The study of:

• The causes of crime

• The impact of crime

• The court system

• Sentencing

• The police 

The study of:

• How we vote and choose leaders

• The media 

• Pressure groups

• Who represents us

• How we can take part 

The study of:

• The causes of the conflict

• The impact of of the conflict 

• Responses to the conflict 

In the first of the two year higher you will work towards your National 5 qualification and will be assessed on the topics you have covered in S2/3.

In the second of the two year higher you will work towards your Higher qualification.  

In the first year of the two year higher you will work towards the National 5 qualification whilst covering some essay skills and knowledge to prepare for Higher. This will include starting the USA Higher topic. 

In the second of the two year higher you will build on the essay writing skills from last year and explore Crime and Law, as well as Democracy in Scotland and the UK. 

The study of crime in the UK and the responses from the Police/Court.

• Why do people commit crime?

• What impacts does crime have?

• Are prisons effective?

• Are there alternatives to prison?

The study of our own political system including:

• Why do people vote?

• Holding the Government accountable

• How can people participate?

• Scotland’s future

The study of both the political and social systems in the USA including:

• Inequalities such as race and crime

• Political Participation

• Checks and Balances on Government Power

• Government response to inequality

• International influence including the UN

The study of the big political ideas including:

• The political spectrum

• What is democracy?

The study of two different political systems, the UK and the USA including: 

• Who is in power

• How laws are made

The study of the main impacts on the way that people vote including:

• Voting Behaviour

• Political Campaign Methods

• the difference between legal and social science definitions of crime.

• changes in defining crime across time

• cross cultural differences in defining crime. 

• explore the ‘dark figure’ of crime

The study of crime in the UK and the responses from the Police/Court.

• Why do people commit crime?

• What impacts does crime have?

• Are prisons effective?

• Are there alternatives to prison?

• the concepts of criminal behaviour in Scotland.

• how criminal behaviour may affect the individual and the community.

• the measures which may be taken to prevent crime.