History Extension 2017 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• make sure that they use the source provided holistically
• ensure that concepts in the source shape and drive their response
• try to engage with more recent sources of historiography/historiographical issues that are appropriate to the question
• ensure that they are answering the question, rather than writing biographies and methodologies of historians
• address the key words, for example, ‘to what extent’ and ‘view on the purpose of history’
• plan their responses — better answers showed evidence of careful planning
• read the source more than once to make sure that they understand tone, metaphors, ideology and central arguments.

Students should expect:

• the source to involve a discussion of historiography that they will be expected to identify and discuss
• the source and question will not necessarily work with all areas of historiography, therefore they will need to have a range of sources available for use
• to have their own ideas on historiography (often identified as student voice) that they can apply to the discussion of the source’s historiographical issues
• to demonstrate originality, adaptability and the ability to respond with perception
• to have come to a decision as to ‘what is History?’.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• using past HSC examination papers to draw out the key ideas of the source that allow them to directly answer the question
• avoiding prepared responses as these will not to address the source provided and the question effectively
• identifying their own opinions and ideology on history and relevant historiographical issues
• identifying their own opinion and ideology on key questions from the syllabus
• having a clear understanding of a range of historiographical concepts and ideas, rather than just ‘knowing historians’
• staying on top of recent events in historiography through analysis of a range of media, such as news, internet resources, film, social media, political debates that deal with history, historical fiction, television, documentary and other relevant sources
• having a knowledge of the entire syllabus and avoiding predictions of what the examination may hold
• using the syllabus holistically not seeing each question as a separate entity.

In better responses, students were able to:

• directly respond to the question using key concepts identified in the source
• demonstrate a clear, holistic and sophisticated understanding of the source
• use a range of relevant and well-chosen historiographical examples to support their answer to the question
• show more than a narrative, biographical approach but focus on grappling with the source and question
• demonstrate a clear ‘student voice’ or clear judgement on the source and the question
• provide an answer that is clearly expressed, well structured, logical and cohesive
• avoid simplistic discussions of historians
• avoid a rote-learned, prepared response on the historians
• demonstrate an ability to respond and adapt to an unseen source with perception
• show a detailed, clear and wide-ranging understanding of historiography
• have integrated the points made in the source throughout their response
• make judgement without the use of personal pronouns
• show critical judgement of the given source and their own sources, woven throughout their response.

Students should expect:

• the source to raise an aspect of historiography linked to the key questions from the syllabus
• to be asked to demonstrate extensive knowledge of historiographical developments within the debates from their case study
• to be asked to make relevant judgements in relation to the key questions
• to construct a reasoned, detailed response consistently supported by relevant historical evidence.

Students should:

• answer the exact question rather than writing everything they know about their case study
• structure their response to ensure the given source has been explicitly and consistently integrated
• identify early in their response the exact area of debate from the syllabus that they are discussing
• present a sustained, logical and cohesive response.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• having a detailed knowledge of a range of historians, which includes relevant information that may explain their perspectives and interpretations in regards to the specific debates
• using past HSC examination papers to familiarise themselves with the style and scope of past questions, including the use of the source
• completing practice responses that model integration of the source, relevant to the historiography and sustaining consistent judgements.

In better responses, students were able to:

• make explicit and perceptive judgements that demonstrate their engagement with the question
• demonstrate extensive knowledge relevant to their chosen area of debate(s) within the case study
• synthesise concisely a range of relevant and differing historical perspectives
• explain the historiographical developments within their area of debate referring to a range of contextual factors
• refer to specific publications and their dates
• demonstrate clear understanding and critical insight into historiographical interpretations
• apply their knowledge of the key questions of History Extension to their interpretations of historiographical developments
• explain the perspective of individual historians, rather than providing a narrative of schools of interpretation.