[yunghamz]

Hi, i got my sources exam on Monday. Sources have always been my weakness in history and i want to know how i could over come this.
My exam board is OCR , 1st question is worth 30 marks and it is a comparison between two sources. 2nd question is using all sources and knowledge to asses how or use them as evidence of a particular given topic.
My question is, could you please provide me with a structure that i could learn to use for each question.
Thanks.

[MrJohnDClare]

Can you be more specific about the exam - what reference number.

Your first port of call for this is to go onto the OCR Board's website and track down a markscheme for your exam.
That will help you understand what the examiner wants you to demonstrate in your answers.
(I would have done this for you, but I could not track down your exam from the information you supplied.)

If you have any questions about the markscheme, and how to meet its requirements, post again and we can discusit.
But I need a more specific reference (e.g. the URL of the markscheme).

Best wishes

[yunghamz]

MrJohnDClare, on Jun 4 2009, 09:06 AM, said:

Can you be more specific about the exam - what reference number.

Your first port of call for this is to go onto the OCR Board's website and track down a markscheme for your exam.
That will help you understand what the examiner wants you to demonstrate in your answers.
(I would have done this for you, but I could not track down your exam from the information you supplied.)

If you have any questions about the markscheme, and how to meet its requirements, post again and we can discusit.
But I need a more specific reference (e.g. the URL of the markscheme).

Best wishes

I've done a search on the OCR website and i have found this pdf file containing the specimen paper and the mark scheme. The unit i am doing is the origins of the french revolution and its the first question thats on the file. The mark scheme is towards the bottom of the page.

[yunghamz]

Opps! i forgot to attach the file to my previous post. But now that i want to attach it , i can't seem to find the attach button ( if there is one). Nonetheless i posted the file on this link. Specimen paper + Mark scheme Its a specimen paper and the unit i am doing is the origins of the french revolution which is the first question on the paper. The mark scheme starts at page 15.

[MrJohnDClare]

Got it.
The paper number appears to be 2582.
You'll find any number of past markschemes and some past papers here.

One thing you need to do is to read them all and see HOW the marks are gained.

Reading them, I am tempted to think that the best structure for the comaprison of sources question will be little more than a sophistication of the structure you learned at GCSE - a section comparing the contents, and a section comparing the provenances.
What will determine the mark is the sophistication of comment.

As for the 'using all the sources' question, I suggest it would be best to approach this as a 'debate' question.
Section 1 (thesis) will start by collecting and assessing all the evidence FOR the view.
Section 2 (antithesis) will start with the word 'however' (or the phrase 'on the other hand') and will collect and assess all the evidence AGAINST the view.
Section 3 (synthesis) will make a judgement/ propose a solution, advancing a previously unused argument and supporting it with evidence.
Just make sure that you: 1. use ALL the sources; 2. refer to both content AND provenance within your arguments.

What do you reckon???

[yunghamz]

Thanks for the information they will be useful in my revision. Just one more question, do i group all the sources in each paragraph or group a couple in one paragraph in terms of the theme and do the same for each of the paragraphs.

[MrJohnDClare]

I'd say the latter, as your argument needs it - but make sure that at some point you mention explicitly EVERY source if the question requires it.