History Special Topic

curtains · 17-08-2005 10:00pm #1

First off, congrats to the Leaving Certs and no I don't expect any replies to this thread tonight!

Going into 5th year and I have to do a special topic for History. I want to do something a bit different that's not your normal Himmler/Michael Collins/Battle (insert here).... but that's still quite interesting, perferably a perosnality. That said I'd like it to be smeone that a perspective examier will have heard of.

I ahve no problem writing or researching it but I just can't think of anything that jumps out at me, any suggestions anyone?

Thanks.

the tipster · 18-08-2005 3:59pm

D-day

newgrange · 18-08-2005 4:26pm

Why would it have to be someone the examiner has heard of?

How about some solid research, spending time in archives and museums, not just with books?

How about something like a selection of soldiers from your area who died in the First World War**?

Social and political reasons why Irish soldiers fought in the first war, their regiments, the battles they died in, where (if anywhere) they are commemorated, Ireland's attitude towards the Irish dead of the First War...etc.

I haven't been involved in LC history for a couple of years, and not so far with the new syllabus, but would that sort of thing be appropriate?

**edit** or similar in WWII

segadreamcast · 18-08-2005 4:32pm

I did Oscar Wilde's final years (bought loads of books on the topic and met Wilde's grandson) and my teacher loved it...

...Having said that, I just got a C2 so...

rosa · 18-08-2005 5:04pm

I based my special topic on the subject of Irish soldiers in WWI like newgrange suggested. Once I started researching it I realised that it's such a broad topic that the best thing to do was narrow it down as much as possible. Ended up writing about the execution of Irish soldiers by the British army during the war. I think that's the best way to go about it, start out with a general topic, read up on it then follow up on something that's only mentioned briefly but that interests you. Worked for me anyway!

curtains · 18-08-2005 7:05pm

Do you know I actually thoguht about the local soldiers thing, but to my great surprise when I looked it up there were very few, if any, from my area who left.
Actually I'd be interested in doing something regarding the war of independance/civil war or the early free state period. As I said preferably I'd like a particular person. Perhaps one of the leaders of the 1916 rising, do any strike anyone as particularly interesting or ecentric apart from the obvious Dev/Countess Markevich etc. (who we're not actually allowed to use). Revolutionary or Stalinist Russian also interests me but I know few personalities who come under those topics.

Gileadi · 18-08-2005 7:12pm

personally i did de valeras role in the 1916 rising and from reading some of the books out there i think you might struggle to get a good 3-4 pages on some of the lesser known leaders

even people like eoin mac neill,bulmer hobson,clark etc wouldnt have nearly the back catalogue of reference material as de valera,connolly,pearse

Dagnir Glaurung · 18-08-2005 7:57pm

Do Rasputin. Everyone loves Rasputin.

Vainglory · 18-08-2005 8:17pm

Do it on the obstruction Parnell and Co. did in the Westminster parliament. They held up business for whole days at a time.

I wanted to do that, but then I was too lazy and just stole someone else's.

Dinxminx · 19-08-2005 1:23pm

I did Erwin Rommel -- you know, the desert fox? -- and it was really interesting. Having said that I love reading about crazy military strategies and this dude was awesome. He crept up on a village with only six other men at night and fired at it from all different directions, and at dawn he went up into the village and told the garrison there (about 1000 soldiers) that they were surrounded. They all surrendered. How cool is that? Also how he died is really sad, and he was a great guy-- he just happened to fight for the germans, but he wasn't a nazi. I'd really recommend him!

Macka · 19-08-2005 4:36pm

I did the battle of Kursk, largest tank battle ever, which was the last roll of the dice for the Nazis in Russia, if they'd won there was a good chance the war in the east could've been saved. Of course they lost but it was an interesting topic.
Another one I'd considered doing (and wish I had) was on the liberation of Caen (one of the unreached objectives of D-day). It was liberated by some division from Ireland, that's why I thought it might have been a good idea.

d4gurl · 21-08-2005 11:58pm

omg im going to sixth year i have spent the whole summer dossin and u a fourth year goin into fifth year jus reminded me that i have a special topic to do ahh crap!!! oh and here some new information:

The New History Course for Leaving Certificate.

What students need to know.

OLD and NEW

This new Course was introduced this September 2004 for the first time.

In the old exam, students had to write FIVE essays in 3 hours and 20 minutes

In the new exam, students have to answer THREE essays and answer ONE question on DOCUMENTS.

In the old exam, students did a RESEARCH TOPIC, memorized it and then wrote it in the actual exam.

In this new system, ALL students MUST do a RESEARCH TOPIC

The RESEARCH TOPIC will now be written and submitted BEFORE the actual exam

TOPICS TO STUDY

The following is a list of the topics that students may study. ONE topic is compulsory as this is the one that you shall be getting your DOCUMENTS Questions from. You then have to study THREE more topics. Your teacher will decide which topic to study!

IRISH TOPICS.

You MUST study TWO of these. Click on a topic for more detail. Topic 2 is COMPULSORY for the Documents Question for the Exams of 2006 and 2007.

IRELAND from 1815 to 1870

IRELAND from 1870 to 1914

IRELAND from 1912 to 1949

IRISH PEOPLE OVERSEAS 1840 to 1966

NORTHERN IRELAND from 1949 to 1993

IRELAND from 1949 to 1989

EUROPEAN TOPICS.

You MUST study TWO of these.

EUROPE from 1815 to 1871

EUROPE from 1871 to 1920

EUROPE from 1920 to 1945

EUROPE from 1945 to 1992

ERA OF DECOLONISATION 1945-1990

USA from 1945 to 1989

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

In this new course you will have more opportunities to examine both Primary and Secondary Sources such as old NEWSPAPERS, old PHOTOS, LETTERS, DIARIES etc....

You shall still use a TEXT-BOOK but will also make greater use of the vast amount of great information available on the INTERNET and in various TV DOCUMENTARIES

I shall also be developing a student-centred website which may also be of assistance to students.

Dave! · 22-08-2005 12:27am

I did one on D-day in 5th year, but it was atrocious, so I scrapped it and I did a new one on Oscar Schindler(ever see the film Schindler's List?). I had to dedicate a lot of time to it and it nearly killed me, but it was very interesting and I have to say I enjoyed writing it(not in the exam, lol). I thought it was a brilliant idea, my brother thought of it. I don't think I've heard of anyone doing it before, but it's something most people will be familiar with somewhat. Another idea he gave me but which I wasn't too enthusiastic about, although you may be, was Leni Riefenstahl. She was a film-maker who made lots of propaganda movies and documentaries for the Nazis. Maybe?

Let us know what you decide on anywho!

Droogie · 22-08-2005 1:42am

I did German Military Official and 'organiser' of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann. An interesting chap with loads of info about him around the place. My title was "The life of Adolf Eichmann" and it suited me grand. So if you're into the Nazi's, do something like that, a fringe/less well known but still important character. And most of all, good luck with it.

StickyMcGinty · 22-08-2005 10:03am

i got an A1 2 years ago, my special topic was the LuftWaffe - 1939-44.... interesting stuff, and there's bucketloads on the luftwaffe off the net!!!

dont go anywhere near irish history for your topic, so hard to get stuff off the net you'll be solely relyin on books

curtains · 22-08-2005 6:49pm

DaveMcG wrote:

I did one on D-day in 5th year, but it was atrocious, so I scrapped it and I did a new one on Oscar Schindler(ever see the film Schindler's List?). I had to dedicate a lot of time to it and it nearly killed me, but it was very interesting and I have to say I enjoyed writing it(not in the exam, lol). I thought it was a brilliant idea, my brother thought of it. I don't think I've heard of anyone doing it before, but it's something most people will be familiar with somewhat. Another idea he gave me but which I wasn't too enthusiastic about, although you may be, was Leni Riefenstahl. She was a film-maker who made lots of propaganda movies and documentaries for the Nazis. Maybe?

Let us know what you decide on anywho!

that actually sounds like a really good idea, did you mind me asking if you think you got high marks for it?

Dave! · 22-08-2005 7:27pm

Not really, to be honest

I got a C1 overall, but at the start of the exam, I just started writing it really quickly cos I was panicked, so I left out some bits, got bits jumbled up, etc., and it was really messy too. It got better towards the end, though. I thought the essay was actually quite good, and I spent ages learning it all off, it was just cos I'm a slow writer, so I panicked in the exam.
I can email it to you if you're interested(have it typed up already), and you can have a look-see. PM me with your email address if you like

BTW, I have this book at home, which my brother bought for me, and it cost a fortune, like €60, maybe cos it's a big hefty book, so shipping, etc., added loads. I'm not sure, my brother might wanna read it, but I could sell that to you for cheaper than on the internet, if you want it(again, not sure if he'll want it or what). I personally didn't find it terribly useful, though(gotta be honest, I'm not a businessman:p). It was full to the brim with information and facts and figures, but the way it was written and laid out made it very disengaging, so I didn't use it as much as I maybe could have. It's very detailed, though. While I didn't use it much, you or someone else might prefer this kind of book rather than say a superficial synopsis of his life.

ps. you can't get the book over here(or any bio on Schindler, actually, lol), believe me I've rang up every bookshop I know!

d4gurl · 07-09-2005 8:34pm

guys erm wat do i do for mine! im clueless id love to just steal some ones ohh i hate research dis is y i want to drop history!!help!!

StickyMcGinty · 08-09-2005 1:15pm

help?? you've a year to do it calm down ye mad thing!

you can do it on anything ye want, just has to be within the years of the course

d4gurl · 08-09-2005 3:06pm

yeh but how am i meant to calm down when someone in 5th year is worrying aobut it and i had forgotten all about it till this thread was published! and i dont have a year i have less than 9 months! cuz we have to give ours in earlier!!ahh!!

Pitseleh · 08-09-2005 7:19pm

The "Battle of...." needn't really be a humdrum and ordinary topic, just do a relatively obscure one. I started off with the Battle of the Somme and ended up doing one on the Bzura Counter-Offensive - a counter-offensive by a division of the Polish army upon the Nazi invasion. I came across it by accident when I stumbled across a book chronicling the Nazi-Polish war which is generally reduced in History books to three or four sentences. It turned out to be really interesting and informing - y'know all the stories of the Polish armies attacking tanks on horseback? Turned out 'twasn't like that and the story was perpetuated by Nazi propaganda and fillums.
Also, an more obscure research topic would interest the marker who'd be sick to death of "the usual ones" I'd have thought.

d4gurl · 08-09-2005 8:16pm

yeh ill start researchin that thanks a million!do u mind me askin how u did?cheers again

Corruptedmorals · 08-09-2005 8:25pm

Eh, I've just started 5th year after TY and I don't know what I'm gonna do yet. Some of the 6th years have good ones, Night of the Long Knives, Kristallnacht, Titanic, Tom Crean, The Desert Fox, Battle of Britain, Auschwitz...can't remember anymore.

You should pick something you;re interested in, not something that's going to be made worse because you have no interedt in it! Personally I'll probably go with Kristallnacht, I find it very interesting..

Pitseleh · 08-09-2005 8:42pm

d4gurl wrote:

yeh ill start researchin that thanks a million!do u mind me askin how u did?cheers again

Well if you're talking 'bout my Bzura Counter Offensive thing get yourself "Poland 1939 - The Birth Of Blitzkrieg" by Steven J. Zaloga. It chronicles the entire Nazi overrunning of Poland in 90 readable pages with clear diagrams. You may even find an aspect of the war more interesting to you.

Again, if your post refers to mine, I got a HB3 - an ickle disappointed (I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything - it was a worse result than previous history exams) but 'twas my seventh subject and I really lacked enthusiasm for it towards the end of sixth year - I hated the "5 essays in 200 minutes" idea, the new course seems more user-friendly.

curtains · 08-09-2005 8:42pm

Thanks everyone, i've actually picked my topic now - Kevin O' Higgins.

Cheers!

d4gurl · 08-09-2005 8:50pm

Pitseleh wrote:

Well if you're talking 'bout my Bzura Counter Offensive thing get yourself "Poland 1939 - The Birth Of Blitzkrieg" by Steven J. Zaloga. It chronicles the entire Nazi overrunning of Poland in 90 readable pages with clear diagrams. You may even find an aspect of the war more interesting to you.

Again, if your post refers to mine, I got a HB3 - an ickle disappointed (I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything - it was a worse result than previous history exams) but 'twas my seventh subject and I really lacked enthusiasm for it towards the end of sixth year - I hated the "5 essays in 200 minutes" idea, the new course seems more user-friendly.

yeh i was tlkin to ya!

you kno i always loved history for the JC i got an A but i jus tink there is too much work load this year....even though the coruse is meant to be easier now its still all new and i hate that! Im thinking of pickin up accounting instead or as an 8th subject! I jus want a quick easy topic because ill be spendin a lot of time pickin accountin up!tanks for all the help!

InFront · 08-09-2005 9:26pm

Most of the examiners have been examining for years, and they've been listening to research from the same era all of that time - they're sick of it! Personally, I did mine on Baldur von Scirach and the Hitler Youth, but I wouldn't recommend it for newbies. Go outside of the old course to spice things up a bit for the examiner. An old workhouse in your area, for example - make it very original.

newgrange · 08-09-2005 9:43pm

..and use as many primary sources as you can. Do some real research - don't just take it from books other people have written.

Funkstard · 08-09-2005 11:01pm

Who's doing it on Titanic!? My teacher told us it had to be something important and influential in history. Would doing it on the Titanic be acceptable? If so I could have it done in a day

Sfix · 10-09-2005 8:48pm

Im having loads of trouble trying to think of a special topic. The only thing I can think of is the Magdalen Launderies. Would that be a good thing to do?

d4gurl · 10-09-2005 11:40pm

I'm thinking world war one! Some significant event....there is nothing about world war one in our history books... so I don't know! I found a really usefull section of my history book (modern europe and democracy.....by dermot Lucey) that explains all aobut the new research topic and what to do! I'm so tempted to steal their special topic its just staring at me telling me to copy it!

History Special Topic

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