The 16 Mark "How Far do you Agree" Question: Restoration England (Q4) (AQA GCSE History)

Summary of Question Four

• This 16-mark "How far do you agree" question four will be based on the historical environment site that you have studied 

• This question requires you to evaluate the statement outlined

• You need to evaluate the importance of the statement outlined against other reasons

  • These other reasons will not be mentioned in the question 

• The question can be based on cause, consequence, change and/or continuity 

• You will need to include relevant knowledge including

  • The historical environment site you have studied 

  • The wider events/ developments of the period and how they relate to the historical environment site 

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

• The previous and future sites for the historical environment question are as follows: 

The Historical Environment Question

• The historical environment focuses on a particular site in its historical context 

• It aims to examine the relationship between the historical site and associated historic events and developments in that period 

• The historical site will change each year 

  • If you are uncertain what historical site you will be examined on you must

    •  Ask your teacher

    • Check the table above

    • Look on the AQA website 

• Your knowledge of the historical environment should cover the following aspects of the site: 

  • The location 

  • The function 

  • The structure 

  • The design 

  • People connected with the site 

  • How the site reflects the culture, values and fashions of the time

  • How the site links to important events and/or developments of that historical period 

  • How those aspects have

    • Changed from earlier periods

    • Changed or stayed the same during this period 

What are Second-Order Concepts?

•  Second-order concepts are:

  • Cause and consequence

  • Change and continuity 

  • Similarities and differences 

  • Historical significance 

• These second-order concepts allow you to:

  • Understand history 

  • Have a complex explanation 

• This 16-mark "How far do you agree" question on the historical environment will include second-order concepts in the question 

• The second-order concept is usually shown in the question for example:

  • "The main change that stately homes demonstrated was the new fashions of the Restoration period."

  • "The greater comfort and pleasure of the owners was the main consequence of country house development during the Restoration period."

• If the second-order concept is not mentioned in the question you will be expected to demonstrate second-order concept skills in your answer 

Making Judgements in History

• The 16-mark question relies on your ability to weigh all the evidence and state your opinion. Students often find this part the hardest to do 

• There are some common mistakes students make when making a judgement, they include: 

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

    • Explaining that all of the reasons are the most important 

    • Failing to decide which factor is the most important 

    • 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 (10- 12 marks) 

Good judgements will:

• Explain which reason is the most important 

  • There is no "right" or "wrong" answer in history

  • If you are unsure of your opinion, pick the side of the argument that you have better or more evidence to support

• Consider other reasons

  • Even if you fully believe a reason is the most important, you still need to present evidence for other reasons

• Be sustained throughout your answer 

  • They should be used to structure your answer and help you explain 

  • This is why planning your answer is important

• Try to explore the relationships between causes/ consequences/ changes or continuity that you have presented in your argument 

  • This will help you to evaluate your argument 

    • For example, when evaluating the question "The plays were the main reason for the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England", one could argue that the main reason was the mixing of social classes. You could link this to the designs and sets of the theatres

What Makes a Great Conclusion in GCSE History?

• Conclusions are usually where most of your judgement marks will be awarded

• Students often rush their conclusions so they are not as developed as they could be

• All great conclusions have these three elements:

  • Judgement – Start with your opinion. Try to include the words from the question. Consider second-order concepts like short- and long-term consequences, change and continuity and significance

  • Counter – Give an example from the other side of the argument to show your awareness of this

  • Support – Explain why, after considering all the evidence, you have reached your judgement. Use your best piece of evidence to show your opinion

How to Answer a “How Far do you Agree” Question

• The "How far do you agree" question will present you with a statement which you have to create a substantiated judgement around 

• For example

  • "‘The plays were the main reason for the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England.’ How far does a study of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London support this statement?"

• To answer this question successfully you should

  • Read the answer carefully and multiple times (if you have the time)

  • Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question 

  • Plan your answer 

    • In your plan include what key knowledge you wish to use and an outline of your argument 

    • This will help you to create a sustained judgement 

• To achieve Levels 3 and 4 (9-16 marks) you must discuss the stated reason outlined 

  • If the question was on the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England was due to plays, you must discuss the roles of plays in one of your paragraphs 

“How Far do you Agree” Question Structure

• Your answer should consist of: 

  • A logical structure 

  • Specific knowledge

  • Relevant evidence 

  • An explanation

  • Substantiated judgement 

  • Sustained judgement 

  • A conclusion 

• If you want to include an introduction you can, but it is not necessary 

• Your answers could be written in PEEL paragraphs: 

  • P - Make a point about the question

    • This should include your judgement 

  • E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made

    • Evidence needs to be relevant and specific 

    • This should be focused on the historical environment and the wider period of study 

  • E - Explain why this evidence supports your point

    • Your explanation should be focused on the second-order concept in the question 

    • To achieve Level 4 (13- 16 marks) your answer should analyse the historical site chosen and how it demonstrates the changes and developments in the wider context of the period

  • L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how it or is not the most important reason

    • Here you could demonstrate the relationship between your paragraphs. This will help you to achieve a Level 4 (13 - 16 marks) 

• To achieve Level 4 (13-16 marks) you should aim to write three paragraphs 

Worked Example of the “How Far do you Agree” Question

‘The plays were the main reason for the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England.’

How far does a study of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London support this statement?

[16 marks]

Answer:

The new plays were an important reason for the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England, but were not the main reason. There were new plays such as The Comedy of Manners. These plays were very different to plays in the previous period like the Shakespearian tragedies like Macbeth. An example of a comedy of manners is Country Gentleman which mocked Sir William Coventry. This was a controversial play as it caused a lot of tension between Charles and parliament because Coventry was an MP. Eventually, the play was banned and Coventry even went to the Tower of London briefly for threatening actors at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Furthermore, some actors and actresses became famous for certain plays. An example of this is Nell Gwynn in Dryden’s Secret Love of the Maiden Queen at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She grew a following which attracted people to the Theatre Royal to see her in these plays. The plays were an important reason for the popularity of the Restoration theatre. However, it was not the most important as there has always been progress in plays throughout time so this is not specific to the Restoration period.  The mixing of social classes was a new and important consequence of Restoration theatre which began to close the gap between classes which is still prevalent today.

Another reason for the popularity of the theatre in Restoration England was the new design and scenery, however, this was not the main reason. The theatres in Restoration England such as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane were designed by Christopher Wren. He was a famous architect of the time. The Theatre Royal was very elaborate and luxurious. This contrasted to the Globe of the Tudor times which was more simple. The Theatre Royal’s stage was wider which allowed for new scenery and props. The stage was only 4.5m away from the audience which meant there was a close relationship between the audience and the actors. This meant that the Theatre Royal was a more immersive experience. This is one of the reasons why it was popular in Restoration England. However, it was not as important as the mixing of social classes. Allowing all social classes to sit together drove more people to go to the theatre in the first place. This allowed them to enjoy the innovative scenery and design, making the experience exciting and memorable.

The most important reason for the popularity of theatre in Restoration England was the mixing of social classes due to the very high class and important people that attended. People such as Charles II himself attended the theatre very regularly. Charles went to the Theatre Royal around 280 times in total. This would have caused many people to go so they could see the king and other members of his court such as his mistresses. The seat prices were also very affordable. It cost only 1 shilling for a gallery seat and 7/6p for a stall seat. This meant that all classes could afford to attend. Furthermore, there were backless benches so that the classes could socialise during the play’s interval. The use of an interval was also a new concept. The mixing of social classes was the most important reason for the popularity of the theatre because it allowed lower classes to mix with higher classes. This bridged the divide between classes which brought more equality to the Restoration society as a whole.

In conclusion, the most important reason for the popularity of theatre in Restoration England was the mixing of classes as it affected society as a whole and drove people to the theatre in the first place. The improvements to the plays and the scenery were important for popularity as they made the experience enjoyable. However, all people could attend the theatre as equals which ultimately led to Restoration theatre becoming as popular as it did.