2013 Notes from the Marking Centre – Modern History
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Modern 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 Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2013 Higher School Certificate Modern 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 Modern History in Stage 6.
Section I – World War I 1914–1919
Question 3
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using the source to identify TWO reasons for the creation of the Women’s Land Army.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- making a clear distinction between each reason.
Question 7
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using both Sources C and D and own knowledge to outline the reasons for Allied victory and German collapse
- using own knowledge to either add value to the information contained in the sources or clearly differentiating from that contained in the sources.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- ensuring that they refer to both sources.
Question 8
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- making a judgement about the usefulness of Sources E and F for an historian studying the impact of total war on civilians in Britain and Germany
- understanding of ‘perspective’ and ‘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 the content, origin, motive and purpose
- avoiding simplistic generalisations such as Source F is useful and reliable because it is a primary source
- focusing on the topic being examined, ie total war, not changing attitudes
- providing a judgement rather than a description of the sources or being distracted by sensational images, eg the dead horse in Source E
- providing too much context or background rather than answering the question.
Section II – Twentieth Century National Studies (Questions 9–17)
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- making a judgement or assessment
- presenting an argument
- using relevant and accurate historical information
- using accurate and relevant historiography to support the argument.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing a judgement rather than a narrative response
- making an assessment rather than generalisations
- supporting responses with historical detail
- using historiography that is accurate and relevant
- making reference to the statement where it is part of the question.
Section III – Personalities in the Twentieth Century (Question 18)
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing a detailed, relevant and accurate description (Q.18a)
- using a range of appropriate historical terms and concepts (Q.18a and b)
- making an assessment with a logical and cohesive argument (Q.18b)
- evaluating the significance of the personality studied (Q.18b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the question rather than relying on prepared answers (Q.18a and b)
- making an assessment rather than generalisations (Q.18a)
- ensuring information is relevant to the parameters of the question (Q.18a)
- making reference to historiography that is accurate and relevant (Q.18b)
- avoiding narrative, descriptive responses (Q.18b).
Section IV – International Studies in Peace and Conflict (Questions 19–25)
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- addressing the question asked with a clear judgement
- using appropriate terms and concepts
- providing detailed, accurate historical information
- presenting a sustained and detailed assessment
- using accurate and relevant historiography to support the argument.
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
- making reference to historiography that is accurate and relevant.
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