The 8 Mark "Explain the Importance" Question: Medieval England (Q2) (AQA GCSE History)

Summary of Question Two

• Question Two requires you to explain the importance of an event, group, individual or development from the Medieval period 

• You will need to explain the question using

  • Second-order concepts 

  • Relevant knowledge and understanding 

• 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 Medieval history: 

How to Answer an “Explain the Importance” Question

• In history, the word "importance" refers to a historical event or person which stands out from other events, individuals and groups

• When considering the importance of a historical event or person you should consider:

  • Causes and consequences 

  • Change and continuity 

Cause & Consequences

• Causes and consequences are like falling dominos

  • The causes are what push the dominos over

    • For the example question, a cause of Edward I's relations with Scotland was the Auld Alliance

  • The consequences are the other dominos that fall

    • For the example question. a consequence of Edward I's relations with Scotland was being forced to re-sign the Magna Carta in 1297

• Cause and consequence can be directly linked and can be used to help explain the relationship between events, issues or developments 

Change & Continuity

• Change and continuity can also be viewed as falling dominos

  • An important event, development or person is a domino which changes the direction of all of the dominos that come after it

Explaining Importance

• The question will provide an event or group in which it will want you to explain the importance of 

  • You will need to write about two ways in which it was important 

    • For the example question, Edward I's relations with Scotland were important because they showed Edward's expansionist aims and it damaged Edward financially

    • Show the importance of the event or group through a second-order concept 

 “Explain the Importance” Question Structure 

• Your answer should consist of: 

  • Specific and relevant knowledge 

  • Cause and consequence or change and continuity

  • An explanation of how the event or issue mentioned in the question impacted the wider development of the topic

• Your answers could be written in PEE paragraphs: 

  • P- Make a point about the question

    • This point could focus on the importance of the issue or group outlined

  • E- Include knowledge to support the point you have made

    • Focused on the event or group in the question 

    • Show knowledge to demonstrate a cause or change 

  • E- Explain the question

    • Focus on the key event or group of the question

    • Include an explanation showing your understanding of the consequence or continuity of the event or group mentioned in the question

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

• It is tempting in this question to write your answer like a story, do not do this 

  • The question asks you to explain the causes and consequences or change and continuity of the event or group mentioned in the question  

Worked Example of the "Explain the Importance" Question 

Explain what was important about Edward I’s relations with Scotland

[8 marks]

Answer:

Edward’s relations with Scotland led to an obsession with incorporating Scotland into his empire. After King Alexander of Scotland’s death, there was a succession crisis on who would claim his throne. Edward chose John Baliol as he viewed him as weak and easy to manipulate. When Edward asked for Scotland to provide him with soldiers to fight France, Scotland and France formed the Auld Alliance in 1295 which dragged Edward into a war with Scotland. This was important for Edward’s relations with Scotland because he could not accept influencing the country. Edward was nicknamed ‘The Hammer of the Scots’ due to his relentlessness in repressing them. This shows how Scotland became an ongoing problem during Edward’s reign

Edwards's relationship with Scotland also damaged him greatly financially. Edward was forced to re-sign the Magna Carta in 1297 as he needed funds to fight against Scotland in war from the barons. A lack of money also weakened Edward's hold in the other areas of his empire. For example, Caernarfon Castle in North Wales was never finished during Edward's reign because he did not have the money to finish it. This shows that bad relations with Scotland weakened Edward’s ability to govern his kingdom as he was blinded by his desire to keep Scotland, despite its impact on other areas of the empire. Therefore, Edward’s obsession with retaining Scotland ultimately affected his control over the whole of the kingdom.