History: RevolutionsExam 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

– 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 1917GO BEYOND THE STORY – SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE

OF AN EVENT• Consequences• Outcomes• Rationale behind activities

THE EXAMThursday 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!

• 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 QuestionsRevolutionary ideas, leaders, movements and

eventsThese questions are now grouped together.

Simply turn to the page as indicated on the ‘index’. Examples:

Question 1How did conflict between the estates contribute to the development of a revolutionary situation in France in 1789?

Question 2How did failure to reform contribute to a revolutionary situation in France by July 1789?

Section A Part 2: Evidence AnalysisCreating 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 1Analysis, (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

– 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 QuestionsEssay 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!!!!