could be chosen.
Care should be taken in approaching this topic to ensure that practical examples are used to explain some abstract and technical terms which must arise in the study of the Reformation.

*Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level may concentrate on the Special Study.
*Students studying the syllabus at Higher Level will be expected t o explore, in addition, the more general aspects of each topic, as indicated above in BOLD TYPE.

The context of this study is the period of change in landownership in Ireland from the mid 16th to the end of the 17th century.

SPECIAL STUDY

Detailed study of only one plantation is required. This can be a study of the local application of plantation policy in a specific town, village estate or local area where resources are available.
In approaching the study, some simple understanding of the differences between the Gaelic and Old English systems of landownership is required.
In studying the causes of the plantations an understanding of the policy of plantation as a means of political and social control is required.
In approaching the study contemporary accounts and illustrations, statistics and maps
showing the geographical impact of the plantation on the landscape, towns, forests, etc. will all be useful sources.

Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level may concentrate on the Special Study.
Students studying the syllabus at Higher Level will be expected to explore, in addition, the more general aspects of each topic, as indicated above in BOLD TYPE.
The context of this study is that of Ireland, France and America in the late 18th century/early 19th century. In the study of the individual countries this would include Ireland from the founding of the United Irishmen (1791) to Robert Emmet's Rebellion (1803), America up to the drafting of the Constitution (1783) and France up to the end of the Reign of Terror (1794).
It is important to emphasise that, in this general study, an overview of the revolutionary movements is all that is required. It is not intended that the details of all the revolutionary movements would be studied. Therefore the study should focus, for example, on the common threads of discontent. Individual examples of particular features of discontent can be used for illustration, but no attempt at a comprehensive view of all the countries should be attempted.
This topic need not be studied by means of a chronological narrative approach. Certain themes which can be identified can be used as a pathway through the period. Such themes might be the demand for equality or the demand for representative government and the responses of governments to such demands.
When investigating the consequences there are specific immediate consequences and also broader long-term consequences. It is not necessary to do a detailed study of the individual consequences in each country, but these can be treated in the general context of developments in the Rights of Man, the Growth of Democracy and the Growth of Nationalism. The date parameters do not exclude an investigation of the general consequences.

SPECIAL STUDY

The Special Study is an investigation of one revolutionary in America, France or Ireland. It should include a study of the changes sought and / or brought about by the revolutionary.
In presenting/teaching the topic, illustrative material such as cartoons and portraits are a particularly rich source of material about this period.

*Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level may concentrate on the Special Study.
*Students studying the syllabus at Higher Level will be expected to explore, in addition, the more general aspects of each topic, as indicated above in BOLD TYPE.

The Social Change in this study is that of the impact on society of the agricultural and industrial revolutions between about 1700 and 1850. The background as indicated in the General Study is intended as a backdrop against which change can be shown. The focus is on the change, therefore the background should not constitute a large part of the study.
It will be necessary to understand some examples of the significant technological changes which facilitated the change but the emphasis in this study is on the impact on people's lives. Such topics as work, housing, diet, clothes, education, health and leisure activities.

SPECIAL STUDY

In teaching the special study, care should be taken t o avoid over-simplified stereotyping.
Different events, classes and groups in society should be investigated, such as the Famine, landlords, tenant farmers & cottiers, factory & mine owners, factory & mine workers etc.
A wealth of contemporary illustrations and documentary material including accounts of travels, government commissions and other enquiries is available for this period. The topic could also provide opportunities for cooperative work with other subjects, such as Art, Craft, Design; Business Studies; Science; Technical Graphics; Materials Technology (Wood); Metalwork and Technology.

Section III: Understanding the Modern World

The guidelines on the following pages define the content of Section 111.
Students studying this syllabus at Ordinary Level will study two of the topics as follows:

either

Political developments in Ireland
and
International relations in the 20th century

or

Social change in the 20th century
and
International relations in the 20th century.

In International relations they need study only one of A or B or C or D.
Students studying this syllabus at Higher Level will study all three of the topics - i.e.

Political developments in Ireland
and
Social change in the 20th century
and
International relations in the 20th century

In International relations they need study A and one of B or C or D

DESCRIPTION

As a result of studying this topic, students should have an understanding and knowledge of:

• the aims and methods of the principal Irish political groups (nationalist and unionist) and individuals at the turn of the 20th century
• the events and movements of the period 1912-1922 leading to the foundation of the two political entities, north and south
• the main developments in, and contrasts between the two political entities from 1922 to 1985

Approaches

It is important that the study of this topic should aim at an overall outline and not to be a series of detailed studies. In order to achieve this aim any one of several possible approaches could be adopted:

1. Resource Based
   A resource-based methodology using photographs, posters, extracts from newspapers, radio broadcasts, films, television news items could be an effective way of approaching this topic.
2. Focus Dates
   It might be helpful to develop a time chart or time line as a class project: classroom study could then focus on the interactions of people and events and movements at a series of dates along this time line. These could be either neutral (i.e. non significant) dates (eg. 1900, 1920, 1945, 1960, 1975, 1985) or key dates (eg. 1913/14, 1919/20, 1938/39, 1968/69).
3. Personalities/Ideas
   An approach which might be particularly useful at ordinary level would be one which focuses in the main personalities and their ideas (eg. Redmond, Craig, Carson, Larkin, Pearse, Collins, Cosgrave, De Valera, Lemass and O'Neill). In this approach, dialogues, role play and debates could be used to present different points of view.
4. Main Events
   A straightforward chronological narrative approach could be adopted by reviewing the main events of the period.
5. Concepts
   Some teachers may prefer to approach the study with an emphasis on such concepts as Home Rule and Republicanism, Nationalism and Unionism, Socialism and the Labour Movement, protectionism and free trade, neutrality and alignment, etc.

DESCRIPTION

Changes in lifestyles in Ireland from c~ 1900 - under each of the following headings:

• the role of women
• work and leisure
• urban and rural life
• transport and communications

(a study of changes in the local area or a national study)

Approaches

The topic can be approached as a study of changes in the local area or as a general national study. It lends itself to the active involvement of students in project work, the compilation of oral history, and the study of the students' own family history during the period. There is a particular richness of photographic record for this period and topic: the use of photographs as historical sources is encouraged.
The four headings are not completely discrete; they can be studied in a way which acknowledges the overlap from one to another. There is also a number of themes which cut across the headings, thus linking these different aspects of social change. For example one of these themes could be 'Technological change' which has influenced women's changing role in society and has been even more influential in effecting changes in work and leisure, in transport and communications and indeed in urban and rural life. 'Modernisation' is another theme which could help students gain an understanding of the way in which Irish society has changed in this century through increasing contact with other countries, as a result of improved transport, and in particular, improved communications.

DESCRIPTION:

A: 1920-1945 Peace and War in Europe: should be studied under each of the following
headings:

• The rise of Fascism in Italy and Germany 1920-33
• The Drift to War in Europe 1933-39
• World War II (In Europe) 1939-1945

Approach

This topic is a study in International Relations. Therefore it is not necessary to make in-depth, detailed studies of the internal history of the countries involved.

B: The rise of the Superpowers

In this study, the focus is on conflict between the Superpowers. As a result of undertaking
this study students should have a knowledge and understanding of:

• The Berlin Blockade
• The Korean War
• The Cuban Crisis

Approach

The study should include the background to the tensions and ideological differences between the superpowers, the way in which the conflicts affected other countries and the involvement of different countries and organisations in trying to resolve the conflicts.

C: Moves towards European Unity

As a result of undertaking this study students should have a knowledge and understanding of:

• The Treaty of Rome
• The Growth of the European Union
• The Maastricht Treaty

Approach

The study should include the background, both economic and political, to the desire for European unity and the extent to which the aims of European Unity have been achieved.

D: African and Asian Nationalism

Students are asked here to make a detailed study of one African or Asian country after 1945 that emerged from a colonial past to become an independent state. The common elements in any study would include knowledge and understanding of:

• The Colonial Background
• The Independence Movement (of the country chosen)
• The Post Colonial Experience