History Extension Question Thread!

[Jordan Borg]

Ah okay thanks,
I guess my follow up question then would be, how many of these ideas should I be floating before the exam and how many should I be working into a response  I imagine it would differ somewhat between sources but If im only using the 1 or 2 ideas which are touched in the source, my essay would be on the thin side in terms of word count.

Thanks Again, still just playing with the new essay format/how to adapt to questions

Jordan

[katie,rinos]

Ah okay thanks,
I guess my follow up question then would be, how many of these ideas should I be floating before the exam and how many should I be working into a response  I imagine it would differ somewhat between sources but If im only using the 1 or 2 ideas which are touched in the source, my essay would be on the thin side in terms of word count.

Thanks Again, still just playing with the new essay format/how to adapt to questions

Jordan

Hey,
I think you should have quite a few different themes/ideas with historians attached for the exam. This is because the sources and questions are always really different each year and the answer will always need to reference the source throughout.
Some of the themes that my class did were:
-   Is history a science or literature?
-   Should history be a narrative? /The role of imagination in history
-   Can history be objective?
-   Academic v. popular history
-   The democratisation of history: Who can write history?
-   Digital revolution... a valid form of history?
-   Is history fiction?
-   Who owns history?
Although I’m sure that you can come up with others as well.

I mainly talk about around 3 main points (I had a small fourth point for trials as well but I didn’t fully finish it). Although, I think that it does depend on the sources, as some are easier than others to read through and pick up ideas.

The way that I was taught to write/plan my essays (which may be different from Susie) is that I will first look at the source and highlight the main points that relate to the question. Then I summarise it in my own words and work out if I agree or disagree with this part of the source. I then pick historians that would go with these themes/arguments and use them to back up my points.

Hope this helps

[carina1157]

Hi Suzie,

Just wondering about the differences between the linguistic turn and Postmodernism (if there is any).

Thanks!

[sudodds]

Hi Suzie,

Just wondering about the differences between the linguistic turn and Postmodernism (if there is any).

Thanks!

Hey! As far as I was taught there was no difference, however I'm not an expert, so don't just take my word for it!

[carina1157]

Hi again,

Just wondering if you know of any good sources or websites where I can find information on the changing nature of evidence?

Thanks!

[av-angie-er]

H

Hi again,

Just wondering if you know of any good sources or websites where I can find information on the changing nature of evidence?

Thanks!

Hey Websites such as Ancestry.com and Historypin.org could be used to demonstrate how evidence has evolved to become easily accessible online and can now be provided from sources that aren't necessarily moderated by historians. You could also argue that social media like Facebook and Twitter are used to preserve history in a certain way, such as the JFK official Twitter that reinforces his image as the 'ideal president' by regularly posting articles about his achievements and drawing comparisons between him and contemporary politicians. Hope this helps!

[Maraos]

Hey! 
I'm in the process of writing up summary notes for each historian in my case study (German appeasement). If anyone is doing/has done this topic It would be great if you could just check whether my understanding of A.J.P Taylor is correct (in relation to his views on appeasement)
In summary:
Taylor wasn’t necessarily a revisionist by definition, however his work did bring to light the revisionist argument. He brought to light the main arguments of revisionism and introduced the idea that appeasement was a logical and realistic policy under the circumstances of post-World War One Britain. Taylor overturned the orthodoxies by concluding that Chamberlain's policy of appeasement was the only logical choice. In that sense Taylor began the revisionist period of historical criticism of appeasement, however at the same time he was inconsistent with his own views.

If there is anything else i should add/know please tell me 

Any advice would be great! 
Thanks!

[carina1157]

Hi, for Section 2 of the paper I noticed that the 2015 notes from the marking centre state, "developing a more nuanced approach which demonstrates reasoned and logical judgements, by showing the link between what societal values were at the time of the historian writing, and whether this influenced the historian’s perspective." Any tips on how to address this if the main historians in the debate (specifically for myself, that is the historicity of Jesus Christ) are all living in very similar time periods?
Thanks!

[owidjaja]

Hey guys!
So I decided to take Extension History (I love history too much!) but just looking at the syllabus and talking to some Extension History students at my school makes the subject look kinda intimidating, especially with that massive Major Work. My question is: what is it like doing the subject? And what are some tips on coming up with topics for the Major Work?

Thanks

[av-angie-er]

Hey guys!
So I decided to take Extension History (I love history too much!) but just looking at the syllabus and talking to some Extension History students at my school makes the subject look kinda intimidating, especially with that massive Major Work. My question is: what is it like doing the subject? And what are some tips on coming up with topics for the Major Work?

Thanks

Hey! Welcome to the History Extension family - I'm sure you'll find it intriguing it if you already have an interest in history I was super nervous about the course at first too, so I can definitely understand where you're coming from. I remember going through some past papers at the beginning of Year 12 and being utterly dumbfounded because it was like nothing I had ever studied before. Our teacher made it super clear to us from the very start that History Extension could even be compared to a University course because of the level of engagement and research it requires. As terrifying as that seemed at first, I quickly came to love the subject.

To answer your question about what History Extension is like, I find that the most distinctive quality of the subject is that it gives you a lot of freedom in terms of your research. Particularly in relation to the 'What is History' component of the course, even though you're being taught examples of historiographical issues in class, you can pick and choose which ones you find most interesting and you can even find your own examples of contemporary issues to use as evidence in your essays (as long as its relevant, of course). So, as a sneak peak into the Daily Life of a History Extension Student™, you'll study a lot of different historians, historical debates and historiographical concepts, but these won't culminate in a singular, conclusive answer to the question 'What is History?', rather they'll equip you with the 'building blocks' to develop arguments about how/why history is made and changes, as well as how super important it is. But just trust me that you're going to learn about so many different aspects of history that you're bound to find some that spark your interest.

And on the topic of personal interest, your major work should be fundamentally influenced by exactly that. Your topic will probably change significantly throughout your time working on the project, but focus on ideas - unanswered questions or ongoing debates about 'what is history' - that you find challenging and genuinely wish to answer. In my case, I stumbled through a lot of different topics - from the lost civilisation of the Khmer Empire to the Black Death to the British Monarchy to the six wives of Henry VIII - and this went on for about three months, until I discovered an interest in the way that historical fiction perpetuated stories about Anne Boleyn. From there I built a thesis about the role of fiction in history, using Anne Boleyn and other relevant historical novels/films as case studies, and managed to successfully change my teacher's perspective on the legitimacy of fiction as a historiographical tool because I was determined to expand beyond the simple idea that history is objective fact and historical fiction is romanticised mythology. Aside from making sure you find ideas that genuinely interest you, I'd recommend looking at the works of past winners of the HTA Extension Essay Prize. Fair warning: these essays can be extremely intimidating and definitely freaked me out when I first read them because they're at a level of depth and sophistication that I can only compare to University-level research, but they really helped me to understand how to effectively investigate historiographical ideas without getting caught up in a narrative about the past.

Ultimately, History Extension can definitely seem intimidating because it isn't taught like any other subject. But like any other subject, juggling the major work with everything else will become manageable and even enjoyable if you can understand and develop an interest in what the course is really asking for. I'm extremely glad that I chose History Extension, and I hope you enjoy it! Hope this helps (and sorry for rambling)

[owidjaja]

Hey! Welcome to the History Extension family - I'm sure you'll find it intriguing it if you already have an interest in history I was super nervous about the course at first too, so I can definitely understand where you're coming from. I remember going through some past papers at the beginning of Year 12 and being utterly dumbfounded because it was like nothing I had ever studied before. Our teacher made it super clear to us from the very start that History Extension could even be compared to a University course because of the level of engagement and research it requires. As terrifying as that seemed at first, I quickly came to love the subject.

To answer your question about what History Extension is like, I find that the most distinctive quality of the subject is that it gives you a lot of freedom in terms of your research. Particularly in relation to the 'What is History' component of the course, even though you're being taught examples of historiographical issues in class, you can pick and choose which ones you find most interesting and you can even find your own examples of contemporary issues to use as evidence in your essays (as long as its relevant, of course). So, as a sneak peak into the Daily Life of a History Extension Student™, you'll study a lot of different historians, historical debates and historiographical concepts, but these won't culminate in a singular, conclusive answer to the question 'What is History?', rather they'll equip you with the 'building blocks' to develop arguments about how/why history is made and changes, as well as how super important it is. But just trust me that you're going to learn about so many different aspects of history that you're bound to find some that spark your interest.

And on the topic of personal interest, your major work should be fundamentally influenced by exactly that. Your topic will probably change significantly throughout your time working on the project, but focus on ideas - unanswered questions or ongoing debates about 'what is history' - that you find challenging and genuinely wish to answer. In my case, I stumbled through a lot of different topics - from the lost civilisation of the Khmer Empire to the Black Death to the British Monarchy to the six wives of Henry VIII - and this went on for about three months, until I discovered an interest in the way that historical fiction perpetuated stories about Anne Boleyn. From there I built a thesis about the role of fiction in history, using Anne Boleyn and other relevant historical novels/films as case studies, and managed to successfully change my teacher's perspective on the legitimacy of fiction as a historiographical tool because I was determined to expand beyond the simple idea that history is objective fact and historical fiction is romanticised mythology. Aside from making sure you find ideas that genuinely interest you, I'd recommend looking at the works of past winners of the HTA Extension Essay Prize. Fair warning: these essays can be extremely intimidating and definitely freaked me out when I first read them because they're at a level of depth and sophistication that I can only compare to University-level research, but they really helped me to understand how to effectively investigate historiographical ideas without getting caught up in a narrative about the past.

Ultimately, History Extension can definitely seem intimidating because it isn't taught like any other subject. But like any other subject, juggling the major work with everything else will become manageable and even enjoyable if you can understand and develop an interest in what the course is really asking for. I'm extremely glad that I chose History Extension, and I hope you enjoy it! Hope this helps (and sorry for rambling)

Hello there! Thank you for your long yet informative response! I really appreciate it But yes, I have heard from people that Extension History is like giving us a taste of what uni is like but I never understood how. Even though I don't know much about this subject, I'm really excited to start learning about historical debates and studying history as a concept!

[av-angie-er]

Hello there! Thank you for your long yet informative response! I really appreciate it But yes, I have heard from people that Extension History is like giving us a taste of what uni is like but I never understood how. Even though I don't know much about this subject, I'm really excited to start learning about historical debates and studying history as a concept!

That's so great to hear! I don't really think anyone really goes into this subject knowing exactly what to expect, but you seem like you're ready to explore it nonetheless. I'm sure you'll succeed in this subject

[Maraos]

Hi, for Section 2 of the paper I noticed that the 2015 notes from the marking centre state, "developing a more nuanced approach which demonstrates reasoned and logical judgements, by showing the link between what societal values were at the time of the historian writing, and whether this influenced the historian’s perspective." Any tips on how to address this if the main historians in the debate (specifically for myself, that is the historicity of Jesus Christ) are all living in very similar time periods?
Thanks!

Hey!
I would assume that the marking criteria for extension history is very broad and is probably designed to cater for a large range of different topics, the consequence of this is that it probably doesn't 100% work for all topics

In the case of your topic, if all of the historians are from similar time periods then I would say that you make sure to include as much detail as you can about their personal backgrounds. So include things like where they were born, information about their parents, their education, their experiences from early life and how that shaped them (for example did they join a communist university society and did that affect them?) etc. To answer the criteria maybe try to focus on what societal values were at play during their life, also their geographical context could also be brought up here. I'm assuming that for your topic you probably have historians from different parts of the world, how have each of the societal values of the historian's country of origin impacted upon their potential bias and their historical scholarship.
My teacher told us that it is difficult to fit every singe piece of detail about a specific historians background and I'm sure the markers will be fair with this, I mean its a big ask to make an argument, memorise key dates and events, memorise and bring up historians, and ontop of that memorise their personal backgrounds and how this relates to the question. Small references will most likely be enough.

Hope this helped!

[sudodds]

A big thank you to Maraos and av-angie-er for keeping this thread going, and making sure everything was answered while I was out of action with the lectures!! Such good answers as well, can't wait to hear how the coming exams go! I'm sure you're going to go SO amazing <3

[av-angie-er]

Hey! I've just been curious about how long History Extension essays usually end up being for other people. Since you sort of have an hour for each, are you expected to write more than the basic 1000-1200 words that are anticipated in other subjects (e.g. in 40 minute english essays)? Or is it normal for people to spend maybe 10-15 minutes reading and analysing the source. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts/experience