Whangarei Girls’ High School Whangarei Girls’ High School

Level 3 History* (THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL FOR 2024, PLEASE CHOOSE ANOTHER COURSE)

3HIS
Course Description

In Level 3 History students will learn from the past in order to better understand the present and future. This course focuses on the long history of oppressive rulers in Russian history: from crazy tsars to murderous Stalin and the aggressive actions of present-day President Putin. 

The colonisation of NZ in the 19th Century provides a context for the internals.

Learning Opportunities

In this course you will need to:

Develop these skills:Explore this content:
  • Critical thinking- reasoning, interpreting information, analysing, identifying patterns and trends, synthesising information, making judgements based on evidence.
  • How the tsars ruled and how some famous tsars such as Ivan the Terrible had long term impacts on Russia.

  • Information literacy- identifying fact and opinion, making judgements about the quality of information, assessing the reliability of different sources of information such as websites.
  • How and why the last tsar, Nicholas II, failed and why he and his family were executed.

  • Communication skills- communicating effectively in a variety of formats: for example in small group and full class discussions; written work; visual formats.
  • Why did so many Russians support the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and what actually is communism?


  • Stalin’s brutal rule of terror- why did 20 million people have to die? How is Stalin viewed by Russians today?


  • NZ in the 19th century: early Maori; colonisation and the changing relationships between Maori and European (this will be the basis for the internals).



Year Levels/Departments:

History, Seniors



Resources Required

1B8 Exercise Book- optional