The 8 Mark "In What Ways" Question: Russia (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 Russian 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 change and continuity

  • The question is asking you to explain how the Second World War changed the lives of the people in the USSR

• These second-order concepts allow you to:

  • Understand history 

  • Have 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 Russia: 1894- 1945 unit, these groups tend to focus on groups who have witnessed the most amount of change over the period such as: 

      • Russian people

      • Women

      • Farmers

      • Industrial workers

      • Professional workers

    • In the example question, the identified group are the people of the USSR

    • This change can be shown by how the experience of these groups differed due to: 

      • Time

      • Social developments

      • Economic developments

• It is important to remember that not everyone in Russia 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 Russians 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

In what ways were the lives of people in the USSR affected by the Second World War?

[8 marks]

Answer:

One way the lives of the people in the USSR were affected by the Second World War was due to working conditions. For factory workers in cities, the quality of life dropped throughout the war as there was a huge pressure to create the equipment required, which resulted in horrendous working conditions. This affected the lives of people in the USSR during the Second World War because the average workweek rose from 40.5 hours a week to over 70 hours a week and rations fell dramatically. This reduced the quality of life as accidents and malnourishment became more common due to the horrendous conditions. 

Another way in which the lives of the people in the USSR were affected by the Second World War was due to government policies and actions. The introduction of the "not a step back" policy during the battle of Stalingrad from 1942 to 1943 made civilians' lives worse. During the battle, Russian people in these areas worked hard to defend it and prevented people from fleeing and retreating. In addition, farms in Kolkhozi were impacted by Stalin’s ‘scorched earth’ policy which resulted in the destruction of land and the farmers fleeing to the Urals for their safety. This affected the lives of people in the USSR as it lowered their quality of life, and destroyed people's homes and livelihoods as they were forced to remain in an active war zone however it also resulted in the loss of over 4 million lives in Stalingrad alone.