Higher Modern

Studies

Course Handbook

Welcome to higher Modern Studies. This is an exciting course where you will further
develop your knowledge of political, social and economic issues in the UK and, explore
China as a world power. You will develop your ability to write about, discuss and
analyse in relation to these topics and, understand different sources of information.
You will also improve literacy and numeracy skills essential to your future beyond
school. Finally, being interested in current events and the news is a must so be
prepared to have regular discussions about whats going on in the world!

What topics will I study?

You will study three units over the course of the year: social issues in the UK;
democracy in Scotland and the UK and, China as a world power.
In the social issues unit you will study what we mean by social and economic
inequality, evidence of inequality, responses to tackle inequality by different groups
and how effective these responses have been.
In the democracy in Scotland and the UK unit you will study the make-up of the
UK political system, the relationship between different parts of parliament and how
our country is run, voting systems and voting behaviour and, the impact of outside
influence on our representatives.
In the China unit you will study Chinas political system and how democratic China is,
social and economic issues and responses to tackle inequality and, Chinas place in
the international community.
There are detailed content lists at the back for each topic. Use the
check-list columns to help you revise for unit assessments,
prelims and exams.

How will I be assessed?

You will have unit assessments to pass for all three units studied. These
assessments have no time restrictions and they are also open-book. These are marked
simply pass or fail. A pass in each unit is a mandatory part of the course however, you
can be re-assessed. Different skills and knowledge will be tested in each of the three
units; the democracy unit will assess knowledge, analysis and your ability to assess
bias in sources, the social issues unit will assess knowledge, analysis and your ability
to use evidence to back up a decision and, the China unit will assess knowledge,
analysis and your ability to support conclusions.
We will also carry out an interim assessment under timed conditions in class. This
will be made up of a combination of essay and source based questions. This will be in
preparation for the interim report in November and will also give us a very good
indication of how well you are coping with the course.
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You will also have to choose, research and write-up an assignment based on what
we have studied. This will be an individual piece of work. You will be given support and
some time in class to work on this however, an element of homework will be also
required. You will be allowed to take two A4 sides of research notes into the write-up;
it will be carried out over 1 hour 30 minutes under exam conditions and sent away to
the SQA before the final exam. The assignment is worth 30 marks.
Your final exam will last two hours and fifteen minutes and, you will sit only one
paper. The paper will be made up of three sections; one for each unit you have
studied. It is worth a total of 60 marks; 20 marks per section. Two of the sections will
be made up of a 12 mark knowledge response and an 8 mark source question. One
section will involve writing a 20 mark essay in response to a given question. You will
not know in advance which section the 20 mark essay will appear in.

What will be expected of me?

Higher Modern Studies is a great course that offers opportunities to develop your
knowledge, research, essay writing, discussion and analytical skills. It is hard work but
very rewarding.
We will expect regular homework handed in on time and done to a high standard.
The normal discipline will be applied for not complying and if this happens on more
than three occasions we will inform guidance and contact home. However, if you need
extra support then there will be a weekly lunchtime study club that you can come
along to.
We will also expect you to catch up on missed work as this is your responsibility.
You will have your textbooks and resources saved on the pupil shared drive to help
you do this. There will also be a weekly study club that you can come along to.
We will expect you to come prepared to class and to keep your own work
organised. We will issue a lot of important information and resources over the course
of the year and it is vital that you keep track of everything. However, you may print
off extra copies from the pupil shared drive if things get lost.
We will expect you to keep up-to-date with current events and the news relating
to the topics we study. You will be asked to complete mandatory weekly homework
regarding this and you will be expected to work on your general knowledge of what
we study. We can provide you with access to the internet or radio if you need extra
support with this.
It can be a stressful course at times and we are happy to provide extra help with
essays or assessments. However, you must also be prepared to take the initiative and
approach us if you need that extra support and, our weekly study club is the perfect
way to get extra tuition. You have chosen this course and it is up to you to work hard
and take responsibility.
Finally, if you are issued textbooks to use over this year, they are your responsibility
and we will send a bill to replace them should they get lost or damaged.
Get yourself organised with poly pockets and a good folder as you will
be given a lot of materials. We also save most things on the pupil
shared drive so you can print things off for yourself.

What will my classwork involve?

In class you can expect to take part in different types of activities:
group and paired tasks; plenty of discussion; presentations; using ICT; individual
tasks; peer assessment; research tasks; timed work and, assessment preparation.
Knowledge and Understanding is an important part of the course. In Modern
Studies you will learn how to write short 12 mark response knowledge answers and
also 20 mark essays. Each is structured in a slightly different way and it is very
important that you learn the difference. To help you do this we will attach grids like
the ones below. These grids outline the essential elements of the different types of
response and you should use them to help you improve.
Have I ?
/12
Short Introduction

Knowledge and
Understanding

1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.

How can I improve my work?

Set the scene

Used the wording of the question
Made brief reference to key points
Outlined a judgement
A range of relevant points addressed
Detailed and accurate description given on each point

/4
/4
Analysis and
Evaluation

/4
Conclusion

3. Up-to-date examples used

4. Explanation of each point focused on the question
1. Key phrases of analysis used
2. Made links within or between points
3. Referred to the question in each point
4. A judgement made backed up by discussion/ examples

1.
2.
3.

A judgement made
A summary of the points that back up the judgement
Directly answers the question

Have I ?
/20
Introduction

Knowledge and
Understanding

1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.

How can I improve my work?

Set the scene

Used the wording of the question
Made reference to key points
Outlined a line of argument
A range of relevant points addressed
Detailed and accurate description given on each point

/4
/4

3. Up-to-date examples used

4. Explanation of each point focused on the question

Analysis

1.
2.
3.
4.

/6
Structure

/2
Conclusion
/4

1.
2.
3.
4.

Key phrases of analysis used in each paragraph

Made links within or between points
Referred to the question in each paragraph
Up-to-dates examples used

Presented as an argument and not as a story

A judgement has been applied to each point
There is an overall line of argument focused on the
question
The overall argument is supported by examples
1.
2.
3.

Detail of each point is used to discuss the question

Conclusion is balanced
Answers the question

Source Questions involve reading, understanding and using evidence and, then
using that evidence to support decisions, conclusions or assess bias. It is important
that you practice using different types of source evidence and that you understand
what is expected for each of the three types of source question.
Assessing objectivity and bias (8 marks)

Use the sources to make judgements on the accuracy of parts of a given

statement (6 marks, up to 3 marks per paragraph)
Make an overall judgement of the extent of the accuracy of the whole statement
(2 marks)
Use all of the sources provided
Make links between or within sources

Making conclusions (8 marks)

Make conclusions about the prompts provided in the question using the sources
(up to 3 marks per paragraph)
For full marks you must also make an overall conclusion about the issue in the
question (8 marks)
Use all of the sources provided
Make links between and within sources

Supporting a decision (8 marks)

Support a decision between two options using the sources (up to 3 marks per
paragraph)
For full marks you must also support the decision of why you did not choose the
other option (8 marks)
Use all of the sources provided
Make links between and within sources

Top Tips

Linking sources together gets more marks

Always link to the question at the end of EACH paragraph
Use ALL of the sources given
Learn how to do each type of question

Look over feedback on previous work before writing a word. This

will help you to improve specific things rather than making the
same mistakes over and over again!
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Unit Content: Social Inequality in the UK

Topic

Detailed Content

Revise
d

The nature of social Inequality in relation to socio-economic status,

inequality in the UK

geographical location, gender, ethnicity etc.

Evidence of inequality
Theories and causes Social explanations and theories
Individualist explanations and theories
of inequality
The impact of social Income
Employment
inequality on
Education
specific groups in
Housing
society
Health
Social mobility
Attempts to tackle Legislation
inequality and their Benefits system
Provision of services like housing
effectiveness
Programmes directed to specific groups
Individualist approaches
Evaluation of the success of responses to inequality

Unit Content: World Power China

Topic

Detailed Content

Revise
d

Political system and

process

Socio-economic
issues

The political system: constitutional arrangements;

institutions, political processes
Political rights and responsibilities
Opportunities for participation and influence
Evaluation of the political system and the democratic

nature of China
Education
Rural-urban divide
Health
Income
Crime
Changing economy
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Responses to socioeconomic issues

The role of the
world power in
international
relations

Human rights
Government responses to these issues
Effectiveness of responses
Involvement in international organisations (UN, G20, AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation etc.)
Relations with other countries
Evaluation of international influence and power

Unit Content: Democracy in Scotland and the UK

Topic

Detailed Content

Revise
d

The UK constitutional
arrangement in the UK
including devolution
and the EU.

The study of
representative
democracy in the UK

The UK constitutional arrangement

The role and powers of central government
The role and powers of devolved bodies
The impact of EU membership on decision-making
Debates and issues over changes to the powers of the

Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament

The role of political representatives
Pressures on representatives
Role of the legislature
Role of the executive (Prime Minister, Cabinet, civil

service)
Relationship and balance of power between legislature
The impact of voting

systems and a range of

factors that influence

voting behaviour

The ways in which

citizens are informed

about, participate in
and influence the
political process in the
UK

and executive
Description of voting systems (FPTP, PR, AMS, STV)
Evaluation of voting systems
Impact of voting systems on election results
Outcome of elections
Factors affecting voting behaviour
Ways in which citizens are informed about and
participate in the political system
The role of pressure groups in the political system
The role of the media in the political system
Evaluation of the influence of pressure groups
Evaluation of the influence of the media

Higher Modern Studies: 12 Mark Response

Here is a guide to planning and structuring 12 mark responses. You will have
around 25 minutes to complete a 12 mark response in the exam. There are 8
marks available for KU and 4 marks for evaluation/analysis. You will be credited
highly for more evaluation/ analysis.
Read the question or prompt carefully.
Start with a short introductory sentence.
Plan two-four points for your answer. You must provide
balance with both sides of the argument.
Always include examples to back up what you say.
You must go beyond each example to analyse your point
and explain how it links to the question. You get more
marks for doing this!
Make a judgement and stick to it i.e. answer the question!
Repeat your judgement and back it up in EACH paragraph as well as at the
end.
End with a short concluding sentence summing up your points and
judgement.
Each paragraph should be carefully structured to successfully make your point and ensure
the best marks. Try using the guide below to structure each of your paragraphs.

PEEL
Point
Example

the Paragraph

Give your POINT using the wording of the question adding explanation to
make it clear.
Give your EXAMPLE. Make sure that it actually supports your point. Make
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Evaluat
e
Link

it accurate and well explained. You may have more than one example.
EVALUATE and ANALYSE your example(s). You must show how your
example(s) illustrates your point. They dont speak for themselves!
LINK your point to the question using the wording of the question. Make it
clear and leave the reader in no doubt as to your point and its relevance.

Question Stems

Analyse You simply have to discuss at least 2 different factors

relating to the topic of the question.
Evaluate You have to discuss at least 2 different factors AND
make Higher
a judgement.
Modern Studies: 20 Mark Response
Here is a guide to planning and structuring 20 mark responses. You will have
around 45 minutes to complete a 20 mark response in the exam. There are 8
marks available for KU, 6 marks for evaluation/analysis, 2 marks for structure
and 4 marks for your conclusion. You will be credited highly for more
evaluation/ analysis and making judgements.
Read the question or prompt carefully.
Start with an introduction. This should set the
scene, cover your points in the same order as
the essay and set out a line of argument.
Plan four good points for your answer. You must
provide balance with both sides of the argument.
Always include examples and plenty of detail to back up
what you say.
You must then go beyond each example to analyse your point fully and
explain how it answers the question. You get more marks for doing this!
Make a judgement and stick to it i.e. answer the question!
Repeat your judgement and back it up in EACH paragraph as well as at the
end.
End with a conclusion giving your points in the same order, making a
clear judgement and summing up your evidence to back it up.

Each paragraph should be carefully structured to successfully make your point

and ensure the best marks. Try using the guide below to structure each of
your paragraphs.

PEEL
Point
Example
Evaluat
e
Link

the Paragraph

Give your POINT using the wording of the question adding explanation to
make it clear.
Give your EXAMPLE. Make sure that it actually supports your point. Make

it accurate and well explained. You may have more than one example.
EVALUATE and ANALYSE your example(s). You must show how your
example(s) illustrates your point. They dont speak for themselves!
LINK your point to the question using the wording of the question. Make it
clear and leave the reader in no doubt as to your point and its relevance.

Top Tips for Essay Writing!!

Some basic golden rules to follow:
Do not use the first person (e.g. I think )
Your introduction should set the scene, give the points
of your essay briefly and in the same order, and give the reader your
argument.
Once you have chosen an overall argument dont change your
mind!
If you are running out of time, ALWAYS write a conclusion.
Give your essay balance by using a range of points on different
sides of the issue
Analyse dont just write a list of points. Explain them and analyse
how important they are in relation to each other.
Use analytical phrases like This clearly shows The evidence
shows that The impact of this is It is clear that
Link between paragraphs using phrases like Another important
point
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 Link to the question by using the wording of the question in each

paragraph.
Do not introduce new information into your conclusion.
Dont get bogged down with too much information or statistics
analysis and evaluation are the keys to good grades!
Write a good plan before you write a single sentence.

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