STUDENT GUIDEA

LEVEL

HISTORY

ContentsImportant Information.......................................................................................................................................2

Keeping up to date.........................................................................................................................................2

Equipment......................................................................................................................................................2

Expectations...................................................................................................................................................2

Revision..........................................................................................................................................................3

Developing Skills for A Level History...................................................................................................................4

Taking notes at A-Level History: How do I make sure that my notes will help me to revise?.........................4

For loose-leaf and binder:..........................................................................................................................4

For laptops:................................................................................................................................................5

How to Write a History Essay.........................................................................................................................6

Key Features: The Must Haves...................................................................................................................6

Footnotes and Bibliography:........................................................................................................................10

F981 – Tudor Finale: the Reign of Elizabeth I, 1558-1603: Bibliography...........................................................12

F982 – Russia in Turmoil (1900-1921): Bibliography........................................................................................13

F983 – Radicalism Popular Politics and Control (1780-1880): Bibliography.....................................................14

F984 – The Italian Renaissance c.1420-c.1550: Bibliography...........................................................................15

F986 – Different American Wests: Bibliography...............................................................................................16

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Important InformationThis booklet aims to give you an overview of key aspects of studying History at A Level. It includes everything from study skills to bibliographies. Remember to keep a copy in your folder at all times. As you begin you’re a Level History course it is very important that you take the following into account:

Keeping up to dateA huge amount of information is sent out to you throughout the year to do with current events, homework or even competitions. You can keep up to date best by signing up to receive email updates from our blog at http://hgshistory.posterous.com You can post to the blog (including files, pictures and attachments) by emailing post@hgshistory.posterous.com

From here you will also find links to the following:

Facebook Page: A link to the HGS History Facebook Page. By clicking “like” you should get updates from the Posterous site straight to Facebook. Use this if you never read email!!! Remember to set your Facebook settings so you see ALL posts not just close friends. The page also lets you comment on links and posts sent, so get involved.

Skydrive: A repository for all the files given to you during the year. Lost something? You will probably find it here

Weebly: This site is for keeping articles and other more permanent information which we do not post to the normal blog. You can search by topic on the right hand side of the page. Please use this resource to expand your understanding of the main topic areas. http://harrogatehistory.weebly.com

EquipmentThankfully History does not require a huge amount of stuff to keep you going. However, you will need a folder for each of your Year 12 topics plus a large lever-arch file for A2. Bear in mind that you might also want to collect articles during the year so having plastic pockets is a bonus too! A well organised folder is half the battle when it comes to effective revision and will be vital when studying the A2 course.

ExpectationsHistory is a subject which motivates students to go the extra mile, therefore our expectations are relatively simple. As long as you are putting in a good effort we are happy to help you achieve your best possible grades and explore your interests in History. You can best demonstrate this by completing class work and homework on time and making sure that any reading is done in advance of the lessons. If you miss a lesson you should make sure you catch up, either by seeing the teacher beforehand, contacting a friend, or using one of the websites to source the lesson details.

At A Level, there is a much greater expectation of you to be motivated and read for your own purposes. Bibliographies for each of the topics have been included in this document and should allow you to expand your understanding outside of lessons.

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RevisionRevision will be very important from Easter onwards and you should look to draw up an effective timetable well in advance. Revision time is built into the curriculum from the beginning however extra sessions may be put on if required. If there is an area you feel unsure about, please feel free to contact a member of staff.

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Advice From A Past Student

WorkloadA-levels are indisputably much harder than GCSEs; organisation and hard work in school really do pay off, especially when you have five times the material to catch up on, and doing the material in school will guarantee you an easier life out of school. Not easy, mind, but easier. No one said you were going to cruise through your A-levels, and the chances are you won't. At GCSE you were doing maybe two hours of homework a night. Well, at A-level you might have to do more; or, alternatively, the same amount, but of much harder work. And don't forget that missing a day in school might mean missing the same number of lessons, but will almost certainly mean missing twice as much work. Do go into sixth form with an open mind, and don't complain if you get more homework or irregular homework.

OrganisationAt GCSE things were easy. But you still probably did things wrong. Never had the right stationery in lessons, or enough paper, or the right books; forgot your homework, lost handouts, didn't understand notes. Take heed of all this and get it right this time. Get the right stationery, make sure you always have spare paper (not just enough paper, spare paper!). Unless your teachers specifically tell you otherwise, you'll probably need near enough every book every day.

Don't lose handouts! Get some sort of filing system in place. Again, some people find it sufficient to stuff paper into their bags arbitrarily. I went the other way on this one, and found it very useful to have a ring binder with eight different plastic wallets in - one for each teacher - and keep my handouts and paper in that. Every Friday, I would empty these wallets (except for sheets I knew I needed the next week) into paper folders which I kept at home, and as long as I made sure I didn't just stuff papers in in random places, the sheets then automatically fell into date order, organised by subject and teacher. It's not a lot of work to spend an extra 10 minutes every weekend filing, and it's certainly no extra work in school.

If you occasionally find you don't understand your notes, then do ask a teacher or a friend. Don't be ashamed. These are your qualifications, not anyone else's, and staying back a year won't be any fun while all your mates are going to uni and you're resitting the lower sixth.

LessonsYour lessons might not turn out to be the slog you envisage them to be. Lessons are actually normally quite relaxed. As you spend a lot more time with them and in smaller groups, you'll all get to know each other and might even become friends (gasp!) with your teachers. Maybe not all of them; a certain degree of professionalism is maintained.

Oh yeah - and be prepared for lessons to go on slightly into break or lunch time. And don't complain when they do. It's all part of being adults cooperating with fellow adults not to have a mini tantrum if your teacher hasn't finished when the bell goes. It's to be expected that they'll reciprocate that respect if you have to turn up a couple of minutes late one day because you couldn't find your stuff or some equally legitimate reason.

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Wheel of ResponsibilitySo what exactly does it mean to be an effective and responsible learner at A2? The wheel below sets out your responsibilities for learning in History. Each week you should cover all 5 section of the wheel. You may spend more time on some aspects than others, but you should be doing all 5 things each and every week.

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Developing Skills for A Level HistoryThe following pages come from the HA Student Zone and provide some excellent tips on transition to A Level study

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ResearchUse time effectively to read supplied materialsWork hard and focus in lessonsComplete all appropriate notes

ReviewCheck and re-read the notes you have madeFill any gapsOrder your files and notes

Read AroundExpand your understanding of topics by reading beyond the textbookUse the websites and library books to do thisPost your observations...

Respond to feedbackWhen you are given feedback try to make corrections and try againIf you remain unsure - seek help

ReflectTake time to reflect on your learning for the weekWas it good? Why?Was it not good? Why not?Post your thoughts...

Taking notes at A-Level History: How do I make sure that my notes will help me to revise?

A-Level History is not just about taking notes - but as with any subject you study at A-Level, there are some notes to keep. Here are some general common sense reminders about keeping notes, which may seem obvious - but you would be surprised how many people don't take their own advice! It goes without saying that the most important thing is to keep your notes in a way that is easy and comfortable to you.1. Keep your notes in whatever style you prefer - this might be hand-written in a folder of some kind, or you may prefer to type and print them out, you may like to keep audio sound recordings of lessons or you may prefer to have paperless notes and store them electronically, but if you do this, don't forget to back them up.2. Don't take down every word. Remember, A-level is about explaining, analyzing, looking for evidence and justifying your answer. It is not about long, waffly descriptions. Try to summarise or use abbreviations that you understand.3. Use mind maps, tables, spider diagrams or pictures if you prefer. Some people find that they remember their notes far better if they do this - why not try experimenting with a few different ways of taking notes until you find the one that suits you best.4. Your notes must make sense in a few months time when you revise so:

- However you choose to take your notes, try to keep them organized into topic headings;- Emphasise headings and key words- Date all your notes so that if electronic files get lost or paper notes fall out, you can piece

them back together.- Use a system that you understand and that will still make sense to you after several

months.- Keep a glossary of key words, abbreviations and images so that if you do forget

something, you can look up what you meant!  

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How to Write a History Essay.

Key Features: The Must Haves.

A-Level/Undergraduate essays should contain the following features; although it depends on the type of essay you are writing as to how far you go; for example, a personal study or dissertation will require a great deal of historiography and referencing, whereas class essays may require less. If you are unsure as to how much your teacher will expect, it is best to ask! 

1. A well considered argument - This is VERY important to get right. It means that you will need to make sure that you clearly state your line of argument and do it convincingly. At the same time, you will also need to give full coverage to other factors/opinions/arguments that are at play - even if it is to rubbish them!

2. Reference to the question3. An introduction4. A thematic middle (this might be the “modes” or an interpretation based theme). Don’t

forget the fall-back of PSERFI5. A conclusion6. Footnotes and bibliography

 Before You Start...

The key to success in any history essay is preparation. This not only includes focussed and wide reading around the topic, but also your preparation of your thoughts and arguments. Richard Harris, experienced history teacher and now lecturer in education at Southampton University provides a very good starting point for essay writing. His plan is designed to get you thinking and planning your structure before you write. You can find a copy of this planning sheet at the end of the guide. 

1.) Considered Argument.

The key to providing a considered argument is to read widely! What is the historiography (views of different historians) surrounding the topic? What evidence is there to support different lines of argument? Your job is firstly to present these lines of argument. Secondly, you should critically evaluate these views and evidence as you explain them. Is there evidence to counteract? By providing a considered argument - what we don't mean is that you sit on the fence! Every essay MUST have an argument, but by considered, we simply mean that you should be prepared to consider other arguments/factors, other than your own view, even if it is to critically evaluate them and dismiss their importance! But you must be convincing and be prepared to examine them fully. At A level, the mark-schemes tend to be stepped into 5 different levels; you cannot progress beyond level 2/3 if you do not provide a well considered argument! The examiner wants to see what your opinion is, but they also want to know that you have not just "plucked" this opinion from nowhere - they want to see that you have considered the topic fully, taken account of all of the views and arguments before making your judgement. Therefore, you should stick to your line of argument throughout, but you should clearly evaluate other points of view, showing your reader how and why they are less valuable arguments than your own. 

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2.) Reference to the question.

Where possible you should show how the evidence you are presenting links back to the question. You should refer back to the question wherever a link or piece of evidence provides some clues to help formulate an answer. This should help you to avoid going off track. Always think as you are writing "does this paragraph help to present the evidence to support my line of argument or help me to answer the question?" The Essay - three steps to success.Step 1: Tell them what you are going to tell them (the beginning)Step 2: The substance. Tell them what you've got to tell them (the middle)Step 3: The conclusions. Tell them what you've told them (the end) 

3.) The Introduction

The introduction should set the scene. It should be short and snappy, no more than a few lines, but they are very important as you need to hook your reader in. There should be some very brief background detail to the question. You should also include some brief historiography - what is the main debate among historians about this issue? Who is saying what? You should also at this point wish to state what YOUR argument is going to be. You should then refer back to the question by stating how you are going to measure/argue your case; a good way to do this is by referring back to the question itself. It should help you to get the question straight in your own mind too and give you some direction. For example, if you have a question asking you how significant an event was, you need to explain what is meant by significance and how you will measure this.E.g. How significant was the Reichstag Fire in the Nazi revolution?When this question is analysed, bit by bit it helps us to explain to our reader what the essay intends to cover. 

4.) The Middle:

This is the substantive part of the essay. This is the bit where you have to present the evidence and arguments. It should predominantly contain your analysis/argument but you must also look at the counter-arguments and the views of historians.Do:

Present evidence in a balanced way: You should present your argument/response to the question clearly and effectively, using the views of historians and other evidence to back up the points you make. On the other side, you should also consider the arguments against your own and critically evaluate them in order to show why they are less important/plausible than your own.

Present your evidence in a logical order: Try to avoid jumping around. Make a plan before you write that organizes your evidence logically. This could either be in themes or in chronological order.

Include analysis: You must make sure that you don't just fall into the trap of presenting evidence without analysis. This reads more like a list! When presenting a piece of evidence or the view of a historian, don't forget to critically analyse. Is the evidence reliable? Is the view of the historian reliable or are they writing from a specific viewpoint? Are there different interpretations? What do you think? Is it a valid point?

Refer often to the title: Don't forget to link your points back to the question where possible. It will help your essay and your reader stay focused on the answer to the question!

  How to Structure Paragraphs:

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It is important to structure your points within the scaffolding of the paragraph well. A good way to do this is to PEEL!!!P - PointE - ExampleE – ExplanationL – Link This is a good habit to get into and a good way to provide structure. Simply make your point, give an example or piece of evidence to back it up, then explain it. What is the context? How or why is it significant/insignificant? How does it fit into the topic? How does it help to answer the question? Test yourself:See if you can spot the PEEL structure of this paragraph which forms part of an answer to the question "Was Edward IV a new monarch?"Edward's power did not increase at the expense of the nobility; a key criteria for new monarch status. Edward continued the tradition of letting powerful magnates rule the peripheral regions of the country, such as the North and Wales. This resulted in the creation of a number of large power bases including the Herberts in Wales, Gloucester in the North, the Percys in the eastern marshes and the Woodvilles in London. This was largely due to the small number of noble creations in his reign - he only made nine promotions to high nobility. On the one hand this shows that he was in form control as he had sufficient power and stability without having to make lots of noble creations to gain support, yet on the other hand he was creating a volatile situation as rivalries built up between powerful factions and Edward was cresting a potentially explosive situation which only he could control.

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5.) Conclusion:

This is the end of the essay. This is the bit where you are expected to answer the question! Here you should sum up in a couple of sentences what your argument is, and why it is the most plausible explanation, being careful to remind the reader of supportive evidence. Finally, you should put the essay in context. Explain the wider context to the question. It might be that there are longer-term or under the surface issues that need further exploration, or it may be that there is a bigger picture in play. By putting your answer in context, we don't mean just adding some extra facts about the period at the end - your setting in context should display your broader understanding of the period. A good example of this is when a student was writing about the Golden Age of Spain:"In conclusion, the extent to whether this period can be deemed as a "Golden Age" ultimately rests on the context of the time. Although it is true to say that Spain was making advances in several areas, in terms of power, unity, wealth, economy, culture, empire and discovery. The extent of religious and racial persecution however, could be deemed as less golden in terms of morality, even if both policies were successful in terms of strengthening Spain's power base. In the wider context of the time, Spain's achievements seem less golden than they may at first appear. We have to remember that this period saw the Renaissance. The Renaissance affected practically every area of life at the time, and was a new dawn of discovery and thinking -  Leonardo Da Vinci, William Harvey, Martin Luther, Copernicus and Galileo were but a few of the characters that shaped the time;  therefore, if Spain had a golden age, so too did many other countries." 

Re-state your argument using the key words from the title Be confident in your argument Hint at a broader context What other issues would you explore, given more time? 

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Footnotes and Bibliography:

At A-Level and undergraduate level, you will be expected to footnote your essays. Because you are not expected to do this at GCSE, this may be a new skill for you, but it is very easy! 

What are footnotes?

When you quote evidence or the views of a historian from a book or periodical, you are expected to let your reader know where you got this evidence from, so that if they wished (very few would) they could go and check your evidence. You can do this by including citations or footnotes.  

How to Footnote.

The process of footnoting is slightly different on different computer programs and may differ again if you are using a MAC, but the process is the same, even if you are handwriting.Footnotes should be numbered and should either appear at the bottom of the page on which they are cited or in a list at the end of the essay. They should include the following information:

Surname, Initials, Title of the Book (Location: Publisher, 1999), p.#

Books: 1. R. McKitterick, The Frankish kings and culture in the early middle ages (Aldershot: Variorum, 1995),

p.542. G. S. Rousseau and P. Rogers (eds.), The enduring legacy: Alexander Pope, tercentenary essays

(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988), pp. 44-473. A.T. Runnock, Medieval fortress building, new edn, 2 vols. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

1976), vol. I, pp.135-7

Journal Articles:1. E. Salter, ‘Piers Plowman and the pilgrimage to truth’, History Today 121 (1998), 34-48, p.40

Short References: After the first long reference a shortened reference should be used for ease of reading. This should include only the last name of the author and an improvised short title for the book (containing the key word or words from the main title, so as to make the reference easily recognisable and not to be confused with any other work) eg.

1. McKitterick, The Frankish Kings, p.582. Salter, ‘Pilgrimage to truth’, pp.34-53. Ibid, p.36

You may choose to use ‘Ibid.’ [no italics] to refer to the work mentioned in the immediately preceding reference, so long as there is no danger of confusion.

How to footnote on the computer.

If you have Office 2007 and later, the simplest way to insert a footnote is by going to the references section on the tool-bar and then following the instructions above. If you are using an earlier version of Office, you should click on insert and then select footnote from the list.

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What is a bibliography?

A bibliography is the list of books that you have used to help you write your essay. This may include books that you have quoted from or used as part of your reading.You should always include a bibliography at the end of your essay which lists the books that you have used.The form of entries in the bibliography is similar to that for the full reference, except that the author's surname and first name or initials are inverted. The bibliography does not give references to specific page numbers where information can be found, but rather lists pages only where they are the full page range of a journal article, book chapter, or other similar section of a larger whole.

McKitterick, R., The Frankish kings and culture in the early middle ages, Aldershot: Variorum, 1995

Runnock, A. T., Medieval fortress building, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.

Salter, Elizabeth, ‘Piers Plowman and the pilgrimage to truth’, Essays and Studies 11(1958), 30-48.

If you manage your footnotes and citations using Word’s built in features, it can automatically add a bibliography for you

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