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Hi. Can you please tell me how important the use of my own knowledge is in the edexcel gcse paper 2 (sources). I've got the exam today and am cofused. Thankyou/
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Edexcel Gcse Paper 2 (sources) own knowledge
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#2
- Group: Moderating Teacher & Admin
- Posts: 3,351
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Posted 11 June 2009 - 08:28 AM
I'm not surprised - it IS a very confusing thing.
The problem is that it all depends on the question.
I am looking now at the June 2007 paper.
There are four questions on each topic.
They are the same for each topic.
As I look at them, I can see that questions a and b are JUST about the sources:
.
Neither of these needs you to go any further than the sources themselves.
I can see a vague possibility that you MAY want to bring in a bit of own-knowledge info about the battle of Mons to highlight a difference for question b.
So what I can say is that - even if it is utterly unwarranted - you won't LOSE any marks by using your own knowledge when it isn't required.
The danger, however, is that you think that questions a or b are about the Battle of Mons, and that you launch into a huge long description of what happened at the battle of Mons.
That WOULD lose you marks, not because the examiner would knock any mark off, but because you would waste so much time writing irrelevant stuff desribing the battle of Mons that you would not have enough time to write down stuff actually answering the question properly.
THE KEY THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS PAPER IS ABOUT THE SOURCES.
So make sure that all the time you are referring to and using and writing about the sources.
Moving on, when we look at question d, it is obvious that this DOES want you to use your own knowledge - look at the wording:
But unfortunately, it's not as easy a thing as using your own knowledge if it tells you to, and not if it doesn't.
Look at question c.
Now this, as you know, is a UTILITY question. You will answer it by writing a section about how the CONTENT could be useful to an historian, and a section writing about how the PROVENANCE (the origin, context/date and motives of the author) could be useful to an historian.
You will quite properly wish to bring in SOME own-knowledge into this question, because when you evaluate its usefulness you are going to be talking about how that source adds to/supports/challenges our existing own-knowledge.
If by chance you got a RELIABILITY question, that would be the same.
Looking at the Specimen Paper, the 2006 and the 2007 Paper, I can see that they all have four questions and that they all have the same four questions.
a. what can you learn from...
b. comparison of sources...
c. utility of a source...
d. evaluation of an interpretation.
IF - and be careful to check - but IF the exam this year has the same four kinds of question, then I would say:
- don't use any own-knowledge in questions a and b.
- be prepared to bring in your own knowledge if/where necessary to question c.
- use your own knowledge extensively as well as the sources in question d.
(If the questions are different, then read the question carefully and think whether using your own knowledge would be relevant to the question.)
I hope that this isn't too confusing!
It's a pity you aren't doing AQA - they flag up in the questions MUCH better what they want.
The problem is that it all depends on the question.
I am looking now at the June 2007 paper.
There are four questions on each topic.
They are the same for each topic.
As I look at them, I can see that questions a and b are JUST about the sources:
Quote
a. What can you learn from Source A about what happened at the Battle of Mons?
b. Does Source C support the evidence of Sources A and B about what happened at the Battle of Mons? Explain your answer
b. Does Source C support the evidence of Sources A and B about what happened at the Battle of Mons? Explain your answer
Neither of these needs you to go any further than the sources themselves.
I can see a vague possibility that you MAY want to bring in a bit of own-knowledge info about the battle of Mons to highlight a difference for question b.
So what I can say is that - even if it is utterly unwarranted - you won't LOSE any marks by using your own knowledge when it isn't required.
The danger, however, is that you think that questions a or b are about the Battle of Mons, and that you launch into a huge long description of what happened at the battle of Mons.
That WOULD lose you marks, not because the examiner would knock any mark off, but because you would waste so much time writing irrelevant stuff desribing the battle of Mons that you would not have enough time to write down stuff actually answering the question properly.
THE KEY THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS PAPER IS ABOUT THE SOURCES.
So make sure that all the time you are referring to and using and writing about the sources.
Moving on, when we look at question d, it is obvious that this DOES want you to use your own knowledge - look at the wording:
Quote
Study all the sources and use your own knowledge.
‘The main reason for the failure of the Schlieffen Plan lies in the actions of the British and French armies.’
Use the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain whether you agree with this view.
‘The main reason for the failure of the Schlieffen Plan lies in the actions of the British and French armies.’
Use the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain whether you agree with this view.
But unfortunately, it's not as easy a thing as using your own knowledge if it tells you to, and not if it doesn't.
Look at question c.
Quote
How useful are Sources D and E as evidence of British attitudes towards Germany at the beginning of the First World War?
Now this, as you know, is a UTILITY question. You will answer it by writing a section about how the CONTENT could be useful to an historian, and a section writing about how the PROVENANCE (the origin, context/date and motives of the author) could be useful to an historian.
You will quite properly wish to bring in SOME own-knowledge into this question, because when you evaluate its usefulness you are going to be talking about how that source adds to/supports/challenges our existing own-knowledge.
If by chance you got a RELIABILITY question, that would be the same.
Looking at the Specimen Paper, the 2006 and the 2007 Paper, I can see that they all have four questions and that they all have the same four questions.
a. what can you learn from...
b. comparison of sources...
c. utility of a source...
d. evaluation of an interpretation.
IF - and be careful to check - but IF the exam this year has the same four kinds of question, then I would say:
- don't use any own-knowledge in questions a and b.
- be prepared to bring in your own knowledge if/where necessary to question c.
- use your own knowledge extensively as well as the sources in question d.
(If the questions are different, then read the question carefully and think whether using your own knowledge would be relevant to the question.)
I hope that this isn't too confusing!
It's a pity you aren't doing AQA - they flag up in the questions MUCH better what they want.
#3
- Group: Student
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 06-June 09
Posted 11 June 2009 - 09:23 AM
Thank you very much for all your help (and the other day too). I'm very grateful.
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