National 5 Modern Studies Torry Academy

National 5 Modern Studies Pupils will have 4 periods (two doubles) each week Pupils will study 3 different topics Pupils will learn to answer knowledge and understanding (KU) questions and skills questions Pupils will complete their own assignment

Course Details Pupils will study 3 different topics Political Issue International Issue Social Issue Democracy in Scotland The USA Crime and the Law June - July (5 weeks) + August - September September - December January - March

In order to pass National 5 Modern Studies pupils must complete the three areas of assessment: Unit Outcomes Assignment The Exam

How pupils will be assessed- Unit Outcomes Pupils need to pass ‘unit outcomes’ Each topic has 2 outcomes that pupils must pass Pupils will need to produce evidence that they have achieved the outcome Examples: written questions, homework, a script from a presentation.

How pupils will be assessed – The Assignment Worth 25% of a pupil’s final grade (out of 20 marks) Pupils will choose their own topic, research it and write it in exam conditions in one hour. Pupils will need to put a lot of effort into this in order to get a good grade

How pupils will be assessed – Exam Worth 75% of the final grade The exam paper is out of 60 (20 marks per unit) Each section will have 2 knowledge questions (4, 6 or 8 marks) and a skills question (8 or 10 marks) Exam will last 1 hour 45 minutes

The course is graded A-D and this is determined by a pupil’s total mark for all the Course Assessments (Exam and Assignment)

Democracy in Scotland Representation – How people are represented in Scotland. Participation – Who participates in politics in Scotland? Election Campaign – The process of a campaign and how people vote. Influence – Pressure Groups: How do they influence decision makers?

The USA Introduction to the USA: USA today. USA Issues: American Dream, Immigration. Political Issues: System of Government, President, Political Participation, Voting. Social and Economic Issues: Education, Housing, Health, Crime, Family Structures and Poverty. Government Responses: What is the government doing to help?

Crime and the Law Introduction: What is crime/who decides what makes someone a criminal. Different types of crime. What are the causes/impact of crime? Efforts to tackle crime (role of the police) Laws regarding alcohol, drugs and road traffic offences The criminal justice system in Scotland (High Court, Sheriff Court, District Court) Scottish juvenile system: Children’s Hearings.