The History Department Guide to the SHP GCSE
Important Information
How much of my grade comes from the exams?
You have already completed 25% of your GCSE through the coursework so the exams are worth 75% of your grade. This means they contribute the biggest part of your summer grade. The table below shows how your coursework grade contributes to your exam grade.
Exam GradeA* / A / B / C / D / E
Coursework Grade / A* / A* / A*/A / A / B / C / D
A / A*/A / A / A/B / B/C / C/D / D
B / A / A/B / B / B/C / C/D / D/E
C / A/B / B / B/C / C / D / D/E
D / B / B/C / C / C/D / D / E
E / B/C / C / C/D / D / D/E / E
What papers will I sit?
You will sit 2 papers this summer
- A954 – a 2 hour paper which tests your knowledge of Medicine Through Time AND Weimar and Nazi Germany. The paper contains source questions and normal questions. It is worth 45% of your final grade.
- A955 – an historical source investigation. This paper will be on the theme of British Public Health. It will contain a range of sources and questions relating to them. It is worth 30% of your final grade.
How can I best prepare?
Glad you asked. This booklet will give you a range of helpful tips and advice. However the most important thing you can do is REVISE! The earlier you start revision and the more you revise, the better your exams will go. It is all about helping your brain absorb the information and giving you the confidence to use that information in the exam.
Where can I get help?
Your exercise book!Your textbook! Your teacher!
AndAllThat: This site is for keeping links related to your topics. You can search by topic on the right hand side of the page. There are also links to other revision sites, a revision booklet and a “download files” section to get worksheets and PowerPoints. Also on Twitter @andallthatweb
BBC Bitesize: A great place to get quick information and quizzes.
OCR: Get past papers and mark schemes from OCR SHP section. Quick links here: and
Medicine Through Time Revision
Disease and Infection RAG List
R / A / GAncient World
Prehistoric societies: the role of magic, parallels with traditional aboriginal societies
Ancient Egypt: supernatural and natural approaches to medicine; priests and doctors
Ancient Greece: the cult of Asklepios; the development of the Theory of the Four Humours; Hippocratic medicine Ancient Rome: the influence of Greek medicine.
Key individuals: Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen
Medieval
The impact of the fall of the Roman Empire on medicine
The nature and importance of Islamic medicine
The impact of superstition and Christianity on Medieval medicine
The medieval doctor: training and treatments
Continuing traditional methods: bleeding, wise women, response to plagues.
Key individuals: Rhazes, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Paracelsus
Industrial and Modern
Vaccination; the Germ Theory and its impact on the treatment of diseases: magic bullets; Penicillin
The development of the medical and nursing professions
The role of women in medicine
Role of the World Health Organisation in fighting disease and ill health
Modern issues in medicine: AIDS, the drugs revolution, problem drugs, alternative medicines, superbugs, genetic engineering.
Key individuals: Jenner, Seacole, Nightingale, Pasteur, Koch, Blackwell, Garrett Anderson, Ehrlich, Fleming, Florey and Chain, Crick and Watson
Surgery and Anatomy RAG List
R / A / GAncient World
Prehistoric societies: surgery; parallels with traditional aboriginal societies
Ancient Egypt: Egyptian anatomy and surgery, supernatural and natural approaches
Ancient Greece: Greek surgery, Alexandria
Ancient Rome: the influence of Greek medical knowledge, surgery in Roman times, medicine in the army.
Key individuals: Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen
Medieval
The impact of the fall of the Roman Empire on medicine
The nature and importance of Islamic knowledge
Medieval surgical techniques and knowledge
The impact of superstition and Christianity on Medieval medical knowledge
The challenging of medical authority: improved knowledge of anatomy and physiology
Continuing traditional methods: bleeding.
Key individuals: Rhazes, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Nafis, Vesalius, Pare, Harvey
Industrial and Modern
Developments in anaesthetics, antiseptics, aseptic surgery
The impact of two world wars on surgery: plastic surgery, blood transfusions
The impact of technology: X-rays, transplant surgery, radiation therapy, keyhole surgery.
Key individuals: Simpson, Lister, Pasteur, Halsted, McIndoe, Barnard
Public Health RAG List
R / A / GPre 1750
Greek public health and the importance of healthy living
Public health facilities in the Roman period
Public health in the Middle Ages: attempts to improve and the reasons for lack of development
Public health problems; plagues and their treatment in the later Middle Ages and seventeenth century, particularly the Black Death and Great Plague in London.
1750-1900
Problems of public health in urban and industrial areas after c1750
The nature and impact of epidemics, e.g. cholera, and attempts to deal with them
Changing local and national government involvement in public health; measures, causes and consequences, including the 1848 and 1875 Public Health Acts.
Key individuals: Chadwick, Snow, Octavia Hill
Post 1900
The nature of poverty c1900
Liberal Social Reforms: measures, causes and consequences
The impact of two world wars on Public Health
Public health problems between the wars; social conditions, poverty and housing; attempted solutions
The National Health Service: measures, causes and consequences
Improved Public Health in the late 20th Century: issues and actions.
Key individuals: Booth, Rowntree, Lloyd George, Beveridge, Bevan
Germany 1919-45 Revision
R / A / GKey Issue 1: Was the Weimar Republic doomed from the start?
What continuing impact did the defeat in the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles have on the Weimar Republic?Arms reductions; Reparations; Hyperinflation
Why was the Republic so unpopular with many Germans?The nature of Weimar democracy; Post-war economic conditions as a cause of discontent; Revolts, rebellions and opposition to Weimar, 1919–1923
How far did life improve for ordinary people 1924-1929? Stresemann and Weimar successes, 1923–1929
What were the achievements of the Weimar period?Weimar cultureeg. Film, cinema, art; Reactions and responses to ‘Weimar culture'
R / A / G
Key Issue 2: How was Hitler able to come to power in Germany?
What did the Nazi Party stand for in the 1920s? Origins of the Party; Hitler's joining; Drexler etc.
Why were the Nazis unsuccessful before, and successful after, 1929? The Munich Putsch; Nazi methods to 1923; Adoption of new programmes and political methods; The depression, its impact on Germany and contribution to the rise of National Socialism; Political instability, 1929–1933; The emergence of the Nazis as a mass party, 1928–1930; Hitler's leadership
Who supported the Nazis, and why?The appeal of National Socialism to different sections of the population.
How important was Hitler in the success of the Nazis? Hitler's speeches, rallies and political actions 1930-33; role of Hindenburg and von Papen
R / A / G
Key Issue 3: How effectively did the Nazis control Germany, 1933–1945?
How did Hitler create a dictatorship? The creation of the one-party state: the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Law, the Night of the Long Knives; The removal of military and political opposition.
How much opposition was there and how effectively did the Nazis deal with it? The nature of continuing opposition and resistance within the Third Reich; The White Rose movement; The work of individuals such as Niemöller and Bonhoeffer; Stauffenberg Plot; Youth Resistance; Communists.
How did the Nazis use culture and the mass media to control the people? The use of culture and the mass media by the Nazis.
Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society? Nazi ideology; Nazi policies towards trade unions, communists, Jews etc.
Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state? Assessment of the extent of control in Nazi Germany
R / A / G
Key Issue 4: What was it like to live in Nazi Germany?
How did young people react to the Nazi regime? The appeal of Nazism to youth; the role of youth in National Socialism; Youth movements in Nazi Germany; Education in German schools and universities as an instrument of propaganda
How successful were Nazi policies towards women and the family? Changes in policies and attitudes to the role of women in German society, 1933–1945.
Did most people benefit from Nazi rule?The development of the economy and employment patterns in the 1930s; Economic planning: preparation for war; Nazism as social revolution and the impact of the regime on different social classes
How did the coming of war change life in Nazi Germany? The impact of the war upon the German economy and society.
Paper 2: Public Health Key Topics
The state of public health in the first half of the nineteenth century
The reasons for the rapid growth of towns and its results: living conditions in towns, poverty, overcrowding, lack of sewerage, drainage and clean supplies of water. Effect on the health of different social classes. Spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and typhus. Reasons why nothing was being done.
Demands for reform and reaction to these demands
The impact of the work of Edwin Chadwick, John Snow and Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The impact of the cholera epidemics of 1831–1832, 1848, 1853 and 1866, the Great Stink of 1858, germ theory, and the 1867 Reform Act. Reasons for opposition to government intervention: little understanding of causes of disease, the cost to ratepayers, attack on freedom, ideas of self-help and personal responsibility.
The beginnings of reform
The causes, terms and effectiveness of the Public Heath Acts of 1848 and 1875. Disraeli’s reforms: the Artisans’ Dwellings Act, the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act and the Food and Drugs Act. The work of Joseph Chamberlain and slum clearance and public health reforms in Birmingham. The development of model villages such as Port Sunlight and Bourneville.
The need and pressures for further reform
The work of Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree on poverty and its effect on health and life expectancy. The workhouse. The evidence about the health of men volunteering for the Boer War. German welfare reforms and economic progress.
The Liberal welfare reforms of 1906-1912
The political context: new Liberalism and the threat from the Labour Party and socialism. The roles of Lloyd George and Winston Churchill and Lloyd George’s budget of 1910. Help for the young: free school meals (1906), school medical inspections (1907), school clinics (1912); help for the elderly: pensions (1908); help for the sick and unemployed: labour exchanges (1909), the National Insurance Act of 1911–1912.
Top Tips
Having now studied a variety of student papers from last year, a number of general points are coming out which would be good areas for you to focus on
- Those students who succeeded at the exams had books which showed detailed notes and excellent examples of practice questions and technique. They effectively had more to revise from.
- The books demonstrating the weakest knowledge of events were those where homework and class work was incomplete. This was reflected in the level of knowledge demonstrated in the exam. It is vital that book work is completed.
- Generally where people had revised, there was evidence of detailed knowledge being brought in however some knowledge was deployed without much thought to careful selection and relevant use. Some of the papers showed a sense of panic– people seemed to be trying to give all the knowledge they had, whether it was relevant or not.
- Most people remembered the structure of different question, however many failed to answer the question set. There was a real absence of IDEA structuring in some of the poorer examples I read. Where IDEA was used, the marks were far better, even when the knowledge deployed was inferior.
- A few questions in particular showed an absence of technique, even when this had been revised in lessons. Whilst knowledge of topics is clearly important, the mark scheme looks first at structure and then at knowledge. You must remember this when writing your answers – panic scribbling will never get you high marks
- Timing – most people spent too much time on Medicine and not enough on Germany. Make sure you time yourself carefully. It is about 1.5 minutes a mark. Also make sure you can answer ALL parts of the questions you choose (especially the high mark questions!!)
The rest of this booklet re-examines some of the key question types. You should use this booklet as part of your revision. Most importantly, don’t panic! A steady programme of revision where you refresh your memory of key content and do some practice questions will be much more effective thannot revising and then having to cram at the end. Cramming does not help you learn!
Mr F
General Key Points for Answering Questions
These points are the general tips that will help you get the best marks. It is vital that you follow them!!
1)You must read the question carefully. Unless you directly answer the question set, you cannot get above a C/D for that question. Check at all times that you have answered the question
2)You must link the points you maketo the question set. This means being explicit. The examiner will not give marks for implied links
3)Your knowledge is important, but this is not just a case of deploying it all. You must select the information carefully. No marks are given for information not linked to a point.
4)On essay questions you must give both sides. This means explaining the side you are given as well as the other options
5)You should get into the habit of brainstorming key factorsfor essay questions and using these to form your paragraphs. A good paragraph structure will help show the examiner that you are in controlof the information.
6)You should follow the IDEA structure. Identify a point,describe it with specific evidence, Explainwhat this shows and then Analyseits link to the question explicitly.
7)Practice, practice and practice these skills again and again. You need to go into the exam feeling calm and prepared. Going back to point 1, as long as you are focused on answering the question set, you should be fine… don’t get tempted to just tell stories using your knowledge.
Some thoughts on revising
What do you actually mean when you say… “revise”…??!
Everyone will revise in different ways, but using simple techniques such as taking notes, re-writing things in your own words then making mind-maps is a really good start. Simply reading doesn’t work!
Testing yourself is by far the best way of improving your knowledge. Use the quizzes from BBC Bitesize and andallthat.co.uk. Making revision flash cards is also a great way of remembering details. You might also like to find a study partner to work with. Space out your testing. Test different things on different days and make sure you keep testing yourself more often on things you get wrong. Testing is a way of learning as much as a way of seeing what you do and don’t know. For more tips look at the “You and your brain programme” in the “Download Files” section of andallthat.co.uk
How long should I spend revising?
Use this booklet to help you identify the topics that you will focus on and how long you need to spend on each topic. It is sensible to make a start with the areas that you feel least confident on so that you have most time to learn them.
If I know all of this “stuff” will I be able to answer the questions?
Your history exam will test both your ability to recall knowledge and most importantly to apply that knowledge to answer the question.Doing good history is a bit like building a house. Your memory of key knowledge is like bringing all the right materials, but you still need the skills to actually turn them into a structure. That is what we have been working on in class. The more confidence you have in your knowledge the more effectively you will be able to use that knowledge to answer the questions. The most important piece of advice is not about special tricks… you just need to READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY THEN ANSWER IT!
A great way to revise is to answer exam questions. You can find past papers at . Answering exam questions will feel hard, but your brain learns best when it is working hard!! Every time you force your brain to do hard work, it physically changes and develops. You literally have the power to grow your brain.