Modern History 2014 HSC exam pack (archive)

Question 4

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• using the source to name one feature of trench warfare and how it made it difficult to break the stalemate.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• making a clear link between the feature named and the difficulty in breaking the stalemate.

Question 7

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• using Sources A and D and own knowledge to outline strategies and tactics that were used to break the stalemate on the Western Front
• either using own knowledge to add value to the information contained in the sources or clearly differentiating own knowledge from the information contained in the sources.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• ensuring that their answer outlines strategies and tactics rather than giving a simple discussion of weapons
• ensuring that they refer to both sources.

Question 8

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making a judgement about the usefulness of Sources C and E for a historian studying the nature of trench warfare
• understanding of ‘perspective’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘reliability’.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• making a more explicit judgement of usefulness by using the terms of the question, ie usefulness, reliability and perspective rather than content, origin, motive and purpose
• avoiding simplistic generalisations such as ‘Source E is useful and reliable because it is a primary source’
• ensuring that both sources are given appropriate consideration in their response
• providing a judgement rather than a description of the sources or being distracted by unusual images, eg the skeleton of a goat in Source C
• providing too much context or background rather than answering the question.

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making a judgement or assessment
• presenting a sophisticated argument or explanation as the question requires
• using very specific, relevant and accurate historical information.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• providing a sustained judgement or assessment rather than a narrative response or generalisation
• integrating specific historical detail to support the response
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question.

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• providing a detailed, relevant and accurate description (Q.18 (a))
• using a range of appropriate historical terms and concepts (Q.18 (a) and (b))
• making an assessment with a logical and cohesive argument (Q.18 (b))
• evaluating the significance of the personality studied (Q.18 (b))
• making specific reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q.18 (b)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• responding to the question rather than relying on prepared answers (Q.18 (a) and (b))
• making an assessment rather than generalisations (Q.18 (a))
• ensuring that information is relevant to the parameters of the question (Q.18 (a))
• avoiding narrative and descriptive responses (Q.18(b))
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q.18 (b)).

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• addressing the question asked with a clear judgement
• using appropriate terms and concepts
• providing detailed and accurate historical information
• presenting a sustained and detailed assessment.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• avoiding narrative or descriptive responses that do not make a judgement
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question
• including relevant historical knowledge rather than generalisations.