The 8 Mark "In What Ways" Question: Germany (Q5) (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note
Exam code: 8145
Summary of Question Five
Question Five requires you to explain how a group or development was affected by a key event or change
This question will require you to use second-order concepts in your answer
Amount of marks | 8 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 10 minutes |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in German history:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | German people affected by events during the Weimar Republic (opens in a new tab) |
2019 | Young people affected by Nazi policies (opens in a new tab) |
2020 | German people affected by the Second World War (opens in a new tab) |
2021 | German people affected by Stresemann (opens in a new tab) |
2022 | German people affected by the Nazi police state (opens in a new tab) |
Sample 1 | Women affected by Nazi social policies |
Sample 2 | German people and the First World War |
What are Second-Order Concepts?
Second-order concepts are:
Cause and consequence
Change and continuity
Similarities and differences
Historical significance
For the example question, the second-order concept is change and continuity
The question is asking you to explain how the Second World War changed the lives of the German people
These second-order concepts allow you to:
Understand history
Have a complex explanation
How to Answer an "In What Ways" Question
When answering an "In What Ways" question you need to:
Read the question carefully
Include specific and relevant knowledge
Explain the changes in the group or development mentioned in the question
In Germany: 1890-1945 course these groups tend to focus on groups who have witnessed the most change over the period such as:
Young people and children
Women
German workers
Jewish people
In the example question, the identified group are German people
This change can be shown by how the experience of these groups differed due to:
Time
Social developments
Economic developments
It is important to remember that not everyone in Germany would have been affected by the event or development in the topic
Explaining this in your answer will help you to access Level 4 (7-8 marks)
"In What Ways" Question Structure
Your answer should consist of:
Specific relevant knowledge
Complex explanations showing:
The relevant second-order concept
How not all Germans were affected by the event or development outlined in the question
Your answers could be written in PEE paragraphs:
P- Make a point about the question
E- Include knowledge to support the point you have made
Focused on the group or development mentioned in the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate the relevant second-order concept
E- Explain the question
Focus on the key demands of the questions
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of the second-order concept
To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this twice
Worked Example of an "In What Ways" Question
Worked Example
In what ways were the German people affected by the Second World War?
[8 marks]
Answer:
One way the German people were affected by the Second World War was the bombing of German cities. The Germans living in the cities were affected by the bombing of German cities as many Germans were killed and injured. The bombing affected other cities and towns as 7.5 million Germans were made homeless. Bombings created over 3 million in Eastern Germany refugees as they tried to find somewhere safer to live. After the defeat at Stalingrad, life became more difficult for nearly all Germans. The bombing became more intense and old men, women, and teenagers had to man antiaircraft guns and help search for casualties in bombed-out houses, and shifting rubble. Therefore, the bombing of the German cities affected most Germans due to the effects of the bombing and the consequences of war.
Another way the German people were affected by the Second World War was due to food and rationing. By November 1939, food and clothing were rationed. As Germany began losing the war from 1942 onwards life, for civilians became more and more difficult. Germans with connections to the Nazis were able to live a comfortable life for longer. Germans living in the countryside might have been able to obtain a little more food. However, most German's lives were affected by rationing as many died from poor nutrition and illnesses related to starvation. The Second World War affected most Germans because when Germany started to lose the war, their access to food and materials declined.
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