The 8 Mark "Explain the Two Ways X and Y are Similar" Question: Power & the People (Q3) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question Three
Question Three requires you to identify and explain two ways in which two groups, individuals or developments were similar
It requires a common theme or factor that connects the two focuses of 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 Power and the People:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | The Tolpuddle Martyrs with the people involved in the General Strike, 1926 |
2019 | The Peasants’ Revolt with Trade Unionism in the nineteenth century |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
Sample 1 | The Peasants’ Revolt and the campaign for the People’s Charter |
Sample 2 |
How to Explain How Historical Events & People Are Similar
The thematic study tests you on the way that you explain continuity over time
To help you to do this, remember that:
The thematic study is divided into four different time periods. A question could:
Select any two of these four periods
Focus on two events of people across the four time periods
Compare a common area across two periods, for example, protest
Eight factors connect the time periods. For Power and the People, these are:
War
Religion
Chance
Government
Communication
The economy
Ideas such as equality, democracy, representation
The role of the individual in encouraging or inhibiting change
You could use these factors to find similarities between events and people
For the example question, a similar factor between the Brixton rioters and the suffragettes was the role of the government
How to Answer a “Explain the Two Ways X and Y are Similar” Question
When answering an "Explain the Two Ways X and Y are Similar " question, you need to:
Read the question carefully
Include specific and relevant knowledge
From both time periods
Make a direct comparison between the two events or people
For the example answer, a direct comparison is the violent methods of protests used by the Brixton rioters and the suffragettes
Explain how the two events of people are similar
To access Level 4 (7-8 marks):
Use some of the eight factors in the Power and the People course to explain the similarities
Consider short- and long-term causes and consequences of the two people or events
How to Structure the “Explain the Two Ways X and Y are Similar” Question
Your answer should consist of:
Specific relevant knowledge
Complex explanations showing:
How both events and people are similar
Using the eight factors
Identifying causes and consequences
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 two people or events mentioned in the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate similarities between the two people or events
Use phrases like ‘similarly’ to directly compare the two people or events
E- Explain the question
Focus on the key demands of the questions
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of the factors
To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this twice
Worked Example of the “Explain the Two Ways X and Y are Similar” Question
Worked Example
Explain two ways in which the people who rioted in Brixton and the suffragettes were similar
[8 marks]
Answers:
One way the Brixton rioters and the suffragettes were similar was the methods of protest they used. People in the Brixton riots began on 10th April 1981 to bring attention to police brutality against black people. For three days, rioters attacked police cars, looted shops and committed arson. Similarly, the suffragettes used violent methods to bring attention to women’s suffrage. In 1912, the WSPU began a stone-throwing campaign which damaged many shop windows. Over 200 suffragettes were arrested. This shows the Brixton Rioters and suffragettes were similar because they used similar methods of protest to achieve their aims.
Another way the Brixton rioters were similar to the suffragettes was the impact of government policies on these groups. A main cause of the Brixton Riots was the ‘sus law.’ The ‘sus law’ was a stop-and-search law. It allowed the police to search anyone that they suspected was a criminal. Many Brixton rioters believed that the government was using the ‘sus law’ more on black people than white people. Similarly, many suffragettes protested against the way that hunger-striking suffragettes were treated in prison. In c.1910, to prevent women from dying in prison, the government allowed prisons to force-feed suffragettes. The suffragettes created posters depicting the process to persuade the government to abolish this practice. This shows the Brixton Riots and suffragettes were similar because the government policies introduced impacted their causes.
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