GCSE History Exam Skills - Edexcel Paper 1 Q2a How Useful are the Sources? (8 Marks)

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    Summary

    This video, created by MrClokeHistory, focuses on crucial exam skills for the Pearson Edexcel Paper 1, specifically tackling Question 2a, "How useful are the sources?" The video dives deep into analyzing historical sources related to the British sector of the Western Front during 1914-1918, providing insights into maximizing marks in this 8-mark question. The video explains the structure of the paper, common pitfalls, and techniques to effectively analyze sources using content, own knowledge, and provenance. Viewers are guided through a comprehensive breakdown, ensuring they understand how to approach the question confidently.

      Highlights

      • The video emphasizes the importance of analyzing Pearson Edexcel Paper 1, specifically Question 2a. 🎯
      • Students need to focus on the usefulness of sources in relation to the inquiry topic. 🔍
      • Avoiding mistakes like summarizing content without discussing its utility is crucial. 🚫
      • The video provides a clear strategy to maximize marks: understand the inquiry, analyze sources, apply own knowledge. 🏆
      • MrClokeHistory stresses focusing on usefulness rather than the reliability of sources. 📜

      Key Takeaways

      • Understanding the paper structure and time management is crucial for success. ⏳
      • Focus specifically on the inquiry question to maximize your marks. 📚
      • Utilize content, own knowledge, and provenance to build a comprehensive analysis. 🧠
      • Avoid common mistakes like using the wrong sources or not focusing on the usefulness. ❌
      • Use the JCoP acronym—Judgment, Content, own knowledge, and Provenance—to structure your responses. ✍️

      Overview

      MrClokeHistory’s video serves as a comprehensive guide for students preparing for the Pearson Edexcel Paper 1 exam, especially focusing on the question about the usefulness of sources. He unravels the intricate details and skills required to efficiently tackle this question, which carries 8 marks. From breaking down the exam structure to highlighting common pitfalls, the video equips students with a strategic approach to time management and focused inquiry.

        The crux of the video lies in the detailed exploration of how to answer the "How useful are the sources?" question. MrClokeHistory meticulously explains the methodology involving content analysis, utilizing own knowledge, and understanding provenance. He warns against common errors like focusing on the wrong sources or failing to directly address the question’s inquiry about the utility of the sources. With practical examples and annotations, the video demystifies the process of source analysis, aiming to instill confidence in students.

          In addition to strategies, MrClokeHistory shares mnemonic devices, such as JCoP (Judgment, Content, own knowledge, and Provenance), to help students structure their responses. The video strives to make students appreciate the difference between usefulness and reliability of sources, urging them to align their responses with the criteria expected for higher-level marks. Overall, the tutorial is designed to be a major ally in students’ revision arsenal, aiming to bridge the gap between comprehension and execution during exams.

            Chapters

            • 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Exam Skills The 'Introduction to Exam Skills' chapter covers a rapid revision video focused on exam skills, specifically for the Pearson Edexcel Paper 1. It concentrates on the topic of medicine, with an emphasis on the British sector of the Western Front during 1914-1918. The chapter primarily addresses Question 2a, which asks 'How useful are the sources', worth eight marks. While the topic is centered on medicine, the exam skills discussed are applicable to any topic under the Pearson Edexcel Paper.
            • 00:30 - 01:00: Details about Pearson Edexcel Paper 1 Pearson Edexcel Paper 1 comprises two main components. The first is the Historic Environment Component, which includes a source inquiry requiring the use of a sources booklet supplied during the exam. The second component is a Thematic Study focusing on the topic of 'Medicine in Britain from Circa 1250 to the Present'. The total exam time is 1 hour and 15 minutes, applicable to both sections, with the possibility of extra time if eligible. Effective time management is advised for successful completion.
            • 01:00 - 01:30: Unpicking Question 2a The chapter titled 'Unpicking Question 2a' aims to delve into the details regarding the skills necessary for tackling a specific type of question. The video emphasizes that although it covers in-depth insights, the question itself is comparable in length to other eight-mark questions. It focuses on breaking down the skills required to answer the question effectively. Specifically, the discussion revolves around evaluating the usefulness of sources A and B, as provided in a sources booklet. The intention is to provide viewers with a clear understanding of how to approach such questions.
            • 01:30 - 02:00: Mistakes to Avoid This chapter provides guidance on how to tackle questions about the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front, specifically focusing on Source analysis skills (assessment objective three). It emphasizes the importance of using the appropriate sources and integrating personal knowledge with provided sources A and B to fully address the question and score all eight marks. Avoiding the mistake of misidentifying or misapplying sources is crucial in this context.
            • 02:00 - 03:00: Analyzing Source A This chapter provides guidance on how to analyze historical sources, specifically focusing on using sources A and B effectively. It highlights a common mistake students make: failing to address the utility or relevance of these sources in relation to the given inquiry, which is the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front. The emphasis is on maintaining focus on the specified inquiry to gain marks, as deviations from the topic will not contribute positively to the assessment.
            • 03:00 - 04:00: Analyzing Source B The chapter focuses on strategies for analyzing Source B effectively during an exam. It emphasizes the importance of relevance when answering questions, advising students to carefully select and annotate relevant information before beginning to write. The aim is to efficiently handle the initial question by completing it quickly, thus allowing time for this preparation process. The chapter also provides a detailed demonstration of these skills, which, while not requiring replication in written form, are designed to aid in the structuring of thought processes.
            • 04:00 - 05:30: Example of Level 3 Answer The chapter titled 'Example of Level 3 Answer' focuses on methodological approaches to analyzing historical sources. The transcript highlights the importance of emphasizing the contributions of stretcher bearers on the Western Front. Readers are advised to underline or highlight relevant sections in the text to aid memory and ensure nothing is overlooked. Moreover, it stresses the significance of paying attention to the provenance or caption of a source, as these provide critical insights into the material's overall usefulness. This approach is demonstrated with a focus on not making overly detailed annotations but rather simple reminders to streamline the analysis process.
            • 05:30 - 06:30: Example of What Not to Do The chapter titled 'Example of What Not to Do' includes a primary source in the form of a letter from a Royal Army Medical Corps captain to his family, dating back to 1915 during World War I. This first-hand account is valuable and relevant, particularly as it provides insights into the operations of stretcher bearers under his command following a German assault on British trenches. The document is likely significant due to its early wartime context and direct witness perspective, offering detailed observations and experiences from the front lines.
            • 06:30 - 07:30: Final Points on Source Analysis The chapter discusses the importance of reassessing the source for useful information, especially in challenging situations. It recounts an incident of a terrifying bombardment that began at 2 am, leading to numerous wounded by 5 am. Despite the danger, the protagonist, along with another person, undertakes a mission to locate and rescue the wounded, who are found in a wooded area. The wounded soldiers, too weak to call out, express immense relief upon being discovered. The chapter ends with an acknowledgment of the difficulty of extracting the soldiers from shell holes, emphasizing the arduous nature of the rescue mission.
            • 07:30 - 08:30: Conclusion In the closing chapter titled 'Conclusion,' the narrative recounts the harrowing experience of evacuating wounded individuals during a strenuous operation. The team successfully rescued 18 men by 4 a.m. despite the exhaustion of the bearers. The chapter underscores the importance of focusing on the positive aspects and usefulness of sources, while acknowledging their limitations, urging a balanced perspective that leans towards the utility of the sources provided.

            GCSE History Exam Skills - Edexcel Paper 1 Q2a How Useful are the Sources? (8 Marks) Transcription

            • 00:00 - 00:30 welcome to this rapid revision video on exam skills this will be looking at the Pearson Edexcel paper 1. the topic we'll be studying will be medicine based specifically the British sector of the Western Front 1914-1918. the question will be question 2a how useful are the sources worth eight marks although we'll be focusing on a medicine topic the skills involved with this which should be useful whatever topic you're looking at with the Pearson nxl paper so let's proceed
            • 00:30 - 01:00 firstly a few details about the Pearson Edexcel paper 1. it has two main components the first is the historic environment component The Source inquiry notice that you'll have a sources booklet enclosed and you'll need that for this style of question and then there's the Thematic study medicine in Britain Circa 1250 to the present the length of the exam is 1 hour and 15 minutes unless you're entitled to extra time and that's for both sections so make sure that you measure your time and you use it well
            • 01:00 - 01:30 this particular video will be going into lots of detail about the skills involved with this question and I don't want to give the impression that it's any deal longer than most other eight Mark questions but we're just going to be unpicking the skills a little bit more and showing you how to do it so hopefully you'll find that useful let's unpick the question first of all question 2a study sources A and B in the sources booklet which you should have with you we're going to be asking the question how useful are the sources A and B for
            • 01:30 - 02:00 an inquiry into the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front this question is assessing your Source analysis skills which is assessment objective three and it should take you about 12 minutes you'll need to use your own knowledge to provide context so here it says explain your answer using sources A and B and your knowledge of the historical context you'll need to do all three of those things to get all eight marks so do be aware of that the biggest mistake that you can make with this style of question is using the wrong sources in this particular paper
            • 02:00 - 02:30 it should be reasonably easy to tell which sources you should be using but just make sure anyway so use sources A and B the next most common mistake here is that you don't refer to the utility or usefulness of the sources for the specified inquiry here I've circled the specified inquiry which is the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front if you're not focusing specifically on the work of the stretcher bearers on the Western Front then you're going beyond the question and you won't pick up marks for that you won't necessarily lose
            • 02:30 - 03:00 marks but you can't be credited for anything that's not relevant to the question so be careful you should prepare by studying and if you find it helpful annotating the sources for a few minutes before commencing your answer often the first describe two features question question number one is completed in under six minutes buying you a little bit of time to do this I'm going to demonstrate some skills now to help you to do that you will not need to write things in as much detail as I'll show you but this will help you to think about it
            • 03:00 - 03:30 here's our first source source a remember that we should be focusing on the work of the stretcher bearers on the Western Front so if you read something that's particularly useful and therefore relevant to this then you should probably highlight it or underline it you won't need to make as detailed annotations as I'm as I'm going to show here just give yourself a little reminders so you don't miss anything out before we read The Source itself it's really important to read the provenance or caption at the top that can give us really big clues about its usefulness
            • 03:30 - 04:00 Source from a letter written by a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps alright so this is probably a first-hand account or eyewitness account he wrote the letter to his family in 1915. again I'm thinking this has been written quite early during the first world war that probably makes it quite useful too he was in charge of a group of stretcher bearers right now that's definitely relevant to our inquiry so again that's a good sign here he's describing work of his group of stretcher bearers after a German attack on the British trenches
            • 04:00 - 04:30 so let's have a look at the source again this would be a good opportunity to make a mental note of anything that's particularly useful at 2 am a terrifying bombardment began and at 5am the first batch of wounded began coming down the communication Trench it was evening by the time I got out of the trench to look for more wounded I went off with another man in search of the Wounded we found most of them in a wooded area so weak that they they could not call out they were so relieved at being found that I led a search for more wounded it was awful work getting them out of the shell holes it was also hard
            • 04:30 - 05:00 to find enough men to carry them away because the stretch of bearers were so exhausted finally we got our last wounded to safety at 4am in the morning all together we had collected 18 men in a single day and we were certain that no one was left behind although I'll briefly mention some limitations too I'm going to spend most of the time here talking about the usefulness it's absolutely fine to put some balance in and consider the limitations but the question is really asking you about the usefulness of the sources so focus on uses more than the
            • 05:00 - 05:30 limitations let's consider the content what does it actually say in the source well there's quite a lot that's useful here the source provides a real description of the work of stretcher bearers during a battle it describes a high workload of the 18 men collected also I can add to this using my own knowledge the events described with structure bearers working long hours under artillery fire fits what I know about their role and the provenance lends further use too this was written by a member of the royal Army Medical Corps who was a
            • 05:30 - 06:00 first-hand witness it is written in 1915 so soon after the events described they are likely to have been recalled accurately any limitations that might make this less useful well there's maybe one or two The Source only describes one action in 1915 which may not be typical and especially not typical of the whole War this letter was also written to the Man's family he may have omitted certain useful details so as Not to cause them distress so that's a good annotation and quite balanced one of our First Source like I
            • 06:00 - 06:30 say you don't need to write in that much detail but it may well give you a good idea just to make a few notes to make sure that you've used everything and to make sure that you've covered everything that you want to in the answer let's have a look at source B now here's Source B in this case there's a painting you can't guarantee that you'll get one picture style source and one written one but in this case that's what's happened it's taken from the 2019 exam again let's focus on the caption of
            • 06:30 - 07:00 Providence first of all Source b a painting by Gilbert Rogers Circa 1919 all right that's after the war but not a long time after the painting is called stretcher bearers of the royal Army Medical Corps lifting a wounded man out of a trench yep story checks out that's exactly what I can see in the picture Rogers joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in November 1915. oh okay so Gilbert Rogers was actually in the Royal Army Medical Corps he's not just an artist then he's a first-hand witness a
            • 07:00 - 07:30 bit like our previous author and he served on the Western Front in 1918 he was commissioned to produce paintings for the Imperial War Museum well that's quite handy because that gives us a clue to the purpose of this as well but we'll come back to that in a moment just like last time we'll consider the uses and the limitations and again you won't need to write in this much detail but just write down a few notes that help you to remember what you meant to cover first of all the content this Source depicts stretcher bearers working in difficult trench conditions whilst Under Fire there are four men
            • 07:30 - 08:00 were working with one stretcher also for my own knowledge this appears to reflect what I know about stretcher bearers working under Fire and dangerous conditions it also corroborates or backs up what we saw in Source a and also the provenance this was painted shortly after the first world war by a former member of the REMC who may have based it upon his experiences the Imperial War Museum would likely want it to be a realistic depiction after all the purpose of the museum is to educate
            • 08:00 - 08:30 and inform their visitors so having an unrealistic painting wouldn't really fit in with that however there are possibly some limitations too as a painting produced after the war it may be more representative rather than realistic compared to a photograph it doesn't necessarily show a real event rather one that represents the sorts of things that are going on before having a look at a sample answer let's have a look at the example's own Mark scheme and this is what the examiner will be using to assess your work
            • 08:30 - 09:00 there's the question again how useful are sources A and B foreign inquiry into the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front explain your answer using sources A and B and your knowledge of the historical context so that's why with the annotations earlier I was writing in those bit those bits about own knowledge you'll notice that I've only included levels two and three here there's also a level one but we don't really want to be aiming that low so instead let's have a look at the comparison between level two and level three see what the difference is so that you can aim as high as possible
            • 09:00 - 09:30 so level two says that your judgments on Source utility so how useful they are for the specified inquiry you're given so if you're not mentioning things about the work of stretcher barriers you're not going to get level two however what would be better for level three is that the judgments on Source utility for the specified inquiry are given but with further context as we'll come on to judgments are supported by the a developed comment relating to the content of the sources and or their provenance so it doesn't necessarily mean that that you have to do both to get level two but it probably means if
            • 09:30 - 10:00 you're going to get a high level two you will have done both compare that to level three though you should have used developed reasoning which takes into account how the provenance affects the usefulness of the source content so what about the purpose of the author or the date might affect how useful the source is for level two you do need to use some contextual knowledge if you don't include any you won't be getting level two but you have to be more specific for level three contextual knowledge is used in the process of interpreting the sources and applying criteria for judgments on their utility so perhaps
            • 10:00 - 10:30 recognizing the significance of the date or recognizing the significance of who wrote it or something that might be mentioned within the content of the source link it into what you already know to really demonstrate that you understand what you're reading so without further Ado let's have a look at an example answer so here's our question again remember that we need to be focusing on that inquiry about the work of stretcher bearers I'm aware that this video is already over 10 minutes long and no you won't
            • 10:30 - 11:00 have that much time to deal with these sources before you get going but I've tried to demonstrate some of the main ways that you do it so I hope it's been time well spent remember that really you've got about 12 minutes plus any time that you managed to gain from the short question in question one to write this answer in full so here's a quick way of making sure that you've included everything that you need for the mark scheme I call this jacob or judgment content own knowledge provenance I've done the color coding here so you can spot where I'm doing each thing within this sample answer so let's get going
            • 11:00 - 11:30 source is useful for an inquiry into the work of stretcher bearers as it provides a detailed account of their work during a battle in 1915. The Source describes the process of removing the wounded from the battlefield and some of the difficulties including finding enough men to do the job avoiding enemy fire from the terrifying bombardment and taking the wounded men out of shell craters notice I've used direct quotes from the sources there indicated by the quote marks from my own knowledge I know that stretch of bearers often had to work under enemy fire and that in difficult
            • 11:30 - 12:00 terrain it took four or more men to carry a single stretcher which reflects the description in the source this provenance makes it more useful overall the officer may have omitted the most distressing details to protect his family he was an eyewitness writing soon after the event suggesting that the details are likely to be true and realistic that's not the complete answer but let's see how I'm getting on first of all so I've provided that judgment that the marks team asked asked me to do and I've applied it to the content of
            • 12:00 - 12:30 the source and what I found out I've considered my own contextual knowledge and applied logical reasoning whilst dealing with the provenance so so far this is looking like level three but it's not level 3 yet because we've only dealt with Source a we need to deal with Source B2 and come to an overall judgment so let's deal with Source B next again we're going to use judgment content own knowledge and provenance to structure our answer
            • 12:30 - 13:00 firstly the judgment Source B is also useful as it depicts the work of a team of stretcher bearers evacuating of wounded man under Fire The Source shows a shell exploding in the background while a team of four REMC stretcher bearers struggle with a wounded man on a stretcher as they lift him out of a muddy Trench the wounded man appears to have a head wound which would have required delicate handling from my own knowledge I know that this would be typical of the work of stretcher bearers and indeed it is supported by the details described in
            • 13:00 - 13:30 the source a with many men needed to transport each wounded man this provenance makes it more useful overall although it is paint a painting rather than a photograph of a real event the artist was an REMC Soldier and he is likely to have based the painting upon his experiences the memory of which would still be fresh in 1919. the Imperial War Museum would also have wanted to do an accurate portrayal for the museum to inform visitors so again I've given a clear judgment I've backed it with content from The
            • 13:30 - 14:00 Source related it to my contextual knowledge and indeed the other source and then Justified this through an examination of the usefulness of the provenance so all I need to do now is give my overall view of the usefulness of these sources and I should have reached level 3. now my overall judgment a conclusion of sorts overall sources A and B are very useful for understanding the work of stretcher bearers on the Western Front both sources show similar details such
            • 14:00 - 14:30 as the number of men in the team and the dangerous and difficult conditions they are working in this includes difficult terrain enemy artillery and needing enough men to move each stretcher from my own knowledge I know that this is indeed fairly typical of the work carried out by stretcher bearers on the Western Front particularly during significant actions like the battle of the Somme their Providence makes them more useful while Source a might emit distressing details to protect the office family and Source B might admit details in the interest of decency in a museum exhibit both are realistic depictions of the
            • 14:30 - 15:00 work of stretch bearers produced by eyewitnesses so before we move on and have a look at a how not to do it let's consider have I given a judgment here yes I have is my judgment based upon their their usefulness in relation to the work of stretcher bearers well yeah look at how often I've used phrases that include something along the lines of the work carried out by stretcher bearers I've considered my own knowledge and the provenance in coming to that judgment so that should be a high level three eight out of eight at least I hope so
            • 15:00 - 15:30 so I've given my judgment I've considered the content of the source I've related it to my own knowledge and I've related it to the provenance this is going to be an example of what not to do but I'll still keep the same structure in place Source B is reliable as it was produced by a person who is in the REMC and so was there at the time it shows the stretcher bearers struggling with a wounded man in a muddy Trench from my own knowledge I know that the trenches are often muddy flooded and unhygienic which was dangerous and
            • 15:30 - 16:00 unhealthy for anyone serving in them the provenance makes it more reliable as it was painted very close to the time of the first world war by a man who took part so he's unlikely to be biased okay during the times before the nine to one GCSE style the old style exams students would get marks for talking about reliability mentioning things like bias and one-sidedness all the time that's not really the case anymore just being able to say that something is unreliable isn't especially good if you've been asked to look at its
            • 16:00 - 16:30 usefulness I'm not saying it can never happen but when the question is asking how useful something is you should be focusing on what makes it useful and I'm going to tell you now the examiner is never going to give you sources which are not useful one of them might be more useful than the other but they're not going to give you sources that are useless that is going to be a waste of everybody's time so assume that the sources will be useful if used in the correct way firstly my judgment here is about reliability and not usefulness I'm not going to get any credit for that I will get a certain amount of credit for identifying this detail from The
            • 16:30 - 17:00 Source although it's not an especially insightful detail is it I'm not going to get any marks from this so because my own knowledge is not related to the work of the stretchy bearers that is a knowledge related to the con the conditions and the trenches and finally this provenance comment is related to reliability and bias and not used for this again that is not focused on the question I'm sure your own teachers which might be me let's face it uh we'll have been talking you through this but just make sure that you are clear on this sometimes people assume it's going to be
            • 17:00 - 17:30 about reliability it's not it's about usefulness and virtually every year the examiner's report contains that criticism some final points then there's no doubt about it how useful questions when it's related to sources require some careful thought you simply need to explain the usefulness of both sources in relation to the stated inquiry as long as you keep that in mind you can't go too far wrong so consider the content your own knowledge and the Providence and how
            • 17:30 - 18:00 this affects both the uses and possibly the limitations of the sources but you should really be focusing on the uses come to an overall judgment how useful are the sources and if you need it remember Jacob judgment content own knowledge and Providence if you need help structuring your answer if you do that you should be able to hit all the points at the exam boards marks game is looking for like I say spend about 12 minutes on this question a few minutes reading labeling and annotating the sources is time well spent especially if you've
            • 18:00 - 18:30 managed to save a couple of minutes from the first four mark question anyway that's the end of this rapid revision video it's not been one of the more rapid ones but I do feel there's been more to unpick with this one here so I hope it's been time well spent Don't Panic about these questions Keep Calm make a few notes around the outside and remember focus on uses and focus on the inquiry that's all for now thanks for watching and if it's been useful please like the video and subscribe to the channel for more best of luck in your exams and goodbye