Edexcel Unit 6 exam - 19th June

OP

I'm all revised out... I haven't revised everything by any means, but just can't revise anymore! I don't really know what else to learn! I'm just learning loads of facts and bits of information to back up my arguments, and praying for decent questions!

Reply 25

alispam

12

timharvey

use own knowledge first
then sources to abck it up then evaluate sources
otherwise your essay becomes too source dependent=less marks.
dont put your final opinion in until the conclusion.

interestingly the total opposite to what we're told. the sources are main basis and your knowledge should annotate the sources to support/disagree with it, not the other way around.
also we're told to state our arguement in the intro to lay it out and then make sure its present all the through.
the main point is to analyse the sources with your knowledge.

Reply 26

Yeh we were also told to use the sources more and then back up with own knowledge and just make sure you have a consistent argument throughout!

Im sure it kinda says in the mark scheme that you get more marks for use of sources rather than own knowledge. Although I might be wrong about that.

Reply 27

OP

I think there's a middle ground here... I think the general idea is that you should set out your argument as the core of your essay, supporting it a lot from the sources and also bits of your own knowledge. It is meant to be 60% source 40% own knowledge, and possibly even more source-based, but the exam board just don't want that to mean that many people end up giving narrations of the sources or taking them too much at face value. You are meant to be criticial of the sources and aware of the historiography (although you do not have to explicitly state whether something is revisionist, determinist etc). So that's why I think teachers advise using the sources to further your argument. But equally, sources can lead the argument, as long as it is done tactfully and not just a narration.

Reply 28

OP

emj56

just make sure you have a consistent argument throughout!

Trouble is... I sometimes change my opinion halfway through once I've got into the flow of writing hehe!

Reply 29

mellow-yellow

Trouble is... I sometimes change my opinion halfway through once I've got into the flow of writing hehe!

Lol i do find that at times :biggrin:

you just have to stick it out tho. hehe :biggrin:

Reply 30

alispam

12

mellow-yellow

You are meant to be criticial of the sources and aware of the historiography (although you do not have to explicitly state whether something is revisionist, determinist etc).

again we have been told specifically that the exam board says its not a historiography paper, your're presenting your opinions, you are the historian, critising/supporting the sources with OK, the board don't want to know what the established opinion is e.g. not a mid tudor crisis. They want to know do you think (with the evidence of the sources) it was a crisis?

Reply 31

mellow yellow just said be aware, as it is a synoptic based paper you should defintley be aware of everything to get top marks!

Reply 32

Laura_1987

We've been told not to go over board with sources its meant to be 50/50 and interlock them both. At best 60/40 either way, thats what we were told anyways. Sources used alongside own knowledge is what i'm going to try and do but a lot depends on the question and sources they give you.

Has anyone got any past exam questions plz??

Laura x x

Reply 33

Laura_1987

Has anyone got any past exam questions plz??

Laura x x

What bit of the exam are you doing? Ive put some cold war ones in a different thread if thats the time period you are doing.

Reply 34

KroniK

Hey, what a pleasant first post I'm about to make here.

I'm currently soiling myself over the prospect of this exam tomorrow... I really wish I'd not taken this subject. It's done nothing but sap any interest I had in history before I took it at A level.

I have looked all over the place, in books and asked for advice .. but everyone says different things. Nobody seems to know how to answer source questions, in fact most people seem to contradict eachother as has been seen in this thread...

This is also the fourth year in a row I've studied Russia, I'm doing the unit on Russia under stalin/post lenin.

I also found I cannot answer questions based on sources. 90% of the time sources don't seem to relate very well to the question, and it's next to impossible to expand on an answer based just on the source.... arrrgghhh I'm so scared !!

Good luck to everyone tomorrow though...

Alex

Reply 35

Laura_1987

I'm doing Hitler Power and Control unfortunately...thanks for the offer thou

Reply 36

*chuckles*

Firstly yes i totally agree that your first post was lovely and pleasant and secondly don't panic.

There is always something to refer to what you want to talk about, I always find its best to jot down your ideas in answer the question you've just read and then go through the sources and try and highlight parts that relate to it.

Then I just incorporate the quotes into my sentence, just use ... in your quotes if you need to get rid of a word or two that don't help what you're trying to say.

As long as you are using a few quotes in each of your paragraphs you can't go wrong. They give you the sources to jog your memory and they will relate to the question in some way.

You should try doing a past exam paper tonight, just practising going through the sources. I know there is at least one available on the Edexcel website anyhu if you don't have any.

Apologies for the waffle, you'll do fine :biggrin:

Good Luck!!

Reply 37

alispam

12

anyone doing mid tudor crisis out of interest?

Reply 38

KroniK

emj56

*chuckles*

Firstly yes i totally agree that your first post was lovely and pleasant and secondly don't panic.

There is always something to refer to what you want to talk about, I always find its best to jot down your ideas in answer the question you've just read and then go through the sources and try and highlight parts that relate to it.

Then I just incorporate the quotes into my sentence, just use ... in your quotes if you need to get rid of a word or two that don't help what you're trying to say.

As long as you are using a few quotes in each of your paragraphs you can't go wrong. They give you the sources to jog your memory and they will relate to the question in some way.

You should try doing a past exam paper tonight, just practising going through the sources. I know there is at least one available on the Edexcel website anyhu if you don't have any.

Apologies for the waffle, you'll do fine :biggrin:

Good Luck!!

Thanks for that !

I've had a go at doing a past exam paper.. didnt seem to go too well unfortunately. But maybe an adrenaline push in the exam conditions tomorrow will make me spot things more easily. I'm gonna have a go at doing what you suggested about jotting ideas down in answer to the question and then trying to find the source.

Thanks for your help, good luck for you tomorrow too!

Alex

Reply 39

OP