The 8 Mark "How Convincing is the Interpretation About" Question: Elizabethan England (Q1) (AQA GCSE History)

 Summary of Question One

• Question One requires you to evaluate how convincing an interpretation of a given issue is

• An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

• In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in Elizabethan history:

How to Analyse an Interpretation

• When analysing an interpretation you should:

• Read the interpretation carefully 

• Read the interpretation more than once, if you have time 

• Focus on just the content of the interpretation

  • If you use the provenance, you will receive no marks for the comments made 

• Whilst reading the interpretation underline or highlight relevant pieces of text 

• Annotate the interpretation by attaching your knowledge to the content of the interpretation 

• When analysing an interpretation, many students forget to focus on the given issue in the question 

  • For example, if a question is asking you about the Spanish Armada and the interpretation includes the Essex Rebellion, you disregard the information about the Essex Rebellion 

How is an Interpretation Convincing?

• Interpretations are used in history to explain the past by looking at history from different points of view

• Interpretations are convincing because they: 

  • Have accurate knowledge 

  • An understanding of the historical period

  • Show a typical experience or point of view from the historical period

• The easiest way to decide if an interpretation is convincing is by using your own knowledge

  • For the example question, you could use the 1601 Poor Law as a reason why the interpretation is convincing

Judging Interpretations

• The “How Convincing” question requires you to make a judgement

• The common mistakes that students make when making a judgement are: 

  • Not giving a clear judgement. Students do this by: 

    • Failing to decide why the interpretation is convincing 

    • Using language in their answer which is not decisive e.g. “kind of” or “maybe”  

  • Contradicting your judgements

    • Students sometimes haven’t planned their answers properly. They start to write their answer with one judgement and then change their opinion halfway through 

    • Doing this means that there is not a sustained judgement and you can not access Level 4 (6-8 marks) 

• Good judgements will: 

  • Explain why the interpretation is convincing 

  • Have a substantiated judgement 

  • Be supported with specific knowledge 

  • Be relevant to the interpretations and the question 

• Although you need to explain how convincing the interpretation is, this does not mean that the interpretation will not be convincing  

• Your judgement does not need to include limitations and you can receive full marks without one

  • Student's responses are stronger when they are decisive and clear about how convincing the interpretation is 

• However, if you include a limitation you will be credited, you must make sure the limitation is: 

  • Supported by knowledge 

  • Focused on the question 

  • Relevant to your answer  

“How Convincing is the Interpretation” Structure

• For the example question above, you will be given an interpretation in an insert

  • An insert is an additional booklet to your answer paper. It provides key sources or interpretations needed to answer specific questions in the exam

• Your answer should consist of: 

  • Specific relevant knowledge 

  • Content from the interpretation 

  • The wider context of the time

• Your answer could be written in PEE paragraphs

  • P- Make a point about the question

    • Identify why the interpretation is convincing 

  • E- Use information from the interpretation and knowledge to support the point you have made

    • Your knowledge should be specific 

    • Focus on the content from the interpretation 

  • E- Explain why you find the interpretation convincing 

    • Focus on the given issue in the question 

    • For top marks, you need to show your understanding of the wider context of the time 

• To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this twice  

Worked Example of a “How Convincing is the Interpretation” Question