Units
Interpreting the Past
Unit code: CLB103
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
For the purposes of this unit, 'history' will be taken to mean a set of practices developed by professional historians to produce knowledge about the past. The study of these practices promotes understandings of how historians set about their work, the rules that govern their methods, the reliability of historical knowledge and the value of history socially and culturally.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
For the purposes of this unit, 'history' will be taken to mean a set of practices developed by professional historians to produce knowledge about the past. The study of these practices promotes understandings of how historians set about their work, the rules that govern their methods, the reliability of historical knowledge and the value of history socially and culturally.
Aims
This unit offers students the ability to critically evaluate the work of professional historians. They will explore how the available evidence, the methodologies employed and the influence of cultural and political factors can shape the messages and values that historians advocate through their writing.
Objectives
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to research historical data to ascertain its relevance to a specific task or argument;
2.Display familiarity with principles underlying the history discipline;
3.Demonstrate ability to engage with key critical issues relating to the evaluation of historical knowledge;
4.Mount a written argument that is logically organised, substantiated, and correct both grammatically;
5.Participate in cooperative activities based on group discussion.
Content
The achievement of the learning outcomes will involve theoretical investigations and practical applications. The theoretical component of the unit will be based on E.H. Carr's What is History? while the practical application will involve a dissection of A.J.P. Taylor's The Origins of the Second World War.
The unit includes the following topics:
The Russian Revolution
The Mystery of Anastasia
Versailles Peace Treaty
The German occupation of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland
A.J.P. Taylor
E.H. Carr
Hitler's Conquest of Europe
The Katyn Forest Massacre
Allied Victory in Europe
Hitler - The Last Days - Nuremberg
Berlin Airlift and the Berlin Wall
Hungarian and Czechoslovakian Uprisings
The Collapse of Communism
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This unit primarily consists of lectures, tutorial presentations, discussion, and film documentaries. The unit offers diverse perspectives and multi-disciplinary approaches to methods of learning. The lectures are informative with videos frequently utilised to consolidate aspects of each topic. Tutorials are student-centred with discussion encouraged. The assessment requires students to reflect upon the stated aims of the unit.
Assessment
The General Assessment for this unit is both formative and summative. Tasks include a tutorial presentation, weekly quizzes and a written examination.Tutorial: The lecturer or tutor will offer suggestions and directions concerning the content and arrangement of the tutorial presentation.
Exam: Sample exam questions will be available for student perusal.
Assessment name:
Demonstration (Tutorial)
Description:
In pairs: topics relating to lectures
Relates to objectives:
2, 3 & 5.
Weight:
25%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group
Due date:
Continous
Assessment name:
Weekly Quiz
Description:
Short answer questions about the content covered in the lectures and tutorials.
Relates to objectives:
2
Weight:
25%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
In Tutorials
Assessment name:
Examination (Theory)
Description:
Final examination, date set within university examination period.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3 & 4.
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Exam period
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Bullock, Alan (1993) Hitler and Stalin - Parallel Lives, (London: Fontana, 1993)
Carr, E.H. (1961) What is History? (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1961)
Grenville, J.A.S. A History of the World from the 20th to the 21st Century, (London: Routledge 2011) (Required)
Hughes-Warrington, Marnie, Fifty Key Thinkers on History, (London: Routledge, 2000)
Jenkins, Keith On `What is History', (London: Routledge, 1995)
Kershaw, Ian. Hitler, (Camberwell, Vic.: Penguin, 2008) (Recommended)
Martel, Gordon (ed.) The Origins of the Second World War, (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1986)
Orwell, George, Animal Farm, (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1946).
Overy, R.J. The Origins of the Second World War, (Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, 2008).,
Taylor, A.J.P. The Origins of the Second World War, (Harmondsworth: Penguin 1963) (Required)
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 26-Oct-2012
