1 USA 1919 – 41 Exam Technique © OG Scott Question 1(c) Explain why the US economy was so prosperous between 1922 and marks Example Answer Level One (1-2 marks) Simple or generalised statements of causation. Consumer products like motor cars were a reason for the prosperity of the US economy. One simple statement, 1 mark. Electric power was a reason for the prosperity of the US economy. Two simple statements, 2 marks. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Causation (can you explain how the causes made an event happen?) Top Tip Notice how each of the level 1 answers gives an unexplained reason for the prosperity of the USA. See how they focus on answering the question by using the wording of the question, in this case, “prosperity” Giving your answers this sort of focus will help you to write a better answer.

2 USA 1919 – 41 Exam Technique © OG Scott Question 1(c) Explain why the US economy was so prosperous between 1922 and marks Example Answer Level Two (3-5 marks) Explains causes. (The student supports statement(s) with relevant contextual knowledge). Consumer products were a reason for the prosperity of the US economy because so many people wanted to buy radios, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and motor cars. 3-4 marks for one explained cause. Electricity caused the prosperity because many of the consumer goods, like radios and vacuum cleaners, needed it to actually work. 4-5 marks for two explained causes. In this question the examiner will be assessing: Recall of knowledge (can you the remember relevant facts?) Causation (can you explain how the causes made an event happen?) Top Tip Notice how the level 2 answers explain reasons for the prosperity of the USA. See how they focus on answering the question, by using the wording of the question, in this case, “prosperity” By including a “because” explanation why you will earn a level 2 mark.

3 USA 1919 – 41 Exam Technique © OG Scott Question 1(c) Explain why the US economy was so prosperous between 1922 and marks Example Answer Level Three (6-8 marks) Explains why the causes brought about the stated outcome. Consumer products were a reason for the prosperity of the US economy because so many people wanted to buy radios, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and motor cars. This created extra jobs and this, together with cheap credit, fuelled the prosperity of the US economy between 1922 and marks for one cause linked to the outcome. The boom in consumer goods would not have been possible without cheap credit and the widespread availability of electric power. Most of the goods were powered by electricity and it would have been used to manufacture them, for example in Ford’s car factory. Electricity made possible the radio advertising that further fuelled the demand for the consumer goods on which the prosperity of the years 1922 to 1928 was founded. 7-8 marks for two causes linked to the outcome. Award 8 marks to an answer which prioritises causes or demonstrates how they combined to produce the outcome. Top Tip Carefully read the Level 3 answers. See how each part explains how consumerism and electric power caused the prosperity of the period 1922 to 1928, which is how to actually answer this question. Notice how the second half of the answer shows how electric power and consumer goods were linked together and then prioritises them by showing how it all of the prosperity relied in electric power, so earning the full 8 marks. Giving your answers this sort of focus will help you to do very well.