How do i answer A Level history source questions?

I'm having trouble answering source questions.the problem is that i don't know how to structure my essay.It'd help if you posted some examples answer !2 mark or 24 mark essays

Reply 1

KH94

Original post by 1nconnu

I'm having trouble answering source questions.the problem is that i don't know how to structure my essay.It'd help if you posted some examples answer !2 mark or 24 mark essays

I hope I can help you with your recent question.

Could you tell me what board you are following for A-level History? I will certainly help you in any way I can.

KH94 - A-level History Student

Reply 2

KH94

I will contact some other users to assist you.

In addition, you could try the following websites:
www.wikihow.com
www.firsttutors.com
www.schoolhistory.co.uk
www.ocr.org.uk

Example candidate answer from OCR:
How far do you believe what this source shows you about Dick Turpin? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer.

Candidate style answer
You can’t believe what Source D shows
about Dick Turpin. It isn’t supposed to
be historically accurate because it is just
from a toy theatre. Anyway, we know
from Source E that Turpin’s ride to York,
which is what I think this source shows,
never took place. Even if it isn’t the ride
to York, the picture is just a glamorous
image of Turpin to excite the children
at the theatre. It just shows the
highwayman myth, how people thought
about highwaymen as glamorous
heroes, and not as vicious criminals like
the Gregory Gang shown in Source B,
which is much more realistic, but
wouldn’t be very suitable for children

A basic piece of advice is this: When writing an essay focus on the question and link your answer back to the question to back-up your point. Also remember to reference the sources and explain/justify your answer.

You will know already from school how to structure an essay. For A-level History, you need around 5 paragraphs, including your introduction and conclusion/evaluation/summary.

There are many great books available for most A-level History exam boards and units.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Regards,
KH94 - A-level History Student

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

Blue56

Original post by 1nconnu

I'm having trouble answering source questions.the problem is that i don't know how to structure my essay.It'd help if you posted some examples answer !2 mark or 24 mark essays

Happy to help if you want to post the question and exam board you are working with. :smile:

Reply 4

KH94

Check this out:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=3518-a-level-history

There are a range of essays on TSR! They should help with your structure and response to source-based questions.

Regards,
KH94 - A-level History Student

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 5

ladynova

Original post by 1nconnu

I'm having trouble answering source questions.the problem is that i don't know how to structure my essay.It'd help if you posted some examples answer !2 mark or 24 mark essays

Hey I got an A* on Edexcel history A level.

Give 5-10 minutes to analyze sources and mark where they agree and disagree. Remember to PEEL each paragraph. Point, evidence, evaluation, link back to the question

Start off with a balanced introduction which puts forwards your arguments and directly answer the question from both viewpoints. Do not say source 1, source 2, but use the author of the source. Then a very brief sentence at the end of the first paragraph your view.

For the second paragraph I always like to start with arguing for the view put forward in the question. Use your own knowledge to back up the source and then analyze the source in line with this. Then bring in how another source can agree and repeat that.

For the third. argue how the sources disagree and tie in your own knowledge.

Usually you can do atleast one further argument which is in the middle for the third.

Some people used the approach of looking at providence in one paragraph by itself then the conclusion but I always liked to do provenance with the main paragraphs. This also includes saying which source carries the most weight over the others.

Then in the conclusion, it is very much like the introduction, sum up your points and give your overall view on the question.

It has been 4 months since I had a history exam and I am a little rusty seeing as I am doing English and not History at uni. There is much more I could go in to. But Every essay regardless of the question I had a formula on how to answer. It was like a scaffold which I could insert any facts and then evaluation in and then link and it got me an A*. If you are doing Crown and Authority I got 100/100 ums in that exam. :smile:

Just as a tip my first essays barely scored C's. It takes a lot of practice with essays to get it right.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

1nconnu

Original post by ladynova

Just as a tip my first essays barely scored C's. It takes a lot of practice with essays to get it right.

:-) thank you

Reply 7

briony26

Hey
Thank you for your answer, it really helped with the structuring of the essay as well as reassurance! I got 100% on both my History exams at GCSE but in my first A Level essays I got a C and a D so was panicking and very disappointed.

It's nice to hear that everyone starts off at this point but manages to do as well as you have

Reply 8

ibbi1824

Hi i'm doing Edexcel Unit 2 on Henry VIII Crown and Authority as well and I'm having some trouble with my introductions and conclusions for both questions I would really appreciate it if someone would help me/ has any examples I could look at because I have absolutley no idea what to write for them :/