[Riley-Jane]

[FONT=Impact][COLOR=purple] How do I answer a source qustion on Roosevelt? The source is about what do I learn about Roosevelt from a particular source. Is there any way of going about answering a source like this?

thanx
Riley-jane

[Mr Field]

Well, depending on how many marks the question has, you simply need to look at the source and explain what it tells you. Look at where the source comes from, when it was written / taken / published. Has the source been written by someone for a particular purpose - trying to show Roosevelt in a particular way?

The key way of answering these questions is to consider what the source tells you about Roosevelt, but also consider what it doesn't tell you. Try to bring in some of your previous learning about Roosevelt.

[Mr Westbrook]

If it's a "How useful is Source..." or a similar question like "How does this Source help your understanding..." and you are asked to include your own knowledge, I find the following stages helpful:

Stage 1 - how does it help? - might show something like the percentage of ships sunk in the Atlantic or, concerning Roosevelt, it may show something about the affects of the New Deal. Finish this stage with a general comment summing up what the source tells you.

Stage 2 - argue how the source isn't useful- try to focus on reliability and motive. For example, the source may be propaganda, in which case certain facts may be inaccurate or exaggerated. This would show it is not reliable and the motive is to try to raise, or at least maintain morale in the country.

Stage 3 - use background knowledge to show the source is correct - something like (tailoring it to your needs) if the source shows a decrease in unemployment, after Roosevelt’s victory, "Roosevelt did decrease unemployment by creating measures such as the Civilian Conservation Corps which provided temporary employment for men aged between 17 and 25 in the New Deal. This created 2.5 million jobs."

Stage 4 - use background knowledge to say why the source may not be useful such as "by 1936, 9 million Americans were still unemployed, rising to 10 million in 1938. This proves that some of the affects of the New Deal were temporary and for the most part only helped white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, African Americans were not helped under the New deal".

Hope this outline helps, you can use this for all "How useful..." questions but by changing the content.

[emi]

for some homework over easter, we have to answer so questions and analyse sources on the nnew deal, and i am a bit stuck, and i can't ask my teacher ecause it is the hols!!!
is there a kind of tick list or format i could use to help mego about answering the questions (they're on things such as the reliabiltiy and usefullness of the sources as well as how far theyagree/disagree with certain statements)
i havne't really had much practice analysing sources so any tips at all would be really really appreciated!

[Mr Field]

I think you might find it helpful to have a good look through the following site:
http://www.johndclar..._sourcework.htm

This provides the kind of help and information that you need. The only think to bear in mind is that there are different gcse exam boards - EdExcel, AQA and OCR - and they do look for different things in their answers.

Anyway, have a look at the above guidance and then post again if you need more help.

[Harriet-812]

Thanks for the link. I'm doing AS history but it was really nice to have a reminder and with a checklist of things to go through.

[emi]

thank you so much! that really really helps!

one thing:

if my first question is "which of these sources would a historian studying the New Deal find more useful?" should i comment on the usefullness of each source, stating what affects it in these cases, and then conclude with which is the most useful? or do i need to add my knowledge of the subject as well, and if so how and where?

don't worry i am not looking for answers to the questions! just help with my structure, starting off and actually how to go about these questions

This post has been edited by emi: 31 March 2005 - 01:19 PM

[eiram]

Emi,
it would be a good idea to mention something about the background to the topic. if you are a historian you will decide on the usefulness of the source by asking yourself what new light the source throws on existing information. For instance, if the source is biased it is useful to the historian because of the attitude of the source rather than what facts it gives. Your approach to the question sounds good so no sweat!

[sidsays]

I need help on the best way to structure a coursework question asking to compare two sources about the new deal?

[MrJohnDClare]

Don't forget to say please, Sidsays - everytbody on this forum does so.

For general technique, read these two sites:
http://www.johndclar..._sourcework.htm (click on the word 'Differences'), and
http://www.johndclar...stion2_b1.shtml.

The precise essay structure will depend on the exact question.
Basically, it is better to write in paragraphs 'A says ... whereas B says ...', rather than writing everything about Source A, then talking about Source B.