The 8 Mark "In What Ways" Question: America 1840-1895 (Q5) (AQA GCSE History)

Summary of Question Five 

• Question Five requires you to explain how a group or development was affected by a key event or change 

• This question will require you to use second-order concepts in your answer

• 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 American history:

What are Second-Order Concepts?

•   Second-order concepts are:

  • Cause and consequence

  • Change and continuity 

  • Similarities and differences 

  • Historical significance 

• For the example question, the second-order concept is cause and consequence

  • The question is asking you to explain the consequences of the concept of "Manifest Destiny" on the lives of Americans

• These second-order concepts allow you to:

  • Understand history 

  • Give a complex explanation

How to Answer an “In What Ways” Question

• When answering an "In What Ways" question, you need to: 

  • Read the question carefully 

  • Include specific and relevant knowledge 

  • Explain the changes in the group or development mentioned in the question 

    • In America: 1840- 1895 unit, these tend to focus on groups who have witnessed the most amount of change over the period such as: 

      • Americans 

      • Plains Indians

      • Americans in the South

      • Americans in the North

      • Homesteaders

    • In the example question, the identified group are Americans

    • This change can be shown by how the experiences of the group identified differed due to: 

      • Time

      • Social developments

      • Economic developments

      • Political developments

      • War

• It is important to remember that not everyone in America would have been affected by the event or development in the topic

  • Explaining this in your answer will help you to access Level 4 (7-8 marks) 

 “In What Ways” Question Structure

• Your answer should consist of: 

  • Specific relevant knowledge 

  • Complex explanations showing:

    • The relevant second-order concept 

    • How not all Americans were affected by the event or development outlined in the question 

• Your answers could be written in PEE paragraphs: 

  • P- Make a point about the question

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

    • Focused on the group or development mentioned in the question 

    • Show knowledge to demonstrate the relevant second-order concept 

  • E- Explain the question

    • Focus on the key demands of the questions 

    • Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of the second-order concept 

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

Worked Example of an “In What Ways” Question