Alevel history help!

Can anyone help me out with getting an A* in alvel history? I'd appreciate any essay/ study advice <3 (I'm doing America and Tudors)

Reply 1

FairyPeriapt

Original post by yourmywnderwall

Can anyone help me out with getting an A* in alvel history? I'd appreciate any essay/ study advice <3 (I'm doing America and Tudors)

For revision:

•

Blurting

•

Revision cards sorted by topic covering key dates and statistics

•

summarise a whole topic into a mind map - generally an A3 size paper works best

•

plan random past questions both question and source - maybe have a teacher review them

•

solidify your timings when writing

•

try explaining a topic to another non-history person and quiz them to see gaps in your explanations to improve exam writing

•

look for any online revision guide materials available (websites, videos, digital summaries etc.) and see if your school library has textbooks/ revision guides to hand for you to borrow

•

study with others studying the same topics to quiz each other and have a combined set of knowledge if you ever get stuck or confused at any point

•

it may also be good to ask your teacher for any recommendations around revision

For an NEA if you do one i'll paste a structure below
Intro
´ Set the context to the question
´Outline differing views
´Answer the question
´

Main argument

´Address the key feature in the question and argue using evidence how this relates to the question
´Include at least one historian and primary source to support or criticise this view
´

Counter argument

´Offer an alternative to the key feature in the question and argue using evidence how this relates to the question
´Include at least one historian or primary source to support or criticise this view

Judgement

´Answer the question

Exam question essay

Introduction: set context, address key feature, counter argument, judgement
Main body: 3-4 paragraphs with at least one counter argument, use specific evidence to back up your points but don't stray away from the question
Judgement: answer the question, Use 3rd person (so no I think or I believe), use the wording of the question, treat like a mini main body paragraph with some evidence but DO NOT add new information as you can lose marks as it stops your answer from looking well thought out and planned

Source Question evaluation
This is generally for how the source is valuable to a historian studying XYZ
Paragraph 1: outline/ summarise the source in relation to the question, should be short at around 2-3 lines
Paragraph 2: All about the value of the source
Content: add support evidence i.e quotes, pick a quote and add detailed evidence to how it relates
Provenance: Relation to the purpose, author, nature, date and audience, alternatively analysing the 5 W's in relation to the source and how it adds value
Paragraph 3: All about the limitations of the source
Content: evidence to criticise, a quote can be valuable and limiting so don't be afraid to spin the perspective
Provenance: relation to what makes it limits + bias/subjectivity - this is about how the source omits evidence due to the provenance as bias isn't really an accepted criticism in A-Level
Paragraph 4: Judgement, answer the question, review main points, overall value, do include evidence that you have used in the other paragraphs to support your conclusion

Reply 2

yourmywnderwall

Original post by FairyPeriapt

For revision:

•

Blurting

•

Revision cards sorted by topic covering key dates and statistics

•

summarise a whole topic into a mind map - generally an A3 size paper works best

•

plan random past questions both question and source - maybe have a teacher review them

•

solidify your timings when writing

•

try explaining a topic to another non-history person and quiz them to see gaps in your explanations to improve exam writing

•

look for any online revision guide materials available (websites, videos, digital summaries etc.) and see if your school library has textbooks/ revision guides to hand for you to borrow

•

study with others studying the same topics to quiz each other and have a combined set of knowledge if you ever get stuck or confused at any point

•

it may also be good to ask your teacher for any recommendations around revision

For an NEA if you do one i'll paste a structure below
Intro
´ Set the context to the question
´Outline differing views
´Answer the question
´

Main argument

´Address the key feature in the question and argue using evidence how this relates to the question
´Include at least one historian and primary source to support or criticise this view
´

Counter argument

Judgement

´Answer the question
Exam question essay
Introduction: set context, address key feature, counter argument, judgement
Main body: 3-4 paragraphs with at least one counter argument, use specific evidence to back up your points but don't stray away from the question
Judgement: answer the question, Use 3rd person (so no I think or I believe), use the wording of the question, treat like a mini main body paragraph with some evidence but DO NOT add new information as you can lose marks as it stops your answer from looking well thought out and planned
Source Question evaluation
This is generally for how the source is valuable to a historian studying XYZ
Paragraph 1: outline/ summarise the source in relation to the question, should be short at around 2-3 lines
Paragraph 2: All about the value of the source
Content: add support evidence i.e quotes, pick a quote and add detailed evidence to how it relates
Provenance: Relation to the purpose, author, nature, date and audience, alternatively analysing the 5 W's in relation to the source and how it adds value
Paragraph 3: All about the limitations of the source
Content: evidence to criticise, a quote can be valuable and limiting so don't be afraid to spin the perspective
Provenance: relation to what makes it limits + bias/subjectivity - this is about how the source omits evidence due to the provenance as bias isn't really an accepted criticism in A-Level
Paragraph 4: Judgement, answer the question, review main points, overall value, do include evidence that you have used in the other paragraphs to support your conclusion