The 16 Mark "Factors" Question: Power & the People (Q4) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question Four
Question Four requires you to evaluate one of the eight factors in Power and the People
There are also four available marks for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)
Amount of marks | 16 + 4 SPaG |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | Around 25 minutes 5 minutes to plan 20 minutes to write 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 Power and the People:
Making Judgements in History
The 16-mark question is reliant on your ability to weigh all the evidence and state your opinion. Students often find this part the hardest to do
Common mistakes with judgements include:
Not giving a clear judgement. This includes making judgement statements such as:
"I kind of agree that..."
"I don't agree or disagree..."
Contradicting your judgements
Students sometimes haven't planned their answers properly. They begin their answer with one judgement and then change their opinion halfway through
Doing this means that there is not a substantiated judgement. This type of answer cannot access Level 4 (13-16 marks)
Good judgements will:
Either agree or disagree with the statement
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
For the example question, there is more evidence that government action was the main driving force for reform
Use words like "partially" and "fully" to explain the extent of their opinion on the question
Consider the other side of the argument
Even if you fully agree with the statement, you still need to present some evidence from the opposite opinion. A great way to introduce this is to write "Some historians think that..."
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 get Full SPaG Marks
In Paper 2A, students have access to an additional four marks for answering Question 4
This is awarded for SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
SPaG marks are allocated in the following categories:
SPaG mark | Reason for this mark |
|---|---|
0 |
|
1 |
|
2-3 |
|
4 |
|
You can boost your SPaG marks by:
Ensuring key terms mentioned in the question are spelt correctly in your answer
Making sure that you use paragraphs in your answer
Allowing yourself an appropriate amount of time to re-read your answer to check for mistakes
Reading the answer in your head as if you were speaking it. Where you would take a breath, make sure there is a comma or full stop
How to Answer a “Factors” Question
The thematic study is divided into four different time periods
Medieval Britain
Early modern Britain
Industrial Britain
Modern Britain
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
When answering a "Factors" question you need to:
Read the question carefully
Make sure that you fully understand which factor the question is asking you about
Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question
Plan your answer. This will help you to:
Decide which factor you will support
Have a logical and concise argument
Have a substantiated judgement
Achieve higher levels
Examiners argue those who plan their answers, achieve higher marks
Your plan should include:
What key knowledge you wish to use
An outline of your argument
To achieve Levels 3 and 4 (9-16 marks), you must discuss the stated factor in the question
If the question was on how economic factors caused protest, you must discuss this factor in one of your paragraphs
The question states that you need to “Use a range of examples from across your study”
You should aim to use three examples across two time periods throughout your answer to cover this aspect of the question
For the example question, the answer covers the Anti-Corn Law League (Industrial Britain), the Act of Supremacy (Early modern Britain) and Oliver Cromwell (Early modern Britain but includes evidence from Medieval Britain)
How to Structure a “Factors” Question
Your answer should consist of:
Specific knowledge
Relevant evidence
Substantiated 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
E - Explain why this evidence supports your point
L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how it is more or less important than the other factors
You should aim to have three well-explained paragraphs and a conclusion
Worked Example of the “Factors” Question
Worked Example
Was communication the main factor in bringing about reform in Britain?
Explain your answer with reference to communication and other factors.
Use a range of examples from across your study of Power and the People: c1170 to the present day
[16 marks + 4 SPaG]
Answer:
Communication played a significant role, but was not the most significant, in bringing about reform in Britain. Communication was particularly important from the 18th century onwards. The printing press, invented in the 13th century, became vital to reform groups in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Anti-Corn Law League made use of the newly-established penny post system. They distributed pamphlets to all eligible voters to rally public support for the repeal of protective tariffs on grain. Similarly, the Chartists created newspapers to spread their demands for political reform and suffrage rights. their campaign. Both groups' use of communication attracted more public support for their cause. This resulted in change occurring through Peel’s repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 and universal male suffrage in 1918. Therefore, the use of different methods of communication was incredibly important in pressuring the government to make reforms. Communication is a tactic that many protest groups increasingly use today. In the 21st century, the government still has the final decision on what reforms take place in England.
While communication played a role, government intervention was the main factor in driving significant reforms in Britain. For any reform to become law, it had to be passed by parliament or the monarch. These two institutions could pass or block reforms regardless of the opinion of the country. An example of this is the Act of Supremacy in 1534. In this act, Henry VIII made himself the head of the Church of England to grant himself an annulment from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. This caused a rebellion in Yorkshire called the Pilgrimage of Grace. Robert Aske and around 40,000 rebels presented Henry with a list of demands including revoking the Act of Supremacy and making the Pope the head of the Church again. Henry refused and hung hundreds of the rebels. This shows that the government ultimately has the power to pass reforms. If a monarch like Henry VIII did not want to reform the country, it was unlikely that a reform could be passed. Therefore, the role of the government is the main factor because they have played a significant role throughout history in bringing about reform.
The role of individuals was important for reform in Britain. Oliver Cromwell implemented various reforms. He fought King Charles I in the English Civil War (1642-1648). This resulted in the execution of the king and the establishment of the Commonwealth. Cromwell under this new political system passed a series of reforms. Whilst Cromwell was a Puritan, he allowed people to freely worship. He also allowed Jewish people, who had been banished from living in England since 1290, to settle back in England. Cromwell's leadership and vision for reform had a lasting impact on England. The power Cromwell gave to parliament still exists today, despite England restoring the monarchy in the 1660s. Cromwell’s actions showed how important individuals could be in driving change. However, individual efforts are often restricted by the government. In the case of Cromwell, he became the government which allowed him to implement change. Many reformists did not have access to this type of power.
In conclusion, I believe that government action is the main driving force for reform in history. While communication was important in bringing about support for reform, individuals influenced public opinion. Important reform often requires legislative changes enacted by the government. This can be seen through the significant reforms made in history, from universal suffrage to equality laws.
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