2014 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 2014 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 2014 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 7 and 8
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing accurate and relevant information about Greek influences at Pompeii and Herculaneum (Q.7)
- drawing and integrating evidence from the sources cited in both questions and supplementing this with their own knowledge (Q.7 and Q.8)
- demonstrating their knowledge of the different types of economic activity that took place in Pompeii and Herculaneum (Q.8).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- selecting relevant evidence from their own knowledge to expand upon the sources provided (Q.8)
- containing their answers by being precise (Q.7 and Q.8).
Part B
Question 9
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing relevant information about Italian and international contributions to the conservation of the sites
- using the sources provided and constructing a response.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- constructing an informed and comprehensive response that answers the question rather than providing a collection of facts about conservation efforts over time
- integrating judicious examples from their own knowledge with the sources, rather than recounting irrelevant information.
Section II – Ancient Societies
Questions 10–19
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 the role and status of women, or other relevant groups in society (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 that could be relevant to any society
- demonstrating greater understanding of appropriate historical terms and concepts
- referring more extensively to other sources.
Section III – Personalities in Their Times
Questions 20–31
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- accurately identifying a range of information relevant to the question
- providing a detailed description and using sources as evidence
- making a critical judgement about the usefulness of the quotation and integrating this into the response
- identifying a wide range of issues relevant to legacy to support the judgement, and keeping a clear focus on this throughout the response
- integrating information from ancient and contemporary sources to support their arguments.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the question in detail rather than providing lengthy descriptions of non-specific or irrelevant information OR focusing too heavily on an analysis of the reforms/images rather than a description of them in part (a)
- writing an appropriate amount relevant to the value of the question
- integrating relevant sources to support the response
- dealing with the issue of ‘extent’ central to the question by identifying issues that are from their own knowledge, not only those identified within the quotation
- making consistent judgements throughout the response in relation to the question of extent and legacy.
Section IV – Historical Periods
Questions 32–47
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- directly answering the set question and, where appropriate, addressing relevant issues from across the entire historical period
- demonstrating comprehensive and accurate historical knowledge and understanding, supporting the response with accurate and detailed reference to a range of relevant archaeological and written evidence
- displaying evidence of wide understanding of the historical period, and of the historical process, through their use of appropriate vocabulary and historical terms.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- avoiding a narrative response that is of marginal relevance to the set question or includes substantial amounts of material that is irrelevant to the parameters of the question
- integrating sources appropriately as evidence to support the point the candidate is trying to make, rather than simply naming the source or attributing sources incorrectly
- being historically accurate
- writing responses that are structured and of appropriate length to adequately address issues raised by the question and incorporating a range of historical terms and concepts.
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