Learning objectives
The main aim of history lessons at the Studienkolleg is not to convey historical facts and events in chronological order. Instead, students will learn:
- to expand their general language skills and develop competence in the specialist language,
- to apply the methods of academic work,
- to understand historical events and situations from an academic perspective,
- to understand contemporary situations from the point of view of their historical genesis and to judge them in a well-founded way,
- to recognise interdependencies between political, socio-economic and cultural processes,
- to consider historic judgements from multiple perspectives.
Design and structure of the lessons
The focus in the first half of the year is on methods and fundamental questions in the subject. Students will consider the concept of history and working with history, periodisation criteria, dimensions and sub-disciplines in history and similar foundations. Dealing with historical sources is practised using examples from selected topics; a particular focus is on working with source texts using the requirement areas of definition, narration, transfer and evaluation.
In the second half of the year, the ability to undertake academic work in history is consolidated using selected topics. The content here focuses on topics which are important for understanding today's world problems or those which reflect meetings and conflicts between various cultures, systems and world religions (e.g. imperialism, National Socialism).