Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel
Level: GCSE
Subject: History
First teaching: September 2016
First exams: June 2018
Endorsed for Edexcel
Enable students to achieve their full potential while ensuring pace, enjoyment and motivation with this popular series from the leading History publisher for secondary schools.
> Blends in-depth coverage of topics with activities and strategies to help students to acquire, retain and revise core subject knowledge
> Uses an exciting mix of clear narrative, visual stimulus materials and a rich collection of contemporary sources to capture students' interest
> Helps students to maximise their grade potential and develop their exam skills through structured guidance on answering every question type successfully
> Builds on our experience publishing popular GCSE History resources, providing you with accurate, authoritative content written by experienced teachers who understand the content and assessment requirements
Medicine through time c.1250-present covers both the thematic study 'Medicine in Britain, c.1250-present' and the study of the historic environment 'The British sector of the Western Front, 1914-18: injuries, treatment and the trenches.'
Teaching a new specification is daunting, especially when it is new and lacks supporting resources. Textbooks make a world of difference; good ones can act as the basis for an effective Scheme of Work while bad ones confuse teachers and students alike.
I read the Hodder Education textbooks for the new 9-1 Edexcel GCSE History course with growing relief. Both the Medicine Thorough Time and Weimar and Nazi Germany books are rigorous, thorough and engaging. A great deal of care and thought has clearly gone into finding and selecting interesting primary sources and I am certain these will support a sense of period and kindle real enthusiasm in students.
In the Medicine textbook, Ian Dawson's focus on his own grandfather's role in WW1 is particularly inspiring. Students sometimes struggle in history because they are unable to see the connection between events in the past and their own lives; such a personalised case study offers students a very direct link between the modern world and the subjects they study in lessons.
Both textbooks make 'getting better at history' an explicit focus. Including this material is a well-judged decision as it allows students to take ownership over their own learning and empowers them to learn independently. These parts of the books will be of particular use to departments lacking experienced staff as they break down exactly what the new examinations will be testing.
These books have made preparations for the new GCSE far less stressful. They have increased my confidence in planning and have made the extensive revisions to curriculum feel much more manageable. We will be using these textbooks in our department and have no qualms in recommending them to other schools.
