Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The 12 Mark "Explain Why" Question (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question 2
Question 2 requires you to provide an analytical explanation of the event, development, theme or factor outlined in the question
This question will require you to use the second-order concept of causation in your answer
Amount of marks | 12 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 20 minutes 5 minutes of planning 10- 15 minutes of writing |
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 Anglo-Saxon and Norman history:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
2023 | William and the Harrying of the North |
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 causation
The example answer asks you to explain what caused William Duke of Normandy to win at the Battle of Hastings
These second-order concepts allow you to:
Understand history
Give a complex explanation
This question usually focuses on the second-order concept of causation
How to answer an "Explain why" question
This question asks you to explain causation, why something happened
You need to demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of the events or developments
As shown in the example question, you will receive two stimulus points
In the exam, you will be given two possible areas of knowledge to discuss in your question
If you only discuss these two stimulus points, you can not access Level 4
You must discuss three areas of knowledge in your answer to access Level 4
You should always plan your answers before writing them. When creating a plan for this question you should consider the following:
What three areas of knowledge are you going to use?
For the example question, you could include William's leadership skills, Harold's bad luck and William's use of tactics
How do they demonstrate the causation of the topic outlined in the question?
"Explain why" question structure
Your answer should consist of:
Specific and relevant own knowledge
The second-order concept of causation
A sustained explanation
A logical structure
Your answers could be written in PEEL paragraphs :
P - Make a point about the question
E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made (K)
The evidence should be from the time period or event outlined in the question
Your evidence should include a wide range of knowledge
E - Explain the question (SOC)
Explain how the evidence resulted in the event or development outlined in the question
L - Link your explanation back to the question
To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this structure three times
The question is out of 12 marks:
6 marks for a wide range of specific knowledge of the period and the topic (K)
6 marks for the analysis of the key second-order concepts (SOC)
Worked example of an "Explain why" question
Worked Example
Explain why William Duke of Normandy won at the Battle of Hastings.
(12)
You may use the following in your answer:
You must also use information of your own. |
Answer
One reason why William Duke of Normandy won at the Battle of Hastings was due to his choice of tactics. William used tactics like the feigned retreat during the Battle of Hastings. This tactic allowed William's men to surround some of Godwinson's men and kill them. Additionally, William used archers which became very effective after the shield wall collapsed as this allowed William's archers to get closer to the line and hit as many of Harold's soldiers as possible (K). These tactics resulted in William's victory at the Battle of Hastings because they caused holes in the Anglo-Saxon shield wall which allowed for William's cavalry and archers to destroy Godwinson's army and kill Godwinson himself (SOC).
Another reason why William Duke of Normandy won at the Battle of Hastings was due to Williams's leadership. William's leadership allowed him to effectively manage his army, both in England and in Normandy. William showed his effective leadership whilst waiting in Normandy as he prevented his soldiers from stealing from the local people (K). However, in the battle, his effective leadership allowed for difficult tactics like the feigned retreat to be executed with excellent results. Therefore, his leadership skills helped him to win at Hastings because if he did not have good control over his army in Normandy, he would have not been able to wait for the ideal time to make his crossing. This allowed him to attack Godwinson when he was at his weakest. Additionally, effective tactics like the feigned retreat would not have worked without his excellent leadership skills (SOC).
A final reason why William Duke of Normandy won the Battle of Hastings was due to luck. In the lead-up to the battle, William was fortunate not to have had his army destroyed when making the crossing from Normandy to England. This is because, when he originally planned to attack Godwinson, his men could have died in the storms. In addition, sources like the Bayeux Tapestry show that Harold Godwinson was killed at the battle by being killed by an arrow to the eye (K). Therefore, William won the Battle of Hastings because it was lucky that Godwinson was killed in that way. Without the leadership of Godwinson, the Anglo-Saxon army collapsed and William won the battle (SOC).
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