Unit 3 Part B The Controversy Question Advice from the chief examiner

What is the Controversy Question?  The maximum mark for the Controversy Question is 40 (24 for use of the sources and 16 for own knowledge)  15 minutes planning and 50 minutes writing  You should aim to write words

What is the Controversy Question?  Requires you to make and support a judgement about a historical interpretation (causes, consequences or key features)  The 2-3 secondary sources provide evidence of differing views

How to use the sources  Source-led analysis (24 marks)  Content  Cross-referencing  Evaluation of historical claims

How to keep the Examiner happy  Clear structure  Source-led analysis  Short quotations from the sources

How to keep the Examiner happy  Own knowledge used to supplement source-based arguments and introduce new issues  Focus on interpretation NOT historiography  An explicit judgement

How to annoy your Examiner  ‘Stream of consciousness’  Source by source summaries  Failure to include quotations from the sources  Over-reliance on either sources or own knowledge

How to annoy your Examiner  Memorised perspectives  ‘Name-dropping’  Failure to reach a judgement

Use sources 7, 8 and 9 and your own knowledge. How far do you agree with the view that the development of the Cold War in the years owed more to Soviet expansionism than to the USA’s economic interests? Explain your answer, using sources 7, 8, 9 and your own knowledge of the issues related to this controversy.