1. How do I… Answer the questions in my GCSE History exams?
This booklet has been put together as a guide to help you understand exactly what the requirements of each exam question are and how you can meet them.

2. Paper 1: Thematic Study and Historic Environment
This paper is broken down into TWO sections. Section A is about the historic environment unit- The British sector of the Western Front, : Injuries, treatment and trenches whilst section B is about Medicine in Britain, c.1250-present.
There are 52 marks available in total:
Section A: 16 marks (via 3 questions- 1, 2a, 2b)
Section B: 36 marks (via 3 questions- 3, 4, 5 or 6)

3. Q1: Describe two features of… (4 marks) This question will require you to identify a feature of a named topic and to then provide a relevant detailed fact about it.
Describe two features of poison gas attacks on soldiers.
Signpost your answer with one feature which clearly links to the question.
One feature of poison gas attacks on soldiers was that they would suffer from breathing difficulties. When they inhaled poison gas (Chlorine gas for example) it would irritate the throat and cause it to blister, swell etc and the effect of this would be to cause soldiers to struggle to breath and could then result in death.
Develop your answer with specific knowledge and link it back to the question.
Repeat this for a second feature in order to gain full marks for this question!

4. Q2a: How useful are sources A and B… (8 marks) This question will require you to analyse two sources usefulness and make a judgement about each of them. You will do this by focusing on the nature, origin and purpose of each source as well as their actual content.
How useful are sources A and B for an enquiry into the system for dealing with injured soldiers on the Western Front?
Source A is somewhat useful for an enquiry into the system for dealing with wounded soldiers. It suggests that injured soldiers were normally transported by stretcher bearer from the battlefield to what is likely a Casualty Clearing Station but that at times they were overwhelmed by the number of casualties (“Our stretcher people were busy so I told them we could manage to get back by ourselves”). Source A is taken from the personal diaries of a wounded soldier (Henry Buckle) who is recounting his own experiences as a wounded soldier ; this make it accurate and reliable.
Begin by providing a nuanced judgement about the source’s usefulness which is directly linked to the question.
Explain at least one way in which the content of the source makes it useful
Explain at least one way in which the nature, origin or purpose of the source makes it useful
Repeat this for the other source in order to gain full marks for this question!

5. Q2b: How could you follow up… (4 marks) This question will require you to look at a source and then provide one sentence answers to 4 ‘closed’ questions about it.
Identify a quote from the source which you find intriguing (probably because the information given is limited in some way)
Transform your chosen quote into a question
e.g. How would / What could / Why did…
Name a type of source useful for this enquiry
e.g. army records, medical records, newspaper articles
BE SPECIFIC!
Provide a one sentence explanation why the chosen source would be helpful

6. Q3: Explain one way… (4 marks) This question will require you to identify change in a particular topic over an extended period of time and then provide a detailed explanation for why this change occurred.
Explain one way in which the methods used by doctors to diagnose illness during the medieval period (c ) were different from the methods used during the modern period (c.1900-present)
One way in which the diagnosis of illness was different in the medieval period from the modern period is the use of science and technology. In the medieval period doctors used to diagnose illness using urine and zodiac charts; these were not accurate because the science they were based on was inaccurate due to a lack of understanding about how the body worked. Whereas today doctors know about germs (the true cause of disease) and have specialist equipment such as stethoscopes, x-ray machines, MRI scanners etc which can be used to carry out detailed examinations and tests.
Signpost your answer with a clear statement which indicates a difference
Develop your answer with specific knowledge by stating how things were at the start of the named period and how (and why!) it was different at the end of the period

7. Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
Q4: Explain why… (12 marks) This question will require you to identify and then discuss in detail the reasons why a change in a named topic occurred.
Explain why the role of the Church in medicine decreased in importance in the years c.1250-c.1700
One reason why the role of the Church in medicine declined between 1250 and 1700 is the work of William Harvey. Harvey was a scientist who is most famous for discovering the true purpose of the heart; as a pump to transport blood around the body, and who thereby discredited some of the work of Galen. Galen’s work was, even hundreds of years after his death, held up by the church as being accurate because it helped confirm (in medieval people’s eyes!) the existence of God. Harvey’s work, which was the
Signpost your answer by stating one of the reasons for the change. Start with one of the named factors.
Develop the point made with specific details which are clearly relevant
Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
result of scientific experimentation, began to be accepted widely by people and this in turn led to less people paying attention to the Church in medical matters.
Repeat this TWICE more, making sure that one factor is one from your own knowledge to ensure full marks.

8. Challenge (disagree with!) the statement
Q5/6: How far do you agree… (4 marks) This question will require you to produce a balanced argument (discuss reasons for and against) about a statement and then provide a judgement based on your evidence.
‘John Snow’s work on cholera was a turning point in the prevention of infectious diseases c.1750-c.1900.’ How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
Brief introduction that states how far you agree and identifies the criteria for this decision.
Support the statement
Provide at least THREE pieces of evidence to support the given view. e.g.
Challenge (disagree with!) the statement
Provide at least THREE pieces of evidence to challenge the given view. e.g.
John Snow’s work which led to the conclusion that Cholera was a waterborne disease was important. By identifying the Broad Street pump as a factor in the transmission of cholera and by then having the handle taken off and seeing the decline in the number of cases he was able to scientifically link an illness to a causal factor.
Jenner’s work on vaccination was important. By experimenting with cowpox samples he was able to inoculate people and prove that they could be protected from not only a full outbreak of that disease but also from other, similar, diseases in the future.
An overall conclusion which sums up your arguments and which states clearly how far you agree with the statement given.

9. Paper 2: Period Study & British Depth Study
This paper is broken down into TWO sections:
Section A is the period
study about the
American West c
Section B is about
Early Elizabethan
England
There are 64 marks available in total:
Section A: 32 marks via 3 questions (1, 2, 3)
Section B: 32 marks via 3 questions

10. Repeat this for another consequence to ensure full marks.
American West: Q1: Explain two consequences of… (8 marks) (4 marks for each consequence) This question requires you to discuss what happened after a named event occurred and to explain how or why this was so.
Explain two consequences of the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851).
One consequence of the signing of the Fort Laramie Treaty between the US Government and the Plains Indians was that travel across the Great Plains became safer for white settlers. As white settlers were travelling west across traditional Indian hunting territory and disturbing the buffalo there by building roads and houses, and thereby affecting their normal behaviour patterns, this had upset the Plains Indians who, in retaliation, attacked and killed white settlers. A treaty between the US Government and the Plains Indians would help to guarantee the safe passage of white settlers to the ‘west’.
Signpost your answer with a clear statement identifying one consequence of the named event
Explain what happened as a result of the event stated in the question
Ensure that you finish your paragraph by linking clearly back to the consequence you stated at the start.
Repeat this for another consequence to ensure full marks.

11. American West: Q2: Write a narrative account of… (8 marks) You need to write about three key events linked to the topic named in the question and clearly link them together with appropriate connectives.
Write a narrative account analysing the ways in which the cattle industry grew in the years
The cattle industry grew massively in the US in the years One reason for this was the end of the US Civil War. As most of the fighting had taken place in the south, and Texas specifically, the cattle industry had been ruined. The end of the civil war meant that it could start to rebuild itself.
One of the consequences of this rebuilding was the creation of the Goodnight-Loving Trail; this was intended to transport cattle from Texas through Plains Indian territory to Plains Indians who were living in near starvation on reservations near Fort Summer, and in the process make a fortune for Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. The trail though was incredibly dangerous and attacks were frequent- Oliver Loving was in fact killed by a Comanche raid.
As other people saw the vast profits made by people like Goodnight, Loving and John Illiff they too joined in the cattle trade. This led to massive growth and whereas to this point cattle were farmed on Open Ranges they now began to be farmed on smaller ranches which were fenced off with Joseph Glidden’s barbed wire- a new invention. ‘Closed Ranges’ meant that it was easier for cowboys to tend for and look after cattle and make sure they were healthy, safe from either theft from other cattle ranchers and able to be protected from adverse weather.
The creation of cattle trails (such as the Goodnight-Loving) and the invention and use of barbed wire helped to create a situation conflict developed between ranchers and homesteaders. Both were situated on the plains but both had very different uses for the land.
Signpost your answer by briefly stating the cause of the event/phenomenon in the question
Use analytical language to explain the link to another event
Describe the event you just linked to
Use analytical language to explain the link to another event
Describe the event you just linked to
Use analytical language to explain the link to another event
Describe the event you just linked to

12. American West: Q3: Explain the importance of… (16 marks) (8 marks for each event/individual discussed) This question requires you to explain why a named event was significant and what consequences it led to.
Explain the importance of the opening of the First Transcontinental Railroad (1869) for the settlement of the west.
The opening of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 was significant because it enabled people to travel quickly, safely and easily across the West. One consequence of this was that it now became possible to arrange for the transportation of supplies such as machinery, timber, seeds for crops etc to be quickly delivered to settlers and this in turn increased the speed at which new towns could be developed. Another consequence was that a ‘second wave’ of migration occurred; no longer did people have to be brave and ready to endure hardship in order to travel west. They could merely purchase a train ticket in the East and be at their location in the West days later. For enabling a massive growth in the numbers of migrants and the speed of migration it can be said that the First Transcontinental Railroad was significant.
Signpost your answer with a clear statement outlining why the named event was important
Provide at least two examples which occurred as a result of the event to illustrate your point
Clearly link your answer back to your original judgement about why the named event was important.
Repeat this for a second event in order to gain full marks for this question!

13. Early Elizabethan England: Q4/5a: Describe two features of… (4 marks) This question will require you to identify a feature of a named topic and to then provide a relevant detailed fact about it.
Describe two features of the attempts to colonise Virginia in the 1580s.
Signpost your answer with one feature which clearly links to the question.
One feature of the attempts to colonise Virginia in the 1580s was that it was being done with the permission of Queen Elizabeth. Sir Walter Raleigh demonstrated this fact quite clearly when he named the new colony ‘Virginia’ in honour of his virgin queen- Elizabeth.
Develop your answer with specific knowledge and link it back to the question.
Repeat this for a second feature in order to gain full marks for this question!

14. Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
Early Elizabethan England: Q4/5b: Explain why… (12 marks) This question will require you to identify and then discuss in detail the reasons why a change in a named topic occurred.
Explain why the Throckmorton Plot was a threat to Queen Elizabeth.
One reason why the Throckmorton Plot was a threat to Queen Elizabeth was because it was aimed at assassinating Queen Elizabeth and replacing her with Mary, Queen of Scots, a woman who already had an heir and who could therefore ensure a clear dynastic succession upon her death. As Mary was a blood relation to Elizabeth through her ties to the Tudor dynasty (she was the daughter of Henry VIII’s sister) she also had a legitimate claim to the throne in the eyes of those Catholics who continued to refuse to accept Elizabeth as monarch because she was the child of Henry VIII’s third marriage- which wasn’t recognised by Catholics. In short- the Throckmorton Plot was a threat to Elizabeth because there was a clearly identified replacement who was going to benefit.
Signpost your answer by stating one of the reasons for the change. Start with one of the named factors.
Develop the point made with specific details which are clearly relevant
Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
Repeat this TWICE more, making sure that one factor is one from your own knowledge to ensure full marks.

15. Challenge (disagree with!) the statement
Early Elizabethan England: Q4/5c: How far do you agree… (16 marks) This question will require you to produce a balanced argument (discuss reasons for and against) about a statement and then provide a judgement based on your evidence.
‘The threat of foreign invasion was Elizabeth’s main problem when she became Queen in 1558.’ How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
Brief introduction that states how far you agree and identifies the criteria for this decision.
Support the statement
Provide at least THREE pieces of evidence to support the given view. e.g.
Challenge (disagree with!) the statement
Provide at least THREE pieces of evidence to challenge the given view. e.g.
There was a genuine fear that the accession of a Protestant Queen (Elizabeth) would mean that Catholic Europe would feel as though it would have to invade in order to protect English Catholics from the threat of attack from Protestants seeking retaliation for the persecution led by Queen Mary. As the major European nations (Spain and France) were Catholic this was a major threat for the new monarch.
A bigger problem for Elizabeth when she became Queen in 1558 was her marital status. Without a husband she could not bear a child who could become her heir. However the question of who she could marry was problematical; if she married an Englishman everybody else would be angry it wasn’t them. If she married a foreigner there was a chance they’d be Catholic- which would be unacceptable to all Protestants. Finding a solution to this problem was arguably more pressing than worrying about a potential foreign invasion.
An overall conclusion which sums up your arguments and which states clearly how far you agree with the statement given.

16. Paper 3: Modern Depth Study
There is only 1 topic on this exam paper- Weimar and Nazi Germany,
There are six questions to be answered
(1, 2, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d) for a total of 52 marks.
Question 3 is in 4 parts (a, b, c, d) and is focused on historical interpretations. The only questions in the whole GCSE on this particular historical concept.

17. Q1: Give two things you can infer… (4 marks) The question will require you to identify two implicit points made in the source and to provide the evidence to support your point.
Give two things you can infer from Source A about Hitler’s leadership of the Nazi Party in the 1920s.
State an inference made from the source
The first thing to be learned from source A is that Hitler didn’t like to be argued with. The source proves this when it says “Hitler even then could hardly bear contradiction”.
A second thing which can be learned from the source is that Hitler was more concerned with the end result- “we must have power” than he was with the fine detail of what he would do with it- “Power first! Afterwards we can act as events occur”.
Support the inference with evidence from the source (quotes are fine for this!)
State a second inference made from the source
Support the second inference with evidence from the source (quotes are fine for this!)

18. Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
Q2: Explain why… (12 marks) This question will require you to identify and then discuss in detail the reasons why a change in a named topic occurred.
Explain why there was opposition in Germany to the Treaty of Versailles.
One reason for opposition within Germany to the Treaty of Versailles was the reduction in the size of Germany’s armed forces. For instance the German army was to be reduced to a maximum of 100,000 men- smaller than the size of the Belgian army, Germany was not to be allowed to have an air force at all and the German navy was allowed only 6 battleships, a small number of light cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats and no submarines at all. The consequence of these harsh military terms on Germany would ensure that Germany was weaker than all other European nations and be perceived as defenceless in the future. It would also make the German populace feel an intense sense of anger towards their former Great War enemies and would make them feel humiliated.
Signpost your answer by stating one of the reasons for the change. Start with one of the named factors.
Develop the point made with specific details which are clearly relevant
Link the point made back to the overall theme in the question
Repeat this TWICE more, making sure that one factor is from your own knowledge to ensure full marks.

19. Q3a: How useful are sources B and C… (8 marks) This question will require you to analyse two sources usefulness and make a judgement about each of them. You will do this by focusing on the nature, origin and purpose of each source as well as their actual content.
How useful are sources B and C for an enquiry into the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler Youth movement. Explain your answer using sources B and C and your knowledge of the historical context.
Source B is very useful to us because it is a private letter from a Hitler Youth member to a friend. This means that the words within it are based on actual experiences and so are likely to be representative of other members views. Bearing in mind the use of censorship within Nazi Germany we can also assume that the author had complete trust in his friend to not betray his views. The content of the letter is very informative; it confirms to us that the purpose of the Hitler Youth was to provide military training to young Germans. It also shows us that some people actively disliked the hard physical activities they were forced to take part in; this suggests that if membership were not compulsory that they wouldn’t have joined.
Begin by providing a nuanced judgement about the source’s usefulness which is directly linked to the question.
Explain at least one way in which the content of the source makes it useful
Explain at least one way in which the nature, origin or purpose of the source makes it useful
Be sure to include some knowledge about the topic which is NOT from the source
Repeat this for the other source in order to gain full marks for this question!

20. Provide a quote from the interpretation to support the opinion given
Q3b: What is the main difference… (4 marks) The question requires you to read two different historian’s opinions and to then identify their opinion and provide evidence to support their opinion.
Study interpretations 1 and 2. they give different views about the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler Youth movement. What is the main difference between the views?
Interpretation one suggests that young people actively wanted to join the Hitler Youth for the opportunities it offered them. This can be seen when it says “Many young people were attracted by the exciting and interesting activities of the youth movements”. It then goes on to mention camping, hiking, sports and music as activities.
Interpretation two however suggests that as Europe slid towards war in the late 1930s many German youths were not keen on joining the Hitler Youth. It talks of “…growing resentment”, “…preparations for war” and the discipline becoming “…more strict”.
Begin by identifying the main argument of the first interpretation and sum it up briefly.
Provide a quote from the interpretation to support the opinion given
Identify the main argument of the second interpretation and sum it up briefly.
Provide a quote from the second interpretation to support the opinion given

21. Q3c: Suggest one reason why… (4 marks) The question requires you to give a reason why the two interpretations are different and provide evidence to support your opinion.
Suggest one reason why Interpretations 1 and 2 give different views about attitudes of young people towards the Hitler Youth. You may use sources B and C to help explain your answer.
One reason why the interpretations differ is that the sources they have used focus on different periods in Nazi Germany.
Interpretation 1 focuses on the positive reasons why young people wanted to join the Hitler Youth. Source C supports this with the line “What I liked about the Hitler Youth was the comradeship”
Interpretation 2 however focuses on reasons why the Hitler Youth declined in popularity as the 1930s drew to a close. It uses evidence such as source B which says “There is little enthusiasm” and likens their experiences to “…army life”.
In summary; the interpretations are different because the evidence to support them is focused on different points within the history of Nazi Germany.
Identify the broad reason why the historian’s views differ (using different sources, focusing on different things, interpreting sources differently)
Explain how Interpretation 1 came to its conclusion- using a quote from one of the sources to help you do this.
Explain how Interpretation 2 came to its conclusion- using a quote from one of the sources to help you do this.
Identify a specific difference in the sources and give a conclusion based on it

22. Q3d: How far do you agree… (16 marks) This question will require you to produce a balanced argument (discuss reasons for and against) about a statement and then provide a judgement based on your evidence.
How far do you agree with interpretation 2 about the attitudes of young people towards the Hitler Youth movement ? Explain your answer using both interpretations and your knowledge of the historical context.
Brief introduction that states the view given by interpretation 2 and how far you agree with it
Support the interpretation
Outline evidence from interpretation 2 that supports the view
Provide at least TWO other pieces of evidence to support the interpretation
Challenge (disagree with!) the interpretation
Outline evidence from interpretation 1 which challenges interpretation 2’s view.
Provide at least TWO other pieces of evidence to challenge interpretation 2
Interpretation 2 suggests that the Hitler Youth were not popular because they were increasingly devoted to preparing for war.
Some young people preferred to join other groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates who focused on leisure rather than military training.
Interpretation 1 suggests that the Hitler Youth was popular because of the sense of comradeship that it gave its members.
Members of the Hitler Youth were given opportunities others didn’t get- such as watching the Berlin Olympics.
An overall conclusion which gives a final judgement (inc. how far) by assessing the strengths of both interpretations and justifying your opinion.