2013 Notes from the Marking Centre – Ancient History
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Ancient History course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2013 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Ancient History Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2013 Higher School Certificate Ancient History examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Ancient History in Stage 6.
Section I – Cities of Vesuvius – Pompeii and Herculaneum
Part A
Questions 2 and 8
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing accurate and relevant information about the diet of people in Pompeii and Herculaneum (Q.2)
- drawing and integrating evidence from the sources cited in both questions and supplementing this with their own knowledge
- demonstrating an understanding of how Pompeii and Herculaneum were affected differently during the eruption of Mt Vesuvius (Q.8).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- using historical terms and concepts appropriately (Q.8)
- containing their answers by being concise (Q.2 and Q.8).
Part B
Question 9
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing relevant information about new research technologies and how they have changed earlier interpretations of human remains
- using the sources provided and constructing a response.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing an informed and comprehensive response that answers the question rather than simply writing a collection of facts about human remains at the sites
- integrating the sources provided with their own knowledge instead of recounting all they know about the topic.
Section II – Ancient Societies
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing accurate, detailed information and displaying comprehensive knowledge, particularly in part (d)
- making extensive reference to a wide range of sources, both written and archaeological, including references to recent research
- integrating evidence from the source provided and other sources to reveal what is known about economic activity (part (d))
- providing a well-structured and coherent response
- using historical terms and concepts.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing accurate and relevant information in all parts of the question
- making effective use of the source provided
- providing a structured response that avoids making generalisations or could be relevant to any society
- demonstrating greater understanding of appropriate historical terms and concepts
- referring more extensively to other sources.
Section III – Personalities
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- clearly explaining how specific aspects of background directly related to a prominent role(s)
- using a wide range of information or issues of the personality’s background and specifically identifying their prominent role(s)
- making consistent judgements about the quality, range or extent of the contribution, using the ideas of success or failure to support these judgements
- providing a detailed and comprehensive response in part (b) by including many facets of the individual’s contribution to his/her time without digressing into a discussion of legacy
- integrating information from primary and secondary sources to support their arguments rather than merely using the name of an historian.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the question rather than providing lengthy descriptions of the personality’s successes and failures without providing a clear assessment of their contribution to their time
- using relevant sources to support the response; this applies to both part (a) and part (b) of the question
- attempting only topics they have studied. For example, a number of students who attempted the question on Tiberius Gracchus confused him with the Emperor Tiberius
- allocating time according to the weighting of the question. Many candidates wrote the same amount for part (a) as for part (b)
- providing a narrative of the personality’s background in part (a) which did not demonstrate how this prepared them for their prominent role.
Section IV – Historical Periods
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- directly answering the set question and, where appropriate, engaging with the quote that was attached
- demonstrating comprehensive knowledge and understanding
- supporting the response with accurate and detailed reference to a range of relevant archaeological and written evidence
- displaying evidence of wide reading and understanding of the historical process through their use of appropriate vocabulary and historical terms.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- avoiding a narrative response which is of marginal relevance to the set question or includes substantial amounts of material that is irrelevant to the parameters of the question
- using sources appropriately as evidence to support the response, rather than simply naming the source or using sources incorrectly in order to support the point the candidate is trying to make
- being historically accurate
- writing responses of appropriate length that address issues raised by the question
- incorporating a range of historical terms and concepts.
NSW Government