HSC Modern History Question Thread

[jakesilove]

Hi Jake,
My teacher said we don't need to mention about the events that occur later in the war but he did say we need to talk about the failure of blitzkrieg and the difference between Hitler and Stalin's leadership and the shortage of resources in Germany. His my introduction:

Operation Barbarossa is a highly significant turning point in the course of the European war highlighting the existing problems in the German war effort. Early German advances and gains were decreasing due to the failure of a quick victory in Russia as it revealed the flaws of using its blitzkrieg tactics, Germany was also invincible in 1941. Furthermore, it became evident that the tide was turning against the Axis powers and in favour of the Russian’s due to its vast resources and tactical superiority compared to Germany’s limited strength.

its not finished yet!
Thanks Jake!!!

Hey! If that's what your teacher has suggested, then the above is a great starting point. Definitely formalise the tone a little, and try use historical language to a greater extent, but looking good!

[gkelly1414]

It is the way an individual faces challenges that shapes them and their achievements.
To what extent is this statement accurate in relation to the personality you have studied and their role in history?
 Just wondering how you would answer this question about Albert Speer

Thanks

[studybuddy7777]

It is the way an individual faces challenges that shapes them and their achievements.
To what extent is this statement accurate in relation to the personality you have studied and their role in history?
 Just wondering how you would answer this question about Albert Speer

Thanks

Before we even start, I do not take modern history so bear with me.
Hey gkelly1414 its great to see you using atarnotes and welcome! You have discovered the forums, arguably the most time wasting useful resource that atarnotes currently offers! However, we would love to see your train of thought first as you do not learn nearly as much if its all someone elses work. We (well Jake :p) can certainly help break down the question for you and provide you with good sources to answer hour question in relation to Albert Speer. If you really have nothing (which i doubt as everyone is talented in their own ways) then a modern historian is more than happy to help you out. Thanks for joining and welcome!

**If anyone wants to give me a grilling for anything above that was wrong, that is perfectly fine. My english teacher has given me plenty of experience in roasting

[elysepopplewell]

Hello im currently in year 11 and have finished the topic about the israel arab conflict. I got like 49% and was wondering how do you write an essay. Like in terms of structure. I saw my friends who got full marks and it seemed like he just kept writing information with just intro body and conclusion. Is the modern history essay just like an english essay where you use like steel in your paragraph or so?

Hey there! Specifically are you looking at a source analysis response, or a 25 mark essay for the HSC? My modern history paragraphs went kind of like this:

-Topic sentence (stating argument)
-Background facts
-A statistic, a solid fact, dropping a term related to the topic, etc.
-Relate back to argument
-Historian quote if possible
-Relate back to argument and essay question.

So, unlike an English essay where you might do something like: Topic sentence, technique, effect, explain, technique, effect explain, technique, effect, explain, concluding sentence....you're more likely to spend the entire paragraph on single argument, and just dropping facts or stats as they appear relevant. This might be in chronological order, order of importance, or just as they come to mind, depending on the essay question.

Your depth of knowledge and accuracy of that knowledge is the key in modern!

[elysepopplewell]

It is the way an individual faces challenges that shapes them and their achievements.
To what extent is this statement accurate in relation to the personality you have studied and their role in history?
 Just wondering how you would answer this question about Albert Speer

Thanks

Hey there! Lots of different things you can discuss here. In terms of the statement, break it down like this:

-Individuals face challenges: Think of how Albert Speer moved up the ranks, was presented with big tasks (challenges) but excelled in all fields.

-Shaping them and their achievements: This really links well to the "good Nazi or bad Nazi" argument. I mean, you could say that the Reich Chancellory was him just following orders, or you could say it was him adding to the grandiose nature of the Nazi regime. So you get to weigh in on the debate here. The great achievements came from the great challenges, and all of this shaped the image of Albert Speer (and his achievements) through history - including at the Nuremberg trials!

That's how I would approach this question. Then of course, you need to pick out the most important of all of his achievements and whack them into an essay, with each one analysed for its challenge value, the achievement unlocked and the way it has shaped Speer as a member of the Nazi party, but also as a historical figure.

[Snowflek]

Hey there! Specifically are you looking at a source analysis response, or a 25 mark essay for the HSC? My modern history paragraphs went kind of like this:

-Topic sentence (stating argument)
-Background facts
-A statistic, a solid fact, dropping a term related to the topic, etc.
-Relate back to argument
-Historian quote if possible
-Relate back to argument and essay question.

So, unlike an English essay where you might do something like: Topic sentence, technique, effect, explain, technique, effect explain, technique, effect, explain, concluding sentence....you're more likely to spend the entire paragraph on single argument, and just dropping facts or stats as they appear relevant. This might be in chronological order, order of importance, or just as they come to mind, depending on the essay question.

Your depth of knowledge and accuracy of that knowledge is the key in modern!

Oooo i see. Thank you so much for the response!!! and yeah haha it was a 25 mark question D:

[SarahLV]

Hey!

So I'm a Year 11 student starting the Preliminary Modern course this year right now actually. What would you recommend to focus most heavily on in the Preliminary course? How much of the Preliminary course (transferable skills or knowledge) are applicable to the HSC course? Also, how would you go about note-taking or studying for Modern History as a whole?

Thanks!!

Hey,

I'm just about to finish Year 12 Modern History (106 days to go!!). I found that my school chose subjects in Year 11 that applied directly to my studies in Year 12.

For example: the world at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century really helped with WW1 because I could track the rising political tensions and the effect that technology had on WW1.
Another example was the Fall of the Romanov's topic in Year 11 directly correlated with the Russia topics I'm doing for Year 12 (The Bolsheviks, Cold War and Gorbachev).

So it really depends what your school has in mind. And any history that you learn in Year 11 may help in Year 12 because then you have a better overview and understanding of world Modern History.

Also learning source analysis and essay writing (and all that jazz) is really important for Year 12.

One of the best ways for learning/studying for history is a) memorisation and

b) find past paper questions and create 5 min mind maps for each question as if you're going to answer it. Then go back to your notes and determine what information you didn't think of or you didn't add in. Or even information that you shouldn't have added into your map. (In the map also include all relevant facts and stats). It also trains you for when you get into the HSC exams and you are able to write up an essay plan quickly efficiently = more marks because you are organised in your info and you're motivated to write because you know what you're talking about.

Good luck and have fun.
Sarah

[mfjw]

I'm studying Dr H.V. Evatt and the fear of communism in Australia at the moment and I'm having a lot of trouble trying to find any information!
Can anyone please please help me find information on these dot points:

 - Speaking at a meeting after the Labor Party split in 1957.
 - His belief in democracy and his attitude to communism
 - His beliefs about why the Communist Party should not be banned
 - His role in appearing for the Communist Party before the High Court
 - His leading of the campaign against the Referendum
 - Reaction to the Petrov Affair
 - Reaction to the split in the Labour Party

You can just list the websites where you can find any information at all! I'm in desperate need as I am struggling A LOT with Modern History right now

Thanks so much!

[jakesilove]

I'm studying Dr H.V. Evatt and the fear of communism in Australia at the moment and I'm having a lot of trouble trying to find any information!
Can anyone please please help me find information on these dot points:

 - Speaking at a meeting after the Labor Party split in 1957.
 - His belief in democracy and his attitude to communism
 - His beliefs about why the Communist Party should not be banned
 - His role in appearing for the Communist Party before the High Court
 - His leading of the campaign against the Referendum
 - Reaction to the Petrov Affair
 - Reaction to the split in the Labour Party

You can just list the websites where you can find any information at all! I'm in desperate need as I am struggling A LOT with Modern History right now

Thanks so much!

Hey, unfortunately I don't think we can really do your research for you. My recommendation is to go to your local library, with a few historians in mind (ie. the leading historians on your personality) and grab some books. Skim the relevant chapters and you'll find most of the information you need! Otherwise, just google everything. You just need to spend some time on it. Sorry that I can't be any more helpful!

Jake

[sudodds]

heya
I was just wondering what your opinion is on including historians/quotes within responses, and if so, how many we should aim to include per essay/paragraph? I'm a little bit confused at the moment, because my teacher says that historians aren't as important anymore to the markers because they'd rather you analyse yourself then just regurgitate something someone else has said, but then says that you can't get a band 6 without historians?
This is mainly in regards to the 25 mark essays, but also the personality study extended response.
Thanks!

[elysepopplewell]

heya
I was just wondering what your opinion is on including historians/quotes within responses, and if so, how many we should aim to include per essay/paragraph? I'm a little bit confused at the moment, because my teacher says that historians aren't as important anymore to the markers because they'd rather you analyse yourself then just regurgitate something someone else has said, but then says that you can't get a band 6 without historians?
This is mainly in regards to the 25 mark essays, but also the personality study extended response.
Thanks!

The way I see this may be different to what Jake thinks, and that's cool! The reason being, the way you incorporate historian's perspectives can come down to how you actually formulate your essay.

So, I'd aim for a historian's perspective in every paragraph, if possible. Notice that I'm saying: AIM. I didn't put one in each paragraph. I kind of used statistics and historian's perspectives as solid evidence in a paragraph and I would use one or the other, basic on whatever is sitting in my brain at the time.

Also, take note that a historian's perspective doesn't have to be a quote, it can just be, a PERSPECTIVE. By this I mean, you could say that the historian called Mr Smith believes that Albert Speer was a good Nazi, and that he never knew of the concentration camps. But the historian called Mrs Evans believes that Albert Speer was a bad Nazi who should have been prosecuted more harshly in the Nuremberg trials. (These historians are fake). So, if I was writing a paragraph on Speer at the Nuremberg trials, I could say my points, and then at the end, say, "this is in accordance with the work of Mrs Evans, as published in ****." It doesn't need to be a quote, but rather just saying that you've looked at the historiography and you understand that different historians look at things differently. I prefer this style because you don't have to commit as many quotes to memory, but you also avoid the regurgitation of ideas that your teacher is warning you about. I definitely remembered some historian quotes (I can still remember some to this day... *shudders*) but knowing the facts of the content should be privileged over your ability to recall historian's quotes.

[blaran]

Hey guys!
I'm in the middle of wading through 250 pages of modern history notes and one more statistic from a breakdown. Obviously this is a very content-heavy subject, but clearly I can't cram 250 pages of notes into a single essay. I guess what I'm asking is - how best would you advise covering all the syllabus dotpoints in one essay? Do you pick a few key events and describe them in more detail? Do you broadly go over everything from the period? E.g. when writing on WWI as a whole, do we have to say that x battle was where tanks were first introduced? Or in the case of the Cold War, describe every single conference?
Just a little worried about memorizing things that appear on the syllabus but seem very minor in the grand scheme of writing an essay on an entire period. thanks so much!

[sudodds]

Hey guys!
I'm in the middle of wading through 250 pages of modern history notes and one more statistic from a breakdown. Obviously this is a very content-heavy subject, but clearly I can't cram 250 pages of notes into a single essay. I guess what I'm asking is - how best would you advise covering all the syllabus dotpoints in one essay? Do you pick a few key events and describe them in more detail? Do you broadly go over everything from the period? E.g. when writing on WWI as a whole, do we have to say that x battle was where tanks were first introduced? Or in the case of the Cold War, describe every single conference?
Just a little worried about memorizing things that appear on the syllabus but seem very minor in the grand scheme of writing an essay on an entire period. thanks so much!

I'm not an expert so this may be wrong, but I don't think you should necessarily be covering all syllabus dot points in one essay, or at least not at all in the same amount of detail. I think it is much more important to stick to the question and what they are asking, so unless the question asked you to cover the entire span of the period (which is unlikely, and even then you would have to pick and choose) then I would just stick to the most relevant points as indicated by the question. Though detail is great (in fact necessary if you want to do well) as it demonstrate your knowledge, if you are just regurgitating the syllabus and not relating it back to the quesiton being asked, then it will look like a planned response. You need to find a balance between the two.

So, if the Cold War question was on the origins of the Cold War (and maybe development), then yes I would be discussing each conference. However if it was on Detente or Renewal and End, I would most likely not discuss them at all, and if I did, it would only be a very brief mention with a sentence offering the context of international tensions to which I would be discussing.

Basically the key is to KNOW your syllabus, but also know how to APPLY it to a question.

HOWEVER, if you are struggling to memorise, for trials maybe just focus on 3 out of the 4 syllabus dot points per topic, as it is unlikely (but not impossible so maybe don't do this for the actual HSC) that out of the two questions they will both be on the same area. Therefore for the Cold War, pick the three areas that you are the strongest, so for me that would be Origins, Development and Detente, and learn those back to front, and forget about Renewal and End for now. This is slightly risky, so only do this is you really have to.

Again, I'm not an expect so take this with a grain of salt, but I hope this helps!! Good luck

[elysepopplewell]

I'm not an expert so this may be wrong, but I don't think you should necessarily be covering all syllabus dot points in one essay, or at least not at all in the same amount of detail. I think it is much more important to stick to the question and what they are asking, so unless the question asked you to cover the entire span of the period (which is unlikely, and even then you would have to pick and choose) then I would just stick to the most relevant points as indicated by the question. Though detail is great (in fact necessary if you want to do well) as it demonstrate your knowledge, if you are just regurgitating the syllabus and not relating it back to the quesiton being asked, then it will look like a planned response. You need to find a balance between the two.

So, if the Cold War question was on the origins of the Cold War (and maybe development), then yes I would be discussing each conference. However if it was on Detente or Renewal and End, I would most likely not discuss them at all, and if I did, it would only be a very brief mention with a sentence offering the context of international tensions to which I would be discussing.

Basically the key is to KNOW your syllabus, but also know how to APPLY it to a question.

HOWEVER, if you are struggling to memorise, for trials maybe just focus on 3 out of the 4 syllabus dot points per topic, as it is unlikely (but not impossible so maybe don't do this for the actual HSC) that out of the two questions they will both be on the same area. Therefore for the Cold War, pick the three areas that you are the strongest, so for me that would be Origins, Development and Detente, and learn those back to front, and forget about Renewal and End for now. This is slightly risky, so only do this is you really have to.

Again, I'm not an expect so take this with a grain of salt, but I hope this helps!! Good luck

Took the words right out of my mouth! You're spot on here.

As for condensing notes: That's hard! Potentially try summarise each of the four major points onto a page, and just use the MOST important stuff. So you'll have four pages of notes for each subject! Or else, you can try shake it up and make a poster with a timeline - I did this for my personality study and also for my national study of Germany!

[jakesilove]

Hey guys!
I'm in the middle of wading through 250 pages of modern history notes and one more statistic from a breakdown. Obviously this is a very content-heavy subject, but clearly I can't cram 250 pages of notes into a single essay. I guess what I'm asking is - how best would you advise covering all the syllabus dotpoints in one essay? Do you pick a few key events and describe them in more detail? Do you broadly go over everything from the period? E.g. when writing on WWI as a whole, do we have to say that x battle was where tanks were first introduced? Or in the case of the Cold War, describe every single conference?
Just a little worried about memorizing things that appear on the syllabus but seem very minor in the grand scheme of writing an essay on an entire period. thanks so much!

Hey!

I agree with everything above, and I just wanted to share something my teacher told me before my HSC that really hammers the points home. Unlike most other subjects (Sciences, Maths, Humanities and even English), which test AT LEAST 40-60% of the curriculum that you've studied throughout the year, Modern History won't. It's more likely to test 10-40%, with most of what you learnt becoming irrelevant based on the question. It's always worth trying to work in as much information as you can, but only if it benefits your thesis. Most of the time, it won't. If you try to cover all of WWII in an essay, you're gonna have a bad time. Instead, be very selective about what you include. This doesn't help in terms of memorising, but it does in terms of structure. Be smart about what you include; would love to check out any essay plans you have if you needed help!

Jake