[xoxAshaxox]

While I was a school we did lots of practice questions for the essay questions and not much on answering sources and I struggle with these the most.

To answer a source question do write about:

1.The basic message of the source,
2.Why it was published and the provonace,
3.It's limitations
4.Own Knowledge

Do need anything else for answering these sort of questions?

[Mrs Faithorn]

What you have written is a pretty good summary of what's generally required.

BUT ....

What is particularly required all depends on the wording of the question.

Once more the wonderful Mr Clare comes to your rescue on his site with lots of good advice about answering source based questions.

See here:
http://www.johndclar..._sourcework.htm

After you have got your head round that then do post any further questions you may have.

[MrJohnDClare]

Are you doing AQA?
I have put up some very explicit advice on my website about how to do each kind of question you will meet in the AQA exam - both for Paper One and Paper Two.

If you're not doing AQA, the advice won't be quite so dot-on, but you still should be able to get some ideas about how to set about the different kinds of sourcework question in an exam situation.

THE BIGGEST THING to remember about sourcework questions is to ANSWER THE QUESTION!
The question will ask you to analyse a specifc thing about the source - its reliability, or accuracy, or usefulness etc.
Huge numbers of pupils get so carried away with writing about its content, origin, nature, purpose, provenance, etc., that THEY UTTERLY FORGET TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

Yes, when you answer a sourcework question, you address the message, provenance, context, content, origin and purpose of the source.
But when you have thought about those issues - BEFORE YOU START WRITING - remember to think: 'Now, what ideas does this give me about its [reliability, usefulness etc.]?'
ATBQ

[Mrs Faithorn]

MrJohnDClare, on Jun 1 2006, 02:09 PM, said:

.......
Huge numbers of pupils get so carried away with writing about its content, origin, nature, purpose, provenance, etc., that THEY UTTERLY FORGET TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

Yes, when you answer a sourcework question, you address the message, provenance, context, content, origin and purpose of the source.
But when you have thought about those issues - BEFORE YOU START WRITING - remember to think: 'Now, what ideas does this give me about its [reliability, usefulness etc.]?'
ATBQ

Oh how very, very true!

As a Paper 2 exam marker (the source based paper) this happens time and time again with candidates. Do take good note of what Mr Clare says here.

[MrJohnDClare]

I'll tell you what else they do, Mrs Faithorn.

HUGE numbers of pupils - I was told one-in-five - answer the sourcework question...
ABOUT THE WRONG SOURCE!!!

Straight away: zero marks, nil, nothing, ziltch, nada, rien ... FAIL.

One book I read told me that the Greek word for child - nepios - also meant 'brainless'.
Now you know why.

[Mrs Faithorn]

MrJohnDClare, on Jun 1 2006, 02:58 PM, said:

I'll tell you what else they do, Mrs Faithorn.

HUGE numbers of pupils - I was told one-in-five - answer the sourcework question...
ABOUT THE WRONG SOURCE!!!

Straight away: zero marks, nil, nothing, ziltch, nada, rien ... FAIL.


One book I read told me that the Greek word for child - nepios - also meant 'brainless'.
Now you know why.

I don't think I have ever marked scripts where as many as 1 in 5 have used the wrong source(s), but it's quite a big proportion none the less.

It is such a shame - happens with obviously bright candidates too - not just the weak ones. I suppose it's nerves as much as lack of brain power.

SO ... anyone reading this thread .... take note!!

Mind you ... you are unlikely to 'fail' a whole exam just because you referred to the wrong source(s) in ONE question on ONE paper. Even so it can make the difference to the overall grade.

[xoxAshaxox]

Thank you very much. I'll pay close attention not to answer the wrong source question!

[Mrs Faithorn]

xoxAshaxox, on Jun 3 2006, 04:25 PM, said:

Thank you very much. I'll pay close attention not to answer the wrong source question!

I'm sure this what you really meant ... but it's using the wrong source(s) to answer a particular question that Mr Clare and I are on about here - not answering "the wrong source question".

I know I'm nit-picking, but I just wanted to be sure that you had understood.

[xoxAshaxox]

No your not nit-picking, you're just making sure that I get it, like you said. Thanks all the same! I'm really glad I found this forum!

[Mrs Faithorn]

xoxAshaxox, on Jun 3 2006, 05:29 PM, said:

No your not nit-picking, you're just making sure that I get it, like you said. Thanks all the same! I'm really glad I found this forum!

Just as a matter of interest .... how did you find us? (if you can remember)

• Recommended by your teacher?
  
• Recommended by a friend?
  
• Link from our main site? (www.schoolhistory.co.uk)
  
• Link from our Teachers' Forum?
  
• Link from another site? If so, which?

I often wonder how students arrive here.

... and I was nit-picking but, like you say, I just wanted to make sure you'd got it right.

[xoxAshaxox]

I found this website, by typing in 'History revision sites' on Google and this forum was about the third one down from the top.

[Mrs Faithorn]

Useful info. Thank you.

[I'll take a look at the other hits you get using that search myself.]

[xoxAshaxox]

Glad to have helped!

[Mr Field]

... and just to add one small clarification just in case people are getting confused with the pseudo-debate between Mrs Faithorn and Mr J D Clare.

It is vitial you know which exam board you are taking as this changes the way the source papers work. For my students, taking Edexcel, we have focused on always looking at:

N O P

Nature - what type of source is it? e.g. diary, newspaper, from the modern textbook, photo....
Origin - where does it come from? Who wrote it / created it?
Purpose - why was this source created? What is the source trying to do?

[xoxAshaxox]

Mr Field, on Jun 3 2006, 08:06 PM, said:

... and just to add one small clarification just in case people are getting confused with the pseudo-debate between Mrs Faithorn and Mr J D Clare.

It is vitial you know which exam board you are taking as this changes the way the source papers work. For my students, taking Edexcel, we have focused on always looking at:

N O P

Nature - what type of source is it? e.g. diary, newspaper, from the modern textbook, photo....
Origin - where does it come from? Who wrote it / created it?
Purpose - why was this source created? What is the source trying to do?

Thank you!