Comments about exam procedure

In regard to the 15 minute oral, we agreed that:
--Instructions for the orals must be posted in a place where candidates can see them
-- Examiners should make sure that the candidate understands the questions he/she picks.
-- Students should be told to prepare a 5-6 minute talk, and that they will be given a reminder at 5 minutes that they should wrap things up.
-- Examiners should try to cover two or three parts of the program, as well as including a geo question if the candidate dealt with History question in his/her presentation. It is OK for examiners to jump form one part of the program to another, as long as he tells the candidate he was about to change topics.
-- A five minute"administrative time" between each oral was built into the oral schedules so that examiners could go a minute or two past the 15 minute time if necessary, as well as have the time to write down comments and marks, and give out the next question.

As for comments on the 2006 Exam questions in France:
Over-all impression:
-- Between the History-Geo questions, 3 of the 4 dealt with the developing world.
-- There must be digital compatibility between teachers sending in questions and Mark Meigs. Mark asked that questions be sent in PDF Words, or RTF
History Questions: The Essay:
--There was general agreement that the word "discuss" was good, since since it opens the question up to a variety of interpretations.
History DBQ:
-- There was general surprise at Part I question 2, regarding the consequences of architecture.
-- Some found document 1 too legalistic, while others were not concerned since the point of the question was a global understanding of the document .
--Many were surprised, even dismayed, at the question for the essay part of the DBQ. The idea of cultural conformity was view as peripheral to our program, and the word "conformity" itself apparently surprised some candidates.
Geo Essay Q:
--The question was good in the sense that it was open to a number of interpretations.
-- The chart in Document 3 was not aligned correctly because of a digital problem.

Finally, Mark reminded us that questions we have submitted to him as official BAC questions should never be used as a BAC Blanc since they could be used in future BACs. It is OK, of course, to use past years BACs as Bac Blancs for a new class of Terminale.

John and Rob's History syllabus 31/08/2006

OIB AMERICAN OPTION HISTORY , 2006-2007 (new program, aligned on the « S » program, with US domestic History from 1941-1988)

I. International Relations Since 1945 (40 per cent of course material)
A.) The World in 1945:
§ Results of the War; The Holocaust; Nuremberg Trials; Use of A-Bomb; War-Time Conferences: Bretton Woods, Yalta, Potsdam, San Francisco Conference and the UNO.
B.) The Cold War: (1)The roots of the Cold War, the creation of two blocs in Europe, 1945-1949:
§ Iranian Crisis 1946; The Iron Curtain Speech(Communization and Russification of Eastern Europe with Poland, the Blatic States and Yugoslavia ‘48 as examples); The Long Telegram and Containment, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan; The Berlin Blockade and Airlift; Brussels Pact and NATO; The creation of West and East Germany; NSC 68.
§ Soviet Policy at the beginning of the Cold War: Novikov Telegram; Cominform; Molotov Plan; Comecon; Tito; Soviet A-Bomb.
(2) The Cold War Spreads outside Europe, 1945-1962
§ Mao And Communist China; The Korean War-- Causes and Consequences; The French and US aid in Indo-China; Cuba: The Bay of Pigs and the Missile Crisis
(3) The Post-Stalin Cold War, 1950’s and 1960’s (this unit involves a comparison/contrast of the Stalinst and post-Stalinist « Soviet Model »)
§ Khrushchev and the Thaw: Rapprochement with Tito, Geneva Conference on Indochina, Austrian State Treaty, Geneva Summit, The Secret Speech, Kitchen Debate, Khrushchev’s visit to the States, Sino-Soviet Split.
§The limits of the Thaw: Regional Security Pacts: (The Warsaw Pact, CENTO, SEATO); Poland and Hungary ‘56; The Arms Race and Sputnik; Prague Spring and the Breshnev Doctrine; Dulles and Roll-Back: The CIA in Tehran and Guatemala; U-2 Incident; U.S. involvement in Vietnam 1961-1973.
(4) Détente and the End of the Cold War
§Arms limitation/reduction 1963-1991: Partial Test-Ban Treaty ‘63 to the Change in the charter of NATO.
§ Nixon and Détente: Relations with the USSR and China
§ Détente in Europe: Adenauer, Brandt, the EEC, Helsinki
§ Reagan, Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War:
Gorby’s domestic reforms; Gorby and Eastern Europe; Gorby and the Nationality issue within the USSR; Gorby , Reagan and Arms agreements
(5) The New World Order since 1991 (1-2 hour postscript of the end of the Cold War)
§ The main forces of stability and instability in the World: The US as a hyper-power; The Mid-East; International Terrorism and Islamic Fundamentalism; Ethnic wars; The European Union
II. Colonization and Decolonization (10 per cent of course material)
(A) Colonization and the Colonial System
(1) The Colonial Race for European Powers, 1850-1914
§ The French and British Empires; The Monroe Doctrine
§ The Colonial System: Protectorats, concessions, Commonwealth, Dominion Status, Imperial preference, indirect rule; assimilation;
§ The Colonial debate in France: White Man’s Burden V. Opposition to Colonization
and Jean Jaurés
(B) Decolonization
(1) The roots of decolonization 1918-1946
§ Wilson and self-determination; the Mandate system; nationalist movements between the wars (Muslim Brothers, Gandhi and civil disobedience); Balfour Declaration; The Atlantic Charter; the effect of WWII on the colonies.
(2) Decolonization 1946-1975
§ The British and India; The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh; U.N. Universal Declaration on the Rights of Man; The Bandung Conference and non-alignment; The French and Algeria; Examples of African Independence
III. U.S. History 1941-1988 (This unit includes a review of the « American Model« as well as a comparison/contrast of the Democrats and the Republicans)(40 per cent of the course material)
(1) The effect of WWII on the U.S. economically, socially and politically
§ The miracle of mobilization
§ The role of women and minorities on the Home Front
§ The role of the Government during the War
(2)The Truman Presidency: what it means to be a « democrat ».
§Social issues: Truman and civil rights; Truman and the Fair Deal
§Political issues: Containment at Home: National Defense Act ‘47, Federal Employee Loyalty and Security Program; Truman’s election in 1948 and the split in the Democratic Party
(3) The Eisenhower Presidency: Ike as a middle-of-the roader
§1952 Election
§Social issues: Ike and Civil rights: The Sweatt Case; Brown V. Board; Rosa Parks and King; Massive Resistance and the Little Rock Incident; Voting Rights Act ’57.
The Suburban boom and the American family
§Political issues: The Square Deal; McCarthyism: roots of, methods, consequences of; re-election in ‘56
(4) The Kennedy Presidency
§Social Issues JFK and Civil Rights; the Warren Court (ban on school prayer ‘62, free legal counsel ‘63, Miranda Rights ‘66);
§Political issues: 1960 election; The New Frontier, Space Program
§ Foreign Policy other than Cuba and Vietnam: The Alliance for Progress; The Peace Corps
(5) The Johnson Presidency
§Social Issues: LBJ and Civil Rights: Great Society Legislation, race riots; anti-war protest
§Political Issues: 1964 election; decision not to run for re-election
(6) The Nixon Presidency
§ Social Issues: Nixon and the Civil Rights backlash; anti-war protest;
§Political Issues: 1968 election; 1972 election and the Watergate scandal: consequences on American politics and society
(7) The Ford Presidency
§Political/Social Issues: The Pardon of Nixon; The Loss to Carter
(8) The Carter Presidency
§Social/economic Issues: Carter and minority rights; the energy crisis; stagflation; environmental protection
§Political Issues: 1976 Election
§ Foreign Policy: Camp David Accords; China Recognition; SALT II; Panama Canal Treaty; Iranian Revolution and the Hostage Crisis; The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and Carter’s response

(9) The Reagan Presidency
§Political Issues:1980 and 1984 elections; §Economic Issues: Reaganomics or the Trickle Down Theory
§ Foreign Policy other than with USSR: Freeing of the Hostages in Iran and Iran-gate; Reagan and Nicaragua;
IV The French Fifth Republic (10 per cent of the course material)
§ Politics, economics and social issues during De Gaulle’s Presidency
§ The evolution of the Fifth Republic after De Gaulle

History Proposals from the Paris June 15-16, 2006 OIB meeting

Rough Outline of 2006 History-Geo Syllabus for Terminale

History Program aligned on the « S » program.
(1) The number in parentheses after each topic represents the estimated weight each topic will have in terms of percentage of teaching time given to the topic.
(2) Each of the four Roman numeral topics is followed by a series of questions that should act as a guide for teachers in developing their syllabi.
(3) FYI, the total number of hours for the « S » program in French is 12, 8 and 12 for Roman numerals I, II and IV respectively.

I. International Relations since 1945: The Cold War and the New World Order (40)
§ What were the challenges in International Relations in 1945?
§What were the origins of the Cold War and how did it develop in Europe from 1945-1949. What are the interpretations concerning who is to « blame » for the Cold War?
§Why and How did the Cold War become global from 1949-1973?
§ To what extent was there a Thaw (in international relations, in the Soviet bloc, in the USSR) in the 1950’s?
§What were the causes of Détente, and what were its manifestations?
§ Why and How did the Cold War end? What are the interpretations regarding its end?

II. Colonization and De-colonization (10)
§ What were the causes and characteristics of colonization?
§ What were the origins and consequences of de-colonization, in particular for India and Algeria?

III. U.S. History 1941-1988 (40)
§ What was happening in the U.S. during WWII(politically, socially, economically)
§What was the domestic impact of the Cold War for the US?
§ How did the Civil Rights Movement evolve in the US after WWII?
§ What were the political, social and economics issues facing the US for each decade of the program, 1941-1988
§ To what degree have U.S. Presidents been successful in dealing with the political, social and economic challenges of their terms?
§ What have been the main differences between the Democrats and the Republicans in dealing with domestic issues?


IV. France and the Fifth Republic (10)
§What new institutions did France put in place in 1958?
§ What was the domestic and foreign policy of Charles de Gaulle?
§ How did the Fifth Republic evolve after 1969?

Proposals from the Paris June 15-16, 2006 OIB meeting

ROUGH OUTLINE FOR GEOGRAPHY SYLLABUS, TERMINALE 2006

The Geography Program is based upon the « ES-L » program.
(1) The number in parentheses after each topic represents the estimated weight each topic will have in terms of percentage of teaching time given to the topic.
(2) Each of the Roman numeral topics is followed by a series of questions that should act as a guide for teachers in developing their syllabi.
(3) FYI, the total number of hours for the ES-L program in French is 10, 22, and 18 for Roman numerals I, II, and II respectively.


I. Globalization (20)
§Who are the players in Globalization?
§ What are the main factors of globalization, I.e. How does it manifest itself?
§ What are the consequences of globalization (economically, culturally, demographically etc… .)
§Are there alternatives to globalization?

II. Three Major Areas of Economic Power: Europe, Asia, North America (45)
A.) The USA
§What are the main poles of US strength (economic, diplomatic, military, territorial, social, cultural, political, demographic)?
§What are the weaknesses of the US as a super-power?
§How does the Atlantic seaboard represent the emergence of supra-national regions?
§What are the main features of the Atlantic seaboard?
B.) Europe
§ What are the main poles of European strength (economic, etc… .)?
C.) East Asia
§What are the aspects of East Asian Power (economic, etc… .)?
§ What are the main features of the Japanese megalopolis?

III. Regions in The Process of Development: (35)
-- Unity and Diversity of the South
§What defines the « South » (common traits and diversity)?
§How is Brazil representative of the problems of development found in the « South » (strengths and weaknesses of Brazil)?
-- North-South Exchanges: The Mediterranean Basin
How does the Mediterranean Basin reflect global interaction and/or confrontation between the North and South?
-- Russia: Patterns of Renewal (re-inventing itself?)
What have been the successes and problems experienced by Russia since it has tried to transform itself since the collapse of the Communist model of development and the collapse of the USSR in 1991? (10)