How to Answer How to Answer GCSE P GCSE Paper
Interpreting the message of a source
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Example: ' Study Source A A. What is the message of this cartoon? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer'. •Make sure you spot the big message of the source. •Make sure you spot the big message of the source Many sources are very busy, they have a lot of detail in them and they have a lot going on Try not to be distracted by one detail in the cartoon and never lot going on. Try not to be distracted by one detail in the cartoon, and never base your answer on just one detail. p What is the point the source wants to make? •Explain the message using the cartoon and your knowledge. Do not to waste time describing the cartoon in detail and to only mention details which support the main message. Start their answer, ‘The message of this cartoon is...’ and say what the message is Then use detail form the source to explain the message from the cartoon. Then add some relevant knowledge to help explain the message.
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Source A
Possible Answer:
The message of the cartoon is that the Old Age pensions awarded d d under d the th 1908 Act A t was a gift that would bring great happiness to the old people of Britain. This is shown by the fact that the pension is being brought as a present from a small child and the old people look both happy and surprised. d
A British cartoon from 1909 Study St d Source So ce A. A What is the message of this cartoon? Explain your answer.
The pensions were given to old people even though they had not made any contributions towards it. It was given free to most people l over 70. 70
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Evaluating sources for their usefulness Example: 'Study Source C. How useful is this source as evidence of the tactics used by the Suffragettes? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer ' answer. 1. What does the source say and what does it mean? It will provide some p information and opinions. 2. Does the source use really strong language? If it does it may be very one sided and therefore not that useful. 3. Does the source contain accurate information that you, from your background knowledge, know is true? This makes it useful. 4. Does the source contain any information that you know is inaccurate or incomplete? This would make it unreliable. 5. Write your answer by pointing out what parts are useful and what parts are not useful – use quotes from the source and explain them with b k background knowledge. dk l d 6. Draw a mini‐conclusion – it is useful.
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SOURCE B:
A speech by Lloyd George in 1912.
The National insurance Act had taken a great leap to cure poverty. t Th The man who h used d tto b be thrown th into i t poverty t because he was sick is now safe and the man stalked by the haunting figure of unemployment is protected from its worst evils.
Study Source B. How useful is this source for finding out about the National Insurance Act of 1911?
Possible Answer:
In some ways this source is useful because it gives us an official view of the 1911 Act because it is by its designer, Lloyd George. It also tells us about the two p parts of the Act when it says y that the sick will no longer g “be thrown into poverty” and that men will no longer be “stalked by the haunting figure of unemployment”. This is accurate to a degree because the 1911 Act did help the unemployed and sick by providing some limited benefits. However, this source is not totally useful because it suggests all men were protected, but actually only some seasonal trades were covered. Also the benefits were quite limited in the amount they gave and the duration du a o they ey were eeg given e for. o O On thee whole o e thiss sou source ce has as so somee limited ed used for finding out about the 1911 Act.
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Evaluating sources for reliability Example: ‘Study Source B. Does this source prove that the Liberal Reforms were p y p successful? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer.’ Example: ‘Is Source B reliable for finding out about the tactics of the Suffragettes. Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer.’ Example: How far does this source help you to understand why the Liberals introduced Old Age Pensions. 1. What does the source say and what does it mean? It will provide some information and opinions. 2. Does the source contain accurate information that you, from your background knowledge, know is true? This makes it reliable. Does the source contain any information that you know is inaccurate or incomplete? This would make it unreliable. li bl 3. You also need to ask whether the source can be trusted: who wrote it, were they biased would they know? biased, would they know? 4. Write your answer by pointing out what parts are useful and what parts are not useful – use quotes from the source and explain them with background knowledge. useful – use quotes from the source and explain them with background knowledge 5. Draw a mini‐conclusion – answer the specific question.
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Study Source D D. How true is this picture of the life of children in 1906-1914. Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
Possible Answer: Source D does not give a balanced view of the life of children in this period. The child i wellll dressed is d d and d the h book b k would clearly be a luxury item that few poor families could afford. It therefore does show what rich families would be like and so is true to a degree g but it fails to show how poor children would have lived. Often poverty meant that they had no toys or books and their clothes were basic and tatty. When Rowntree did his study in York he found that luxuries such as toys and books for children were beyond th reach the h off many families, f ili so this is not a totally true source.
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‘Are you surprised?’ questions EExample: 'Are you surprised by this source? Use the source and your l 'A i d b thi ? U th d knowledge to explain your answer.‘ 1.
What does the source say and what does it mean? It will provide some information and opinions.
2.
You do need to look carefully at who is saying it ‐ this may help.
3.
You should be surprised if it says something that does not match p y g with your knowledge‐ e.g. if a Liberal MP was saying that Old Age Pensions were a bad idea – here you would quote the source and then point out that it surprises you because the Liberals then point out that it surprises you because the Liberals introduced the reforms in 1908. You should also be surprised if the source says something that is not true e.g. if a magazine said that the WSPU not true – e g if a magazine said that the WSPU’ss violent violent campaigns won them the support of the government ‐ here you would quote the source and then point out that the WSPU upset the Prime Minister Asquith. h i i i ih
4.
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Study Source B. Are you surprised by this source? Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain your answer. answer
Possible Answer: I am surprised by source B. B This source suggests that life was very normal during the war. It suggests that h “h lid “holidays will ill be b available” in France in 1915. This is shocking as the war was going on by 1915 and many people were committed to fighting or working g in factories. It also suggests that “travel to France” will be by “boat” at a time when the seas were dangerous around Britain because of the German navy. It also mentions “luxurious hotels” at a time when shortages hotels were common because of the war. On the whole I am surprised b because it seems very untypical t i l of life at this time.
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Using sources together How similar are the points made in these sources? How far do these two sources agree about the suffragettes’ tactics? How similar are these two sources?
1. What does the source say and what does it mean? It will provide some information and opinions. 2. The sources could agree and disagree about facts/opinions in the sources. 3. The sources could agree and disagree about their general tone. 4. Compare the sources as you go along – do not write about one source and then write about the other and then do a conclusion. 5. Always show similarities and differences. 6 Always do a how far conclusion. 6. Al d h f l i
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Source B: A letter to the Times newspaper in 1910: The suffragettes smash windows and burn The suffragettes smash windows and burn our golf courses. They have even assaulted members of the King’s government. I hope q that Mr Asquith will see these women for what they are – lunatic criminals who do not deserve the vote. Source C: An article from the WSPU magazine published in 1911. Our non‐legal methods have managed to gain attention amongst the public. We have truly got everyone’s attention and won the friends we need to gain our great aim – Votes For Women! Study Source B and C. How far do these two sources agree about the suffragettes’ tactics?
Possible Answer: To some extent, extent these sources do agree about the suffragettes’ tactics. Source C says they are “non-legal” and Source B describes “assaulting assaulting members of the King’s government” by “criminals”. They also agree that the tactics have got attention. Source B is a letter to the Times and shows people were interested. Source C says the g have “got g everyone’s y suffragettes attention”. However, they disagree on effectiveness. Source B clearly does not think they have worked as it says they “do not deserve the vote” whereas source C says they are about to “achieve achieve their great aim”. Therefore theses sources agree on some aspects off the h Suffragettes S ff tactics, i b but they disagree on their effectiveness.
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Comparing Reliability Questions. Which source do you trust more as evidence about...? Is one of these sources more reliable than the other about...? Is one source more useful than the other as evidence about...? 1.
Evaluate both sources – do they tell the truth? Do they match y y with your background knowledge? Do they tell the whole story or where they written by someone who may want to mislead us?
2.
Do a paragraph on each source using the source and your background knowledge.
3.
Make sure you draw a conclusion saying which source is actually the most reliable.
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Possible Answer:
Source B is quite reliable because it does describe Source B: A letter to the Time newspaper in some of the tactics quite well. It says they “smash windows”, which did happen in 1910 after 1910: the failure of the Conciliation Bill. It also says The suffragettes smash windows and burn The suffragettes smash windows and burn they “assaulted members of the King’s our golf courses. They have even assaulted government” which is also true as MP were hit members of the King’s government. I hope with umbrellas. It also shows how some q that Mr Asquith will see these women for members of the public felt as large numbers of what they are – lunatic criminals who do not people did see them as “lunatic Criminals” who had little sympathy. deserve the vote. Source C is accurate in that it claims that the tactics “gained attention”. This is true because the newspapers did carry stories and the government did discuss the issue. However, source is i wrong when h it i says that h it i “won “ fi d ” friends”. Our non‐legal methods have managed to Asquith and many MPs were angry with the gain attention amongst the public. We have truly got everyone’s attention and won the tactics and it made them less willing to grant the vote.
Source C: An article from the WSPU magazine published in 1911.
friends we need to gain our great aim – Votes For Women!
Study Source B and C. Which of these two sources is most reliable for finding out about the suffragettes’ tactics?
On the whole Source C is less reliable because it offers an inaccurate view of the impact of the tactics – the author was a suffragette and is over playing the tactics. Source B is more balanced and accurate.
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Explaining Differences Questions: Why do these two sources show different attitudes towards...? 1 D 1. Do not spend time describing the differences! This t d ti d ibi th diff ! Thi wants to know WHY they are different. 2. The answer will be based around: • Who wrote the source • When it was written • Why it was written
Possible Answer:
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These two sources are different because they were written by people with different points of view and experience.
SOURCE E Since the Liberals came to power in 1906, every social evil in this wealthy country of ours has got worse. The cost of living h i has increased 12%, but the wages of the working class have d 12% b t th f th ki l h increased by only 1%. National Insurance is a confidence trick because working men and women are forced to make a contribution as well as paying tax. The miners’ minimum wage i increased the cost of coal by 2 or 3 pence a ton, yet the d th t f lb 2 3 t t th consumer in London is to pay and extra 30 pence a ton! A speech by a Labour MP in 1912 SOURCE F SOURCE F It was shameful that the old were bleeding and footsore as they struggled through the brambles of poverty. We cut a new was y p y g for them ‐ an easier way a pleasanter way. We are raising money to pay for the new way and to widen it, so that hundreds of thousands of poor can benefit. Lloyd George making a public speech in London in July 1909. Study Sources E and F. Why do you think these two sources give different views of about how p the p poor? Use the sources the Liberals helped and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
Source E is written by a Socialist who was an opponent of the Liberal reforms because he felt they did not go far enough. This is why he is critical and saying that the “wealth of the nation” should be used to help the “people”. “people” The author of this source also suggests that wages are the real causes of poverty and these should rise, not benefits. In source F Lloyd George is claiming that the “poor can benefit” from the reforms. He is claiming this to win votes and support for his reforms. reforms The reforms were controversial and he wanted to win support for them. This is why it is so positive. He also sees the solution as welfare benefits rather than rising wages. They are also writing about different reforms. Source E is about the controversial National Insurance Act and Source F is about the more popular old age pensions.
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Why Published Questions: Why was this source published in...? 1. Work out the message of the source and then move on. 2. Ask Ask yourself yourself ‐ why does that person want to give that why does that person want to give that message at that time/in those circumstances? 3. You will need to use you knowledge and the Source to explain these reasons
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SOURCE A: A 1911 Liberal poster.
Possible Answer: This poster was published in 1911 to get support for the Liberal Reforms. The 1911 National Insurance Act was very controversial and faced great opposition from employers and working ki men who h did nott wantt to t pay contributions, insurance companies who feared they would lose business and the Labour Party who said it was too limited. The p poster shows Lloyd y George g helping a bed-ridden worker and which would make him popular. Study Source A: Why was this poster produced? Use the source and your own knowledge in your answer.
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Do these sources prove Questions: Do these sources prove Questions: Example: Does this source prove that the Liberal reforms were a failure •Evaluate the source using your background knowledge. Does the source match up with what you know about the topic? •Write a brief paragraph about the source and then write a conclusion. •The main idea here is that “An unreliable source cannot be used to prove something”.
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Possible Answer:
SOURCE A: An old man talks about his pension, 1912. Since we got our pension now we want to go on living forever, because we give my son the 10 shillings a week, and it pays them to have us live g we should be able to pay p y with them. I never thought the boy back for all his goodness to me and the missus. SOURCE B: 1912.
A speech p by y Lloyd y George g in
The National insurance Act had taken a great leap to cure poverty. The man who used to be thrown into poverty because he was sick is now safe and the man stalked by the haunting figure of unemployment is protected from its worst evils.
Study Sources A and B. How far do these sources prove that the Liberal Reforms were a success? Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
These sources suggest that the reforms were a success. Source A suggests that the old age pensions have made old people want to “go on living li ing forever” fo e e ” and Source So ce B suggests s ggests that the National Insurance Act has started to “cure poverty”. This is partially true as the reforms did help certain old people over 70 by given them a free pension paid at the post office so they were no longer as dependent on the poor law. The National Insurance Act p some people p p with unemployment p y also helped pay and medical benefits when they were ill. However, the reforms were not perfect. The pensioners had to wait until they were 70, many of them died before they could claim their pension and the National Insurance Act did not cover all trades. Those trades p totally, y, for example, p , covered were not helped the families were not covered by sickness benefits so they could not get medical help. So the sources do not prove they were a success as they do not tell the full picture.
