Introduction:
Our final unit of the year will be to examine how German and Italian foreign policy from 1933-1940 contributed to the outbreak of World War II. This is the culmination of our understanding of all of the domestic developments in Germany, Italy, USSR, and Spain during the interwar period and how they lead to war in Europe. While the content will be a review, the application of our knowledge will be in a new format, Paper 1. As of the May 2017 examination, the Paper 1 will ask you to read and apply four sources (mix of primary and secondary) to four structured questions in 60 minutes. In this unit we will refine our skills of historical analysis and learn a number of strategies that will help maximize our attainment on this style of assessment. Our unit will be shaped around the below key questions:

1. How did fascism and Nazism shape the foreign policies of Italy and Germany?

2. How did the domestic developments in Italy and Germany shape their foreign policy objectives and actions?

3. How did shifting diplomatic alliances, the collapse of collective security and the policy of appeasement contribute to the outbreak of war?

4. What were the key events of Italian and German foreign policy from 1933-1940?

5. How did the international community respond to Italian and German aggression?

6. How do use and evaluate sources to analyze causality and consequences of historical events?

Resources:
The primary resources that we will be utilizing will continue to be Interwar Years: Conflict and Cooperation 1919-1939. We will also use selections from The Move to Global War: IB History Course Companion and a variety of past paper questions.

 

Assessments:

1. Formative

   1. Class Discussions

   2. Short Answer Questions

   3. Partial and Complete Past Paper 1 questions

2. Summative

   1. Paper 1 Timed in Class (Exam Week)

 

Paper 1 Details (sourced from May 2017 History Guide)
Paper 1 (SL and HL)

Duration: 1 hour

Weighting: 30% SL, 20% HL

Paper 1 is a source-based examination paper based on the prescribed subjects. Each prescribed subject consists of two specified case studies, and in each examination session, the paper will focus on one of the two case studies specified for each prescribed subject.
The paper will contain four sources for each prescribed subject. Sources will be primary or a mixture of primary and secondary, and may be written, pictorial or diagrammatic. The paper will consist of four questions for each prescribed subject, and students must answer all four questions from their chosen prescribed subject. Some questions will be answered using only evidence from one or more of the sources, as indicated. In other questions, students will be asked to use their own knowledge of the prescribed subject as well as evidence contained in the sources.

First Question, Part A (3 Marks): This question will test understanding of one of the sources.

First Question, Part B (2 Marks): This question will test understanding of one of the sources.

Second Question (4 Marks): This question will ask students to analyze the value and limitations of one of the sources. In their analysis of value and limitations, students should refer to the origin, purpose and content of the specified source.

Third Question (6 Marks): This question will ask students to analyse the value and limitations of one of the sources. In their analysis of value and limitations, students should refer to the origin, purpose and content of the specified source.

Fourth Question (9 Marks): This will be an evaluative question that asks students to draw on both the sources and their own knowledge in their evaluation.

 

The maximum mark for this paper is 24. The paper is marked using a paper-specific markscheme, except for the final question for each prescribed subject, which is marked using the generic mark bands that follow, in addition to a paper-specific markscheme.

External markbands—paper 1 (fourth question) (SL and HL)

 

Marks Level descriptor

 

0 

The response does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.

 

1-3

The response lacks focus on the question.
References to the sources are made, but at this level these references are likely to consist of descriptions of the content of the sources rather than the sources being used as evidence to support the analysis.
No own knowledge is demonstrated or, where it is demonstrated, it is inaccurate or irrelevant.

 

4-6

The response is generally focused on the question.
References are made to the sources, and these references are used as evidence to support the analysis.
Where own knowledge is demonstrated, this lacks relevance or accuracy.There is little or no attempt to synthesize own knowledge and source material.

 

7-9

The response is focused on the question.
Clear references are made to the sources, and these references are used effectively as evidence to support the analysis.
Accurate and relevant own knowledge is demonstrated. There is effective synthesis of own knowledge and source material.

 

Unit Calendar: 

The Calendar outlines the plan for our day to day in class activities and the homework that will be assigned. The expectation is that students complete all homework assignments for the next lesson unless otherwise indicated on the calendar. While we would like this to be set in stone, unforeseen events and intriguing tangents might change the plan so if you are ever in doubt on what is due and when, please ask!