International School History - European Schools - S6 4 hour option

S6 4hr History Last update - 07 May 2023 Official European School History S6 Syllabus: English, French, German
S6 Four Hour History - Revision - 2015
Get some general revision advice to begin with. I wrote this 'top 10 tips' for IB students a few years ago and much of what I say applies to you. Similarly the great John D Clare wrote these detailed guidelines for his English GCSE historians.  Finally, this article from the New Scientist provides the latest research on effective revision.
 
In Year 6 the exam is three periods long, in Year 7 it is four periods The exam is divided into two sections. In the first section you will be expected to analyse 5 sources, in the second section you will write an essay.
S6 4hr History Xmas Exam - Past papers and markschemes

2015 - Examination and markscheme
2014 - Examination and markscheme
2013 - Examination and markscheme
2012 - Examination and markscheme
2011 - Examination and markscheme
2010 - Examination and markscheme
2009 -
Examination and markscheme

Section A - The Sources

In Year 6 Xmas 2015 the topic for the source analysis is 'total war' and the defeat of Germany and her allies.

The content.

Why was the war not over by Christmas? Walsh 16-19 GCSE Modern World History

Worksheet to be completed by hand or e-version.

See the outstanding BBC website on the First World War. And thisanimation in particular which graphically demonstrates how the war developed.

 

Why is the First World War described as a 'total war'? WWI as a 'total war'. Mindmapping, notemaking activity worksheet.

Walsh 20-29 and 66-76 GCSE Modern World History  
 

Killing Fields Video on WWI from the 1990s documentary series People's Century. Website for the series.
 

Short interesting piece from the BBC on propaganda and WWI.

Diagram and case study of UK

WWI propaganda posters.

Excellent BBC documentary on the life of the war poet Wilfred Owen.

Recent BBC Documentary 'World War One from above' offers multiple new perspectives on the war.

Women and WWI, (edited essay) 
BBC on the home front in Britain.
 

On the geographical extent of the war see episode 3. On the battles of Verdun and the Somme see episode 6.
   
 

Why was Germany defeated in 1918? Worksheet. Extended extract from Ian Cawood and David McKinnon-Bell

Article - Why the war in Greece contributed to the defeat of Germany.

The First World War 
Part 9 examines the events of 1918 that led to German defeat.

The Skills

The paper will be four or five questions just as you have been taught to prepare.

The first questions check your comprehension of key terms and your ability to understand and interpret the sources.

In the next question you will be expected to compare and contrast two or three of the sources. This means you should identify similarities and differences between the sources, where they agree and disagree or where one source provides no evidence in support of another.

Next you will be expected to evaluate the usefulness of two of the sources. You do not need to compare the sources. Usefulness means, how useful the source is as evidence about a particular event in the past. You should identify both strengths and weaknesses of the source. For example, how relevant is the source? Does the source contain a lot of useful information or information that helps us understand the past event? Does the source provide reliable information about the past? Can it be trusted to tell the truth?  The three Rs model should remind you of the sort of things you need to consider.

The usefulness of sources

This section of the website provides a detailed examination of the usefulness of the most popular types of source found in examination. .

Finally, you will asked to use all the sources and your own knowledge to answer an essay style question about 'total war' and the defeat of Germany and her allies. Your job is to use the sources - making sure to refer to them in your answer - and use your own knowledge to support your answer. This is an opportunity to show what you know in addition to the information contained in the five sources.

The essays.

You will write one essay from a choice of two
The topics are:

1. Imperialism
2. The nature of the warfare: change and continuity 1800-1914.

My top 5 tips on how to write an essay.

 

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