DP HISTORY PAPER ONE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES 2017
Your Paper One topic is the move to global war 1931-41.
One case study is about Japan (starting with Manchuria
and ending with Pearl Harbor). The other is Italy and
Germany 1930-40, involving events such as the war in
Abyssinia, the Reoccupation of the Rhineland, and the
outbreak of the Second World War in Europe.
The exam will be about one or the other case study so
you will need to learn both, but provided you know how
to answer the questions, and are confident about the
various skills that are being assessed, then you won’t go
too far wrong.
Probably the most difficult part of the exam is finishing
it in time, so the very first rule is to keep an eye on the
clock at all times. That means you have to keep to this
schedule: 10 minutes for Q1; 10 minutes for Q2, 15
minutes for Q3 and 25 minutes for Q4. That’s 60
minutes in total - and the harder you work then the
quicker it passes!
Timekeeping is crucial, and if you get behind then take a
hit on Q3, which is the hardest of all the questions.
A REMINDER ABOUT SOURCES
Historical sources were not produced for the sole
purpose of terrorising DP students: they are products
of their time and as such they assume knowledge of
contemporary events. Therefore, you need to bring your
contextual knowledge into every sourcework activity,
and that means remembering the main facts, arguments
and controversies.
This is especially important for big topics like the
Anschluss and the Munich Agreement, because it will
enable you to spot inferences immediately and thus to
use them as the basis for your answers.
QUESTION 1 (5 marks)
In your DP exam you will have 5 minutes’ reading time.
You should use this time to prepare answers to Q1 (a)
and (b). Under no circumstances should you read any
other questions or any other sources.
1 (a) is a matter of comprehension because the key skill
is to repeat information from the source. You get one
mark for each point you make. Consequently, you need to
write three separate sentences only to get your three
marks, but of course it’s much easier said than done!
However, sometimes, a ‘why’ question will be asked, in
which case you will need to make a point (one mark) and
to support it with information from the source (two
marks). Bullet points are perfectly acceptable for this
answer (but only for this answer).
1 (b) is usually a visual source, like a photograph or a
cartoon or a poster. Tables have also been used. The
question is usually phrased ‘What is the message of
Source A?’ The skill is to make a statement and to
support it with information from the source (including
the caption). You need to make two supported
statements to get your two marks. Follow this outline:
‘One message of A is … I know this because it
shows/suggests/implies/indicates/says ... ‘ ‘A second
message of A is ‘… ‘ You do not need to write a detailed
explanation of each message. (The question is always
incorrectly worded. It should read: ‘What are the
messages of Source A?’)
QUESTION 2 (4 marks)
The key to Q2 is to refer specifically to the origin,
purpose and content of the source as either a value or a
limitation. Thus, you need to begin each part with ‘The
origin/purpose/content of A is a value/limitation for
historians studying Y because …’ and to include at least
one value and at least one limitation in your overall
answer.
The origin refers to the date, author and type of
source, and your task is to assess whether or not the
source is something historians would generally want to
use. You will always find a mix of values and limitations
for the origin.
The purpose of a source is the reason why it was
produced, so it will either be supporting something or
criticizing it. Thus, the purpose can be either a value or
a limitation but it can’t be both.
The content of the source is what it says, and in most
cases it will include information useful to historians
studying Y and therefore it will be of value.
Overall, Q2 is a dog’s breakfast because it assesses too
many things and it’s almost impossible to avoid
repetition or contradiction. However, if you make an
overall judgement about the source before you start to
write your answer, then this will help you to get the
number of values and limits more or less right. (ie a
terrific source like the renowned historian Ian Kershaw
should have more values than limitations.)
QUESTION 3 (6 marks)
This is the hardest question on the paper because very
few students know how to answer it correctly. Start by
reading the question very carefully: you will be set a
specific task about the sources (eg compare and
contrast the views of A and B about the Anschluss), as
opposed to simply identifying similarities and
differences between the two texts. Then write down
what you know about the task (ie the Anschluss).
The next stage is to analyse – not just read! - one
source very carefully first of all. You do this by asking
questions of the source, such as what does the source
say about X/Y/Z and why does it say this, or what does
the source imply about X/Y/Z and why does it think
this?
This is where your contextual knowledge will help,
because if the question is about a topic you know then
you should be familiar with the most significant aspects
of it. For instance, the Anschluss with Austria in
February 1938 was not opposed, it changed the balance
of power in Europe, and it led to the takeover of
Czechoslovakia. These statements could provide the
basis for your questions.
Choosing the longer source first is always best because
it will give you more questions and more answers.
Analyse the text only – you will not receive any credit
for mentioning the caption.
Once you’ve answered the questions you’ve set yourself
in the first source, then ask the same questions of the
second source. This should give you a set of similarities
(comparisons) and differences (contrasts).
You are now in a position to write your answer. The IB
likes you to provide a running commentary, along the
lines of ‘A and B agree about the importance of the
Anschluss because A says ‘ … ‘ and B says ‘ … ‘ and ‘A and
B disagree about the causes of the Anschluss because A
says ‘ … ‘ but B says ‘ … ‘ Mention the source by letter
only and include quotes (or summaries) to support the
points you make. Lastly, it is legitimate to include
differences along the lines of A mentions something
that B doesn’t.
One continuous paragraph will suffice for Q3, so you do
not need to separate your similarities from your
differences. However, you should avoid contradicting
yourself, and one way to do this is not to repeat a quote.
According to the official mark scheme you need to make
six separate similarities/differences to get the full six
marks, but in reality provided you demonstrate a good
understanding of how the sources agree and disagree
then you will be well rewarded.
QUESTION 4 (9 marks)
There are two ways of answering Q4. The first won’t
get you full marks but you can complete the question
without a great deal of planning - or thinking! The
second way will give you a chance to get to the top of
the mark scheme, and it’s worth remembering that you
will only get a Level 7 for Paper One if you score highly
on Q4 since it is worth about 35% of the total marks.
For the first method, you will be setting out your
answer almost exactly as it appears in the mark scheme.
This means you will write a seven paragraph answer. For
your introduction, write a paragraph of one sentence
which is a general statement about the question. Then
write four paragraphs of two or three sentences about
each source which is clearly related to the question.
Start with A and finish with D. Start the sixth
paragraph with ‘However, there is some crucial evidence
missing from the sources. For example, …’ and add at
least two facts which are not mentioned in the sources
but which relate to the question. Finally, for your
conclusion, write a one sentence paragraph that answers
the question.
Alternatively, you can write a mini-essay answer. This
isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You’ll need to plan your
answer, to identify the points you want to make and,
crucially, to support them not only with information
from the sources but also your own knowledge (ie
information which is not contained in the sources).
Unlike Paper Two and Paper Three essay questions, Q4
won’t try to catch you out or to drive you up a blind
alley. The command terms are fairly simple and will
either require you to write a balanced answer or explain
a list reasons. (For causes, consequences, impact and
significance use things such as short and long term, or
local, regional, national and international, or political,
social, economic and military.)
As ever, the key skill is to make statements and to
support them. Remember to mention every source by
letter (A says ‘ … ’) and to make sure your argument is
coherent and concise. Never write ‘from my own
knowledge’ but assume the examiner will pick up on any
evidence you include which is not contained in the
sources. Finally, ATBQ in your conclusion.
However, Q4 does require you to have some knowledge
of the topic. And it’s possible you might end up getting
something relatively obscure for Paper One. This
doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot write a mini-essay
for Q4 because you will have some contextual
understanding for it. For instance, if the topic is about
the 1935 Saar Plebiscite, then you will know that this
was a term of the Versailles Treaty, that Hitler was
determined to overturn it, and that the result
strengthened his resolve to overturn other terms of
Versailles as well.
Nevertheless, if you know lots of nothing about the
topic, then you’re probably better off using the first
method for Q4.