1. Y9 Exam Technique

2. Lesson Objectives
To identify the types of question on Section A of Paper 1
To evaluate the requirements of the mark scheme
To analyse model answers and identify good exam technique and structure

3. What will Paper 1 look like?
For your final exam in Y11, Paper 1 will have two sections, (there is also Paper 2)
Section A = American, Expansion and Consolidation,
Section B = Conflict and Conquest – 1939, (you will study this in Y10)
Time = 1 hour and 45 minutes in total
84 marks in total
Section A = 50 minutes (40 marks)
Section B = 50 minutes (40 marks +4 marks SPaG)

4. Section A – American: Expansion and Consolidation 1845 - 1895
6 questions - you have to answer them all
They can be on anything to do with what you have studied in lessons
Questions 1, 2 and 3 = Source Skills, (but you need knowledge to understand the sources)
Questions 4, 5 and 6 = Knowledge based

5. 01. How does Interpretation B differ from Interpretation A about… (something to do with the America course)? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B.
Top Tips
Interpretations A and B will ALWAYS be DIFFERENT to each other
You must talk about both A and B
Talk about the CONTENT ONLY
Interpretations A and B differ because…
B says this… whereas A says this which means that B thinks this which is different to A because A thinks this
4 marks
Time = 6 mins
1 paragraph

6. Mark Scheme
Level 1 – Selects simple relevant details from both sources and says briefly what the differences are
(1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Selects relevant details from both sources and explains the differences (3 – 4 marks)

7. How many marks would you give this answer?
Interpretation B is different to A because Interpretation B is very critical of the Mormon lifestyle as it suggests that the Mormons are not good Christians because they break the rules of marriage and practise polygamy which makes them immoral and disrespectful of God. Interpretation A in contrast describes the Mormons as decent people who fear and respect God. Similarly, the interpretations are different because Interpretation A describes them as good people, where as B says that they are strange and follow Joseph Smith who is described as evil

8. 02. Why might the authors of Interpretations A and B have a different interpretation about, (something to do with the America course)? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge.
Top Tips
The examiner is asking you to explain why, if two sources are talking about the same thing, then why are they saying different things about it
You must talk about A and B
You need to look at the provenance to think about what has made the authors say different thing
4 marks
6 minutes
1 paragraph

9. What is Provenance? Nature (Type of Source – is it Public? Private?)
Origin (Who wrote it and when – what was happening at the time that might have influenced the author)
Purpose (Why was it created – does the author have a motive to say what they are saying?)

10. Mark Scheme
Level 1- Simple, relevant points about why the sources disagree without detailed knowledge or explanation (1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Developed relevant reasons that show clear understanding of how influences at the time affected what has been said in the source (3 – 4 marks)

11. How many marks would you give this answer?
Interpretations A and B are different because they were written by different times, by different people and for different reasons. For example Interpretation A was written by a Mormon who wanted to show her friend that she had made a good decision to move West. Also, as she was the sister of one of the leaders, she would want to portray them in a positive light, especially as this was around the time when the Mormons had clashed with the non-Mormons during the Mormon War so she would want to show them in a good light. Interpretation A in contrast was written at a time when Joseph Smith had just publically said that the Mormons practised polygamy and non-Mormons were horrified by this. It was also written by a journalist in the East who was writing for an audience who disliked the Mormons and he probably shared this view.

12. 03. Which interpretation do you find more convincing about (something to do with the America course) Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge
Top Tips
The examiner is asking you evaluate the content and the context and decide how accurate they are
You must talk about A and B
P1 - Interpretation A is convincing because / not convincing because
P2 - Interpretation B is convincing because / not convincing because
P3 – Conclusion – which is more accurate
8 marks
10 minutes
3 paragraphs

13. Mark Scheme
Level 1 – Basic understanding of one interpretation based on knowledge from the time (1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Simple evaluation of one interpretation based on knowledge of the time (3 – 4 marks)
Level 3- Developed evaluation of both interpretations based on reasoned knowledge of the time and how accurate they are(5 – 6 marks)
Level 4 – Complex evaluation of both interpretations and a supported judgement as to which is more convincing and accurate

14. How many marks would you give this answer?
Source A is convincing in some ways because the author has first hand experience of the Mormon lifestyle because she is a Mormon and is related to a senior Mormon, Brigham Young. This means that she would understand their values and lifestyle and has enough knowledge and experience to give an accurate account. It is also a personal letter and was not intended to be read publically so is more likely to be truthful as she would have less reason to lie to an old friend. However, it is possible that she would exaggerate her account and be overly positive so as to portray the Mormons in a good light out of loyalty to her brother, Brigham Young.
Source B…

15. Overall, I believe that Interpretation A, though possibly exaggerated is more convincing than Interpretation B. This is because I think that B is an example of anti-Mormon propaganda and therefore is less trustworthy. This interpretation was produced to be publically critical of the Mormons at a time when they were extremely unpopular and reflects the widespread views of non-Mormons at that time. Interpretation A on the other hand was written at a time when the relationship between Mormons and non-Mormons was more stable and is therefore less likely to be trying to influence and persuade people to take a particular view of the Mormons.

16. 04. Describe two (things to do with the America Course)
4 marks
6 minutes
2 paragraphs
Top Tips
The examiner is asking you show your knowledge about something that happened on your syllabus
P1 – Your first killer point
P2 – Your second killer point

17. Mark Scheme
Level 1: Answer shows simple knowledge of the key features (1-2 marks)
Level 2 Answer shows detailed knowledge of the key features (3-4 marks)

18. How many marks would you give this answer?
The main reason why the buffalo was important to the Native Americans is because they needed it to survive on the Plains. The Native Americans hunted the buffalo and it was their source of food and shelter as they ate it and used the skin to make tipis and clothing. They used all parts of the buffalo and even the stomach was used to cook with and the tongue was used as a hair brush

19. A second reason why the buffalo were important to the Native Americans is because they believed that the buffalo were sacred and a gift from the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka. This meant that the buffalo gave the Native Americans spiritual hope and were significant to their culture and beliefs as they felt that it showed that they were favoured by the Great Spirit.

20. 05. In what ways did (something make something else happen in the America Course)
Top Tips
The examiner is asking you show your knowledge about something that happened on your syllabus
P1 – Your first killer point
P2 – Your second killer point
8 marks
10 minutes
2 paragraphs

21. Mark Scheme
Level 1 – Identify or describe changes that happened as a result of a bigger factor (1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Simple reasoning to briefly explain a change that happened as a result of a bigger factor (3 – 4 marks)
Level 3 – Reasoned explanation of 2 or more changes that happened as a result of a bigger factor (5 – 6 marks)
Level 4 – Complex explanation of change with specific details and evaluation of the impact of the change

22. How many marks would you give this answer?
One of the keys ways in which the Native American attitudes to warfare were different to whites is through the use of counting coup. The Native Americans would tap their enemy with a stick so as to humiliate them. They did this because they believed that life was sacred and that a fight would risk their life and if they died, they would be no good to the rest of the tribe which was more important. They thought it was humiliating for their enemy because they got close enough to kill them but didn’t, which proved they were a better warrior. The whites thought this meant that the Indians treated warfare as a game and they saw the Native Americans and foolish and childlike which reinforced the view that they were uncivilised and savage.

23. Another way in which the Native American attitude to warfare was different is scalping. The Native Americans scalped their enemy because they believed that by doing so, they removed their soul. Removing their enemies soul meant that they would not meet them in the after life. This was a spiritual motivation, but the whites thought it was just brutal and savage and were horrified. It made them see them as barbaric and helped justify hatred of the Native Americans and the subsequent Plains wars.

24. 06. Which of the following was a more important reason why (something happened in the American Course) * Reason1 * Reason 2 Explain your answer with reference to both reasons 12 marks 20 minutes 3 paragraphs
Top Tips
The examiner is asking you show your knowledge about something that happened on your syllabus
P1 – Explain why the first bullet point was important
P2 – Explain why the second bullet point was important
P3 – Conclusion – make a judgement – which mattered the most and why? Can you link the bullet points

25. Mark Scheme
Level 1 – Basic / simple facts about one or both points (1 – 3 marks)
Level 2 – Simple explanation of one or both points eg. This happened… which caused this to happen… (4 – 6 marks)
Level 3 – Developed explanation about both points with detailed knowledge showing cause and consequence (7 – 9 marks)
Level 4 – Complex explanation about both points with a judgement saying which is more important and why (10 – 12 marks)

26. How many marks would you give this answer?
Culture was extremely important to helping the Native Americans survive on the Great Plains. This is because they were organised to make it easier to survive. All of the Native Americans had specific roles in the tribe to make sure they could succeed. For example, the men were warriors and hunters which meant that the tribe was protected and had food. The women looked after prepared the buffalo after the hunt so they had tipis and meat which meant they had shelter and food. Even the children acted as scouts to find the buffalo and no time was wasted. They also practise polygamy which meant that all the women were married and therefore protected by a husband and safer. Their government was democratic which meant that everyone had a say which made them successful as they were united and organised and worked as a team which was important for survival in the harsh Plains conditions.

27. Hunting was also essential to the success of the Native Americans
Hunting was also essential to the success of the Native Americans. The Native Americans hunted buffalo and without this they would not have been able to survive as it gave them food, shelter, clothing and even weapons and everyday items such as pots and water storage. The Native Americans would not have succeeded on the Plains without this as the Plains were harsh and dangerous and infertile so they had no other way of getting their food or shelter. The hunt was extremely organised by the Dog Soldiers and they only killed as many buffalo as were needed and never mothers and calves which meant that they had a permanent supply of food. Proof of the important of the buffalo and hunting is that when the buffalo herds were destroyed by the whites, Native American society also collapsed and ended because they could no longer survive.

28. In conclusion, I think that hunting was more important than culture to the success of the Native Americans because without it, they simply could not have survived. However, culture supported the success of hunting because the culture of the tribes meant that they were organised and structured enough to make the hunt successful and always have the right amount of food, shelter and other day to day items that were key to their success. Without this, the hunt would not have been as beneficial to Native American society.

29. Write down 3 things that you will remember to do in your exam