In National 5 History, we focus on three topics that will be assessed with a 2 hour 20 minute SQA exam and a one hour timed assignment essay. In the course, we will use sources to help us build a picture of what happened, analyse these sources thinking about their usefulness, how fully they describe or explain an event and compare sources. We will also use evidence to create arguments in our writing through describe, explain and 9 mark essay questions.

We will look at the Atlantic Slave Trade which looks at enslaved people being captured, their treatment on the journey as well as their treatment on the plantations, and the abolition of slavery in Britain. We will look at the economic impacts of the slave trade on Britain as well as the impacts on the Caribbean and Africa. 

We also look at Migration and Empire which looks at the movement of people into Scotland from places like Ireland, Lithuanian and Italy in the 19th and early 20th century the reasons for this movement and their treatment in Scotland. We also look at Scots leaving Scotland during this period, the reasons for it, where they moved to and their relationships, successes and issues in these places such as India and New Zealand.

The final topic we look at is the Rise of Hitler and the Nazi party from 1919-1939. We will look at the issues post WWI Germany faced, the new Weimar Republic and their strengths and weaknesses, the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party, Hitler's consolidation of power from 1933 and the social and economic policies implemented. We will look at the treatment of groups in Nazi Germany from 1933 such as the Jewish, women and children.

You will have an opportunity to look further into one of these topics to create your Assignment. This is an essay you will research independently using sources to gather information. You will then write up this essay timed in class in 1 hour.