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

Revision Note

Natasha Smith

Written by: Natasha Smith

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

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

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:

Question Five for America 1840-1895
An example of Question Five in Paper 1A
  • In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in American history:

Year of Exam 

Question Topic 

2018

All Americans and ‘Manifest Destiny’ 

2019

Americans and the Civil War

2020

Homesteaders and new farming techniques

2021

Americans affected by slavery 

2022

Southern States affected by the American Civil War

Sample 1

Plains Indians and the arrival of white settlers 

Sample 2

Americans and railways in the West

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

Worked Example

In what ways were the lives of all Americans affected by the belief in "Manifest Destiny"? 

[8 marks]

Answer:

One way in which the lives of all Americans were affected by the belief in "Manifest Destiny" as it encouraged people to move west. In the short term, the move to western America affected many white settlers as they faced hardships as they struggled to grow food and establish homes. However, in the long term, white settlers prospered. The formation of homesteads, towns, roads and railways created a new, settled and prosperous life for many American families. However, the opposite happened to the Plains Indians who, partly as a result of Manifest Destiny, suffered hardship, war, and deprivation as many Americans were encouraged to move west. 

Another way in which the lives of all Americans were affected by the belief in "Manifest Destiny" was due to God’s will. Many white settlers were encouraged to move west due to the Manifest Destiny belief that it was God’s will that the whole of the United States should be a Christian continent. This affected the Plains Indians' lives as they were seen as savages who were standing in the way of God’s will and were removed from the land, which resulted in conflict and the destruction of their way of life. This also affected white settlers' lives because it encouraged white settlers to be content with the conditions they faced in the West. Such as the little rainfall and natural disasters because they were doing God’s work which gave them the drive to succeed. 

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Natasha Smith

Author: Natasha Smith

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating with a degree in history, Natasha gained her PGCE at Keele University. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Natasha taught history at both GCSE and A Level. Natasha's specialism is modern world history. As an educator, Natasha channels this passion into her work, aiming to instil in students the same love for history that has fuelled her own curiosity.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.