Depth Study 1: Medieval Europe
- The way of life in Medieval Europe (social, cultural, economic and political features) and the roles and relationships of different groups in society.
- Significant developments and/or cultural achievements, such as changing relationships between Islam and West (including the Crusades), architecture, medieval manuscripts and music.
- Continuity and change in society
- The dominance of the Catholic church
- The role of significant individuals
Depth Study 2: Japan under the Shoguns
- The way of life in Shogunate Japan, including social, cultural economic and political features (including the feudal system and the increasing power of the shogun)
- The role of the Tokugawa Shogunate in reimposig a feudal system (based on daimyo and samurai) and the increasing control of the shogun over foreign trade.
- The use of environmental resources in Shogunate Japan and the forestry and the land use policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
- Theories about the decline of the Shogunate, including modernisation and westernisation, through adoption of Western arms and technology
Depth Study 3: Spanish Conquest of the Americas
- Pre-Columbian life in the Americas, including social organisation, city life and beliefs.
- When, how and why the Spanish arrived in the Americas, and where they went including the various societies and geographical features they encountered.
- The nature of the interaction between the Spanish and the Indigenous populations with particular focus on either the Aztecs or Incas.
- The impact of the conquest on the Aztecs or Incas as well as on the wider world.
- The long-term effects of colonisation, including slavery, population changes and lack of control over resources.