Exam Tips

So here are my top ten tips for this Monday ;

1. Be calm and relaxed, a panicky mind can make bad decisions.
2. Remember to answer just two of the three questions.
3. It's probably a good idea to sketch out a brief essay plan in the first 5 minutes, BUT DON'T FORGET TO PUT A LINE THROUGH IT AT THE END.
4. 20/60 marks are for quality of evidence used to back up your analysis and evaluative judgements, historical terminology and essay structure/legibility.
5. 40/60 marks are for the quality of your analysis and evaluations.
6. You should compare the relative importance of a wide range of different factors/events not necessarily to each other, BUT TO THE FACTOR/EVENT IN THE QUESTION.
7. Remember the course is not about German history, BUT GERMAN NATIONALISM so this should be the focus of your judgements.
8. The course of German nationalism was not straightforward, i.e. it did not grow gradually, although it was a more popular cause in the latter part of the period.
9. DO NOT WRITE A CHRONOLOGICAl ESSAY, or even an anti-chronological essay (backwards).  This could trap you into writing a narrative essay.  Where appropriate try and compare different factors to each other when analysing the development of German nationalism (political, military, economic/industrial and social).
10. The A* essays will be synoptic over the whole 130 year period and will NOT necessarily focus too much on any particular sub-period within the syllabus.


S.J.Emm

11.  Oh and good luck, be confident in your ability to achieve your challenge grade.  You have worked hard and you have all the knowledge, understanding and essay skills you need to perform at the highest level in this exam.

The Pool of Peace

The Pool of Peace, one of my favourite places in the Ieper area, taken last summer.  Very relaxing...when it's not littered with rubbish!

Every long journey begins with

It's May 2013 and for a variety of reasons - which I hope will become clear in future posts - I have decided to start blogging.  I am passionate about history and if I'm honest, I have a preference for modern history.  My cause celebre is the causes and events of the First World War.  In particular I have led school tours and private tours of the WW1 battlefields and cemeteries since February 1997.  In addition I have written a booklet for the pupils studying this topic for iGCSE.  I have also written booklets on the Interwar Years 1919-1939, The Challenge of German Nationalism 1789-1919, The Cold War 1945-1990 (for iGCSE), as well as a more advanced version for 6th formers taking the Superpower Relations 1944-1990s course and I am currently working on a booklet for Stalin's Russia 1924-1953 as well as Mao's China 1949-1976.