Get ready for GCSE History
How to be ‘Hot’ at History
In this booklet there are a number of activities that will help prepare you for GCSE History. You will develop skills in:
- Communicating clearly and effectively
- Spelling and punctuation
- Causation - How and why events take place in History
- Source analysis – extracting information and interpreting historical sources
- Interpretation - Forming judgements about particular historical events
- Identifying weaknesses and strengths in different types of sources
- Supporting points with a precise range of evidence
- The structure of your written work
SOURCE ANALYSIS
If you were to consider how a historian finds out about the past you would probably note the importance of finding EVIDENCE to tell us about past events. Sometimes that evidence is in the form of artefacts, buildings, archive films and interviews; however it is most commonly found in written documents.
However, the evidence you have found in the sources must be TESTED so that you can make the correct use of them.
- FIRSTLY you should ask yourself is it RELIABLE or ACCURATE?
- And SECONDLY you should ask yourself is it USEFUL?
The two questions often overlap in reaching a conclusion on the source, but they do not always do so. Look at the source below written by Adolf Hitler;
"The Jews are responsible for diluting the white race which they hate and thus lowering its cultural and political level so that the Jew might dominate."
- Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1924
Is this statement reliable? – No, because you would expect Hitler to say something like this about the Jewish population.
Is this statement useful?? – Yes, it can be useful because it tells you what Hitler’s views on the Jewish population were in 1924 when he wrote this.
You have a go;
“We propose to demand the whole cost of the war from Germany”
- Lloyd George, speaking at an election meeting (11 December 1918).
Lloyd George was Prime Minister of Britain at the time World War One ended and was standing for election after the war. Why do you think he made this statement to an assembled audience of voters?
Is it reliable?-
Is it useful?-
The key to understanding a source is to consider its provenance:
-When was it produced – at the time (primary evidence) or later (secondary evidence)?
-Who produced it?
-Why was it produced?
You can see that by considering these questions you will be able to decide whether and/or how far a source is reliable, useful or accurate.
“We propose to demand the whole cost of the war from Germany”
- Lloyd George, speaking at an election meeting (11 December 1918).
This process is called:
-Source evaluation – where you examine a source for its reliability or utility
-Source analysis – where you examine what the source is saying and what it means – this is more than just describing it
There are all sorts of different types of historical sources:
-Written primary sources
-Written secondary sources
-Photographs
-Posters
-Paintings
-Cartoons
-Films
-Data
-Oral accounts
You have a go:
With the different types of sources listed above explain what the ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES of each of them are.
Paintings
You have a go;
Look at this painting by Charles Cundall of the Retreat from Dunkirk. He was commissioned by the government to paint it. Look at the key points and think about what message they are trying to give and why we cannot entirely trust it
-.
-.
-.
-.
However – how detailed is this painting? Does this make it more reliable?
INTERPRETATIONS
At one level understanding interpretation in History is appreciating two different points of view about a given question – e.g. Oliver Cromwell was a bad man? Answer; Yes and No. Evidence is then provided to support both sides of the argument. However at GCSE level you need to understand that historical interpretations are thoughtful efforts to represent and explain past events’
There are 3 important elements: -
-You need to understand to the context in which people lived.
-You need to understand that interpretations are an attempt to give you an image of the past for a particular reason or purpose.
-People giving their interpretation are often influenced by events around them
Look at the two cartoons below. They are both produced during the Cold War (You have a go: research what this is so you know the CONTEXT) in the 1950s. Between 1945 and 1990 America and Russia both feared that the other country was trying to take over the other.
American CartoonRussian Cartoon
The Bear represents Russia The man in the hat is Uncle Sam who represents America
Why do you think both countries produced these cartoons at virtually the same time?
What might have influenced the two cartoonists who produced these similar interpretations?
Ultimately both interpretations have to be viewed in context with events of the time and take into account why they were produced and how they were influenced by the time.
Once you have examined all interpretations you can then develop your own judgement
CAUSATION and JUDGEMENTS
When explaining why events have occurred in the past you have to consider a range of different causes. There are different types of causes that lead to an event but we often divide them into 3 types of causes:
-Underlying (or long-term) causes which don’t directly lead to the event but contribute in some way.
-Direct (or short-term or catalysts) causes which can be put into chronological order and directly contributed to the event occurring.
-Trigger causes which spark the event off. These are often the final act before some key event.
You have a go.
Look at the different causes that surround the key event. See if you can distinguish between the different types of causes
They all help explain why Adam broke arm and without each aspect we don’t have a full account of what caused the event.
What about a key event in History and forming a JUDGEMENT?
“The main cause of the Second World War was the Invasion of Poland.”
To what extentdo you agree with this statement?
In this question you need to make sure your answer does a number of things:
What is the KEY EVENT you are asked to explain?
What part asks you to REACH A JUDGEMENT?
What part asks you to consider the CONTRIBUTION OF ONE FACTOR?
What part asks you to consider OTHER FACTORS?
All of these factors help explain why the Second World War started. What are the
-Underlyingfactors?
-Directcauses?
-Trigger cause?
So what role did the Invasion of Poland play? Answer –
Finally you must consider HOW IMPORTANT this was compared to all the other factors – this helps you cover ‘to what extent’. REMEMBER though – you must back up your opinion.
EVIDENCE
When giving your opinion you must make sure that you support your claim with precise and wide ranging evidence. By doing this you help back-up your opinion and give it weight. In the example below an opinion is given, but if I don’t back this up how do we know it is true?
Using a range of evidence (DATA, IMAGES, KEY NAMES and WORDS) helps to support the opinion you have made. However, what is the difference with THIS EVIDENCE.
HINT: It is always a good idea to BALANCE your opinion.
You have a go.
Below is another OPINION – try to back this up by finding a range of EVIDENCE to support the claim. Don’t forget to BALANCE your answer.
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT:
BALANCE:
Without good English skills and the ability to organise your answer, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas and opinions effectively. It is therefore important to work on your Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar and Structure.
STRUCTURE
A good paragraph in History is very much like a good Hamburger. You’ve got to have a bun on the top and bottom to stop your hands getting messy and keep the filling organised and together. Once this is sorted you’ve got to fill it with layers of tasty flavours which make it mouth-watering to eat. I always think that the more layers the better the hamburger and the same is true of a paragraph in history. The more evidence you’ve got from a wider range of perspectives, the better the answer.
Is it making you hungry for more???
You have a go:
Using all the evidence you gathered to support the opinion you developed on page 9 write a P.E.E. style answer. Don’t forget to use some of the key linking phrases that help give your answer a clear structure:
- However…
- On the other hand…
- Another reason why…
- A further factor…
- Whilst…
- It could be argued…
- Because…
- Consequently…
- Hence…
- Similarly…
- Although…
- Moreover…
______
SPELLING
In GCSE History you are marked on your ability to spell key words correctly.See if you can identify some of the key words you will use in the History course we study and spell the words correctly.
You have a go;
A policy adopted by the Republican Presidents which forced people to overcome problems and succeed by their own efforts and hard work; not receiving help from the government
Farmers who did not own the land they worked on, but were allowed to keep a share of the crops they grew instead of receiving wages
A tax on foreign goods coming into a country
To enter and settle in a country or region to which one is not native
A policy of non-participation in or withdrawal from, international affairs
Enforcing the separation of black and white people in every aspect of life
A group of people who signed a pledge not to drink alcohol during era of prohibition, also known as “dries”
Engagement in risky business transactions on the chance of quick or considerable profit
Crudely built camps erected to house the dispossessed and destitute during the depression of the 1930’s
32nd President of the United States; elected four times; instituted New Deal to counter the Great Depression and led country during World War II (1882-1945)
All of these aspects AND MORE are skills that you will develop during your GCSE’s, but having completed this booklet you will certainly have made a good start at becoming ‘Hot at History’!
If you’re craving more History why don’t you visit one of the following places in the Summer term
•Butser Farm
•Windsor Castle
•Hampton Court Palace
•Tower of London
•Imperial War Museum
•Cabinet War Rooms Exhibition
•The Imperial War Museum
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER