The 8 Mark "Write a Narrative Account" Question (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note
Exam code: 1HI0
Summary of Question 2
Question 2 requires you to write an 'analytical narrative'
This means explaining a sequence of key events and how they are linked together
You must write about each stage of the narrative in chronological order
Amount of marks | 8 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 15 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 from the American West:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | The conflict with the Indigenous peoples (Plains Indians) in the years 1862-1864 (opens in a new tab) |
2019 | The Mormon migration in the years 1846–1847 (opens in a new tab) |
2020 | Attempts to establish law and order in the years c1876–c1895 (opens in a new tab) |
2021 | The range wars between cattle ranchers and homesteaders (opens in a new tab) |
2022 | The cattle industry changed in the years c1876–c1890 (opens in a new tab) |
2023 | The spread of the railroad network in the years c1862–1875 (opens in a new tab) |
2024 | The Donner Party expedition |
The importance of chronology
Chronology is the ability to place events in time order
In the narrative account, you must write about three events in the correct time order
If you write the events out of order, you will only get 2 marks
Do not include events outside the timeframe of the question
To help, the exam provides you with two stimulus points
The stimulus points are sometimes given with dates
If not, the stimulus points are arranged in time order
If you do not know the stimulus points, you are allowed to use your own knowledge
If you only use the two stimulus points, you can only achieve a maximum of four marks
Sequencing and linkage in GCSE History
Sequencing
Sequencing in history is the order which events happened
For the example question, the Battle of the Little Big Horn happened before the passing of the Dawes Act
A sequence of events could:
Happen over a short or long period of time
Stretch over multiple events
Have negative and positive impacts
When explaining sequencing, you need to be careful not to write a story
Instead, your answer should explain how one event led to another
Linkage
A linkage in history refers to the connections between events or issues
For the example question, the extermination of the buffalo links to the Dawes Act
Linkage allow historians to:
Compare historical events
Explain the causes and consequences of an event
Explain the wider developments of a period
Use connective phrases like:
"As a result…"
"Consequently..."
"This led to…"
"Because of this…"
Planning your answer will make it easier to make linkages
How to answer a "Write a narrative account" question
Your answer should include:
An organisation of three events into chronological order
Specific and relevant knowledge of each event in the narrative account
An explanation of how each event connects to the next
Before you write the question ensure that you have the following:
Good knowledge of the three events that you are using in the narrative account
A clear understanding of how each event links together
This will allow you to achieve the analytical narrative that the examiner is looking for
To create successful linkages for American West, you should consider, where appropriate, if the event:
Increased or decreased migration to the West
Increased or decreased the settlement of the West
Improved or damaged relations with the Indigenous peoples (Plains Indians)
"Write a narrative account" question structure
Your answers could be written using CHRONOLINK
CHRONO - Put the sequence of events in chronological order
LINK - Connect each section of the narrative to the next event that occurred
To achieve full marks, you should aim to write about three events in the narrative account
These events can be organised into a paragraph per event or one continuous paragraph
The question is out of 8 marks
4 marks for knowledge (K)
4 marks for your analysis of the second-order concepts of causes, consequences and/or changes (SOC)
Worked example of a "Write a narrative account" question
Worked Example
Write a narrative account analysing the key events of the destruction of the traditional way of life of the Indigenous peoples (Plains Indians) in the years 1876-1895.
(8)
You may use the following in your answer:
You must also use information of your own. |
Answer:
The Battle of the Little Big Horn in June 1876 was initially a success for the Sioux. General Custer's army of 200 men were defeated by the 2,000 Sioux warriors (K). However, by the end of 1876, many Sioux were forced back to their reservations as they became short of ammunition and food. In 1877, the resistance ended with Black Horse's surrender and eventual murder. This showed that, despite military successes, the Indigenous tribes were unable to maintain their independence as white settlers used more of their land and their resources. This increased conflict over resources and limited their nomadic lifestyle (SOC).
The conflict over resources resulted in the extermination of the buffalo. By the 1870s, white settlers were over-hunting the buffalo as they could turn the buffalo hide into leather for machine belts. As a result, by the 1880s, the buffalo were hunted to near extermination (K). This had a significant impact on Indigenous peoples' way of life. As there was no buffalo to hunt, the Indigenous peoples became even more reliant on government supplies and support to survive. This caused the government to change their policy towards the Indigenous peoples so they did not have to continue to support them (SOC).
In 1887, the government passed the Dawes Act. The Dawes Act aimed to encourage Indigenous peoples to assimilate by offering each Indigenous family 160 acres of land to create a homestead and to become US citizens (K). The Dawes Act caused a complete loss of the Indigenous way of life. Many Indigenous tribes did not have farming skills. A lack of skill and poor-quality land meant crops often failed to grow. This resulted in poverty and lawlessness (SOC).
You've read 0 of your 5 free revision notes this week
Unlock more, it's free!
Did this page help you?
