Transcript History: Revolutions Exam Preparation

History: Revolutions
Exam Preparation
Revising for the exam:
• You should have already started revising
for both your PRACTICE exam and
therefore, the November exam
• If you haven’t, I strongly encourage you to
do so. You may find the following advice
handy…
ADVICE for REVISION:
Now
• Complete course (CHECK!)
• Organise course notes
• Be sure to focus on BOTH
revolutions and not just Russia
(or France!)
Late September
• Revision notes
• Dot point summaries
• Mind maps
• Hint sheets
• Read regularly (France too!)
• ATTEND revision classes/lectures
• Nail the recipe of answering the questions
End of October
• Practice tasks – exam timing – you can
NOT do enough of these!
• More reading
• List areas of concern
• Come in to see us for help ANYTIME
• Scheduled classes will still run for Year 11s
Last Days
• Practice tasks
• Avoid urge to CRAM
• Stay focussed – eat and sleep well
• Review best responses/models
Develop good revision notes:
• Organised
– Sub-headings
– Highlight quotes
• Chronology
• Know the story but move beyond to prove your depth of knowledge
• Events
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Key players
Dates
Ideology
Outcomes
Evidence
Views
• Historians
• Contemporary views
Other Techniques…
Tables – for different groups (ie; Liberals, SRs, SDs =
Bolsheviks/Mensheviks)
• Origins
• Dates
• Supporters
• Aims
• Tactics
• Activities
• Signs of support in 1905 and then in 1917
GO BEYOND THE STORY – SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
AN EVENT
• Consequences
• Outcomes
• Rationale behind activities
THE EXAM
Thursday 12th November, 11.45am – 2.00pm
Two hours, plus 15 minutes reading, thinking,
choosing and planning time
50% of study score
SAC marks 50% study score, moderated by
examination and GAT
2 hours of writing…not typing!
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Legibility
Clarity
Size
Speed
Practice
Practise
Understanding the Challenge
• No place to hide! Need clear, precise,
accurate, specific knowledge of
revolutionary Events, Leaders, Ideas,
Movements
• Four different and distinct tasks to do in 2
hours plus 15 minutes
• Assessors (examiners) reward clarity and
conciseness
Know what the exam looks like!
• Your practice exam will be the best guide, as we
are working with a new format, but be familiar
with PAST EXAMS (use your REVISION pack)
• VCAA website: past exams, assessors’ reports
• Layout: be familiar with the structure, sequence,
space provided
• Types, and wording of, questions in each section
• Types of documents, images, essay questions
Avoiding DISASTER
• ONE revolution for ALL of Section A: Parts 1 and 2
(FRANCE)
• A DIFFERENT revolution for ALL of Section B: Parts 1
& 2 (RUSSIA)
• Keeping to time limits. 30 minutes for each of the 4
sections
• Never go more than a few minutes over 30 in any
section – ideally you want to give yourself 35 minutes
for the short essay (final section)
• Do not write in pencil. Black or DARK blue pen.
• Learn the correct spelling of key terms, events and
people
EXAM FORMAT
You must answer the following:
Section A
(FRANCE)
• Part One = 10 + 10 Marks = Two extended response questions
(Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements and events)
• Part Two = 20 Marks = Analysis of Document, Commentary, VISUAL
or Interpretation (Creating a New Society)
Section B
(RUSSIA)
• Part One = 20 Marks = Analysis of Graphic, Commentary or
Interpretation (Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements and
events)
• Part Two = 20 marks = Short Essay (Creating a New Society)
Question will be specific to Russian Revolution
FORMAT
The exam is organised into two sections, one section for
each of the two revolutions studied.
In Section A the Part 1 and Part 2 questions for France will
be grouped together.
In Section B, Part 1 questions are indicated by page
number in Part B ‘index’ and then all essay questions are
together.
You will be asked to nominate on the front cover of the
question and answer book the revolution you have used
to answer the questions in Section A and the revolution
you have used for Section B.
Part 1: Revolutionary Ideas,
Leaders, Movements & Events
• Two questions 18-20 lines of writing
• 25% of marks; spend maximum of 30
minutes (15mins x 2) including proof
reading time
• ‘Why did revolution occur?’ (What
ideas, leaders, groups and events were
MOST important and how did they
contribute to the outbreak of
revolution?)
Dates for Short Answers
• France 1781 – 4th August 1789
• You need to ensure that you adhere
STRICTLY to the dates in both the AOS
and the question – no marks awarded for
any information given outside of these
constraints
Section A: Part 1 Questions
Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements and
events
These questions are now grouped together. Simply
turn to the page as indicated on the ‘index’.
Examples:
Question 1
How did conflict between the estates contribute
to the development of a revolutionary situation in
France in 1789?
Question 2
How did failure to reform contribute to a
revolutionary situation in France by July 1789?
Section A Part 2: Evidence Analysis
Creating a New Society
• ‘Identify from the extract two …’
Demonstrate understanding of source (evidence)
Identify features that support your interpretation
(2 + 2 = 4 marks)
• ‘Using your own knowledge and extract explain …’
Place the evidence in context and link it to other events, ideas,
leaders. Show precise knowledge of what was happening, before,
during, and after, the creation of the source.
(6 marks)
• ‘Explain the strengths and limitations of this extract to explain
…’
Evaluate the source as a piece of evidence in terms of accuracy,
completeness, compared evidence, contemporary opinion and
‘modern’ historians opinions (10marks)
Evidence to be Analysed
France: New society - 1795
• Note: it could be a primary source (such
as the Declaration of War April 1792 or an
extract from Louis’ trial) or historians’
interpretations of events (such as what
Pipes or Doyle say about the Terror)
Section B: Second Half of Exam
• We complete this section on RUSSIA
• Section B Part 1: Analysis of an image, or
document (primary source or historian’s
interpretation), or commentary – This is
USUALLY a graphic
• Section B Part 2: Write a short essay
(extended response) on the ‘new society’
created by the revolution
Section B Part 1
Analysis, (probably) of Representation/Graphic
• Dates of focus: Russia 1905 – October 1917
• Similar questions as for Section A:
a. ‘Identify two features in the representation …
& (‘features’ = ‘what you can see in the graphic
b. and what does that symbolise?’)
c. ‘Using your knowledge, explain …’ (Placing
the image in context)
d. ‘Explain to what extent this representation
presents a reliable view of …’ AND ‘Refer to
different views of …’
‘Historians’ views’
• Knowledge of historians’ views required
• Comparing and assessing the viewpoint in
the image with other named historians’
viewpoints
• High standard example: look on the VCAA
site and in your revision book
• ‘Reliable view’? Image is only ONE source
and it IS a viewpoint/interpretation
Conflicting Evidence &
Interpretation
• ‘No historical judgement is beyond dispute’
(Doyle)
• Historians differ about MANY significant aspects
of the Revolution:
• Stages, features, significance, who benefited,
role of leaders groups and ideas, key changes
and continuities, nature of Revolution, statistics,
key crises, etc!
• Study the evidence and arguments presented by
historians and reach your own conclusions
Section B Part 2: Short Essay
‘Extended Response’ on :Creating a New Society
• Present an argument; don’t tell the story
• Do not refer to the ‘old regime’; focus only
on the ‘new society’
Russia Nov.1917-1924 death of Lenin
Expect to write about 2 – 3 pages in exam
booklet
Tips for Exam – Short Answers
• Read question carefully: highlight, underline key words, terms, dates
Do not write beyond the dates. Answer question immediately in
first sentence
• Do not repeat the question (unless it is explicitly part of your answer)
• Must address the question – explain how… contributed to…
• Plan your answer, in date sequence, (incl. summing up) in 4-5 dot
points
• Write concisely; answer in space provided, avoid large writing
• Include 4-5 relevant points, with specific events, dates, people,
places, documents, short quotes
Short Answers continued…
• You can use signposts – firstly, secondly, thirdly,
furthermore, in addition…
• Include your opinion on the relative significance of event,
person, group, idea, tension, conflict in contributing to a
revolutionary situation
• Use words that highlight causal role of event, person etc:
‘catalyst’, ‘highlighted’, ‘intensified dissatisfaction’,
‘polarised’, ‘popularised’, ‘articulated’, ‘stimulated’, ‘led
to’, ‘contributed to’, ‘crucial factor in’
• You may use one or two short quotes
• Stay within timeframe
• Use commas or semi-colons to help list evidence
• Evidence demonstrates understanding DATES / NAMES
/ PLACES / LAWS / POLICIES will help significantly
• Refrain from narrative and irrelevant info
Tips for Section A: Part 2
Analysis
• Key focus question for this Area of Study is:
‘What was the new society like, and how was it
formed?’
• Remember that ‘new society’ refers to all
aspects of the revolutionary regime, including
political, economic and social aspects.
• You also need to know about and form a
viewpoint on the role of the revolutionaries who
influenced the new society, the challenges they
faced, how they responded to these challenges,
and the extent of changes and continuities.
Tips and Advice continued…
• Plan your answer. Make dot point notes on spare paper,
especially for longer answers.
• Show your understanding of the source. Extract
evidence and ideas from it. Avoid using any (none?) but
the shortest quotes from the document.
• Show additional relevant knowledge to that included in
the source. Place it in context.
• Critically evaluate/challenge the interpretation presented:
strengths? Limitations? accuracy? completeness?
RECIPE
Questions A and B
• If you are asked to LIST/NAME do JUST
THAT – be sure to know what the question
is asking though – ie; details/features that
represent…/social groups etc
• Quotes from documents are okay as long
as they answer the question
• Nothing wrong with very short answers as
long as they ANSWER THE QUESTION!
Question C
• MUST quote, paraphrase or refer to the
extract
– As the representation suggests…
– As portrayed in the representation by…
• MUST introduce information NOT in the
source
• EXPLAIN why – need to put in context
Question D
• Read the question CAREFULLY to determine
what ASPECT of the document/graphic you’re
discussing
• Need to EVALUATE and say why it’s useful
– What can you see
– What is NOT THERE
– Different historical views
• You can compare the piece with other
documents or representations of the time
• Need to MEASURE the viewpoint against that of
others
• How valid is it?
• Try to include name/source with quotes – don’t
need to cite statistics
Sentence starters:
• This document is useful because…
• This event marked the beginning of the
revolution because…
• This was a catalyst in the revolution because…
• This extract provides only a partial account of…
• This representation is broadly correct,
however…
• This is one historians view. By contrast, others
argue… such as…
• The validity of this extract could be challenged
as…
Short Essay
• Do not use prepared essays. DO prepare by locating
and learning a range of evidence; including key dates,
significant statistics, and historians’ views
• ‘Use of evidence’ is the key skill required.
• Choose your topic in reading time and start to PLAN the
essays THEME
• Underline key words and terms in question; consistently
reuse these in your response
• Produce a brief skeleton plan, at least; with the with key
areas/focus of each paragraph listed
• Avoid a ‘narrative’ introduction. State your main
argument immediately
• Structure essays chronologically or thematically; though
the highest scoring essays tend to be thematic
Short Essay
• Produce well structured logically organized sequence of
paragraphs (2-3 pages in exam booklet). Always leave
time for a clear, thoughtful and relevant conclusion
• Begin each paragraph with clear topic sentences
• Include specific, well selected, accurate relevant
EVIDENCE (‘memorised!’). Relevant facts, statistics,
dates, short quotes, names, examples.
• Correctly spell terms, events, leaders etc
• Include reference to historians’ interpretations and their
evidence
• 9/10 Essay: clear strong argument, sophisticated, with
complexities of the questions fully addressed
More on the essay…
• Use a RANGE of evidence and back it up with VIEWS
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Quotes
Statistics
Data
Evidence
Dates
Names
• Discuss and explain the relevance of these facts as you
raise them – do not assume that they speak for
themselves
• The question may quote an historian but this is not
inviting a long historical DEBATE. You need to:
– Provide a strong, clear argument
– Use good evidence to support views
– Fully address the complexities of the question
Types of Questions
• Key focus of this time period is ‘What was
the new society like, and how was it
formed?’
• So questions will test knowledge and
depth of understanding of:
the revolutionaries and their ideas, the
challenges and obstacles they faced, how
they responded to these, and the
outcomes of the revolution (extent and
nature of change)
Examples of Essay Questions
Essay questions are likely to be focussed on a
quote followed by a question.
Focus on what the question is asking – what
aspect of the new society is it addressing?
‘The crises experienced by the revolutionaries
ensured that their aims would not be achieved.’
Provide evidence to support your answer.
‘Violence and force were as much a part of the
new society as in the old regime. Discuss
providing evidence to support your answer.
And finally…
• Don’t forget to EAT and go to the toilet before
the exam – it goes over lunchtime
• Use the READING TIME – you need to look at
what each question is asking and can spend any
‘spare time’ planning your essay in your head
• Do NOT use dot points
• Write in BLACK or DARK BLUE pen – no pencil
• Handwriting is key – if they can’t read it they
can’t give you marks
Remember:
There is
NO SUBSTITUTE
for
HARD WORK!!!!