Biggar High School History Department. Exam Skills. Understanding Question Stems

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1 Biggar High School History Department Exam Skills Understanding Question Stems 1

2 The purpose of this booklet if to help you to improve your answering of exam style questions at National 5 and Higher Levels by helping you to understand the meaning of question stems that you will be expected to tackle in both National 5 and Higher SQA exams. The booklet will also guide you with examples with to how to structure your answers and use key words and phrases to achieve the best possible grade in the course. Section 1: National 5 Part a: National 5 Exam Paper (Page 3) Part b: National 5 Assignment (Page 12) Section 2: Higher Part a: Higher Exam Paper 1- European and British Sections (Page 19) Part b: Higher Exam Paper 2- Scottish Section Part c: Higher Assignment 2

3 Section 1: National 5 Part a: National 5 Exam Paper Question Stem Describe What is expected Make detailed factual points. In other words, make sure your answer provides a specific example rather than just a generic word or list. These questions are worth 4 marks. You can get a developed knowledge point for providing extra information or examples. Example Question: Describe the women s suffrage movement. (4) This answer is very straightforward. Just make sure you write enough information to gain four marks. Be careful about writing too much and wasting valuable time! The suffragettes were a group that fought for the extension of the franchise to women using militant tactics such as arson attacks and breaking windows. (1) Their leader, Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters, used the motto Deeds not Words to inspire British women to show their dedication to gaining the vote through actions to get attention, rather than just using words, which they thought were useless. (1) The suffragists were another group that fought for women s right to vote, but they believed in non-violent methods such as petitions and protests. (1) Their leader, Millicent Fawcett, believed that her movement should show that women were equal to men by behaving rationally and becoming politically involved. This would show them to be deserving of respect and therefore the vote. (1) Explain To show connections between events or processes. You are explaining the cause or impact of a factor. Question: Explain the reasons for the outbreak of Revolution in Russia in (5) This first point explains the connection between the point (Russo-Japanese War) and why it led to revolution. 3

4 You should identify the point and then go on to explain this whilst ensuring you link back to the question. The key word here to show you are explaining is the word because. These questions can be worth 5 or 6 marks. There were many reasons for the outbreak of Revolution in The first reason was the Russo-Japanese War (Point). This led to Revolution in 1905 because Russia s defeat made her look weak internationally and Russians lost faith in the Tsar thus leading them to look for change. (Explanation) This second point explains the connection between the point (Revolutionary groups) and why it led to revolution. Another Reason for the outbreak of Revolution in 1905 was the actions of the revolutionary groups. (Point) These groups contributed towards the outbreak of Revolution in 1905 because they spread revolutionary ideas that criticised autocracy and wanted the people to have more say, by 1905 people were listening to these ideas and revolution broke out. To What Extent This is the short essay question that is similar in form to an explain question with a short introduction and conclusion. You need to ensure you have provided a balance in the form of at least two different factors. It is worth 9 marks. These marks are divided up as follows: 1 mark for intro You will then have to do 3 more points in the same way to achieve full marks in this Explain question. Question: To What Extent was Rasputin s behaviour the main reason for the outbreak of the 1917 February Revolution? (9) You have to start this short-essay with a short introduction. The introduction is worth 1 mark and you can get this mark for either providing context (background) of the question or listing the factors that you will be discussing in the essay. For example: The outbreak of World War I in 1914 was to change the world and Russia for ever. The Tsar had held on to his power tenuously since the first Revolution in 1905 but this war was to mark the end of his reign as an autocrat. (Context) There were many reasons for the outbreak of Revolution in February 1917 including the behaviour of Rasputin, the effects of the military defeats on Russia and the Tsar s conduct. (List of factors) 4

5 5 knowledge marks 1 mark for balance 1 mark for coming to a conclusion 1 mark for supporting your conclusion with a reason/evidence You then have to provide information about the isolated factor (that is the factor mentioned in the question). Try and provide at least two reasons for why this factor caused Revolution. If you provide two reasons, then this will help you achieve two knowledge marks for this information. For example: Rasputin had an influence over the Tsar and Tsarina because of the fact they believed he could heal their son Alexie of his haemophilia. This caused revolution in 1917 because people did not trust Rasputin and felt the Tsar was not acting very immorally trusting someone like this. (Knowledge point 1) Furthermore, given the Tsar was under the influence of Rasputin who did not enjoy a positive reputation because of his drinking and womanising, many politicians felt ousted by the presence and influence of Rasputin, making them doubt the Tsar s decisions and capability to rule, hence why there was a revolution in February (Knowledge point 2) You then must provide information about at least one alternative factor (that is a factor that is different from the factor in the question). You will have to make up three more knowledge points worth of marks so sometimes it is worth having more than one alternative factor. For example: However, there are other reasons for the 1917 February Revolution (Balance mark) The military defeats at the Battle of Tannenberg and the Masurian lakes left the Russian army with little morale and they did not see the point in fighting anymore, hence a reason for the 1917 February revolution (Knowledge point 3). The poor military performance on the front and the loss of the control of Poland also caused revolution in 1917 because revolutionary ideas spread quickly because of the discontent and the economic chaos caused by these defeats back home (Knowledge point 4). Furthermore, the Tsar s actions caused the outbreak of revolution in February 1917 because it was he who decided to go to the front himself, therefore taking on the full responsibility of what was happening there, instead of leaving it to an expert. People therefore blamed him personally when things went wrong, thus leading to revolution in February 1917 (Knowledge point 5). 5

6 How fully This question will provide you with a source. You have to select three relevant points from the source that answer the question. You then have to provide three relevant pieces of information from your own knowledge. This question is usually worth 5 or 6 marks. For the last two marks, you have to come to a conclusion stating which was the overall most important reason and provide evidence for this conclusion. For example: In conclusion, Rasputin was not the most important reason for the outbreak of the 1917 February revolution, but instead it was the effects of the military defeats (Coming to a conclusion). This is because the defeats on the front were so bad and so many people died and were taken prisoners that morale was lost across the army and back home which could never be recovered and would lead to the revolution in February 1917 (Supporting conclusion with evidence). Question: How fully does Source A describe the grievances of the Russian factory workers? (6) Source A was written by Josh Brooman in 1992 and describes the grievances of the Russian factory workers By the early 20th century the workers had reached breaking point as they felt no one was listening to their grievances. They were crammed into dirty accommodation that they had to share with various other families and workers. Their peasant friends and families were starving back home as they were unable to produce enough food due to increasingly small land holdings. Their treatment at work was no better as they had to work up to 15 hours a day, if not more, 6 days a week and were physically and mentally exhausted. Many were angry at not being able to strike and change their conditions. You will always be provided with a source and you must always start your answer with a judgement statement or your answer will be capped at 2 marks because you have not actually answered the question. For example: Source A only partly describes the grievances of the Russian factory workers. (No marks for this but without it you can only gain two marks). 6

7 Evaluate the Usefulness This question will provide you with a source. You then must provide three points of information from the source. They do not have to be interpreted so they can be quotes taken directly from the source. For example: The source states that workers were crammed into dirty accommodation that they had to share with various other families and workers. (1 content mark) The source also mentions that workers were working a great deal sometimes 15 hours making them exhausted. (1 content mark) Finally, the source also mentions that many workers were unhappy that they were unable to change their working conditions or complain about them as they could not strike. (1 content mark) The last thing you have to do is provide three omission points. That is, three other points of information about what the question is asking you but from your own knowledge. For example: However, from my own knowledge, I know that the source fails to mention that workers were unhappy with the innutritious food they ate such as black bread. (1 omission mark) The source also fails to mention that workers were angry at being paid so little for their hard work. (1 omission mark) Finally, the source also fails to mention that workers were growing angry over the fact that so many accidents went unreported in their workplace. (1 omission mark) Question: Evaluate the usefulness of Source A for investigating the impact of DORA on everyday life during the 1st World War. (5) Source A is a quote taken from the book Great War published in 2016 by Professor. J Burns. 7

8 You have to evaluate the usefulness of key aspects of the source including: - Content - Authorship - Timing - Purpose You also need to comment on what is missing from the source. This question is usually worth 5 or 6 marks. Source A The Defence of the Realm Act allowed the government to introduce whatever restrictions were necessary to protect the country during the war. British Summer Time was introduced to give more daylight working hours. Pub opening hours were limited to prevent drunkenness. High casualties on the Western Front eventually led to conscription. People who believed in 1914 that life in Britain would not be affected much were quickly proved wrong. Even newspapers were censored. You will always be provided with a source and you must always start your answer with a judgement statement. In Biggar High School we use the acronym CCOOTA to help you remember how to structure this answer. C stands for Content, O for Omission, T for Timing and A for Authorship. The Content points can be challenging as you have to remember to use the word accurate as well as evaluating. After all, this is why the content should be useful, as it is telling you something accurate about the events studied. For example: Source A is partly useful for investigating the impact of DORA on everyday life. The source states that Pub opening hours were limited to prevent drunkenness. This is useful because it is accurate, it is accurate because we know that people would not have been able to go to the pub as much as before as the government was worried about spies. (1 mark for content) The source also states that high casualties on the Western Front eventually led to conscription. This is useful because it accurately tells us that conscription was introduced through DORA so the army had enough men to fight, the men had no choice. (1 mark for content) You then need to think of two impacts of DORA that the source does not tell you about. Ensure your stem comments on the usefulness. For example: 8

9 The source is less useful because it fails to mention that rationing was introduced in 1918 under DORA which meant that people were only allowed a fixed allowance for sugar, meat, butter, jam and tea. (1 mark for omission) The source is also less useful as it fails to mention that censorship was introduced under DORA which meant that there was a limited amount of news about the front to reach home and even letters from loved ones were censored which upset many families. (1 mark for omission) You then need to comment on the timing of the source by identifying when the source was produced and then evaluate why this particular time makes the source more useful. Always ensure you are linking what you are saying back to the original question. For example: This source was produced in This makes the source useful because although it is a secondary source, it would have been produced with the benefit of hindsight, given it is 100 years after the outbreak of the Great War, thus making it more useful. (1 mark for timing) Compare the views This question will be based on two different sources. You have to Lastly, you need to comment on the authorship of the source. Identify who wrote the source and why this might make it useful or not. Like above, always ensure that your answer is linked back to the question. For example: The source was written by Professor J. Burns. This makes the source useful because it is likely that he is a well-read historian, who would be an expert on the Great War to be able to produce a book on it, thus making him a reliable author. (1 mark for authorship) Question: Compare the views of Sources C and D about the conditions of the Middle Passage. Source C 9

10 decide if the agree/disagree or have mixed views. You then to select the points from each source that to exemplify what you have just said. You can take a highlighter (s) into the exam hall which might help with this question. This question is worth 4 marks. The floor was covered with blood and music and resembled a slaughter house. After fifteen minutes I was so overcome by the stench and foul air that I nearly fainted. The heat was almost unbearable. The slaves meals are meagre and consist chiefly of horse beans, boiled to a pulp and sometimes a quantity of beef or port. The crew are often guilty of cruelty towards slaves. Source D I was soon put below decks. I have never smelt anything so bad in my life. Once the holds were fill of people the stench became even worse. The heat of the climate made us sweat a lot. One day the crew caught some fish, ate all they could and threw the rest overboard. We were hungry and begged for food but they ignored us. To answer this question, you must first provide an overall statement on whether or not the sources agree or disagree about what the question is asking you. It will look like this: Overall, Sources C and D agree about the conditions of the Middle Passage. You then must provide an example of what it is they agree about (this is called a Direct Comparison) and then provide the evidence to back up what you have just said (this evidence is in the form of quotes from the sources). You have to have quoted from both sources to get the quote mark. For example: Both sources agree that one of the bad conditions of the Middle Passage was that is smelled terribly. (1 Direct Comparison mark) This is shown when Source C states After fifteen minutes I was so overcome by the stench and foul air that I nearly fainted and Source D agrees when it states I 10

11 have never smelt anything so bad in my life. Once the holds were fill of people the stench became even worse. (1 quote mark) You must repeat the same process another time for the last two marks: Furthermore, the sources also agree that another bad condition on board the ships of the Middle Passage was the mistreatment of the slaves by the crew. (1 Direct comparison mark). This is exemplified when Source C states The crew are often guilty of cruelty towards slaves, and Source D agrees when it states We were hungry and begged for food but they ignored us. (1 quote mark) 11

12 Part b: National 5 Assignment The National 5 assignment requires you to think of a research question, and then produce an essay with at least three different factors and using at least two different sources of information that you must reference in your essay. This part of the qualification accounts for 20% of your overall grade so it is a very important piece of coursework. It is marked out of 20 and the marks are allocated for the following: 1. Introduction 2 marks 2. Knowledge 4 marks 3. Analysis 3 marks 4. Use of Sources 2 marks 5. Evaluation 3 marks 6. Organisation 3 marks 7. Conclusion 3 marks You will be given some time in class to prepare your assignment and look for sources (references) but you will also need to complete a lot of this work at home. You will then be given 1 hour to write up the assignment under exam conditions at the beginning of the year. You need to take a plan or resource sheet into this part of the exam, and this planning sheet gets sent away to the SQA with your assignment. This is only allowed to be on one side of A4 and has a maximum word limit of 200 words. It is very important you prepare and use this planning sheet correctly or it can affect your overall grade. More detail on the planning sheet will be discussed further down in this booklet. Section What is expected Example Research question It is your responsibility to create an appropriate research question. It should make sure that the question can open up to various factors. You will have completed many To What Extent questions throughout your time in National History and those are the sort of questions you want to be using for your assignment. 1. To what extent was Bloody Sunday the main reason for the outbreak of Revolution in 1905? 2. To what extent was the role of the suffragettes the main reason for the extension of the franchise to women in 1918? 12

13 Introduction 2 available marks You can choose to write your assignment on any topic that you want to. We strongly recommend that you chose a topic that we have studied in class, but it is your question and your assignment. Your question should mention an isolated factor which allows you to compare that isolated factor to the other factors that you will discuss. Just like you have been practising with your To What Extent questions in class, your introduction has to have three main components to get those two available marks. It must: - Provide a sentence or two of context/background on the topic - Identify which factor you think is the most important - State which factors are going to be discussed in the essay 3. To what extent were the efforts of William Wilberforce the main reason for the abolition of slavery? Example introduction to question 1: Russia in 1905 was governed by an autocratic leader called Tsar Nicholas II. People at the time were very religious and believed the Tsar to be a representative of God on Earth. The tension between the tsar and his people was starting to increase by 1905 which caused many Russians to start to revolt against him. The main reason for this Revolution in 1905 was Bloody Sunday. However, other factors will also be discussed including the discontent of the industrial workers and the Russo-Japanese War. Knowledge 4 available marks Knowledge points have to be relevant and detailed to get the mark. It makes sense to divide your knowledge points throughout your essay. It s good practice to put at least two points of knowledge into each paragraph. 13 For example, if you were writing a paragraph on the efforts of William Wilberforce, detailed knowledge would count as the following examples: Wilberforce was a deeply religious English member of parliament and social reformer who was very influential in the abolition of the slave

14 Analysis 3 available marks Organisation 3 available marks Analysis means when you examine something carefully in relation to what the question is asking you. It usually means when you link what you are saying back to the question and explain why this factor is important. The key word to use here is because which shows you are explaining what you are saying. You will need at least three of these throughout your essay, and at least one per paragraph. You will need at least one Analysis + point in your essay, which gains you the organisation mark below. This Analysis + is a counterargument or limitation of the factor that you are discussing. Good news is that you will get two of the available three marks of this section as soon as you have three factors in your essay. The third mark available for organisation is what we call the Analysis + mark. This is a counterargument or limitation of the factor. It is structured in the same way as your analysis point. A good word here to use is However as this naturally leads you to provide a counter argument or negative aspect. Remember in trade and eventually slavery itself in the British empire. He used methods such as extremely emotional speeches in parliament about the terrible conditions of slaves to try and convince other MPs to oppose slavery and thus change the law. The following are analysis points from Essay question 3, linking clearly back to the question: William Wilberforce was important in the abolition of slavery because he introduced an abolition bill every year for decade which shows how determined he was to keep slavery a key issue in parliament. Wilberforce was also important in abolishing slavery because his powerful oratory skills and passion evident in his speeches allowed him to be able to convince other politicians of the injustice of slavery. Below is an example of an analysis point from Essay question 2 and then a counter argument (Analysis +) point: The suffragettes were important for women getting the vote because their violent actions showed politicians that women were not going to give up easily and that they would not stop until they got the vote. (Analysis) 14

15 Evaluation 3 available marks Use of Sources/ References 2 available marks analysis you must also link back to the question using the key word because. You only need one counter argument in your essay but it is good practice to be try and do this for each factor. Evaluation is when you make a judgment about how important this factor is in terms of the overall question. It s usually found at the end of your paragraph and it links your paragraph back to answer the question initially posed. Is this factor the most important? Is it of moderate importance? Or is this factor the least important factor? You then need to explain why this is. There are three available evaluation marks and you will achieve all three of these if you make a different evaluative comment and justification at the end of each one of your factor paragraphs. You need to use at least 2 separate sources these cannot be from your class notes or what your teacher has said. Both cannot be taken from the same place. You can use websites, books, historical magazines and documentaries for this information. The quote can go anywhere in the paragraph it fits best. It can be a historical opinion or fact but make sure it fits into what you are discussing. You must acknowledge where you got this information from in your essay (by providing the author s name/website) and you must have these sources and 15 However, it can be argued that the suffragette movement actually brought more harm than good to the women s suffrage movement because their violent actions showed women to be irrational and untrustworthy of the vote. (Analysis +/Counter-Argument) For example, at the end of the above paragraph on the role of the Suffragettes you would get a mark for evaluation for the following: Overall, the role of the Suffragettes was the least important factor in the extension of the franchise in 1918 because they were far too violent to gain any real respect. If it had not been for the war then women would not have been able to show how competent they really were. For example, in your essay paragraph you might include the sources like this: Example section for Essay question 1: Within Essay: Bloody Sunday was the event that showed the incompetency of the Tsar and his true colours were revealed. The people of Russia took up arms against the monarchy for the first time revolting in whatever way they could. Historian Orlando Figes in A peoples tragedy: the Russian revolution states that the revolution had truly been born, and it had been born in the very core, in the bowels of the people.(1)

16 their origins written out in full on your planning/resource sheet. On resource/planning sheet: (1) The revolution had truly been born, and it had been born in the very core, in the bowels of the people. Orlando Figes, a peoples tragedy: the Russian revolution Example section for Essay Question 2: Within Essay: Wilberforce was also important in abolishing slavery because his powerful oratory skills and passion evident in his speeches allowed him to be able to convince other politicians of the injustice of slavery. His role cannot be overstated, as is stated on BBC History Wilberforce certainly deserves some credit for the banning of the British slave trade in 1807 and the act that emancipated Britain's slaves that was finally passed in (2) On resource/planning sheet: (2) BBC History Website Wilberforce certainly deserves some credit for the banning of the British slave trade in 1807 and the act that emancipated Britain's slaves that was finally passed in

17 Conclusion 3 available marks Resource /Planning Sheet This has to be used in the write up and handed in with your written assignment Your conclusion should start with the words To conclude or In conclusion and you must answer the question you set yourself. Your conclusion has to have three main components to get those three available marks. It must: Answer the question by stating which factor is the most important- come to a conclusion. Provide two reasons for why this is the most important factor- provide supporting evidence. State the other two factors and say why there are not as important as the main factor- balance factors. You can do this in any order you prefer. Sometimes, it is helpful to use the format on one hand on the other hand for the two less important factors. Your resource sheet has a maximum word limit of 200 words and has to be on one side of A4 paper. You cannot have any more words than this or you will be penalised. Furthermore, you cannot have long sentences of information on this resource sheet that you directly lift into your essay. This will also result in severe penalties or a complete failure of the assignment at National 5 level. This is because you are expected to use the resource sheet as a basic plan only and have developed enough skills and the required knowledge to recreate an essay. 17 Example conclusion for Essay question 1: To conclude, there were many different reasons why the 1905 revolution began. On one hand, economic problems were the least important factor as it people still though the Tsar was a God figure. On the other hand, the Russo-Japanese war was more important a factor as this humiliated Russia and the character and conduct of the Tsar resulted in many poor decisions being made for Russia. (Balancing factors) Overall, it could be argued that Bloody Sunday was the main cause for the 1905 revolution (Coming to a conclusion) because of the many people killed that day and the unwillingness of the Tsar to help his people who were hugely angered by the event and could have seen it as the last straw and the time for change to happen. (Supporting evidence for conclusion). Your resource sheet can be in any form that helps you as long as it is not a sheet of continuous information. It is a good idea to use key words and/or bullet points to avoid cheating. Some pupils like to keep a plan simple and use small subheadings as follows: Intro- context/ Tsar/ autocrat/ 300/ line of argument = bloody Sunday. List factors. Para 1- Bloody Sunday- 50,000, Cossacks Little Father. Analysis- Important because Counter argument- short term factor. Trust.

18 You need to have your two sources clearly labelled and written out in full on your resource sheet.* Other pupils like to use mind-maps or pictures for their plans too. This is why this important part of the exam is worth 20% of your overall grade. If the teacher or examiner has any suspicion at all about your assignment, they will follow this up with an investigation to make sure you keep to the rules. 18

19 Section 2: Higher History Part a: Higher Exam Paper 1 European and British Section For this first part of the final exam, you will be given 1 hour and a half to write up two essays, one from the European and World section and one from the British section. That would work out at about 45 minutes a question, but you will also need to factor in thinking and reviewing time. This section of the exam is marked out of 44 (22 marks per essay) and accounts for 40% of your overall grade. Question Stem What is expected? Example To what extent was Or How important was This essay question will provide you with an isolated factor. It will then expect you to discuss this isolated factor and at least two other factors in the format of an essay. Remember if you do only three factors it might give you more time to ensure your knowledge and analysis are detailed but you will not be able to achieve all 4 evaluation marks. Remember the available mark in your essay are as follows: Introduction 3 marks Knowledge 6 marks Analysis 3 marks Analysis + 3 marks Evaluation 4 marks Conclusion 3 marks For example, the question To what extent was the outbreak of war the main reason for the failure of the Constitutional Monarchy by 1793? Your first paragraph should discuss the role of the Outbreak of war. You can then choose at least two (or three) other factors to discuss in your essay. You ll need to remember the factors that we have studied in each issue and try not get confused. In this example the other factors you might want to discuss include: -Actions of Louis XVI -Civil Constitution of the Clergy -Role of the Émigré -Role of the National Assembly 19

20 Part b: Higher Exam Paper 2 Scottish Section For this second part of the exam, you will be allocated another hour and a half. This section of the exam is worth 33% of your overall grade and there are 36 available marks. This section is designed to show your knowledge and source handling skills. Question Stem Explain the reasons why 8 available marks What is expected? You will not be provided with a source for this question but instead it is to show your knowledge. The skill of this question is to show connections between events or processes. You are explaining the cause or impact of a factor. You should identify the point and then go on to explain this whilst ensuring you link back to the question. The key word here to show you are Example Question: Explain the reasons for the passing of the Treaty of Union in (8) Always start with a generic statement linking back to the question: There are many reasons for the passing of Union in Then go on to identify your first point, making sure you then explain it clearly using the word because as well as linking it clearly back to the question: One reason for the passing of the Union in 1707 was the promise of the Equivalent. (Point) This made people vote for Union because many important nobles had been those who had lost money in the Darien scheme and therefore they believed this was an opportunity for compensation over their lost investments hence why they would vote in favour of Union.(Explain) Continue this pattern by identifying the point of information and explaining why this was a reason for the passing of Union in You ll need 8 points of information in total. A second reason for the passing of the Treaty of Union in 1707 was the Act of Security promised to the Kirk. (Point) This was important because many Scots had been worried that their Presbyterian faith would be absorbed into the English Church and therefore this Act gave them reassurance and helped them support the Union. (Explain) 20

21 explaining is the word because. Common key words you can use when explain are because, due to, by and as This question can be from any of the four key issues. Furthermore, bribes were a key reason for the passing of Union.(Point) Many titles and pensions acted as an incentive for key Scottish politicians and others were bribed with eh promise of English lands and estate which were both incentives for voting in favour of Union. (Explain) Similarly, the economic conditions of Scotland could be considered a key reason for the passing of Union. (Point) This is because some MPs saw Union as a way out of the country s financial problems and voted for it because it gave them access to England s colonial markets. (Explain) Another key reason for the passing of Union was the leadership of the Duke of Queensberry.(Point) This was an important reason because he was the leader of the Court Party which argued in favour of the Treaty of Union and he campaigned effectively and successfully to assure many Scottish politicians would vote in favour of the Union which they did. (Explain) On the other hand, the poor leadership of the Duke of Hamilton was another reason for the passing of Union.(Point) This was because despite being the leader of the main opposition party to Union, he failed to show up to key votes and this made the Squadron Volante more open to the arguments of Union. (Explain) A penultimate reason for the passage of Union was the role played by Daniel Defoe. (Point) This was an important reason because he was an English spy who infiltrated the Scottish noble ranks and was able to expertly analyse the mood of Scottish politicians and report back to the crown to inform the King s next step which helped the passage of union. (Explain) Lastly, another key reason was intimidation. (Point) This was a key reason for the passing of Union because English troops had been placed on the border. There was a concern that England could invade if Scots rejected Union and the fore some people supported Union out of fear for their safety.(explain) 21

22 How fully 10 available marks This question will provide you with a source. You have to select four relevant points from the source that answer the question. The difference here from National 5 is that it is not enough to just identify them but you have to interpret them into your own words. You then have to then provide six relevant pieces of information from your own knowledge. Make sure these points are detailed enough and link back to the question. Remember, similar to National 5, if you do not write at least one judgement statement which actually answers the question then your answer will be capped at two Question: How fully does Source A explain the arguments for and against Union with England? (Use the source and recalled knowledge). 10 marks Source A: from History of the Union by Daniel Defoe (1709). Many MPs knew that the standing of Scotland in the British Parliament would not be that of a kingdom, but of a province of England. Also, they knew that Cornwall would send almost as many members to Parliament as the whole of Scotland. The people cried out that they were Scotsmen and they would remain Scotsmen. They condemned the word British as fit only for the Welsh, who had already been made the subjects of the English. Scotland had always had a famous name in foreign courts, and had enjoyed privileges and honours there for many years, bought with the blood of their ancestors. They would never give away their birth right, though some in the nation had been negotiating such a bargain for themselves, at the price of selling their country. You will always be provided with a source and you must always start your answer with a judgement statement or your answer will be capped at 2 marks because you have not actually answered the question. For example: Source A only partly explains the arguments for and against Union with England. (No marks for this but without it you can only gain two marks). You then must provide four points of information from the source. You can not just quote as you will gain no marks for this. Instead, you should quote and then go on to interpret what that quote means in relation to the question. For example: The Source states that Many MPs knew that the standing of Scotland in the British Parliament would not be that of a kingdom, but of a province of England. (QUOTE) This meant that many in Scotland were worried about Scottish interests being swallowed up in a British parliament and Scotland would no longer be respected a 22

23 marks. E.g. Source A partly explains the reasons for. This question can be from any of the four key issues. nation but as only one entity of a greater England (INTERPRET) which once was of the key arguments against union prior to (LINK) The source also states that Cornwall would send almost as many members to Parliament as the whole of Scotland. (Quote). This refers to the fact that many people in Scotland believed that because Scotland was such a small country, they would not be represented fully in England as they would be by retaining a Scottish parliament at home. Given that England was so vast, many argued that Scotland s wellbeing would not be considered in a British parliament (INTERPET) and therefore this was another key argument against Union. (LINK) After you have identified four points from the source, you then need to tr and provide six omission points to gain all 10 marks. That is, six other points of information about what the question is asking you but from your own knowledge. Again, make sure this is detailed enough and linked back to the question clearly. For example: However, from my own knowledge, I know the source fails to tell us that another key argument against union was religion. This is because some Scottish Protestants feared a British Parliament dominated by Anglican Episcopalian church with bishops seats in the House of Lords which was a key reason for opposition to union. The source also does not tell us about the fact that public opinion was strongly against union. Mobs in Edinburgh and Glasgow protested because of what they saw as the disadvantages it would bring to ordinary people, in the form of higher taxation and competition from English industry. Additionally, another key argument against union was that many in Scotland believed English interests would dominate all aspects of trade - English currency, weights and measures would be used in Scotland, and Europe would favour English trade over Scots. 23

24 Evaluate the usefulness 8 Available mark This question will provide you with a source. You have to evaluate the usefulness of key aspects of the source including: - Content - Authorship - Timing - Purpose - Type You also need to comment on what is missing from the source. You can gain a maximum of two marks from content and three marks from omissions. The other 3 marks will have to be from purpose/ timing/ author or type of source. This question will be from a more specific content area from one of the four key issues. For example, the Question: Evaluate the Usefulness of Source B as evidence of the political effects on Union on Scotland. (8) Source B: from Paul Henderson Scott, The Union of 1707, Why and How (2006) One irony of the Union is that it did not in the end extinguish Scotland as a nation; it retained its own distinctive identity, attitudes and ideas, and its traditions were so strong that they were not easily removed. The consequences of the Treaty in this respect were not as harmful as they might have been, although it did exert a strong Anglicising influence. Nevertheless, the guarantees to the Scottish legal system in the Treaty and to the Church in the Act of Security for the Kirk had more influence on Scotland than the distant British parliament. English and Scottish historians have concluded that the continuation of the Scottish systems of education and local government were a significant achievement of Union even if the Scottish Privy Council had been abolished, which was a sticking point for many. You will always be provided with a source and you must always start your answer with a judgement statement. In Biggar High School we use the acronym CCOOTAP to help you remember how to structure this answer. C stands for Content, O for Omission, T for Timing, A for Authorship & P for purpose. The Content points can be challenging as you have to remember to use the word accurate as well as evaluating. After all, this is why the content should be useful, as it is telling you something accurate about the events studied. For example: Source B is partly useful for investigating the political effects of the Treaty of Union on Scotland. The source states that the guarantees to the Scottish legal system in the Treaty and to the Church in the Act of Security for the Kirk had more influence on Scotland than the distant British parliament. This is useful because it is accurate, it is accurate because we know that one key political impact of the union was that the Scottish 24

25 reasons for the failure of the Darien Scheme from Issue 1. legal system was to remain intact and her laws different from those in England, even if there could be altered in future by the new British government. (1mark for content). The source also states that English and Scottish historians have concluded that the continuation of the Scottish systems of education and local government were a significant achievement of Union even if the Scottish Privy Council had been abolished, which was a sticking point for many. This is useful because it accurately tells us that another key political impact of the Union was that the Scottish Privy council was abolished which although had not been guaranteed by the Treaty of Union, but it did appear to be a breach of the spirit behind the terms of Union and Scotland maintaining this administrative body which many found to be unfair. (1 mark for content) You then need to think of three political impacts of the Union that the source does not tell you about. Ensure your stem comments on the usefulness. For example: However, the source is less useful because it fails to mention that a key political effect of Union was that a new Scottish Court of Exchequer was set up and responsible for tax. This gave the Scots experience of laws relating to trade and business. (1 mark for omission) Furthermore, the source also fails to mention that the Scottish political elite had many reasons for being disappointed with the immediate effects of the Union. The Duke of Hamilton had supported the passing of the Treaty of Union. One of his rewards for doing so was a British peerage, the Duke of Brandon. However, when this was granted in 1711, he was not granted the right to sit in the House of Lords. Had this have been mentioned, the source would have been more useful. (1 mark for omission) Lastly, the source is also less useful because it fails to mention that there was an Attempt to repeal the Treaty of Union In June 1713, three leading supporters 25

26 of Union in 1707, proposed a bill to the House of Lords to dissolve the Union, thereby demonstrating the extent of the discontent with the Union amongst some in Scotland. It failed by only four votes and this was a key political impact of the Treaty of Union (1 mark for omission) You then need to comment on the timing of the source by identifying when the source was produced and then evaluate why this particular time makes the source more useful. Always ensure you are linking what you are saying back to the original question. For example: This source was produced in This makes the source useful because although it is a secondary source, it would have been produced with the benefit of hindsight, given it is many the Treaty of Union, thus making it more useful. (1 mark for timing) Lastly, you need to comment on the authorship of the source. Identify who wrote the source and why this might make it useful or not. Like above, always ensure that your answer is linked back to the question. For example: The source was written by Paul Henderson. This makes the source useful because given he has produced a book on the Treaty of Union, it is likely that he is a well-read historian, who would be an expert on the effect of Union therefore making him a reliable author. (1 mark for authorship) For the last mark, you could evaluate the type of source: The source is taken from a book called The Union of 1707, Why and How? This makes the source useful as evidence of the political effects of Union because if it was published recently, it is more likely be peer reviewed and therefore accurate. (1 mark for type) Or you could evaluate the purpose of the source: 26

27 How much 10 available marks In this question, you will be provided with two different sources and you will be asked to detail the interpretations of these sources are, i.e what the sources are about in general, how much they tell us about a certain historical event and what they fail to mention. The key advice here is to: 1. Identify the two main views of the sources 2. Quote the evidence from each of the sources linking back to the question The source has been most likely produced to educate given that it is in a book format and will not doubt be used by students studying the impact of the Treaty of Union. However, given the recent growth of interest in Scottish Nationalism, it might have been produced to persuade people to vote one way or the other, but given that only a small amount of text is available, this cannot be confirmed. (OR 1 mark for purpose). For example structure below: How much do sources Overall, sources A and B reveal about differing interpretations of... Source A is of the view that. (overall viewpoint) In this source, it states that.. This suggests that (interpretation). It also states that which suggests that (interpretation). However, Source A fails to mention that... (omission) Source B is of the view that. (overall viewpoint) Source B states that. This suggests that... (interpretation). Furthermore, Source B also states that which suggest that. (interpretation). However, Source B fails to mention that (omission) Source A: from a speech by John Dalrymple, Earl of Stair, in Parliament, 1706 We followed the example of other nations and formed the Company of Scotland to trade with the West Indies. We built ships and planned a colony on the isthmus of Darien. What we lacked were not men or arms, or courage but the one thing most needful: we lacked the friendly co-operation of England. The pitiful outcome of that enterprise is too sad a story to be told again. Suffice it to say that the English did not treat us as partners or friends or fellow subjects of a British king. The treated us as pirates and enemy aliens. We were exposed to the hostile rivalry of Spain, encouraged by England. Our colony was sacked. We suffered every cruelty an enemy can inflict. 27

28 3. Add recall and remember that this recall should be clearly linked back to the question The marks can be allocated as following: A. Differing viewpoints of Sources X and Y (2 marks) B. Interpretation of viewpoints from sources X and Y (6 marks) C. Points of recall and contextualisatio n (6 marks) This question will be from a more specific content area from one of the four key issues e.g. Economic effects of Union. Source B: a quote from historian and author Professor John McKendrick of Glasgow Caledonian University. Darien was always going to fail. The Scots placed their colony at the most critical juncture in Spanish territory. By the late seventeenth century the Spanish Empire was in decline but it was still a very powerful world power which ruled from northern Mexico to the tip of Argentina. The Scots picked the worst place. It was in the heart of Spanish territory. It was the equivalent of the Russians having a military base 100 miles from Washington DC. The Spanish were simply never going to allow it. The Scottish stubbornly refused to abandon their colonial dream even as their numbers dwindled from disease and ships carrying fresh supplies failed to arrive. Upon hearing of Spanish intentions to launch a direct attack, the starving Scots launched a pre-emptive strike on the nearby Spanish fort. The Spanish retaliated and defeated the beleaguered colonists who were forced to leave Darien for the last time in April Despite Spanish aggression, many Scots at the time blamed the failure of the Darien dream on the English. You can decide how to allocate the marks, but it makes sense to think of this question as two mini how-fully questions. Give an overall viewpoint of Source A and then try and provide two points of content and two points of omission and then do the same with Source B. This will get you your allocated 10 marks if you answer it well. Look at the model answer below for the question above. Sources A and B reveal different interpretations of the key reasons for the failure of the Darien scheme. 28

29 Source A is of the view that the key reason for the failure of the Darien Scheme was the English, most prominently because of the mistreatment of the British King which is understandable because the Scots now shared a king with England, since the Union of Crowns in 1603, despite being independent countries and the Scots were feeling slighted by him. (1 mark overall interpretation) In Source A it states that What we lacked were not men or arms, or courage, but the one thing most needful: we lacked the political co-operation of England. This suggests that the Scots believed that the only reason for the Scot s failure at Darien was the English to support them because they already had colonies in the West Indies and were working alongside the Spanish against the French. Without English support however, it was doomed to failure. (1 mark source interpretation) Source A also states that The union of crowns gave us no security, as the English did not prevent us being exposed to the hostile rivalry of Spain. Our colony was attacked, This suggests that another key reason for the failure at Darien was because the English did not intercede to support the Scots when they could have, leaving the Scots at the mercy of a foreign and stronger power and thus meaning the Darien scheme was going to collapse. (1 mark source interpretation) However, Source A fails to mention that another key reason for the failure at Darien was the fact that the Scots did not insure any of their ships. This meant that once many were lost, they could not recover the little money they had left or send new ships to aid the new colonists, hence the failure at Darien. (1 mark omission) On the other hand, Source B is of the view that on the fact that it was not solely the fault of the English that the Darien scheme failed but instead the whole venture was doomed to fail from the outset, mainly because of the Scots poor decision making. (1 mark overall interpretation) In Source B it states that The Scots picked the worst place. It was in the heart of Spanish territory. This suggests that the Scots were inexperienced in terms of world trade and colonial power and should have thought about where they were to set up this colony more carefully. Given they chose it right amongst the strong power of the 29

30 Spanish, they were not going to be able to stay there long term, hence a key reason for the failure of Darien. (1 mark source interpretation) Source B also states that the Scottish stubbornly refused to abandon their colonial dream even as their numbers dwindled from disease and ships carrying fresh supplies failed to arrive. This suggests that in addition to inexperience, the Scots were not prepared for the real dangers of crossing the world and did not know how to deal with the foreign diseases that they met there, hence another key reason for the failure at Darien. ( 1 mark source interpretation) Source B fails to mention that England s Dutch ruler at the time, King William III, was determined to protect his homeland from France and the Spanish were central to ensuring its protection. King William III made it a priority to protect the Netherlands from French invasion and to do this he needed to keep Spain and her huge navy on side. This is why England did not support the Darien scheme, and thus another reason why it failed. (1 mark omission) Another reason that Source B fails to mention was the climate. The Spanish, who were used to considerably hotter weather than Scots, had attempted a settlement at Darien in 1501 but abandoned it by Darien has 200 inches of rainfall yearly because it is next to a tropical rainforest and thus the Scots were not prepared for this climate hence another reason why they failed. (1 mark omission) Lastly, another reason that both sources fail to mention is the fact that the Scottish settlers were also poorly equipped for life in the tropics Their first cargos included items such as heavy cloth, bonnets, wigs and Bibles which were of little practical use to them. Very few of these new settlers had the practical skills needed for the building of a new colony; for the felling of the rainforest and cultivating this harsh land in unbearable heat. Five months after landing there, the Scots had barely began to plough the land around New Edinburgh (1 mark omission/contextualisation) 30

31 Part c: Higher Assignment The Higher assignment requires you to think of a research question, and then produce an essay with at least three different factors and using at least four different sources of information that you must reference in your essay. This part of the qualification accounts for 27% of your overall grade so it is a very important piece of coursework. It is marked out of 30 and the marks are allocated for the following: 1. Introduction 3 marks 2. Knowledge 8 marks 3. Analysis 7 marks 4. Evaluation 5 marks 5. References 4 marks 6. Conclusion 3 marks You will be given some time in class to prepare your assignment and look for sources (references) but you will also need to complete a lot of this work at home. You will then be given 1 and half hours to write up the assignment under exam conditions at the beginning of the year. You need to take a plan or resource sheet into this part of the exam, and this planning sheet gets sent away to the SQA with your assignment. It is only allowed to be one side of an A4 sheet of paper and it has a maximum word limit of 250 words. It is very important you prepare and use this planning sheet correctly or it can affect your overall grade. More detail on the planning sheet will be discussed further down in this booklet. Section What is expected Example Research question It is your responsibility to create an appropriate research question. It should make sure that the question can open up to various factors. You will have completed many To What Extent or How important questions throughout your time in Higher History and those are the sort of questions you want to be using for your assignment. You can choose to write your assignment on any topic that you want to. We strongly recommend that you To what extent was Louis actions the main reason for the failure of the Constitutional monarchy by 1973? 2. To what extent was the Glencoe Massacre the most important reason for the worsening relations between Scotland and England in the 1790 s? 3. How important was the re-emergence of Irish Republicanism in the growth of tension in Ireland up to 1914?

32 Introduction 3 available marks chose a topic that we have studied in class, but it is your question and your assignment. Your question should mention an isolated factor which allows you to compare that isolated factor to the other factors that you will discuss. Just like you have been practising with your To What Extent questions in class, your introduction has to have three main components to get those two available marks. It must: - Provide a sentence or two of context/background on the topic - Identify which factor you think is the most important - State which factors are going to be discussed in the essay Example introduction to question 3: At the start of the 20th Century, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom and existed within the British state fairly comfortably. There was no mass demand for independence from Britain. However, by 1914 there was an elevation in tensions within the country. Although historians have argued that the re-emergence of Irish Republicanism at the start of the twentieth century was responsible for these tensions, it must be concluded though that this factor isn t particularly important. Rather, the most important factor was the 1910 General Election. This will be closely analysed along with the Unionist/Nationalist reactions to Home Rule and religious/economic divisions. Knowledge 4 available marks Knowledge points have to be relevant and detailed to get the mark. It makes sense to divide your knowledge points throughout your essay. It s good practice to put at least three points of knowledge into each paragraph. 32 For example, if you were writing a paragraph on the Glencoe Massacre, Essay question 2: In August 1691, King William III (II of Scotland) decreed that all of the clan chiefs in the Highlands of Scotland must take an Oath of Loyalty to him and his wife Mary. Powerful nobles in Scotland

33 thought they d make an example of the McDonalds of Glencoe who had missed the deadline by two days. Nearly 100 members of the Campbell clan who were soldiers were instructed to kill the McDonalds. They stayed with them for a week before turning on them in the middle of the night with swords. Many of the clan escaped, but the chief, 33 other men, 2 women, and 2 children were brutally murdered and others died out in the freezing conditions once they escaped. Analysis 7 available marks Analysis means when you examine something carefully in relation to what the question is asking you. It usually means when you link what you are saying back to the question and explain why this factor is important. The key word to use here is because which shows you are explaining what you are saying. You will need at least four of these throughout your essay, and at least one per paragraph. You will need at least three Analysis + point in your essay, which gains you the total 7 marks available. This Analysis + is a counterargument or limitation of the factor that you are discussing. You should be familiar with these terms and how to analyse from the work we have done together in class. 33 The following are analysis points from Essay question 1, linking clearly back to the question: Louis actions were important in the failure of Constitutional Monarchy because the king s support was of paramount importance if Constitutional monarchy was to work. Unfortunately, his unwillingness to share power meant that the new constitution was doomed from the outset. (Analysis) Louis decision to flee to Varennes was also disastrous for the success of the Constitutional monarchy for many in France now regarded him as a traitor against the revolution and had the proof that he did not intend to support the revolution, hence turning people against him and hampering the success of this new constitution. (Analysis) However, some might argue that Louis actions are limited in causing the failure of

34 Evaluation 5 available marks Use of Sources/ References Evaluation is when you make a judgment about how important this factor is in terms of the overall question. It s usually found at the end of your paragraph and it links your paragraph back to answer the question initially posed. Is this factor the most important? Is it of moderate importance? Or is this factor the least important factor? You then need to explain why this is. This section should always have fresh insight. This just means a piece of knowledge or analysis that you have withheld. There are five available evaluation marks and to achieve all five of these marks you will need to discuss five different factors in your assignment and build a coherent line of argument throughout your whole essay. I.e. link each one of your evaluative comments on each individual factor back to your line of argument. You need to use at least 4 separate sources these cannot be from your class notes or what your teacher has said. Both cannot be taken from the same place. the Constitutional Monarchy because although he did make bad decisions and decide the flee in June of 1791, the Constitution was actually signed after this event and did not fail until more than a year later. This must show that Louis behaviour itself could not have been the driving factor of the constitutional monarchy would have fallen sooner. (Analysis+) For example, at the end of the above paragraph on Essay 1 you would get a mark for evaluation for the following: In evaluation, it can be seen that the character and actions of Louis XVI are arguably the most important cause in bringing about a failure of constitutional monarchy because in order for a constitutional monarchy to work it required his willingness to co-operate and work with the revolutionaries which was something that he demonstrated he was not willing to do from a very early stage. He has been advised by Comte de Mirabeau to flee as this would impact what the people thought of their King, but he decided against taking this advice and left anyway. This lost momentum for the experiment and convinced many that there was no hope of a constitutional monarch ever working. Example analysis section for Essay question 1: Within Essay: 34

35 4 available marks Conclusion 3 available marks These can be primary or secondary sources. If it is a secondary source, you should ensure that this is historical opinion and it should fit in to your analysis or evaluation sections. You can use websites, books, historical magazines and documentaries for this information. You must acknowledge where you got this information from in your essay (by providing the author s name/website) and you must have these sources and their origins written out in full on your planning/resource sheet. Your conclusion should start with the words To conclude or In conclusion and you must answer the question you set yourself. Your conclusion has to have three main components to get those three available marks. It must: 35 Louis actions and behaviour were important in the failure of the constitutional monarchy since rumours were confirmed that Louis had been against the new constitution all along. He was clearly viewed as a traitor to the nation. As Sylvia Neely states in her book A Concise History of the French Revolution: The result of the flight to Varennes was a polarization among patriots. Radicals were now even more suspicious of the authority and more prone to believe in conspiracy. If the king had been deceiving them all along, how many were in deception and wondered. (2) On resource/planning sheet, it should look like this: (2) The result of the flight to Varennes was a polarization among patriots. Radicals were now even more suspicious of the authority and more prone to believe in conspiracy. If the king had been deceiving them all along, how many were in deception and wondered. Sylvia Neely, A Concise History of the French Revolution, page 129. Example conclusion for Essay question: In conclusion, there are a range of long and short term factors which are responsible for the growth in tensions in Ireland by On the balance of evidence, there is little to support the idea that

36 Resource /Planning Sheet This has to be used in the write up and handed in with Answer the question by stating which factor is the most important- come to a conclusion and explain why this is the case- supporting reason. Provide a relative judgement on all of the factors- least to most important. Link each of the factors back to your line of argument You can do this in any order you prefer. Sometimes, it is helpful to use the format on one hand on the other hand for the two less important factors. Your resource sheet has a maximum word limit of 2050 words and has to be on one side of A4 paper. You cannot have any more words than this or you will be penalised. Furthermore, you cannot have long sentences of information on this resource sheet that you directly lift into your essay. This will also result in severe penalties or a complete failure of the 36 the re-emergence of Republicanism was responsible for this rise making this the least important factor. (Answer the question) Sinn Fein was the political voice of republicanism but the party barely made any impression on the political scene and instead it was the election of 1910 that put the evidence of these tensions on the table. On one hand the religious and economic divisions could be viewed as the genesis of these tensions and are of moderate importance but without the election these tensions would have summered out. On the other hand, second in importance was the nationalist and unionist reactions because these reactions brought tensions to its greatest height prior to 1914 but no violence broke out at this point and these issues did not enter the political arena until the election of (Relative judgment on all factors and linked back to line of argument). Therefore, this is why. The most important factor was the 1910 election. This was the key moment which put Home Rule on the British government s agenda and provoked the arming of the Unionists in the North. (Most important factor and why) Your resource sheet can be in any form that helps you as long as it is not a sheet of continuous information. It is a good idea to use key words and/or bullet points to avoid cheating. Some pupils like to keep a plan simple and use small subheadings as follows:

37 your written assignment assignment at Higher level. This is because you are expected to use the resource sheet as a basic plan only and have developed enough skills and the required knowledge to recreate an essay. You need to have your four sources clearly labelled and written out in full on your resource sheet.* This is why this important part of the exam is worth 27% of your overall grade. If the teacher or examiner has any suspicion at all about your assignment, they will follow this up with an investigation to make sure you keep to the rules. Intro- context/ Tsar/ Scotland in middle ages/line argument = Glencoe massacre. List factors. Para 1- Glencoe Mssacre- William IIIoath/loyalty, Dalrymple, Campbells, Murder under Trust, chief + 33, freezing, A and A+, In evaluation (Quote 1) Other pupils like to use mind-maps or pictures for their plans too. Sometimes at Higher level, because you should be so familiar with writing essays throughout the year, the best way to prepare your resource sheet is literally just writing down your four sources to be used. One for each of your paragraphs. This keeps in simple and to the point. 37