Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

The learning process that has been designed for this course is based on the following:

This subject has as main objective that students acquire a basic knowledge about the history and culture of the United Kingdom and that they develop a critical approach and a series of skills that will provide them with a better capacity for abstraction, analysis and interpretation of visual and written cultural texts. To reach this objective several active methodologies will be used, especially those promoting both individual and group work. There will be theory lectures in which students will be expected to actively participate, more practical sessions in which the knowledge acquired in the theory sessions will be applied to the analysis of several texts and for which a variety of group dynamic techniques will be used and, finally, sessions in which students will have to deliver group oral presentations.

The student will go through different stages in the learning process: starting from the memorization and understanding of key concepts, following with the analysis and argumentation of main ideas to finally reach the creation and application of concepts. These stages have as main objective that the student acquires a meaningful learning.

5.2. Learning tasks

1. Guided activities

a) Theory sessions (30 hours / 1.2 credits), which include the following units: (See 5.3)

b) Practice sessions (22.5 hours / 0.9 credits). In combination with the theory sessions, students will work with authentic cultural texts (essays, historical documents, and fragments of films, documentaries and television series). Students are expected to work individually and in groups, understand the texts and be able to relate their contents with the issues explored in the theory sessions.

c) Oral presentations (7.5 hours / 0.3 credits), optional. In groups of 5, students may opt for presenting the result of their research on a topic related to the units of the course, with the teacher’s supervision.  

2. Supervised activities

a) Individual and group tutorials (7.5 hours / 0.3 credits). Tutorial attendance is compulsory for the guided elaboration of the oral presentations, and optional for the rest of issues concerning the course.

3. Autonomous activities

a) Elaboration of the oral presentation (20 hours / 0.8 credits).

b) Reading and watching the compulsory texts, and reading of secondary sources. (10 hours / 0.4 credits).

c) Independent study (50 hours / 2 credits).

4. Assessment

a) Written exam (2.5 hours / 0.1 credits).

5.3. Syllabus

(27808) History and Culture of the United Kingdom

1. Country, People and Identity: Geographically and politically speaking. The four nations. A multicultural society. Religion. Social class. Stereotypes. Attitudes.

2. Geography: Climate. Land and settlement. London. Southern England. The Midlands of England. Northern England. Scotland. Wales. Northern Ireland.

3. Historical Overview: Prehistory. The Roman period. The Germanic invasions. The medieval period. The sixteenth century. The seventeenth century. The eighteenth century. The nineteenth century. The twentieth century.

4. Political Life: Monarchy. The party system. The Government. The Parliament. The House of Commons. The House of Lords.

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Face-to-face teaching and essay writing schedule

The first sessions of each theory unit in the schedule will be teacher lectures in which active student participation will be fostered.

The second part of each unit will be organised around practical sessions in which texts connected with the theory sessions will be analysed.

In December there will be several sessions for the group oral presentations.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

The bibliography of the current academic year is kept updated and can be checked in the library’s website (search for recommended bibliography in biblioteca.unizar.es)