T°BFI HISTORY RESOURCES

T°BFI OVERVIEW

HISTORY THEME 1 – Chapter 1

Introduction

This chapter studies the impact of the global economic crisis on societies and politics in the short, medium and long term. It focuses on the causes of the crisis triggered by the 1929 Wall Street Crash, the transition from an American crisis to a global crisis and the consequences, including unemployment and political instability. It also draws attention to the immediate and longer-term implications of increased federal government intervention in the economy. Thus, it also introduces the rise of neoliberal economic thought (Friedrich Hayek) and Keynesian economic theory foreshadowing the post WW2 debate between a big government welfare state versus the ideology of the invisible hand of the market.

HIST AND GEOG TERMS sept

 

Key Questions

  1. How did the economic crisis of the 1930s pose a challenge to democratic governments?
  2. What were the key economic, social, and political consequences of the Great Depression in the United States?
  3. How did the New Deal transform the role of the federal government in American society?
  4. In what ways were the approaches to the Depression in the USA and France similar and different?

Resources for the Great Depression and the New Deal

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF GRT DEPRESSIONS

T° History Theme 1 Chp 1 Overview PowerPoint

USA statistics to show underlying economic imbalances and weaknesses in the 1920s:

US_in_the_20s_economy

Short overview putting the Grt Depression into context (Germany, USSR and USA):

 

The 1929 Stock Market Crash (9m):

 

The Great Depression Explained in 2 minutes:

Analysis of Ideas of Keynes vs Hayek:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-14366054

KEY IDEA:

Keynesian economics is a macroeconomic economic theory of total spending in the economy and its effects on output, employment, and inflation.

Keynes advocated increased government expenditures to stimulate demand and pull the economy out of depression.

Friedrich Hayek believed that the prosperity of society was driven by creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation, which were possible only in a society with free markets and low government expenditure.

 

 

The Dust Bowl and the Depression (3m41):

 

 

Hoovervilles:

 

The New Deal Explained:

Student spider diagrams on the Measures taken by Roosevelt in the First Hundred Days, Achievements of the New Deal, Criticisms from the political left and right of this program and the Limitations of the New Deal:

New Deal Achievements & Limitations 1

New Deal Achievement & Limitations 2

 

Example of History DBQ on this topic:

 

Using the documents and your own knowledge answer the following question: What were the key causes and impacts of the Great Depression on the USA?

 

Discuss the values and limitations of the documents in your answer.

 

POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION with arguable thesis:

 

This essay argues that the Great Depression was caused by serious long term weaknesses in the US economy before the 1929 stock market crash and culminated in profound social and economic impacts which led to a fundamental change in the relationship of the federal government with the American people as the New Deal was implemented. It emphasizes the role of easily available credit and agricultural plus industrial overproduction as key causes of the depression long before the 1929 crisis, and argues that homelessness and unemployment were two of the key impacts across the nation.

 

DEVELOPMENT SECTION 

Identify and explain the KEY causes: availability of credit / overproduction due to development of mass production techniques / stock market speculation leading to share prices no longer reflecting the real value of companies / inability of most American households to purchase latest consumer goods…

Identify and explain KEY impacts: share price collapse / unemployment increase / migration and homelessness / falling level of industrial producton and consumption / significantly lower international trade…

INTEGRATE an analysis of the documents into the above discussion: bring in a discussion of document 1 during your analysis of key causes and an analysis of document 2 during your section on key consequences.

CONCLUSION

End with a short conclusion, summarize your key ideas and reformulate your thesis.

 HISTORY THEME 1 – Chapter 2

Introduction

This chapter surveys the characteristics of totalitarian regimes (ideology, forms of adhesion, use of violence and terror for coercion and control devices) and their consequences on the European order. You will compare and contrast the characteristics of Stalin’s USSR and Nazi Germany and consider how ‘totalitarianism’ differs from ‘authoritarianism’.

Key Questions

  1. How did totalitarian regimes exploit the economic crisis in order to gain and maintain power in the 1930s?
  2. How important was the role of ideology and coercion in the consolidation of power in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union?
  3. How can we explain popular support for the regimes in Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany?
  4. How effective were the regimes in maintaining their power and control?
  5. Compare and contrast the characteristics of the Soviet and Nazi regimes.

Video resource:

Watch this 15 minute video for a clear overview of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany – it also covers two of the points de passage: the Ukrainian Famine and the Spanish Civil War:

Kristallnacht: Pictures capture horrors of 1938 Nazi pogrom

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63587638

 

Main History Chapter 2 Powerpoint:

History Theme 1 Chp2

Comparison of USSR and Nazi Germany Powerpoint:

USSR and NAZI Germany Compared

 

Past student essays on Totalitarian Regimes:

Two examples of well constructed, well researched and logical argued essays with sound conclusions:

Totalitarian Regimes Comparison Essay Example 1

Totalitarian Regimes Essay Example 2

 

 

HISTORY THEME 1 – Chapter 3

 

 

This chapter examines the defeat of France, and the paths of Collaboration and Resistance that confronted the country during the early 1940s. It also covers the extent and violence of WWII, including the brutality of the war on the Eastern front in order to come to some understanding of the crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust. An additional component is on the impact of war on the US ‘homefront’, with particular attention to the role of women in defence industries, for example, and the internment of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. The role of the two atomic bombs in ending the war in the Pacific theatre of conflict, and the circumstance of the end of the war in Europe form important links to the emergence of the Cold War tensions after the war.

 

ASSIGNMENT FOR OCT 8

Individual Assignment WW2 – US Homefront etc

WW2 Assignment 

WW2 Overview PPT:

Hist Theme 1 Chp3

Article on the decision to use the Atomic Bomb:

Mod Hist Review Atom Bomb

Documents on the French Homefront:

Life in occupied France during the second world war

Impact of WW2 on France: Orador-sur-Glane:

Summary of the US Homefront:

WWII Home Front

US Homefront

For American-Japanese internment arising from Executive order 9066, see this site + video:

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/japanese-american-relocation

Summary of class work on Essay Introduction with thesis statement + plan:

WW2 US HOMEFRONT ESSAY THOUGHTSa

Why and how was the Shoah carried out?

Shoah is the Hebrew word for “catastrophe”.  This term specifically means the killing of nearly six million Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Second World War. English-speaking countries more commonly use the word Holocaust, which is Greek for “sacrifice by fire”.

Please visit the Memorial de la Shoah website to learn more, the FAQs are particularly informative:

Frequently Asked Questions

Short Intro video (3m)

 

 

Decision to use the Atomic Bomb:

From: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/fe4ac1c8-0bc4-43e2-bfc7-c56ff52c021b/5c125aec-96c4-42f5-81d4-a0d57e23746a.docx

When Harry Truman became president upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II were quite different. Hitler’s government was falling apart, and Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, less than a month after Truman took office. In contrast, Japan appeared unstoppable. Bombs and napalm dropped on Tokyo had claimed approximately 100,000 Japanese lives. The ferocious resistance by Japan’s army on the island of Okinawa, where 10,000 American and 100,000 Japanese soldiers died, reinforced the notion that Japan would never surrender.

A committee appointed by Truman soon after he took office in April had a solution to dealing with Japan. It reported that a top-secret weapon, the atomic bomb, would be available soon and should be used without warning. The report offered no alternatives. While the president had agreed in mid-June to plan for a possible U.S. invasion of Japan in the fall of 1945, his lack of experience in office, determination to minimize American casualties, and desire to demonstrate strength to the Soviet Union made him inclined to accept the study committee recommendation. Furthermore, the bombing of civilian populations became an acceptable practice due to the possibility of aerial attacks by all sides in the war. Finally, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 justified any counterattack. On July 25, Truman learned that the bomb had been successfully tested. He ordered military commanders to deploy the weapon at their discretion.

After a final diplomatic attempt to obtain Japan’s unconditional surrender failed, the bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6. Truman was shown aerial photos of the devastation two days later. He was unaware that 80,000 Japanese had been killed and that tens of thousands more would die from ensuing radiation sickness. A second strike on August 9 destroyed the Japanese port city of Nagasaki, killing 40,000 more people. Japan surrendered on August 14.

Watch video on this site:

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/pres10.socst.ush.dww.atomicbomb/truman-and-the-atomic-bomb-world-war-ii-truman/

History Theme 2 Chapter 1:

End of WW2 and Emergence of the Cold War

Key topics from World War Two for explaining the origins of the Cold War:

i) The occupation and effective division of Europe (particularly Germany) by the two emerging superpowers,

ii) The Bretton Woods Agreement

iii) Yalta and Potsdam

iv) The opening of the UN

v) The American use of the atomic bomb

 

Key topics for explaining the development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1950:

  1. i) The Iron Curtain speech, 1946
  2. ii) The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and containment policy, 1947

iii) The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948/9

  1. iv) The Creation of NATO, 1949
  2. v) The outbreak of the Korean War, 1950

 

Reference Points

  • Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift
  • 38th Parallel and outbreak of the Korean War

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzcZBFlmLoA&list=PL8hNHC9nbLlzb4miGp5pZPYCk9Zw0dGke&rco=1

 

HISTORY Theme 2 Chapter 2:

A New Geopolitical Order and Emergence of the Developing World

a) Creation of Israel and the Arab Response 

  1. a) Emergence of Zionism & Arab nationalism
  2. b) Intervention of foreign powers (superpowers & former colonial powers)
  3. c) Arab-Israeli Conflicts/ Wars

b) Emergence of Mao’s China

  1. a) Cold War alliance with the USSR before Sino-Soviet Split, 1950-1962
  2. b) Securing borders & challenging US in the Cold War (Tibet annexation, 1950,

intervention in Korean War & sabre-rattling in Taiwan Straits, 1954)

  1. c) Testing nuclear weapon, 1964
  2. d) Support of African anti-colonial independence movements in the 1960s to gain diplomatic allies in the push for a seat in the United Nations Security Council.

c) Vietnam War, 1955-63

d) French Republic and Nationalist Movements in Africa, 1954-62

e) Castro’s Cuba, 1959-62 

This highlights the spread of the Cold War into the Western Hemisphere and analyzes the US response during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=H5UAC5EJ4JI&LIST=PLEHRHJICEFDVHUMYADDXNRYM_SDYMILBI

1: The end of WW2 and Emergence of the Cold War, 1944-50

This chapter sheds light on the parallel and contradictory developments in the immediate post-war era: the desire to create a stable new world order at the same time as the breakdown of the Grand Alliance and emergence of superpower rivalry between the USA and the USSR which led to two competing spheres of influence and formed a new world order of tensions between East and West.

Overview PowerPoint for the period from the end of WWW2 to 1950 is here:

Cold War OIB

Resource Pack including Individual Student Enquiry here:

Emergence of Cold War Resource Packb

Hist Theme 2 Chp1 Activities

Churchill and Iron Curtain article here:

Churchill article Iron curtain speech

Key topics from World War Two for explaining the origins of the Cold War:

  1. i) The occupation and effective division of Europe (particularly Germany) by the two

emerging superpowers,

  1. ii) The Bretton Woods Agreement:

 

iii) Yalta and Potsdam

  1. iv) The opening of the UN
  2. v) The American use of the atomic bomb

 

Key topics for explaining the development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1950:

  1. i) The Iron Curtain speech, 1946
  2. ii) The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and containment policy, 1947

Guiding Questions

Formation of United Nations

Explain why the USA supported the establishment of the UN and why the effectiveness of this organization was limited in the early Cold War period.

Why Did the Allies establish War Crimes Trials?

 

a) Why were the trials of senior Nazis held at Nuremberg?

b) Why were criminal trials considered to be more effective than summary execution?

c) What was the impact of the Nuremberg Trials?

d) What was the justification for not implicating the Japanese royal family in war crimes at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal?

e) Explain the controversy over visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by senior Japanese politicians.

iii) The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948/9

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/international/2014/02/10/cold-war-ep-4-soviet-blockade.cnn

  1. iv) The Creation of NATO, 1949
  2. v) The outbreak of the Korean War, 1950

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-21/Five-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-Korean-War–UKq71vPjMs/index.html

 

Reference Points

 

  • Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift
  • 38th Parallel and outbreak of the Korean War

Further resources:

CNN The Cold War Series episode 1

CNN The Cold War episode 2: The Iron Curtain

2: A New Geopolitical Order – Emergence of the Developing World (1948-1970s)

This chapter shows how geopolitics of the Cold War interfered with the decolonization process and led to the emergence of new actors as the newly independent countries asserted their international role, thereby challenging the bi-polar order.

COLD WAR AND DECOLONIZATION:

 

TWO CATEGORIES OF DECOLONIZATION:

 

 

Chapter 2 Reference Points

  • 1948- the birth of the State of Israel
  • French Indochina War and the start of the Vietnam War
  • 1962- Cuban Missile Crisis

Key Questions

  1. What were the international consequences of the emergence of newly independent countries in the two decades following the end of WWII?
  2. To what extent did newly independent countries challenge the bipolar world (1948 – 1970)?
  3. Analyze the impact of the Bandung Conference of 1955, with the appearance of the decolonizing Afro-Asian bloc.
  4. In what ways was the process of decolonization linked to the Cold War?
  5. Analyze the responses of the USA to each of the following:
  6. the creation of the state of Israel, 1948*
  7. the appearance of Mao’s China,1949*
  8. Castro’s seizure of power in Cuba, 1959*

Student Resource work booklet for all parts of this chapter:

Hist Th2 Chp2 Resource Work Booklet

Part One: Decolonization and the Cold War

USEFUL VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlqIqvcWvF8&list=PLEHRHjICEfDVHumyadDXNRYm_SDYmilbi&index=6

USEFUL DOCUMENTS (FOR EXAM REVISION):

Decolonization of Asia and Africaa

Two categorizes of decolonization

Balfour Declaration

Newly Independent States Depth Study Israel

How did Mao challenge the bipolar order

The Connection between the Cold W

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the significance of the Bandung Conference and the extent of Non-Alignment.
  • Analyze the impact of the Bandung Conference of 1955, with the appearance of the decolonizing Afro-Asian bloc.

PowerPoint about Part One:

Non alignment and Bandung

 

 

Pillar One: The Creation of Israel and the Arab response (Suez Crisis and Nasserism, 1956)

Focus of study:

– Emergence of Zionism & Arab nationalism

– Intervention of foreign powers (superpowers & former colonial powers)

– Arab-Israeli Conflicts/ Wars

 Objective

  • Analyze how the Partition of Palestine came about and its consequences.

PowerPoints for the Partition of Palestine and Suez Crisis:

Partition of Palestine

Suez Crisis 1956

EXAM REVISION PRIMARY DOCUMENTS:

Site with lots of cartoons about the Middle East:

http://mideastcartoonhistory.com/index.html

 

RESOURCES FOR WORK ON CHINA AND CUBA

Pillar Two: Emergence of Mao’s China (1949 – 1972)

Focus of study:

  1. Cold War alliance with the USSR before Sino-Soviet Split, 1950-1962
  2. Securing borders & challenging US in the Cold War (Tibet annexation, 1950, intervention in Korean War & sabre-rattling in Taiwan Straits, 1954
  3. Testing nuclear weapon, 1964
  4.  Support of African anti-colonial independence movements in the 1960s to gain diplomatic allies in  the push for a seat in the United Nations Security Council.

Objective

Evaluate the extent to which Mao’s foreign Policy challenged Cold War bipolarization from 1949 to 1972.

Handout on how Mao challenged the bi-polar order:

How did Mao challenge the bi

 

PowerPoint for Pillar Two:

Mao’s China 1948 to 72

CNN Cold War Episode 15 China 1949-72:

Cold War China Video Exericse

 

Not obligatory this year Pillar Five: Castro’s Cuba (1959 – 1962).

Focus of Study

This pillar highlights the spread of the Cold War into the Western Hemisphere and analyzes the US response during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Objective:

Analyze the consequences of Castro coming to power in Cuba

CNN Cold War Episode 10 Cuba:

Cold War Cuba Qs worksheet

Final Pillar: The causes and development of the Vietnam War, 1954-63

Handout for this pillar:

Vietnam Early Phase

CNN EPISODE ON VIETNAM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s0Z2mwTrXY

This video gives extensive context and is most relevant from 14m onwards:

 

Additional information about Kissinger (his obituary), US Secretary of State, 1969-77 who oversaw the end of US involvement in Vietnam which links to protests movements in History Theme 3:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67574495

NEWLY INDEPENDENT STATES AND THE COLD WAR SUMMARY MIND MAP (China, Vietnam, Cuba, Philippines, India, Egypt, Bandung & Belgrade Conferences, Tied Aid)

Th2 Ch2 Mind Map

HISTORY THEME 3

Chapter 1: International Economic and Geopolitical Challenges 

On an international scale, this chapter deals with the economic and geopolitical challenges within the context of the end of the post-war economic boom beginning in the early 1970s.

These developments coincide with major political and economic transformations: the Iranian Revolution with a focus on the rise of different forms of political Islam and their impact, (including briefly the events of 9/11), the Reagan Revolution, Deng Xiaoping’s socialist market economy, the collapse of the Soviet Union confronted by pro-democracy movements, and developments in the European project with the transition from the EEC to the EU and the origin of the Maastricht Treaty (1992).

The Single European Act of 1986 was a Cold War project for European integration that set the stage for the deeper union envisioned by the architects of the EU at Maastricht for organizing Europe in the aftermath of the cold war.

In addition, topics dealt with here link to other chapters in the program, including China’s emergence as an international power, the Middle East and international politics, and the New Deal and its legacy.

Oil and Political Islam: Regional and Global Challenges 1973-1991

PowerPoint for this part of the chapter:

Oil and Polit Islam

Short video about the Nixon shock to the US economy in 1971 which led to the end of the Bretton Woods System established at the end of WW2:

Revisiting the 1973 oil crisis:

The Impact of the 1979 Iranian Revolution:

Deng and Reagan: New Economic Directions, 1978-88

Ronald Reagan and Deng Xiaoping (plus Europe) are three models for addressing the economic challenges of the era, and particularly the economic decline and the rapid increase in globalization. China’s new economic approach underpins and accelerates China’s globalization ambitions in the 1980s and beyond. A study of Reagan’s efforts to dismantle the New Deal legacy is also an integral part of understanding the rise of conservatism dealt with in chapter two of this theme.

Overview PowerPoint for this part of the chapter:

Reagan and Deng Xiaoping

Link to article about the impact of Reagan on the USA:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1987/01/the-new-shape-of-american-politics/303363/

Short video explanation of Reaganomics:

If you wondering what think tanks are and what they do, watch this and have a think:

 

Link to article about the reforms made to China:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-01/40-years-of-reform-that-transformed-china-into-a-superpower/10573468

 

The Rise of the EU and the Fall of the USSR: A New European Balance of Power, 1970s -1991

The push for further European integration and enlargement and the persistence of cold war dynamics in Europe are parallel and related developments in this period. The transition from the EEC to the EU is also a useful historical reference for Theme 3 in Geography.

Overview PowerPoints about the EU and the end of the Cold War:

EU history Intro

End of Cold War

Video about the key Maastricht Treaty which created the EU and the so-called Three Pillar structure of the EU:

The end of the USSR – From the archives: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns, USSR falls in 1991 (CBS News):

 

 

The end of the USSR: President George H. Bush’s response to the resignation of Gorbachev on 25th December 1991:

 

President Reagan’s speech on the Evil Empire:

President Reagan’s speech about tearing down the Berlin Wall:

 

 

History Theme 3 Chapter 2: Domestic Challenges within the USA and France from the 1950s to 2001

This chapter explores the political, social and cultural transformations in France and the United States during a period characterized by significant reforms and new political debate and divisions over social issues. The focus is on social history – African American civil rights, the rise of feminism and the changing role and status of women, Gay Rights, and the continuing struggle for a more equal society. These social issues emerge in the context of the rise of conservatism and its backlash to the counterculture society in the United States starting in the 1960s through to the 1990s. An additional perspective is the impact of the war in Vietnam, which is essential to understanding divisions and change in American society.

THE USA

USA AND FRANCE PILLAR ONE ACTIVITIES

Vietnam War impact on American society and politics.

The intersection of the anti-war protest movement, the emergence of a youth counterculture and evolution of the Black Civil Rights movement.

PowerPoint about the Media and Vietnam:

How_did_the_coverage_of_the_Vietnam_War_in_the_USA_lead_to_demands_for_peace

An older but still useful information sheet on why the USA got involved with Vietnam:

Why did the USA get involved worksheet

Civil Rights Movement(s).

Goals, methods, successes and resistance, violence, with emphasis on Black Civil Rights.

Overview PowerPoint for this topic:

Black Civil Rights Overviewa

Link to article about Emmett Till, 1955:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/emmett-accuser-carolyn-bryant-donham-dies-88-rcna81809

 

Rise and evolution of conservatism.

The backlash to the promotion of a liberal social agenda (Johnson’s Great Society) in conjunction with civil rights legislation and radical protests of the 1960s and early 1970s (Could include Goldwater’s campaign, John Birch Society, Nixon’s Southern strategy, politicization of the religious right, organized anti-abortion, anti-ERA efforts).

PowerPoint about the election of JFK his ideas about the NEW FRONTIER and then LBJ and the GREAT SOCIETY initiative:

New FrontierGreat Society

 

Overview PowerPoint about the rise of Conservatism in the late 1960s:

Rise of Conservatism Goldwater and Nixon

Short Video explanation of the rise of the Conservative Movement in the US politics in the 1960s and 1970, culminating in Reagan’s victory in the 1980 Presidential election:

 

 THE USA AND FRANCE

For these topics please go to the HISTORY THEME 3 CHAPTER 2 google drive folder:

1968 counterculture

Feminism and women’s rights

LGBTQ Rights

Pillar Two Activities

Revision Spider diagram Activity on Social Protest Movements in the USA from the 1950s onwards

Protest Movements in USA

 

 

Useful Links

Please scroll to base of page for CDM Material

Geography

CIA World Facebook:

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/

Human Development Index (United Nations):

https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks

Population Pyramids of the world:

https://www.populationpyramid.net/world/2023/

World Statistics:

https://www.worldometers.info/

World Political Maps (clickable):

https://geology.com/world/world-map.shtml

Visual Capitalist (maps and charts about Geography, Economics and Current Affairs):

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/

 

History

American History:

https://www.historyonthenet.com/category/american-history

Cold War History:

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cold-war-history#the-cold-war-and-the-red-scare

 

B.F.I. American Section History-Geography Essay Methodology

B.F.I. American Section History and Geography essays must follow a three part structure:

INTRODUCTION (with arguable thesis statement)

DEVELOPMENT (of the argument using your knowledge)

CONCLUSION

Be aware and never forget that HG essays are not “étude de document style” exercises. It is vital to have an analytical thesis statement which drives your essay. In addition, American Section essay paragraphs are shorter compared to what is expected in French HG essays.

How much are you expected to write in the exams?

Word count minimum objectives:

DBQ essays = 750 words + (four pages or more)

Regular essays = 1000 words + (upwards of six pages)

 

Introduction 

 

  • Establish context (time, place, key terms and actors), and show understanding of instructions such as ‘To what extent’, ‘Analyse’, ‘Explain’, ‘Evaluate’ etc.
  • For Data Based Questions, it is not required to mention the documents in the introduction.
  • End with a clear and arguable thesis statement: aim for one sentence which answers the questions and directs your argument through an analytical angle.

 

Development/Body 

 

  • This is where the line of analysis / argument identified in the thesis statement is developed making use of supporting evidence.
  • It is divided into short paragraphs.
  • The TEEC method can help you if you’re struggling:
    Topic Sentence = what the paragraph will prove. Use analytical expressions such as because, as a result of,  or due to. (one sentence).Explanation Sentences = Explain the point made by the topic sentence, using specific key terms  and dates. (Around three sentences). Evidence Sentences = Prove your argument with evidence: using direct or indirect quotes and/ or specific examples of phenomena. **Always use key terms and dates!** Clincher = Summarize/restate your point. This is a good place to transition to the next  paragraph’s idea. (One sentence).

Conclusion 

 

  • The Conclusion of the essay summarizes the evidence and restates your argument. You can do  that by reformulating your topic sentences. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion.  Do not open up to a new issue. Always stay relevant to your argument. It should have a “drop  the mic” ending.

 

 

History-Geography DBQs

Some important points to bear in mind about Data Based Questions:

  • A DBQ demands as essay response not a commentary. A DBQ is an essay that answers a question using documents to support the answer to the question, along with other evidence. This answer must also include an analysis of the values and  limitations of the document.
  • Thing to remember about the DBQ essays: The documents are there in service to the answer and the values and limitations of  these documents must be discussed in the essay. Basic responses will use phrases like ‘the source is useful because..’ or ‘however there are limitations because…’ whereas stronger responses will integrate this analysis throughout the essay.
  • Geography DBQ responses can point out which voices are not named or heard in a document and should use the issue of scale on maps as a limitation, provided this is explained.

Contextualizing  

It is not necessary to mention the documents in the introduction (although it is possible). The first time you use a document, contextualize it by giving the type of document, the year, and the main  idea.

Explain the context briefly. Address in your essay how the documents connect both to their context and the period in which they were produced.

Supporting  

Use the documents throughout your essay to support your points as much as you can! However, there is no need to quote extensively from them. You do not have to use the documents in every paragraph. Careful! Don’t use the very French “we can see”.

As we can see in Document One, … → As shown in Document One…

We can observe in Document Two that… → Document Two depicts …

The Federalists argued for an energetic executive (Document 2).

Analyzing  

When you use the documents for support, link your observations to outside knowledge, and analyze their values and limitations.

The values are what can be observed in the document that add to understanding.

Always link what you see in the document to your evidence. Use the document to prove your argument.

The limitations are what is absent from the source and the bias inherent within it. Absence of information in a source can be very telling and help you to advance your argument and analyze a situation. Bias must also be identified but you must explain how it is a limitation. Link your limitations to outside knowledge and evidence as well. Use them as a springboard to other points that connect to your thesis.

 Compare and contrast the documents in a way which is relevant to your argument. Is there a theme evident in both docs? Do the documents show conflicting points of view? Are they complementary? Bring it up! What does it show or help to understand about the period?

If you aren’t 100% sure about your assertion and don’t want to seem overconfident, then use a modal construction such as “could be” or “may be”.

What is meant by bias in a document?

Bias is when the creator’s perspective is so strongly for or against something that the information in the source is unbalanced or prejudiced. All sources contain some degree of bias, but it is not always possible to detect it.

Bias can either be extremely positive or extremely negative.

  • If extremely positive, it is described as “pro-”, or “in favour of”, etc.
  • If extremely negative, it is described as “anti-”, or “strongly against”, etc.
  • If you cannot detect a bias, it is described as a “balanced” source.

 

Look for times in a source where any of the following happen:

  • When describing people or events, the language is too positive and does not admit anything negative
  • When describing people or events, the language is too negative and does not admit anything positive
  • The source fails to mention very important information of which you are aware
  • The source provides clearly incorrect information

If you noticed any of the above in your source, it indicates that the creator has a specific bias about the person or event and wants communicate in a way that positions the audience to see things from the same perspective.

 

T° International: History and Geography Syllabus

The Connaissance du Monde oral exam is scheduled for the week of MAY 18th 2026 whilst the 4hr HG written exam will take place on Friday 5th June followed by the 20min oral exam during the week commencing June 8th.

More details will follow.

This is the History book for obligatory background reading assignments in each chapter:

This is the corresponding Geography book for each chapter:

 

T°BFI Syllabus

History

 

Theme 1: Challenges to Democracy, Rise of Totalitarianism and World War II: 1929-1945

Chp1: Causes and impacts of the 1929 Crisis + Great Depression

Chp2: Totalitarian Regimes (Nazi Germany and Stalin’s USSR)

Chp3: World War Two (Survey of the war, Violence, French Experience)

 

Theme 2: The Post War Bi-Polar World and Challenges

Chp1: End of WW2 and Emergence of the Cold War

Chp2: A New Geopolitical Order and Emergence of the Developing World

a) Creation of Israel and the Arab Response *

b) Emergence of Mao’s China *

c) Vietnam War, 1955-63

d) French Republic and Nationalist Movements in Africa, 1954-62

e) Castro’s Cuba, 1959-62 *

 

Theme 3: Economic, Political and Social Changes: 1950s-91

Chp1: International Economic and Political Changes

a) Oil and Political Islam

b) Deng and Reagan

c) The Rise of the EU and Fall of the USSR

Chp2: Domestic Challenges within the USA and France from the 1950s to 2001

Pillar One: The USA

Impact of Vietnam War

Civil Rights Movement

Rise and Evolution of Conservatism

Pillar Two: Protest and Government Responses in the USA and France

1968 and Counterculture

Feminism and Women’s Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

 

Geography

 

 Theme 1: Seas and Oceans at the Core of Globalization

-Importance of Maritime Space in globalization

-Unequal integration of territories into globalization

-Tensions between States over the control and use of maritime space (e.g. South China Sea)

Question spécifique: France and the USA – a comparison of maritime powers

 

Theme 2: Territorial Dynamics, Cooperation and Tensions in Globalization

-Unequal integration of territories into globalization

-The place of the USA in Globalization

-Examples of Globalization at different scales:

Local, Regional, Global

 Question spécifique: France – differentiated international influence and unequal attractiveness in globalization

 

Theme 3: Complex Dynamics: The European Union and Globalization

– The European Union and Globalization

Question Spécifique The differential dynamics of cross- border territories of the United States and of France in the EU. 

T°BFI Intro

HIST AND GEOG TERMS sept

 

1° Euro HG

China

Video on China’s Geography Problem (10m):

 

China and several of its neighbours have been involved in a decades-long dispute over who controls the South China Sea. China claims most of the sea as its territory, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan say parts of the sea belong to them. Tensions have risen over the years and resulted in several confrontations as well as US involvement. The South China Morning Post looks at the origins of the dispute, what these countries are fighting over and what they’re doing to assert their territorial claims.

Link to site and video:

https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/2158598/south-china-sea-dispute-explained

CNN report on this disputed area:

 

The Digital Divide 

Article with useful maps (including the male/female digital divide):

https://dt-global.com/company/blog/march-4th-2021/visualizing-digital-divide

 

Problems and Solutions to the Digital Divide in the USA:

 

Using Undersea Cables to close the digital divide in Africa:

 

Production Spaces 

Explanation of globalization and how it affects economy, politics and culture (8m):

Globalisation involves widening and deepening global connections, interdependence and flows (commodities, capital, information, migrants and tourists).

This means increases in flows of:

  • goods and services (including commodities)
    • products and commodities, that can be bought, and are often made or grown in other countries
  • capital
    • flows of money between people, banks, businesses and governments
  • people (including migrants and tourists)
  • information​
    • e.g. data transferred between businesses and people, often using the internet

Flows of globalization