1. Assignment: What you need to do
National 5 History
Assignment: What you need to do

2. Choosing a question
Bad question “Describe/Explain the main causes of the Nazi Rise to power” Maximum approx. 9/20
Still bad question: “Why were the Nazis able to take power in Germany in 1933?” Would be difficult to access the evaluation marks- max approx. 16/20
Good question: “To what extent was Hitler the reason for the Nazi Rise to Power between ?”- enables you to access 20/20

3. Section A: Introduction (2 marks available)
Your introduction should do 3 things:
Set the context/background to the essay. Introduce this topic in 2 sentences for someone who has never studied it. A way of doing this is to describe the situation at the start of the period you are writing about, then describe how the situation has changed by the end of the period.
Outline your argument (Which factor, in your opinion was the most important?) “This essay will argue that factor A was the most important factor/ while factor A was important, B was more important”
List the factors that your essay will cover. (However, factor B, C and D also contributed to…”

4. Section A 2 marks: Context and 3 Factors 1 mark: context OR 3 Factors
0 marks: Neither

5. Section B: Using sources (2 marks)
You need to show evidence in your essay that you have found from at least 2 different sources, such as…
websites
newspapers/magazines/books (print or electronic)
visits or fieldtrips
television/video
radio/podcasts
libraries
textbooks
history books
interviews
letters, photographs, diaries etc

6. Section B: How to reference
‘Churchill was the greatest prime minister that Britain ever had’. (J. Bloggs, Britain in World War Two, 2011)
According to the Times newspaper in June 1915, …
You could also summarise a viewpoint from a longer source by saying: J. Bloggs suggests that Churchill was the best Prime Minister Britain has ever had.
NOTE: Sources should show interpretation or opinion (something you can then comment on). You won’t be credited for saying something that’s common knowledge: ‘BBC Bitesize claims that ‘Hitler became chancellor in 1933’. (No marks)

7. Section B (marking Instructions)
2 marks: 2 sources or more used
1 mark: 1 source used
0 marks: No sources used or sources incorrectly referenced.

8. Section C: Knowledge (4 marks)
You will be credited for every point of knowledge you bring in, provided it is not referenced from another source. Knowledge has to be RAD
Relevant
Accurate
Detailed
Mary, Queen of Scots moved to France when she was 6 years old to marry the Dauphin, Francois.

9. Section C Marking Instructions
4 marks: 4 or more pieces of knowledge used
3 marks: 3 pieces of knowledge used
2 marks: 2 pieces of knowledge used
1 mark: 1 piece of knowledge used
0 marks: No knowledge used

10. Section D: Analysis (3 marks)
Analysis is where you explain how the knowledge contributed to the historical event you are writing about.
“This helped the Nazis gain support BECAUSE…

11. Section D Marking Instructions
3 marks: Analytical comments on 3 different factors
2 marks: Analytical comments on 2 different factors
1 mark: Analytical comments on 1 factor only
0 marks: No analytical comments

12. Section E: Evaluation (2 marks) THIS IS A NEW SKILL
At the end of each factor, you should sum up its overall importance to the event. You should also compare it to the named factor in the essay. However, you must explain why you have said that (and you can’t simply repeat something that has been in the paragraph)
“Overall, fear was clearly the most important reason for the Nazi Rise to power as it made people follow the Nazis even if they didn’t support them. It is more important than propaganda because propaganda only reinforced opinions that people already had.

13. Section E: Marking Instructions
2 marks: Evaluative comments on two or more factors 1 mark: Evaluative comments on 1 factor 0 marks: No evaluation

14. Section F: Organising information (3 marks)
You will have to organise your information into separate paragraphs. There should be a separate paragraph for each reason. You should also show limitation within your paragraphs. What I mean by this is that each paragraph should not just show the ways it CONTRIBUTED to the event, but the ways that it maybe didn’t.
For example, although Terror made the Nazis control Germany better because it made people scared to oppose, you might argue that it made people resent them too, leading to more opposition and so actually WEAKENED their control, so the argument that terror helped control Germany is LIMITED.

15. Section F (Marking Instructions)
3 marks: 3 Factors in separate paragraphs with limitation
2 marks: 3 factors but no limitation
1 mark: 2 factors in separate paragraphs, no limitation
0 marks: narrative approach

16. Section G: Coming to a conclusion (2 marks)
The end of your essay should have a conclusion. Signpost this ‘In conclusion…
A good conclusion will make a RELATIVE judgement between all the different factors. This means, rather than simply saying which factor was the most important, your conclusion should take into consideration ALL three factors you have written about.
Something like…
Therefore in conclusion, while factor x contributed by …. And factor y contributed by …, the most important reason for EVENT was factor z, more so than x or y.

17. Section G Marking Instructions
2 marks: Relevant conclusion which makes RELATIVE judgement on the different factors
1 mark: Relevant conclusion which makes a judgement (not taking all factors into consideration)
0 marks: No conclusion or general summary only.

18. Section H:Supporting a conclusion with reasons (2 marks)
This is where you give reasons in support of your conclusion. You have to write two reasons or more or will not get full marks.
Difficult marks to get.
The reasons you give have to be related to the evidence in your essay, but can’t simply be copied from a paragraph.
Where pupils struggle here is that their reasons only give a reason why factor z is important, whereas this is asking you to explain what it is that makes z MORE important than X and Y.
“Factor Z is more important than factor y because factor y only affects this group, which factor z affected everyone…
“Factor Z is also more important than factor x because… (just an example of how this might look)

19. Section H Marking Instructions
2 marks: The judgement is supported with more than one reason clearly related to the evidence given
1 mark: The judgement is supported with one reason clearly related to the evidence given
0 marks: Judgement not supported.
NOTE: IF you don’t access the marks available in Section G, you can’t access the section H marks SO BE CAREFUL WITH THIS.
ALSO NOTE: 4 marks are available for a conclusion, so give yourself time to write it. If you run over on a paragraph and haven’t got time to write your conclusion, the maximum you can achieve is 16/20!!!
Timing: 1 Hour in total!