1. Working with Interpretations of Thatcher
Producing a good piece of coursework

2. Learning Objectives
To be able to understand the skills required to produce a good interpretations coursework.

3. Success Criteria
To have looked at/ produced an improved way of completing the Interpretations coursework.
To have developed your skills in synthesis and synopticity.
To be able to apply the mark scheme to your work.
Created a bookmark guide on how to produce a good interpretations piece.

4. Over the summer...
You should have completed your Thatcher booklet and produced a response to an interpretation exercise.
It may not have been perfect, and you might have found it difficult, but it gives us a basis to work from.
Take highlighter pens and prepare to annotate your work.
NOT COMPLETED YOUR THATCHER INTERPRETATION EXERCISE?
Shame on you! Go and sit at the back of the room, listen to what is being said and put notes together on how you can perform that skill in your essay.

5. First things first...
What have you called the passages that you have used in your essay.
IF YOU HAVE CALLED THEM SOURCES: put a big X through it.
IF YOU HAVE CALLED THEM INTERPRETATIONS: put a tiny tick next to it.
IF YOU HAVE CALLED THEM PASSAGES: put a tiny tick next to it.
WRITE AT THE TOP OF YOUR ESSAY: Always call the passages either passages or interpretations.

6. Secondly: lets take a look at Ao1a and knowledge
Highlight any of your own knowledge in that essay that you have written (so not knowledge that has come from the passages). Add to your knowledge.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY, OR IF THERE IS NO/ LITTLE OWN KNOWLEDGE IN YOUR ESSAY: Work on the interpretations with another student and annotate them with any knowledge that you can find (in any of the books or any of your notes) in support or to argue against those passages.

7. Thirdly: lets take a look at Ao1a and structure
How have you structured your essay?
Have you done so by talking about A, B, C and then D or have you compared them all together?
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY, OR IF YOU HAVE DONE IT A, B, C AND THEN D: how could you structure it? Which passages would you put together? Try to produce a structure.

8. Fourthly: Let’s take a look at Ao1b and key concepts
This is a causation essay (what caused Thatcher to win elections) with significance (which were the most important causes)- take a different highlighter pen and highlight where you discuss causes or significance of causes. Add to your essay where you could do this.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY: What caused Thatcher to win elections? Which of these reasons were most significant? Which of the passages agree/ disagree with you?

9. Fourthly: Let’s take a look at Ao1b and relationships
With a different colour highlighter pen: highlight any links you have made between the different causes. This might also include different causes that go over a couple (or all three) elections. Add any you’ve missed to your essay.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY: What links can you make between the different causes? What links can you make between the different elections?

10. Fifthly. Ao2b: Focus
With a different colour highlighter pen/ or underline: highlight any where you are directly addressing or answering the question. Add to your essay where you could be addressing the question.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY: What kind of things might you say to directly address or answer the question.

11. Sixthly. Ao2b: Synthesis
With a different colour highlighter pen/ or underline: anywhere where you use knowledge to a) illustrate the passage or confirm the passage or b) argue with or challenge the passage or c) create an evaluation of how well that passage supports the statement in the question. Try and add to your essay any of those things.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY: How could you use knowledge to do either a, b or c? Write some down (put it on your passage sheet).

12. Seventhly. Ao2b: Synoptic judgement
Write SYNOPTIC JUDGEMENT and feel really proud of yourself if you have ANYWHERE created a judgement of how well these passages work as a group to discuss the issue. Otherwise, add it to your judgement.
IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN YOUR ESSAY: Can you create a synoptic judgement?

13. Eighthly
Mark your answer according to the mark scheme. Use your highlighting etc. to help you say where you should be OR move onto 2 if you haven’t done your answer.
Create a bookmark that says what you should do to do a good interpretations piece of work.
Write an improved version of your answer.