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To identify the types of question on Section A
of Paper 1
To evaluate the requirements of the mark
scheme
To analyse model answers and identify good
exam technique and structure
For your final exam in Y11, Paper 1 will
have two sections, (there is also Paper 2)
 Section A = American, Expansion and
Consolidation, 1845 - 1895
 Section B = Conflict and Conquest 1918
– 1939, (you will study this in Y10)
 Time = 1 hour and 45 minutes in total
 84 marks in total
 Section A = 50 minutes (40 marks)
 Section B = 50 minutes (40 marks +4
marks SPaG)
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6 questions - you have to answer them all
They can be on anything to do with what you
have studied in lessons
Questions 1, 2 and 3 = Source Skills, (but you
need knowledge to understand the sources)
Questions 4, 5 and 6 = Knowledge based
Top Tips
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4 marks
Time = 6 mins
1 paragraph
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Interpretations A and B will ALWAYS
be DIFFERENT to each other
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You must talk about both A and B
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Talk about the CONTENT ONLY
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Interpretations A and B differ
because…
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B says this… whereas A says this
which means that B thinks this
which is different to A because A
thinks this
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Level 1 – Selects simple relevant details from both
sources and says briefly what the differences are
(1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Selects relevant details from both sources
and explains the differences (3 – 4 marks)
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Interpretation B is different to A because
Interpretation B is very critical of the Mormon
lifestyle as it suggests that the Mormons are
not good Christians because they break the
rules of marriage and practise polygamy
which makes them immoral and disrespectful
of God. Interpretation A in contrast describes
the Mormons as decent people who fear and
respect God. Similarly, the interpretations are
different because Interpretation A describes
them as good people, where as B says that
they are strange and follow Joseph Smith who
is described as evil
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4 marks
6 minutes
1 paragraph
Top Tips
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The examiner is asking you to
explain why, if two sources are
talking about the same thing,
then why are they saying different
things about it
You must talk about A and B
You need to look at the
provenance to think about what
has made the authors say
different thing
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Nature (Type of Source – is it Public? Private?)
Origin (Who wrote it and when – what was
happening at the time that might have
influenced the author)
Purpose (Why was it created – does the author
have a motive to say what they are saying?)
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Level 1- Simple, relevant points about why
the sources disagree without detailed
knowledge or explanation (1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Developed relevant reasons that
show clear understanding of how influences
at the time affected what has been said in the
source (3 – 4 marks)
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Interpretations A and B are different because they were
written by different times, by different people and for
different reasons. For example Interpretation A was
written by a Mormon who wanted to show her friend
that she had made a good decision to move West.
Also, as she was the sister of one of the leaders, she
would want to portray them in a positive light,
especially as this was around the time when the
Mormons had clashed with the non-Mormons during
the Mormon War so she would want to show them in a
good light. Interpretation A in contrast was written at a
time when Joseph Smith had just publically said that
the Mormons practised polygamy and non-Mormons
were horrified by this. It was also written by a
journalist in the East who was writing for an audience
who disliked the Mormons and he probably shared this
view.
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8 marks
10 minutes
3 paragraphs
Top Tips
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The examiner is asking you evaluate
the content and the context and
decide how accurate they are
You must talk about A and B
P1 - Interpretation A is convincing
because / not convincing because
P2 - Interpretation B is convincing
because / not convincing because
P3 – Conclusion – which is more
accurate
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Level 1 – Basic understanding of one
interpretation based on knowledge from the time
(1 – 2 marks)
Level 2 – Simple evaluation of one interpretation
based on knowledge of the time (3 – 4 marks)
Level 3- Developed evaluation of both
interpretations based on reasoned knowledge of
the time and how accurate they are(5 – 6 marks)
Level 4 – Complex evaluation of both
interpretations and a supported judgement as to
which is more convincing and accurate
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Source A is convincing in some ways because the
author has first hand experience of the Mormon
lifestyle because she is a Mormon and is related to a
senior Mormon, Brigham Young. This means that she
would understand their values and lifestyle and has
enough knowledge and experience to give an
accurate account. It is also a personal letter and was
not intended to be read publically so is more likely to
be truthful as she would have less reason to lie to an
old friend. However, it is possible that she would
exaggerate her account and be overly positive so as
to portray the Mormons in a good light out of loyalty
to her brother, Brigham Young.
Source B…
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Overall, I believe that Interpretation A, though
possibly exaggerated is more convincing than
Interpretation B. This is because I think that B is
an example of anti-Mormon propaganda and
therefore is less trustworthy. This interpretation
was produced to be publically critical of the
Mormons at a time when they were extremely
unpopular and reflects the widespread views of
non-Mormons at that time. Interpretation A on
the other hand was written at a time when the
relationship between Mormons and non-Mormons
was more stable and is therefore less likely to be
trying to influence and persuade people to take a
particular view of the Mormons.
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4 marks
6 minutes
2 paragraphs
Top Tips
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The examiner is asking you
show your knowledge about
something that happened
on your syllabus
P1 – Your first killer point
P2 – Your second killer point
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Level 1: Answer shows simple knowledge of
the key features (1-2 marks)
Level 2 Answer shows detailed knowledge
of the key features (3-4 marks)
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The main reason why the buffalo was
important to the Native Americans is because
they needed it to survive on the Plains. The
Native Americans hunted the buffalo and it
was their source of food and shelter as they
ate it and used the skin to make tipis and
clothing. They used all parts of the buffalo
and even the stomach was used to cook with
and the tongue was used as a hair brush
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A second reason why the buffalo were
important to the Native Americans is because
they believed that the buffalo were sacred
and a gift from the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka.
This meant that the buffalo gave the Native
Americans spiritual hope and were significant
to their culture and beliefs as they felt that it
showed that they were favoured by the Great
Spirit.
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8 marks
10 minutes
2 paragraphs
Top Tips
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The examiner is asking you
show your knowledge about
something that happened
on your syllabus
P1 – Your first killer point
P2 – Your second killer point
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Level 1 – Identify or describe changes that
happened as a result of a bigger factor (1 – 2
marks)
Level 2 – Simple reasoning to briefly explain a
change that happened as a result of a bigger
factor (3 – 4 marks)
Level 3 – Reasoned explanation of 2 or more
changes that happened as a result of a bigger
factor (5 – 6 marks)
Level 4 – Complex explanation of change with
specific details and evaluation of the impact
of the change
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One of the keys ways in which the Native American
attitudes to warfare were different to whites is
through the use of counting coup. The Native
Americans would tap their enemy with a stick so as to
humiliate them. They did this because they believed
that life was sacred and that a fight would risk their
life and if they died, they would be no good to the
rest of the tribe which was more important. They
thought it was humiliating for their enemy because
they got close enough to kill them but didn’t, which
proved they were a better warrior. The whites thought
this meant that the Indians treated warfare as a game
and they saw the Native Americans and foolish and
childlike which reinforced the view that they were
uncivilised and savage.
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Another way in which the Native American
attitude to warfare was different is scalping. The
Native Americans scalped their enemy because
they believed that by doing so, they removed
their soul. Removing their enemies soul meant
that they would not meet them in the after life.
This was a spiritual motivation, but the whites
thought it was just brutal and savage and were
horrified. It made them see them as barbaric and
helped justify hatred of the Native Americans and
the subsequent Plains wars.
06. Which of the following was a more important reason
why (something happened in the American Course)
* Reason1
* Reason 2
Explain your answer with reference to both reasons
12 marks
20 minutes
3 paragraphs
Top Tips
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The examiner is asking you show
your knowledge about something
that happened on your syllabus
P1 – Explain why the first bullet point
was important
P2 – Explain why the second bullet
point was important
P3 – Conclusion – make a judgement
– which mattered the most and why?
Can you link the bullet points
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Level 1 – Basic / simple facts about one or
both points (1 – 3 marks)
Level 2 – Simple explanation of one or both
points eg. This happened… which caused this
to happen… (4 – 6 marks)
Level 3 – Developed explanation about both
points with detailed knowledge showing
cause and consequence (7 – 9 marks)
Level 4 – Complex explanation about both
points with a judgement saying which is more
important and why (10 – 12 marks)
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Culture was extremely important to helping the Native
Americans survive on the Great Plains. This is because
they were organised to make it easier to survive. All of the
Native Americans had specific roles in the tribe to make
sure they could succeed. For example, the men were
warriors and hunters which meant that the tribe was
protected and had food. The women looked after
prepared the buffalo after the hunt so they had tipis and
meat which meant they had shelter and food. Even the
children acted as scouts to find the buffalo and no time
was wasted. They also practise polygamy which meant
that all the women were married and therefore protected
by a husband and safer. Their government was
democratic which meant that everyone had a say which
made them successful as they were united and organised
and worked as a team which was important for survival in
the harsh Plains conditions.
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Hunting was also essential to the success of the
Native Americans. The Native Americans hunted
buffalo and without this they would not have
been able to survive as it gave them food,
shelter, clothing and even weapons and everyday
items such as pots and water storage. The Native
Americans would not have succeeded on the
Plains without this as the Plains were harsh and
dangerous and infertile so they had no other way
of getting their food or shelter. The hunt was
extremely organised by the Dog Soldiers and
they only killed as many buffalo as were needed
and never mothers and calves which meant that
they had a permanent supply of food. Proof of
the important of the buffalo and hunting is that
when the buffalo herds were destroyed by the
whites, Native American society also collapsed
and ended because they could no longer survive.
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In conclusion, I think that hunting was more
important than culture to the success of the
Native Americans because without it, they
simply could not have survived. However,
culture supported the success of hunting
because the culture of the tribes meant that
they were organised and structured enough
to make the hunt successful and always have
the right amount of food, shelter and other
day to day items that were key to their
success. Without this, the hunt would not
have been as beneficial to Native American
society.