History Extension 2022 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
• sustain their judgements throughout the response with a clear connection to the question
• communicate ideas and information using historical terms and concepts appropriately
• present a comprehensive, logical, and sustained response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• make clear judgements about the impact of changing technology on approaches to history, rather than describing forms of technology in their examples
• chart the impact of changing technology on approaches to history over time
• identify the key ideas in Sources A and B, and use these to construct their arguments
• make specific and appropriate references to Sources A and B, and integrate these references throughout the response
• support their judgement with reference to at least one other relevant and useful source, showing depth of understanding and knowledge of the historiographical issues relevant to the question
• challenge the ideas in both Sources A and B, as well as question the significance of technology’s role
• ensure that their judgement regarding the extent of the influence, rather than reference to examples, progressed through the extended response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing the question clearly and from the opening paragraph
• using in their opening paragraph the main ideas of Sources A and B provided to construct or inform their judgement
• using clear topic sentences that link to the question and/or argument, rather than letting their examples drive the argument
• using only those sources that suit the question, rather than trying to make all the sources they have studied fit with the question
• studying a variety of other sources, including both traditional and contemporary examples. This will enable students to select examples appropriate to the question. Dealing with Source A’s focus on recent technology and the need to discuss changing technology over time proved difficult if the student sources did not offer useful connections
• demonstrating knowledge and understanding of relevant issues of historiography throughout their answer.

In better responses, students were able to:

• directly answer the question asked with an explicit line of argument
• unpack specific details from the area(s) of debate to support judgements
• clearly demonstrate how and why historical representations have been made ‘less simple’ or otherwise
• interact with the concepts ‘less simple’ and ‘academic’ from the source
• challenge the source, for example, non-academic representations can oversimplify or academic historians can present history simply
• demonstrate perception and insight regarding historiographical issues, for example, show variety in academic representations or factors causing representation to be ‘less simple’
• demonstrate an in-depth and nuanced understanding of their case study
• adapt to the format and focus of the question.

Areas for students to improve include:

• fully developing their judgement(s) by analysing issue(s) and explaining how examples demonstrate the validity of the point(s) they are making
• structuring their responses by points of argument instead of examples/schools/debates
• avoiding narrative and description regarding their examples or case study
• clearly stating the area(s) of debate from the current syllabus and contrasting historical positions
• carefully framing the examples used so they are directly relevant to the question. For example, explicitly contrasting popular and academic sources
• employing a variety of relevant examples, some of which may be atypical
• resisting the urge to focus on prepared material, for example, truth, objectivity, or context, rather than answering the question
• frequently making direct connections back to the question, that is, not only in topic and linking sentences
• demonstrating critical thinking via perception, nuance, insight, depth, and sophistication.