How to answer "How useful ..." questions.

This is an important skill at Intermediate level. Important also because without evaluating the usefulness or reliability of sources, there is no such thing as History.

Use the following checklist to help you remember ...

ORIGIN

PURPOSE

CONTENT

RECALL

Origin : This means that you have to look at

WHAT kind of source?

• Primary sources from the actual time can be useful and reliable because they were produced by a person who was actually there.
• Secondary sources can also be useful and reliable because they are produced by historians who are experts at finding out the truth about the past.

WHO wrote the source?

• Sources produced by someone who had good knowledge of the subject can be useful / reliable because they were produced by a person who knew what they were talking about.

Purpose : this means that you have to look at ...

WHY the source was produced?

• A source which was produced to find out the facts can be useful / reliable.
• A source which was produced to try to persuade people about something might not be telling the whole truth. It’s purpose is to persuade not to tell the truth.

Content : this means that you have to ...

• Say what the source tells you. DO NOT COPY large chunks of the source. Write what it tells you in your own words. You can quote small parts of the source. Put these quotes in quotation marks.

Recall : this means that you have to ...

• Use your own K&U. Has the source missed out anything? If it has, then you should say so and also say what has been missed out.

Conclusion : Finish with a short sentence. Say whether the source is useful / reliable OVERALL. Say what the STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES of the source are.

Possible short essay questions ...

Essay questions in this topic tend to focus on 4 different areas of the topic.

1. Events around the time of the childhood of MQOS and the Rough Wooing. Examples are ...

Explain why MQOS was sent to France in 1548
Why did Henry VIII attack Scotland in the "Rough Wooing?"

2. Changes in religion and politics in the 1550s. Examples are ...

Explain the reasons for the growth of Protestantism in Scotland by 1560.
Explain why some Scots rebelled against Mary of Guise in 1559.
Why did a Reformation take place in Scotland in 1560?

3. Key events when Mary was Queen in Scotland. Examples are ...

Explain why the death of Darnley was important to the reign of MQOS.
Explain why relations up to 1566 between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth were
difficult.
Explain why Mary fled from Scotland to England in 1568.

4. Events which took place during Mary's time as a prisoner in England. Examples are ...

Explain why Queen Elizabeth thought Mary was a danger to her.
Explain why Queen Elizabeth ordered the execution of MQOS.

Revision task

Here is a list of points. They could be used in the introductory paragraphs for the essay titles above. Match up the points with the essays.

1. Mary refused to marry Elizabeth’s choice of husband. Instead she married Darnley who also had a claim to the English throne.
2. The Pope had stated that any Catholic who murdered Elizabeth would not be guilty of a sin.
3. Mary became involved in plots against Elizabeth. In the Babington Plot she was accused of agreeing to the murder of Elizabeth.
4. England was threatened by Catholic countries such as Spain and France.
5. Mary was accused of being involved in the murder of her second husband.
6. The murder gave the Protestant Lords the excuse they needed to rebel against Mary.
7. Mary’s involvement with Bothwell seemed to prove that she could not be trusted.
8. Mary was Catholic and half French. There was concern that she might try to “put the clock back” in Scotland.
9. Mary’s father died shortly after her birth. There was a struggle for power between different groups of nobles.
10. Before she arrived in Scotland, Mary used the English Royal coat of arms as her personal badge.
11. Mary’s presence in Scotland was dangerous because it might encourage English Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth.
12. Mary escaped from imprisonment but her army was defeated and she ran to England hoping for help.
13. Mary was related to Elizabeth and had a claim to be the next Queen of England
14. Many of the top Scots nobles were unhappy at the French people who had influence at court.
15. Ordinary Scots began to dislike the French troops who came to support Mary of Guise.
16. English Catholics were unhappy that Elizabeth was Queen. They wanted to replace her with Mary.
17. Some Scottish nobles wanted to get their hands on the wealth of the church.
18. Henry was furious that the Scots had double crossed him.
19. Mary and Elizabeth were related but Mary’s supporters said that Elizabeth was a bastard
20. Some Scots were persuaded by preachers like John Knox. They also disliked Cardinal Beaton burning Protestant preachers like George Wishart.
21. Elizabeth I was Protestant. She strongly supported the Protestant cause in Scotland as a way of getting rid of the French threat.
22. The Catholic church had many faults which made it unpopular with many Scots.
23. The Protestant Lords captured Mary at Carberry and imprisoned her.
24. The French and the English were at war. They both wanted to control Scotland.
25. The Scots at first agreed to do a deal with the English.
26. There was a danger that Mary might be kidnapped and used a “puppet”.

The Short Essay - Intermediate 2

Students who sit the Intermediate 2 exam and NABs must write a short essay on a question from the topic.

The essay is marked out of 8 marks. Up to 3 marks can be given if the answer is in the correct format of INTRODUCTION paragraph followed by several DEVELOPMENT paragraphs, finishing with a CONCLUSION. The remaining 5 marks can be earned by using correct K&U to answer the question.

A Good introduction will ...

• Refer to the question. So use the words from the question in the first sentence.



• Give the reader a number of key points which will be dealt with later. So use "flag words and phrases" such as "A reason for this was ... Another factor was ... An important event was ..."



• Give the reader an idea of your final answer. So use adjective phrases such as ... "Very important reason..." "Significant event ..." , "Key factor ..." , "Of very great importance was ...", "The most important..."

The DEVELOPMENT section must be ...

• Written in paragraphs. Each paragraph must tell the reader about one point which was mentioned in the INTRODUCTION.



• Written in the PEEL format: Make your point. Explain your point. Give evidence or facts to back up your point. Link back to the question in the last sentence.

The CONCLUSION must be ...

• A single paragraph at the end of the essay.



• Understood by the reader to be a conclusion. So start with "In conclusion ..." or "To conclude" ... or "To return to the question..."



• A final answer to the question. So review the key points you have made in a few sentences and then give a final judgement ... "X,Y and Z were important reasons / events but the most important of all was W because ..."