Social Subjects

Welcome to the Social Subjects Department

Our aim within the Faculty is to create a fun, motivating and stimulating learning environment where learners gain skills and knowledge that will assist them in their studies whilst also providing them with invaluable life skills. We are very passionate about our subjects and strive to make the learning relevant to what is happening in the world today, to the lives of pupils and their experiences.

Geography

In Geography we are committed to delivering a wide range of topics that are relevant to the lives of our students. Geography helps young people to understand the ever changing world around them.

We study Human, Physical, and Environmental Global Issues in Geography and how these aspects interact with each other. We encourage pupils to consider the importance of sustainability and Global Citizenship when learning about their world

History

Studying History provides us with an insight into our own lives and of the society and the wider world in which we live. Through an understanding of the concept of continuity, you can better appreciate change and its significance, both in your own times and in the past. It is also intended to enable you to develop skills in explaining historical developments and events, evaluating sources and drawing conclusions.

Modern Studies

Studying Modern Studies helps pupils to understand important issues in the world today which may affect them. It helps them to be able to gather information about these issues, evaluate the information  and, most importantly, it helps them to make up their own mind and come to drawn conclusions about these issues.

Faculty StafF

Mr P McShane

Ms L Wildman

Mr D Wark

Ms C Harrigan

Mr T Strain

Ms M Doherty

Mr J McLaughlin

Ms H Burns

Geography Learning Journey

S1 Curriculum

In the first year of Geography we study two six week courses which investigate environments across the globe

  • Our first unit of work covers a variety of Natural Environments and the interrelationship between climate, physical features and living things. For example, Rainforests, Tribes and the influence of Latitude on climate zones.
  • The second unit of work studies six weeks of Urban Environments. This includes places and spaces which are produced by human activity and the various problems, solutions and innovations which come with managing them. For example, managing housing problems in shanty towns in Rio De Janeiro and city planning to ease traffic in megacities like Tokyo and London.

S2 Curriculum

In the second year of Geography we study two six week courses which look at two global issues

  • Our first unit of work looks to investigate Earth Forces. This includes Earthquakes, Volcanoes and plate tectonics. Within this topic we learn how to evaluate strategies to manage the risk of these hazards as well as the reasons why certain areas are more affected than others.
  • The second unit of work looks at the geography of diseases and health. This unit investigates the transmission, impacts and management strategies of global diseases and how they vary between climates and development.

S3 Curriculum

In third year we learn about a variety of topics and seek to build a foundation of knowledge and understanding which supports the learners’ transition into their National courses in S4 and the Senior phase.

  • Firstly we look at Climate Change. This takes into account the physical and human causes of climate change, the impacts of the climate change (e.g. sea level rising) and the management strategies at local, national and international levels.
  • Secondly we learn about physical geography. Specifically the Weather affecting the UK and Glaciated Environments. These units build map skills, synoptic charts and the geological processes which have shaped the UK landscape.
  • Finally, we look at human geography. This covers both the Urban environments of Glasgow and Mumbai. This introduces Ordnance Survey maps and the use of ICT to investigate the changes of cities in both the developed and developing world.

Senior Phase

N3/N4/N5/Higher

Senior Phase encapsulates S4-S6 and is the time when students will focus on gaining a multitude of different qualifications across the curriculum…

Course Structure:

Curriculum

Broad General Education

Broad General Education, or BGE, refers to the period of time between S1 and S3. BGE corresponds with government guidelines…

Senior Phase

N3/N4/N5/Higher

Higher History

Pupils wanting to studying Higher history must have a pass at National 5 or a relevant pass at Modern Studies or English.

Pupils will have to write 2 essays in there exam as well as 4 source based questions. Additionally the pupils will need to write an extended essay worth approximately 1/3 of their final grade.

The topics covered are as follows:

Topic 1: Britain 1851-1951

Topic 2: The Cold War 1945-1989

Topic 3: Scotland and the Impact of the Great War 1914-1928

Curriculum

Broad General Education

Broad General Education, or BGE, refers to the period of time between S1 and S3. BGE corresponds with government guidelines…

Senior Phase

N3/N4/N5/Higher

Senior Phase encapsulates S4-S6 and is the time when students will focus on gaining a multitude of different qualifications across the curriculum…

Course Structure: