History
Everybody loves history! At the cinema blockbuster films are set in history, millions tune into historical TV dramas and best seller books have historical themes. Even on holiday we abandon sea and shopping to visit castles and cathedrals.
History is important as it helps us understand the present. It deals with those matters which turn us from people who watch events, into people who understand and can influence events. History contains examples of almost everything that is interesting or important to us – science, engineering, medicine, economics, art – and if you want to understand them, you must understand history.
“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”
- Robert Heinlein
Utilising the latest educational initiatives, the History Department at Dubai College adopts an accelerated learning approach to education. Learning takes place in a co-operative, friendly environment where students are challenged to think for themselves and become independent learners. A variety of teaching methods are employed aimed at accommodating different learning styles and which often involve ‘active learning’. Lessons incorporate interactive use of the whiteboards, computers and dedicated online websites. Higher up the school we have our own on-line discussion forums to allow students to continue their debates outside the classroom.
From Year 7 to 9 we follow a combination of overview, thematic and depth studies that take us through the medieval, early modern, industrial and twentieth century periods. At GCSE and A Level, we follow the new Edexcel syllabi on modern world history where we place a strong emphasis on making links to events and developments in the contemporary world in which we live today.
However it is the skills that our students develop and refine that we value the most. Together with nurturing a life-long interest in history, we want our students to develop a variety of important skills including the ability to evaluate evidence, identify and analyse different interpretations of the past, and substantiate any arguments and judgements they make. We also aim to make ‘learning to learn’ a priority so that our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills that are prized in adult life, enhancing employability and their ability to take part in the society in which they live.
