Loreto History

HERE'S ONE I MADE EARLIER

2011-03-05T03:54:00.001-08:00

In February Barry Johnson an advisor from AQA came into Loreto to talk to A2 history students about how to do well in their A level, what pitfalls to avoid and how to write a good study. Barry also went through the markscheme showing what history examiners are looking for when they mark the Unit 3 exam papers. The students' advice was that we should do it every year!

WE'RE BACK

2011-03-05T03:46:00.001-08:00

After a six month break the Loreto History blog is back with news, views and advice for history students and those Loreto students who wish they had chosen to do history: which let's face it is pretty much everyone. So keep your eyes peeled and join in with your comments.

HISTORY IN THE HEADLINES

2010-07-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

For all you budding historians, journalists and writers the Guardian newspaper and the Historical Association are running a competition called "History in the Headlines". The competition is for you to construct a headline story from the sources in the Guardian archives. Just think of the primary documents you will get access to! Ms Cooper and Mr Prowle will help you with this, but further details can be found on the HA web site Start thinking over summer and we will get started as soon as you enrol!!

SUMMER READING

2010-06-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

The exams will soon be over so what will you do with all that time on your hands. How about some summer reading? Teachers and university lecturers up and down the land complain that students do not read. Prove them wrong. But what to read??? As a history student why not a history book? You could try something covering the history of the world in just 300 pages; or a whole book about just thirteen days. You can read about the end of history; or look at how the subject started in a very different way from today. You can look at a different type of history or read something for your A2 units. you can read a history mystery and go into a period you know nothing about. There is political history; economic history; social history. Even the history of the World Cup! So you have no excuse. Me, I'm looking forward to sun, sea, sand and "Bobby and J Edgar" by Burton Hersh.

LITTLE SHIPS

2010-06-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming and long stretches of sandy white beaches in France look so inviting. But imagine being in such an exposed position in a war, being strafed by enemy planes. That was the fate of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940 trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk. This year we have been celebrating the 70th anniversary of one of the most powerful and poignant events in British history when 41 Royal Navy destroyers and over 600 other 'little ships' braved Channel weather and the Luftwaffe to rescue 338,000 British and French soldiers. 'Operation Dynamo' in reality was a tale of confusion and retreat and 5,000 deaths. But the courage of those Little Ships meant the BEF lived to fight another day.

NOT SAD REALLY

2010-05-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

OK as a teenager you are likely to use the summer for sun, sea and extra shifts at Tesco. But as a history student you could visit a couple of museums. Maybe it sounds a bit geeky but you are doing history and you really love the subject!(?) And didn't someone say the geek would inherit the earth. Even summer gets boring sometimes and you might be surprised how much you will enjoy it. And on a very practical level it is something to put on your university application.
Manchester Museum still has its amazing Darwin extravaganza where you can find out about the life and work of one of the world's most important thinkers. At the IWMN you can take in the life of sailors at war. And the Museum of Science and Industry has a range of historical characters telling you about their lives, including James Watt and William Huskisson, politician and first victim of a railway accident. Studying history can encompass science, technology, politics, war, the family. These exhibitions can give you just a taste.

MAKING CHOICES

2010-05-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

If you are in your AS year getting ready for your exams you might also be thinking about your future and your degree choice. Some history departments offer subject specific open days once you have applied, but in the meantime why not use summer to go to general open days to help you start your decision making.

FIRST PRIZE

2010-04-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Paito is looking very happy to receive his certificate from the British Association of American Studies for winning their 2010 Schools' Essay Prize. The Ambassador's Award of £250 is offered to the school pupil who writes the best essay on any subject to do with the USA. Jonathan is studying AS History, French, Economics and English Literature at Loreto College and wrote his essay on Barack Obama and the American Dream. For students like Jonathan the BAAS prize offers an opportunity to show their interest in and knowledge of the US beyond their academic studies.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2010-04-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Once again Loreto students take to their travels. The Department of History, Politics and Classical Civilisation has run trips to Paris, Greece, Berlin and the USA. This year the students spent 8 days in the United States seeing the sights of New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC. The trip began with a spectacular visit to the Empire State Building at night and was followed by tourist trips such as the Statue of Liberty; educational visits directly related to the History A level course we follow and real fun stuff: watching staff and students dance on the Big piano in FAO Schwartz was a hoot. There were so many highlights: the mad bus driver in DC; seeing Independence Hall knowing Jefferson and Adams actually sat there; watching the SWAT guys abseil down the rocks at Liberty Island; the New York breakfasts. And then there was the truly unforgettable: getting tickets to the visitors' gallery in the Senate and the tour of the United Nations. Amazing! Here's to the next time.

DO WE DEPEND ON TELEVISION FOR OUR HISTORY?

2010-03-11T08:00:00.001-08:00

We have two tv channels dedicated to history; the BBC has a history web site; and just today on TV there are programmes as diverse as Horrible Histories and Chemistry: A Volatile History. But presenter David Dimbleby is arguing that television is having to make up for the fact that not enough time is dedicated in schools to the subject. Only 31% of students in England and Wales take history at GCSE, and we are one of the few countries in Europe where history is not compulsory beyond 14. Should it be? If so, what should be taught?

BERLIN WALL EXHIBITION

2010-03-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

The picture is of Loreto history students visiting one of the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall on one of the department's foreign trips. Berlin was central to the Cold War - and is central to the Unit 3 exam. You still have time to catch the exhibition on the Wall at the Imperial War Museum North.

PLANNING AHEAD

2010-02-17T13:48:00.001-08:00

Soon the results for the January modules will be out but already students are asking about dates for the summer exams. (Hopefully a sign of early preparation or perhaps just hoping to book a cheap holiday.) Either way you can find the dates of all your exams on the QCA interboard searchable timetable. All you need to know is the board and subject, and it is even easier if you know the code for the exam. Logging in is easy, you don't need a password, and you can create your own personalised timetable by simply checking the papers you want. Of course eLoreto will also do this for you but you might want to get a head start.

AURAL HISTORY

2010-02-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have a student who every Friday asks if we are going to watch a DVD. Teenagers laugh when you suggest they listen to Radio 4. But this generation may be the one to benefit from radio. With i-pod, MP3, downloading and podcasts listening is a skill more teenagers have than they realise. Tune in to A History of the World in 100 Objects currently being broadcast on Radio 4: practice your listening skills and get a sense of the breadth and wonder of the study of history.

CUTTING BLACK HISTORY

2010-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Black History Month has been commemorated in the UK since 1987 when it was created by the then Greater London Council. The current London mayor, Boris Johnson, is cutting the subsidy for Black History Month by more than £120,000 while giving £100,000 to subsidise a 'US Day'. Should tax payers subsidise history events? Is it important we celebrate a significant group within our society whose contribution has frequently been overlooked or ignored? History students at Loreto do an AS in American history, do you support a US Day or should a wealthy country like the US pay for its own celebration?

EXAM TECHNIQUE

2010-01-11T02:43:00.001-08:00

To do well in the exams you need to start your revision early as many of you are now discovering. But there are also lots of things you can do in the actual exam to ensure a good mark. This BBC web page has a lot of good tips. And you could always come to the lunchtime sessions on 'Tackling the Exam Paper'!

CONTROVERSY IN HISTORY

2010-01-11T02:16:00.000-08:00

Those who do not study history often think it is simply learning facts. But history is a dialogue with the past. It is constantly being re-interpreted, sometimes with controversial results. Film director and history revisionist Oliver Stone is courting controversy once more with his TV history series that attempts to understand Hitler the man. Should we try to get to the ‘real’ person behind the myth or can this lead to becoming an apologist for mass murder?

UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN

2009-12-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

And amid all the holly and miseltoe and the shopping and eating, let's not forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

2009-12-17T01:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here! But why do we celebrate the way we do? Find out more about our Christmas traditions, or learn a few carols. For fun you can do lots of quizzes on the net. Given the worry on the BBC this morning about the study of English Literature, why not try a Christmas book quiz? But if all the turkey and the mince pies gets you down, there is the Dr Who Christmas special to look forward to!!

WITNESS TO TERROR

2009-11-29T08:00:00.001-08:00

Visiting Auschwitz today as a is a profound experience. How brave is a man to swap places with an Auschwitz inmate so that he could find out for himself what was going on in the Nazi death camp and tell the world. Denis Avey is just such a man. While a prisoner of war in Poland he arranged to swap clothes with a Jewish prisoner and stayed in the camp on two nights. He saw for himself the "hell on earth" that was Auschwitz and the cigarettes he smuggled in saved at least one life. Hear his amazing story on the BBC iplayer.

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN

2009-11-24T05:34:00.000-08:00

Now the autumn leaves are falling and days are getting shorter students' minds turn to thoughts of January modules and revision. Or rather they don't - but their teachers' do. Don't forget there are some useful web resources to help your revsion such as the excellent Spark Notes for factual information; web pages from the TV such as Channel 4 History which has a section on Woodrow Wilson for example; and the ever popular US history quiz page. And failing all that you could come to Ms Cooper's history revision sessions or even read a book! And don't forget the exam board web site! Remember a little revision each week will make the job so much easier. And the better grades you get this year the less pressure next year.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

2009-11-09T01:06:00.001-08:00

Armistice Day was the day created to commemorate those who died or fell wounded during the 'war to end all wars', the First World War. Today we call it Remembrance Day: we remember not only those who died in the First World War but during the minute's silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, we think of all who have sacrificed for our country. We especially rememember this week our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

DIE BERLINER MAUER

2009-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today people all over Germany and the world are commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall, called by John Gaddis 'a moral outrage', which divided the city of Berlin in two for forty years, symbolised perhaps more than anything the division between the Superpowers during the Cold War. Talk to your parents and teachers and older relatives. Ask them how they felt when they watched the Wall come down.

GRAPES OF WRATH

2009-10-30T08:49:00.001-07:00

John Steinbeck's 1939 classic about the Joad family's trials during the Great Depression is currently showing as a play in Leeds. Join the history trip or go along yourself to bring to life one of the topics you will be doing this term.

HISTORY IN THE NEWS AGAIN

2009-10-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

The Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the year award went yesterday to a history book. Liaquat Ahamed won the £30,000 prize for his book Lords of Finance about the Wall Street Crash; a book extremley relevant to today's economic woes. Yet more proof, if it were needed, that any issue can be made more relevant and interesting with an historical perspective.

REMEMBER, REMEMBER

2009-10-30T08:32:00.001-07:00

November is, of course, the month of toffee, bonfires and fireworks (and Ms Cooper's birthday!) But how much do you know about Guy Fawkes? There are lots of books you could look at as well as web sites. Given the MPs expenses scandal is it about time for another Guy Fawkes. If you want to see an alternative interpretation, take a look at the movie, V for Vendetta.

WARTIME HEROISM?

2009-10-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

A new memorial has been opened on the South Bank in London to commemorate those who fought in World War Two but not as members of the regular armies: groups such as the French Resistance and the Special Operations Executive. Though we might think of them simply as heroes, their activities were in fact much more controversial. If you are interested in this topic there is a film on at the Cornerhouse looking at the role of French immigrants, epsecially Armenians in the Resistance. Thinking further, Salford University, for example offers modules on resistance as part of its BA in Contemporary History and Politics.

NEW YORK HERE WE COME

2009-10-03T12:06:00.001-07:00

The flights and hotels are booked. We are now just waiting for news about the visits. Keep your eye on your college email for updates and start saving your pennies. (Or pounds or dollars oreven Euros.) All money is due by December 6th.

FREE BOOKS

2009-10-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Since the end of September if you are a member of a local library you are able to borrow books from other libraries. You no longer have to join libraries individually. Just think of all the books you can have access to for your history homework, for your coursework and just for pleasure! As Thomas Jefferson said: "Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years." So start investing!

DILLINGER

2009-07-02T00:51:00.000-07:00

One other thing you might want to do in all these weeks you have off is go see Public Enemies the new film about gangster John Dillinger. He is an interesting contrast to many of the gangsters you studied as he operated in the Mid-west not in Chicago or New York. And according to FBI historian John Fox unlike many others Dillinger had 'style and panache'. (You have a to love a subject where watching Johnny Depp for two hours is homework!!!)

MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

2009-07-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

July is time again for the Manchester International Festival, a festival of art, music and performance that is unique in that everything on show is being performed for the first time in public. There's lost of great stuff to see. Especially interesting for you is It Felt Like a Kiss by Punchdrunk, Adam Curtis and Damon Albarn. According to the programme it "... tells the story of America’s rise to power in the golden age of pop, and the unforeseen consequences it had on the world and in our minds. Beginning in 1959, the show spotlights the dreams and desires that America inspired during the ’60s, when the world began to embrace the country and its culture as never before. But as this daring production unfolds across five floors, blending music with documentary and the disorientating whirl of a fairground ghost train, the audience is forced to face the dark forces that were veiled by the American dream – a dream that ultimately returns to haunt us all." Got to be worth a look!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS?

2009-06-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Now your exams are over you are probably wondering what to do with all your spare time. What about visiting the Imperial War Museum North? Not only is it an amazing building, it has great exhibitions that will get you thinking about the topic of war ready for your coursework. Entry is free and it's just across from the Lowry so when you have had enough you can go and shop!

EXAM TIME

2009-05-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Crunch time is now here. The exams have started in earnest and you are well into your revision. There are revision sessions at College; lots of information on Shared Areas; and don't forget the exam board web sites for A2 and AS. There are also hundreds of web sites giving advice on revision and exam technique from the BBC to the Daily Telegraph and even the government. And if all else fails you could even ask your teacher. Just remember to reward yourself occasionally.

2009-05-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

At the Urbis museum in central Manchester you have a chance to see the very latest contemporary art coming out of one of the world’s most exciting cities – New York – the capital of the contemporary art scene and a place we will be going next Spring. The exhibition features painting, performance, video and installation. Highlights include Manchester’s statue of Abraham Lincoln dressed as a Hip Hop Fan and an animated take-off of the recent US presidential election process. The exhibition runs until September so you can take a day to visit in the holidays.

THE FULBRIGHT COMMISSION

2009-05-08T04:57:00.001-07:00

The Fulbright Commission was set up in 1948 by Senator Willaim Fulbright in 1948 'to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange'. The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers all kinds of exchanges, advice and grants to those interested in studying in the US. Check out the web site for more information.

HISTORY IS BUNK

2009-05-07T04:36:00.001-07:00

Actually what Henry Ford said was that 'History is more or less bunk'. History students are well used to people asking what use the subject is. In some ways that is a question that does not even deserve a response, but if one had to, one could quote David McCulloch: 'History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.' One cannot fully understand the present without reference to the past. George Mason University, (where our old friend Roger Wilkins lectured, see March 12th blog), hosts one of many web sites that look at current issues with an historical eye through their History News Network.

REEL HISTORY

2009-05-07T03:24:00.000-07:00

It is not just certain members of the history department obsessed by film. (See first blog post.) The Guardian has a series on historical films and their accuracy. Have a look, see if one of your favourites is there.

BOOK REVIEWS

2009-04-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

Wide reading is EXCELLENT preparation not only in History (especially A2) but also for university. Here are some of the books AS students seem to find interesting and useful for Unit 2 when they did their reading assignment.

Gordon Wood's book The American Revolution was recommended by many. It's a very easy to read and well written narrative account of the whole crisis. Many also found Keith Perry's book British Politics and the American Revolution useful for looking at the British side of events. (Very important as this is a British history module!) And for those who want something a little more challenging you could try Peter Whiteley's Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America. All these books are in the College library and if they are not for you, ask Rachel to help you find something else.

WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED

2009-04-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

To help learn the battles of the War of Independence have a look at this super interactive map site. You can go through the events chronologically as well as test your knowledge.

LIVING THROUGH HISTORY

2009-04-23T03:06:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago politics teacher Kate Boon organised a visit from Cabinet Minister Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The students were invited to submit questions to put to the Secretary (or Andy as they now call him) and he also spoke to them about his work and views. It was a tremendous opportunity for the politics students, many of whom also do history, and they realised they could be meeting a future primie minister. Thanks to Kate and Andy the day was a terrific success. Students talked about the event being an 'eye opener'and how he put a 'realistic and refreshing face on the Labour Party'. It was summarised nicely by the student who said: 'It was a great opportunity and it was nice to see a politician talking openly and truthfully on most topics. Thank you.'

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

2009-04-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

This page has a really good interactive timeline with information on most of the topics you need for Unit 2. The web site also has an online textbook and is run by the Independence Hall Association: we will visit Independence Hall next February as part of the history trip.

There is also a fun site run by the National Archive where you can add your own name to the Declaration of Independence and print out your signed copy!

VOTES FOR WOMEN

2009-04-16T01:05:00.001-07:00

Radio 4 today is discussing the issue of women's suffrage. You can hear Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss suffragism, the movement for women's voting rights at 21.30 on Thursday night or you can hear it later through the BBC iplayer. Don't forget this is an important topic on the Unit 5 paper.

US TRIP

2009-04-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

The 2010 trip to New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC is going ahead. Remember to bring in your second deposit and the permission slip as soon as possible. There is now a waiting list so if deadlines are not met you could lose your place.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BLOG FOR UPDATES!

THE VICTORIANS

2009-04-15T03:41:00.001-07:00

Many of you doing Unit 5 have never studied the 19th century before. Take a look at a couple of quizzes on the Yesterday web site to learn more about the Victorian era. And more directly useful for the exam try out the BBC quiz on the changing rights of women in this period.

EASTER REVISION

2009-04-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

Make sure you check the Easter revision timetables for the relevant history sessions.

Also see the timetables in classrooms for the sessions taking place at luncthimes after the holidays.

REVISION QUIZZES

2009-03-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Don't forget for revision for Unit 2 The Loss of the American Colonies as well as for Unit 1 The USA 1890-1945 there are some good quizzes you can play to test your factual knowledge.

A2 BRITISH HISTORY HELP

2009-03-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

If you are finding Unit 5 Representation and Democracy a little difficult, try looking at thestudentroom blog to know you are not alone and to get ideas from other sixth formers like you. Also check out the Victorian Web which has great sections on the politics of the Victorian era as well as the economy, religion and the arts.

ARMS AND THE MAN

2009-03-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

Lots of people in Britain, both students and normal people, love the Tudors. There is a new exhibition of the armour of Henry VIII at the Tower of London from April 2009 to January 2010 featuring a suit of armour that was only discovered to belong to the infamous King just six years ago. There is armour Henry used for the dangerous sport of foot combat as well as armour taking into account his growing weight.

FROM KOREA TO CAPRICA

2009-03-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

Along with many others this week I nearly choked on my Rice Krispies when I heard on the radio that the cast of science fiction show Battlestar Galactica had been invited to the United Nations to discuss "human rights, terrorism, children and armed conflict, and reconciliation between civilians and faiths." Yet Blackadder is used by schools up and down the country to illustrate the insanity of the First World War and Homer Simpson as the beer baron is a fun but insightful introduction to Prohibition. Can television shows add to our understanding of politics and history? What do you think?

CNN COLD WAR SERIES

2009-03-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Although the web site to the excellent CNN Cold War series has now gone, you can still get access to most of the interviews through the US National Archive.

LORETO HISTORY STUDENTS VISIT THE US EMBASSY AND MEET ROGER WILKINS

2009-03-12T03:49:00.001-07:00

For the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, Loreto was one of only 5 schools invited by the US Embassy in London to bring a group of students to a celebration event. We were shown a film about the life of Lincoln and had a short talk about the Embassy from Assistant Cultural Attaché Mark Lanning. But undoubtedly the highlight was a talk from Professor Roger Wilkins. Professor Wilkins was a member of the NAACP and friend of Martin Luther King. He was one of the youngest Black men ever appointed to high office when he became Assistant Attorney General to President Johnson at the age of only 33. He talked about his life and answered students' questions about King, about Johnson and Kennedy, and especially about the historic election of Barack Obama. It was all in all an amazing day

EXAM RESULTS

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Exam results out on Thursday!
See your teacher for advice/praise/a tissue.
Congratulations if you have done well; if you are a bit disappointed all is not lost, do a re-sit and come to the revision classes.

MANCHESTER HISTORIES FESTIVAL

2009-03-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Next week end Manchester Histories Festival takes place “Bringing Together the People of Manchester to Celebrate the Histories of Manchester - The Original Modern City”. Check out what’s happening.

HISTORY IN FILM

2009-03-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Valkyrie is one of many recent films on historical topics. It received some criticism for its sympathetic portrayal of Claus von Stauffenberg, but equally others loved it. FrostNixon on the other hand was almost universally praised and gained 5 Oscar nominations. Balancing entertainment and accuracy can't be easy and historical movies can range from the, in my opinion, sublime (Thirteen Days) to the ridiculous (The Patriot).