Exam Technique: PAPER 1

Question: How accurate is

source A…. (6)

Use source A and your own knowledge

What is the Examiner looking for?

You are being asked to think about the

provenance (Nature, Origin & Purpose) of the source and it’s content to assess HOW ACCURATE (close to the truth) it is.

MARK SCHEME

L1 – Statement about the source’s limitations/ content (1)(It isn’t accurate because it is biased…)

L2 – Inferences made about the content of the source (2-3)(It is accurate because the source suggests that …)

L3 – Uses the provenance of the source (NOP) to think about its accuracy OR Use of own knowledge of the context to question the accuracy. (4-5)(The provenance of the source highlights that it was said during an election and therefore…)

L4 – Combines both parts of L3 (Provenance and Own Know.) (6)

Technique“The purpose of the source helps to tell whether the source is accurate because…”

“The context of the source also helps because…”

“I know from my own knowledge…”

“OVERALL, I think…”

Nature: What is it? (Letter, propaganda, poster, cartoon, diary, British school textbook)

Origin: Who wrote it? Where did it come from? Context: What was going on at the time (Eye witness Vs Hindsight?)

Purpose: What was the motive of the Author (Why was it produced?)

The KEY:

Explain HOW the

provenance (NOP)

helps you to assess

how accurate

the source is.

More about ‘PURPOSE’:

Type of Source PURPOSEPropaganda poster/ speech To persuadeCartoons To put a message acrossBritish school text book Generally neutral Nazi school text book To mislead/ promote HitlerBritish historian Uncover the truth

* Remember to think carefully about WHO is saying it (ORIGIN) – are they for or against what they are talking about and why?

1. How accurate is the view in Source A as a statement about the Battle of Britain.

The war in the skies is going incredibly well. Our superior air force in skill and courage is facing an enemy superior in size but the results are speaking for themselves. In June the Nazis lost 95 planes to our 34. July saw 88 Nazi losses to our 36 and August saw 92 Nazi losses to our 39.

SOURCE A: A speech made by Winston Churchill to Parliament in September 1940.

“I think that Winston Churchill’s comments about how effective the RAF was in the Battle of Britain are not accurate. The nature of the source is a speech made to Parliament. Add this to the context of the Battle of Britain and it is clear that many false statements were made about the numbers of German planes that were shot down. The purpose of the source also helps me to tell whether the source is accurate because Churchill made many speeches like this to persuade people that the war was going well and therefore keep morale high. I know from my own knowledge that the real figures were kept from the public and overall I believe that the source is not fully accurate.”