How to use a source How to use a source successfully at GCSEsuccessfully at GCSEHow to use a source How to use a source successfully at GCSEsuccessfully at GCSE

How Do You Answer a Source Based Question?

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Comment• An initial reaction to the question?• Do you agree or disagree?• Let the examiner know that you

have understood the question by echoing the question.

• The message in the cartoon is ….

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• The message in this cartoon is…

• From the source I can deduct that…

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• I believe that… In conclusion…

Content• What does the source tell you that will

help you answer the question?• What facts can you get from the

source?• What can you see in the cartoon,

picture or diagram?• The source shows …• The source tells us …• From the source I can deduct ….

Context• Nature – What type of source is it?• Origin – When was it made and by

whom?• Purpose – Who was the intended

audience?• Knowledge – Does the information in the

source agree with your knowledge of events?

Nature: This Is the Form of the Source• Is it a letter, a speech, a diary, a

book, a cartoon, a photograph or a newspaper article etc?

• What difference does the form of evidence make?

• For example, in which form of evidence are people most likely to write what they really believe?

Origin: Where Did the Source Come From?

• What do you know about the person or organisation?

• Was the source produced by someone who was there at the time, or was it produced later?

• For example, eyewitnesses can easily get things wrong, but someone writing later has the opportunity to check the facts.

Judgement• Does the source agree or disagree

with the question?• Does the information in the source

agree or disagree with the other sources?

• What do you think?• Having weighed up the evidence …..• To conclude ….

How Do You Answer a Source Based Question?

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Useful Questions to Ask of a Source:

• Who made the source and why?• When was the source made and did the

person see the events at first hand?• Is the person who made the source biased?• Is the information reliable or correct when

compared to your knowledge of events?• How useful is the source to an historian

trying to find out about a particular topic?• What ideas, facts or concepts does the

source not tell you about about the topic you are studying?

Useful Phrases for writing about a historical source

• In source A, we can clearly see …… which agrees or disagrees with my knowledge.

• This is backed up by source B because …• When comparing source A with source B, a

historian can learn …. about ….• A historian has to be careful when using source

A, because ….• Source B is useful for finding out about …. but

does not give any facts / information on ….• Although this source is biased it is still useful for

showing a historian …• Although this source is not reliable for finding

out about …. it is still reliable for ….

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A British cartoon of 1919The German looking criminal is saying: “If I whine enough maybe I’ll be able to wriggle out of this as well.”On the rope is written “Armistice Terms”.

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What is the message in source A. Use the source and your own knowledge (6)