7 replies to this topic

[jacklowe2011]

I'm currently taking my AS level course of history (AQA) under Unit 2E The Reign of Peter the Great of Russia, 1682–1725 and what i'm struggling with is what each question asks and how to answer each type, e.g the source based questions and then the fact and knowledge based questions, if one could provide me with like a plan for answering each type i'd be hugely happy, i know it's hard for people to get back but if anyone could help me, knowledge isn't the problem it's how to answer + i hope to aim for an A so please make the plan complex much regards.

[MrJohnDClare]

This kind of question - about HOW to answer individual questions - is really easy to answer!
(Sometimes when people ask us to provide ideas or facts we find it harder to help.)

What I suggest you do is, when you get a question, write in telling us what it is, and we will be delighted to give suggestions about how you might go about answering that question.
As time goes on, therefore, you will build up a knowledge about how to answer every type of question.

[jacklowe2011]

Explain why Peter the Great went to war with the Turks in 1695.(12 marks)


‘Peter the Great had achieved his foreign policy aims by 1721.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. (24 marks)

what technique would be adopted for either paper insure to maximise full marks and get an A, thank you sooo much

[MrJohnDClare]

Explain why Peter the Great went to war with the Turks in 1695.(12 marks)


‘Peter the Great had achieved his foreign policy aims by 1721.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. (24 marks)

what technique would be adopted for either paper insure to maximise full marks and get an A, thank you sooo much

OK.
Firstly, are you aware that you can access past markschemes online - they tell you, not only what the examiners are looking for, but th kind of level of factual knowledge they are expecting.

FIRST - explain why (12 marks)
These are simple causation questions.
The examiners are expecting ANALYSIS - i.e. the presentation of a number of causes, in a number of successive sections in your essay, in which you discuss the 'links' which meant that that specific factor helped to cause the whatever.
A conclusion will draw the ideas together, weigh the different causes and advance a synthesis solution.
Make sure throughout that you refer to evidence/facts to support your arguments.
Make sure throughout, but especially in the conclusion, that you refer to the historiography of the issue - the view of different historians.

SECOND - Either-or (24 marks)
This is a trick question - it starts off masquerading as an 'explain why' question, but then drifts into a full-on 'either-or' question.
ALL the rules of the explain why question above apply - your essay will be expected to demonstrate analysis, explained linkages, evidence-in-support-of-arguments, an awareness of historiography and a weighed judgement/solution.
but the examiners will also be expecting you to organise the essay appropriately - the best way to do this is by the thesis-antithesis-synthesis model (the 'Hegelian dialectic').
To learn more about this do a forum search for 'synthesis' and follow the links, but come back to us if you don't understand.

[jacklowe2011]

OMG. thank you so much, i was wondering if you could offer me support on how to answer source based questions, in retrospect to the question, i did find your writings on sources helpful by the way, i question could be that of



Use Sources A and B and your own knowledge.
Explain how far the views in Source B differ from those in Source A in relation to bringing about industrialisation in Russia. (12 marks)

Use Sources A, B and C and your own knowledge.
How important were Peter the Great’s policies in explaining the limited growth of Russia’s economy by 1725? (24 marks)

i feel i've taken up enough of your time already so i won't mind if you don't reply
thankyou for the help !!!!

[jacklowe2011]

+ the hegelian dialect principle is confusing me in how i'd incorporate it into my answers e.g the styling.

[MrJohnDClare]

OMG. thank you so much, i was wondering if you could offer me support on how to answer source based questions, in retrospect to the question, i did find your writings on sources helpful by the way, i question could be that of



Use Sources A and B and your own knowledge.
Explain how far the views in Source B differ from those in Source A in relation to bringing about industrialisation in Russia. (12 marks)

Use Sources A, B and C and your own knowledge.
How important were Peter the Great’s policies in explaining the limited growth of Russia’s economy by 1725? (24 marks)

i feel i've taken up enough of your time already so i won't mind if you don't reply
thankyou for the help !!!!

Is this help enough? Get back to us if it isn't.

[MrJohnDClare]

+ the hegelian dialect principle is confusing me in how i'd incorporate it into my answers e.g the styling.

The hegelian thesis-antithesis-synthesis model is just the standard way to answer a 'do you agree' ('either-or') or a 'how far' question.
Go back to the main page, do a forum search for 'synthesis' and/or 'Hegelian' and then read the threads that come up; I go on about it all the time.
Especially also this one.