The 8 Mark "How Convincing is the Interpretation About" Question: Restoration England (Q1) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question One
Question One requires you to evaluate how convincing an interpretation is about the given issue in the question
Amount of marks | 8 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 10 minutes |
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 Restoration England history:
Year | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
Sample 1 | The Restoration of Charles II |
Sample 2 | The power of the East India Company |
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 Popish Plot and the interpretation includes the Exclusion Crisis, you disregard the information about the Exclusion Crisis
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 Declaration of Breda 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 structure
Worked Example of a “How Convincing is the Interpretation” Question
Worked Example
How convincing is Interpretation A about the Clarendon Code?
[8 marks]
Interpretation A: From King Charles II, by the historian Antonia Fraser (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1979) "One outstanding question was of course religion. That wonderfully open, peaceful desire of Breda that no one should be ‘disquieted or called into question’ for their religious opinions so long as they did not disturb the people, still remained to be implemented. What finally emerged as a religious settlement - the Clarendon Code - was as far from the heady heights of Breda as could be imagined." |
Answer:
The interpretation is convincing as it outlines the aims of the Clarendon Code. The source suggests that the Clarendon Code ended the religious freedoms promised in the Declaration of Breda. The Clarendon Code was a series of laws passed by parliament, under the influence of the Clarendon Ministry, which restricted the practice of some religions. Therefore, this interpretation is convincing because the Clarendon Code aimed to make it clear in the law that Anglicanism was the only acceptable religion to be practised in England.
The interpretation is convincing as the Clarendon Code was not as well met as the Declaration of Breda. When King Charles II announced The Declaration of Breda in 1660 he stated that there would be religious toleration. Therefore, the source is convincing because the interpretation suggests that the Clarendon Code was not well received, especially by King Charles II. Charles believed in religious freedoms for Catholics and nonconformists which the Clarendon Code did not give.
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