National 5

Assignment

Dinnae Ken? OR as teachers say

What do I do?

• What is the assignment?• The assignment is an essay written under

exam conditions and then sent to the SQA to be marked.

• Why do I have to do an assignment?• It’s a chance to show off what you can do!

The exam gives you the chance to write the best essay you can.

• Why is the assignment so important?• Its really important to do as well as you can

in the assignment, as the mark you get is part of your final national 5 award total. In fact, the assignment counts for 20 marks out of a total of 80, so doing well in the assignment can provide you with a very useful launching pad for future success.

• How long does my essay have to be?• As much as you can write in one hour – There

are no word limits in the assignment. Most people can write about one page of A4 in ten minutes, so its possible to write a six page essay. (bulk of essays 4/5 pages long)

• Are there types of questions to avoid? • Make life easy and choose something you are

already studying. Pick a title which promotes argument, it should start with words such as: To what extent & How important…………………..?

• Don’t pick Q’s which ask two questions within the same title – don’t make it more difficult.

• What is my A4 resource sheet?• This is the piece of paper you can take in with

you to the write up. (basic plan & list of sources used) This will be sent off to the SQA with your assignment.

• Will my resource sheet be marked?• No, but its great to fill it in fully and it will act as

a great prompt. (no word count)• How should I write my assignment?• Its like a 8 mark essay but beefed up! You must

have a intro, at least 4 main factors in your main body which are developed and backed up with research answering the Q and a conclusion.

• Essay writing tips:

• It is important to write a balanced answer. • After your introduction you should outline the

isolated factor in paragraphs one and two. You should then go onto write about a number of other factors which contributed in part to said issue.

• Remember you should use supporting evidence throughout your essay, referring to the sources you have used to back up your main factors throughout e.g. www.ilovehistoryassignments.co.uk ;-)

• Include mini conclusions linking each main factor back to the question and effectively answer it.

• DON’T STORY TELL – ARGUE – ANSWER THE Q!!!• A strong conclusion is a must and should summarise

main arguments, and then explain what you think is the most important factor.

•YOU CAN ALL DO IT! – PMA

• Taking a note of the source• In presenting evidence from sources,

you should say where the information comes from. This allows the reader to judge how useful the sources you have used really are.

•  • If you use a quote from a source, you

may simply put the author, the type of source or title of the book, and the date if you know it. For example:

• ‘Churchill was the greatest prime minister that Britain ever had’. (J. Bloggs, Britain in World War Two, 2011)

• According to the Times newspaper in June 1915, …

• You could also summarise a viewpoint from a longer source by saying: J. Bloggs suggests that Churchill was the best Prime Minister Britain has ever had.