90656 Student Guide

HISTORY NCEA LEVEL 3 3.3 ANALYSE AND EVALUATE EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL SOURCES

STUDENT GUIDE

CantaNet History

This achievement standard involves:

1.

2.

3.

Demonstrating an understanding of historical ideas and/or recognising differences in points of view.

It also requires analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence Making valid judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

Assessment will be based on historical sources.

Examples of sources are      

a document, pictures, graphs, articles, speeches, cartoons,

etc.

You are given one hour do complete this standard in the external exams You will be given a page to answer each question. This means you are expected to answer in paragraph form and in depth. You should get a total of SIX questions, two for each of the THREE skills identified above.

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The Standard Achievement

Achievement with Merit

Achievement with Excellence

 Demonstrate an understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

 Demonstrate an informed understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

 Demonstrate an informed and perceptive understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

 Analyse historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

 Provide an informed analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

 Provide an informed and perceptive analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

 Make valid judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

 Make valid and informed judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

 Make valid, informed and perceptive judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

Explanatory Notes 1

Historical ideas may include: social class, religion, power and leadership, authority and dissent, colonialism etc, in an historical context and derived from evidence within the sources.

2

Students will be expected to establish historical relationships between cause and effect, past and present, the specific and general, and continuity and change.

3

Students will be required to make valid judgement(s) about the quality of evidence by:  distinguishing fact from opinion  recognising specific points of view, bias and propaganda  being aware of the limitations of a single piece of evidence  considering the reliability, validity and usefulness of evidence.

4

Informed means that the learner is expected not only to interpret the materials correctly but also to use their own knowledge to support that interpretation.

5

Perceptive means insightful understanding of the nature of evidence in relation to the historical setting and/or the historical process.

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General method of source analysis 1.

Before you read the sources make sure that you note the background, or provenance, of the sources.

Origin: Who wrote or made the source? Is he or she likely to have a thorough or superficial knowledge of the subject? an overview or a limited view of the topic? a biased or an objective view? Is he or she a politician? a soldier? an officer? a housewife? a revolutionary? a trade unionist? a pacifist? How does this matter?

2.

As you examine each source, look for the main idea expressed in the source.

Motive: Why was it written or made? What is the purpose or motive? This helps to indicate what the source is reliable for, and therefore how it is useful. Is the motive to persuade? to analyse? to explain? to excuse? to describe?

Audience: Who is it for? scholars? a small group of politicians? the newspaper reading public? a member of a family or a friend? Is it meant for publication or is it private?

Content: What is in the source? details, examples, analysis, opinion? Could you use the source as evidence ?

3.

Ask yourself why this source has been included.

Reliability: Reliable for what? Reliability is limited by the range and accuracy of the content; no source is completely reliable for everything! Is it corroborated by other sources?

Usefulness: Useful for what? What does the source tell you? In what ways could you use the source as evidence?

4.

Think about all the sources (together if you are given a group of sources) Do they build up a picture? Are they like pieces of a jigsaw? Can you see how they corroborate, or support, each other? Or do they present contrasting or contradictory ideas? How does this affect their reliability?

5.

Remember! No source can give a complete picture of a complex issue.

But does each source give a vivid or detailed picture of one aspect of the topic?

Look at: TITLE of the source

Questions to ask: Look at the title

BODY of the source

What kind of source is it?

What is the nature of the source?

Note the details. What is the content?

What is the motive?

Look at the provenance.

Who is the audience?

What is the perspective?

Only after doing all of the above can you answer: For what is the source reliable?

How can this source be used? What claim can it help to prove?

AUTHOR / PUBLICATION / DATE

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Demonstrate an understanding of historical ideas and/or recognising differences in points of view.

Historical Ideas could include: Social class, religion, power and leadership, authority and dissent, colonialism etc, in an historical context and derived from evidence within the sources You will be asked to use evidence from one or more sources to illustrate a main idea relevant to the topic. For example main ideas relevant to the England option could include:     

The role of women in society Religion and the state The power of monarchy / the role of personal monarchy Monarchs relationship with the governing class Popular Belief

An example question: Refer to Sources A1 and A2. Use evidence from both these sources and your own knowledge to show the roles expected of women in early modern English society.

Recognising differences in points of view You could be asked to explain different viewpoints on issues or people using the resources provided. These views will often show bias of some kind. It is important you clearly explain the different viewpoints using evidence from the source to support your explanation.

Integrating your own knowledge is important for ‗Excellence‖.

An example question: Refer to Sources B1 and B2. Use evidence from both these sources and your own knowledge to explain, in your own words, differences in viewpoints about Oliver Cromwell.

Achievement

Achievement with Merit

Achievement with Excellence

 Demonstrate an understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

 Demonstrate an informed understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

 Demonstrate an informed and perceptive understanding of historical ideas and/or differences in points of view indicated by the evidence.

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Analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence Students will be expected to establish historical relationships between:    

cause and effect, past and present, the specific and general, continuity and change.

Cause and Effect relates to how one event(s) can cause another. The question will clearly identify what the cause and effect and is and the source(s) will provide you with some information to use. You will be expected to use your own knowledge as well Past and Present relates to the links between events/people/ideas from the past and the present (time of the topic). Again the question will provide you with the specifics.

The Specific and General relates to how the general and specific link together. For example, how a general idea can lead to specific actions or events.

Continuity and Change relates to the links between stability / permanence and short or long term change.

An example question: Historians are interested in the historical relationship of cause and effect (both immediate effects and those of a more lasting nature). With reference to Source C and your own knowledge, explain, in your own words, why Charles I and the Short Parliament were not able to work together, and what the effect of this was.

Achievement

Achievement with Merit

Achievement with Excellence

 Analyse historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

 Provide an informed analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

 Provide an informed and perceptive analysis of historical relationships indicated by the evidence provided.

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Make valid judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

Students will be required to make valid judgement(s) about the quality of evidence by:

   

distinguishing fact from opinion recognising specific points of view, bias and propaganda being aware of the limitations of a single piece of evidence considering the reliability, validity and usefulness of evidence.

Evaluating the Source of information (item of evidence) • • •

It is necessary to examine the source in great detail.

Always consider provenance first, and then look at the content in terms of the intended audience and motive.

Once this analysis has been completed it is then possible to make judgements about first the reliability and then the usefulness of the source.

PRIMARY QUESTIONS 1. Provenance What is the origin of the source?

SECONDARY QUESTIONS TO AID EVALUATION

Who made the source?

• What was his or her role? Was the maker an expert?

• Due to his or her position, is bias likely?

• Is the bias likely to be deliberate or unintentional?

• Do you recognise the name?

• Was the maker a participant?

When and where was it made?

• Was it made at the time of, or after, the event?

• If there is a delay, how is it significant?

• Is the publisher important for indicating bias, or not?

What is the nature of the source?

• Is it primary or secondary?

What is the source?

• What is the kind of source - letter, cartoon, statistical data, etc.?

• What is the intentional content - that which the maker meant to include?

• What is the unwitting, or unintentional, content of the source?

• What is the point of view of the maker of the source?

• Is the content biased?

• If it is biased, is this intentional?

What is the content of the source?

Intended Audience For whom was the source made?

Motive Why was the source made?

• Was it private - a private diary or personal letter?

• Was it meant for publication? How do you know?

• If so, was it for an individual, a small group of experts, or a wide audience?

• What is the purpose or motive? To convince, inform, condemn, give a balanced view, express feeling and emotions, express an opinion?

• How does the format of the source indicate purpose and perhaps bias?

• How is this done? What language or images are used— humorous, extravagant, emotive, logical, matter-of-fact, balanced, descriptive?

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What is the perspective of the source?

Is the source reliable?

Is the source useful?

• Using your knowledge of who made the source and why, consider the position or perspective of the source.

• Does it represent a particular country's position? A class position? A political party's position?

• How do you know? Consider the use of emotive language; is the information presented one-sided?

• Is the source complete or incomplete?

• In what way is the source limited? Does it lack clarity, detail, understanding? Is it from a narrow point of view?

• In what way is it biased? Is it propaganda, or not?

• Do other sources corroborate, or support, it or not?

• Do other sources contradict it, or not?

• For what is the source reliable? For what is it unreliable?

• What does the source tell you? How can you use what the source tells you to explain some aspect of the past?

• Remember! Usefulness is different from reliability and depends on reliability. Reliability has to be worked out first.

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How useful is the Source?

All sources are useful in some way. The main thing when looking at a source in a History examination is to work out if it is useful for answering the question you have been set.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself when examining a source: 1. Is the source relevant to the topic or question? An examiner is unlikely to set a source that is completely pointless. However on multiple source questions not all sources will be useful for all of the questions.

2. What information does it give which is useful in answering the questions set?

3. Does this information give you a complete picture or are there still some gaps and questions unanswered?

4. Where does the source come from? What is the purpose of the source? What is the significance of the author? Date? Type of Source? How relevant is it, i.e. what is the provenance of the source and its content?

Type of Source Soldier‘s accounts, interviews and oral evidence: Memoirs

Newspapers

Usefulness First-hand experience Provides information about an event.

Contemporary accounts of important events.

Novels/poems

Novels and poems are well researched by writers.

Photographs, sound and film

Show or allow you to see/hear what an event was like.

Officially collected by government.

Government and Official statistics Politicians‘ speeches Propaganda and posters Cartoons Diaries

Letters Biographies Art

Provides information about what they thought.

Gives government and other groups point of view.

Shows contemporary humour/opinion.

Gives a contemporary and first hand account.

Basic information Primary information about key events Provides

Limitation Questions How good are our memories? Are they reliable?

What happens as time goes by? Can you generalise from one account? Do we choose to forget some things or to exaggerate?

Usually written after the event. Motive for writing?

May defend the author‘s decisions?

May exaggerate role?

They take sides. Sometimes leave out important facts. No direct censorship in WWI but likely to be patriotic. Do not always tell the truth. May exaggerate. Try to influence what people think.

Did the writer witness the events? Are they trying to be factual or adding things to make the story more interesting? What were the reasons for writing: to entertain, to put over a message or a point of view, to educate people?

Why was it taken? How much does it show? Can you generalise from it? Does it tell the truth or is it somebody‘s point of view?

How were they collected? Are they accurate? Are they trying to prove something? What do they hide?

Purpose? Who is being addressed and why?

Purpose? How is the point made visually? Who was it designed to appeal to?

What is the point being made? Who drew it and why?

Why did the person keep a diary? Did they mean it to be read? Are details left out? What do we learn about the diarist from what he has written?

Why written? To whom?

Why was it written? Did the biographer know the person? Have they told the whole story? Did the writer have access to all the sources they needed?

Why was it painted? We are seeing somebody‘s

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somebody‘s opinion.

view of what happened. Is a message being put across?

Is a Source reliable?

A reliable source is one that you can trust. All sources, reliable or otherwise ‗tell you something‘! This is not the same as usefulness. Sometimes what appears to be a completely unreliable source can still turn out to be useful.

So... a source will never be completely useless or even unreliable – it depends what you want to use it for. That‘s why you will often be asked to compare the reliability of two sources.

There are some essential questions to ask yourself when evaluating sources: 1. WHO wrote/painted the source? (Were they biased?)

2. WHEN did they write/paint it? (WARNING – primary evidence is not always better than a secondary source.)

3. WHY did they write/paint it? (Are they trying to tell you something?)

4. DOES the source support your own knowledge of an event?

Type of Source Written Sources

Drawing/painting

Cartoons

Photographs

How reliable is it?

It is important to know if the writer witnessed the events they are writing about at that time. If they did not did they have all of the relevant facts and opinions before they wrote their information down? Is the writer biased? Was the writer speaking their mind freely? Is the author trying to persuade people to share their view?

If the source an opinion typical of others at the time?

Did the artist paint what actually happened or have they painted their opinion of the event. If it is an opinion then might it have been painted to persuade people to agree with the artist‘s point of view?

Could the picture be a product of the artist‘s imagination?

These are often deliberately exaggerated and in many cases simply unreal e.g. Winston Churchill portrayed with the body of a bulldog.

In such cases it is clear that that the picture itself is not ―reliable‖ so you will have to consider whether the message of the picture is reliable (did Churchill have bulldog qualities?). Does the message accurately reflect the generally held opinion of the person, event or thing?

The camera sometimes lies! However it is very unlikely that ―doctored‖ photos will appear in exam papers. Staged photographs will often appear! Think of the ‗Homeless‘ photograph of British people during the Blitz staged by the government. Consider also the motive of the person who may have staged the photograph.

Sources that Disagree Examiners like to ask the question “do Sources B and C support the view shown by Source A?” They are asking you to compare sources to see if they have the same opinion.

They rarely do! Don‘t just describe the sources to the examiner because this just shows how they disagree and not why! This type of question is not about reliability or usefulness – just why the different sources do not have the same opinion.

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A sample question: Refer to Sources E1 and E2. Evaluate the usefulness and / or the reliability of the evidence in these sources to an historian studying Mary Stuart.

Achievement

Achievement with Merit

Achievement with Excellence

 Make valid judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

 Make valid and informed judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

 Make valid, informed and perceptive judgement(s) about the usefulness and/or reliability of the evidence.

WHAT THE EXAMINER SAID- 2006 Candidates who achieved this standard most commonly demonstrated the following skills and / or knowledge:   

ability to understand the ideas or points of view and the historical relationships contained in the sources ability to show that they could make a valid judgement about the usefulness or the reliability of the evidence contained in the sources ability to examine the source material carefully and ensure that they had deliberately answered the questions ie students could gain Achieved through close analysis of the source material they were given without necessarily bringing in their own knowledge.

Candidates assessed as Not Achieved commonly lacked the following skills and / or knowledge: 





ability to complete the paper or address a bracket of questions ie a or b, c or d, e or f. Regardless of the quality of the answers they did complete, these students could not achieve the standard ability to focus on the identification and explanation of different points of view and on the evaluation of the usefulness and reliability of evidence ability to make judgements about the usefulness and / or reliability of the evidence contained in the sources.

Many of the candidates who failed to achieve this standard did so because of their weak answers to questions (e) and (f), where they simply transferred information from the sources rather than made a judgement about the usefulness and / or reliability of the evidence.

It may be unwise for candidates to leave this part of the examination until the end, as it requires far more than the ‗short answer‘ section that the Bursary Examination required. It is crucial that teachers deliberately teach the skills required by this standard and integrate these skills into their courses when they are dealing with source material.

Candidates who were awarded Achievement with Merit or Achievement with Excellence commonly demonstrated the following additional skills and / or knowledge: 



ability to integrate relevant and accurate material from their own knowledge into their answers. Teachers need to specifically teach this skill if they expect their students to gain a high grade. sophisticated understanding, in the case of Achievement with Excellence, of the source within its historical context. They also showed an ability to be concise, with their answers clearly directed at the question, rather than being overly lengthy.

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HINTS AND TIPS To gain Merit or Excellence you must make use of the evidence contained in the resource and your own knowledge which puts the source in context.

Answers should be carefully written and concise.

Make sure you don't ignore the instructions 'in your own words'.

Make sure you show how the evidence is relevant to the question. It is not enough merely to repeat evidence.

1. Clearly point out the MAIN OR KEY IDEA of the source. This should be in your topic sentence. This could be done by paraphrasing the source IN YOUR OWN WORDS. 2. Then place the source or sources in the historical context. This makes you INFORMED. Going beyond the obvious points and bringing out less evident points also makes you INFORMED. 3. Then add something else to make yourself PERCEPTIVE. This could be done by commenting on: o what is being said in the source; o the author of the source and looking at issues of reliability or bias; o whether the source is primary or secondary and the key issues around this; o tone and reason for the source being written.

4. Read the date of the resource carefully - the date of publication does not necessarily mean that a resource was written in that year.

5. Take note of whether the source is primary or secondary. Remember a source found in a secondary book can still be primary.

6. Remember the pitfalls of secondary sources. Historians can provide different explanations of the same event as a result of different interpretations of primary resources.

7. Remember the pitfalls of primary sources: o they can often be patchy and give an incomplete picture of events; o they may be biased and give prejudiced or one sided version of events; o they may be so influenced by personal feeling that they are difficult to generalise upon.

8. Remember all sources are useful but not all are reliable.

9. What is the intent of the source - is it a personal letter, a publication, a piece of propaganda, an official document?

10. Reliability can be verified by checking other sources.

11. Take note if the author of a source is a contemporary of the person or event being written about.

12. Remember to refer to the source directly eg H.G Robley; British officer's painting of a haka with muskets at Maketu, c1865, ATL Timeframes.

13. You must refer to all the sources if more than one is provided to comment on.

14. Annotate the source on the exam paper - highlight key short quotes, identify people, underline the date etc.

15. Take your time to read the resources and PLAN your answer very carefully.

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