How to structure good history writingAlways put an introduction which explains what you are going to talk about.

Always put a conclusion which summarises what you have said and ACTUALLY ANSWERS THE QUESTION…..

Use at least three paragraphs ….Have you criticised/analysed the evidence?Have you used facts, dates, names & examples in order?Can you explain why some things change and some not?Can you explain why things happened?Can you see things from different points of view?Have you investigated things yourself?Have you used your background knowledge?

Use at least three paragraphs …Make sure you PROVE what you say.. Perhaps use “Point Evidence Explanation” method.

Use at least three paragraphs and correct vocabulary.Use BECAUSE, PROBABLY , FOR EXAMPLE, IF, BUT, RELIABLE, BIASEDUse “ …… quotations……….” if you can

“Command Words” – good vocabulary. Do you KNOW what these words really mean?

Identify

Compare

Assess

DiscussExplain

Describe

Evaluate

Analyse

Examine

DefineCan you say what some thing is?

Can you look closely and in detail?

Can you talk about it?

Can you make judgements about it?

Key vocabulary words to useGREAT “ONE TICK” WORDS ARE IN RED• BECAUSE – you use this when trying to prove things• PROBABLY – you use this when discussing possibilities• BUT – you use this when challenging ideas• IF – you use this when discussing possibilities.

FANTASTICK!!!! “TWO TICK” WORDS IN BLACK• SOURCE or EVIDENCE when discussing facts.• Putting precise words in “…” when proving things.• UN/BIASED, UN/RELIABLE, UN/TRUSTWORTHY when talking

about sources and evidence.

Great levels: criticising sources, making judgements, using points of view… connecting, comparing & contrasting.

Higher levels: background and context …

Middle levels: reasons and explanations

Lower levels: facts and descriptions

Are you SECURE ?Can you RECALL

Can you DESCRIBECan you make obvious STATEMENTS

Are you EXCEEDING ?Can you DEDUCE from sourcesCan you see POINTS OF VIEWCan you give REASONS why

Are you HIGHEST ?Can you talk about BACKGROUND events.

Can you suggest INTERPRETATIONSCan you SELECT, COMPARE and COMBINE

reasons and deductions

Year 7 Flight path

Are you SECURE?Can you DEDUCE from sourcesCan you see POINTS OF VIEWCan you give REASONS why

Are you EXCEEDING?Can you talk about BACKGROUND events.

Can you suggest INTERPRETATIONSCan you SELECT, COMPARE and COMBINE

reasons and deductions

Year 8 Flight path

Are you HIGHEST?Can you use BACKGROUND/CONTEXT

CRITICISE strengths & weakness of sourcesREFER to quotes and sources

Are you EXCEEDING?Can you use BACKGROUND/CONTEXT

Can you CRITICISE strengths & weakness of sourcesCan you REFER to quotes and sources

Are you GROWING ?Can you DEDUCE facts from sources

Can you see POINTS OF VIEWCan you give REASONS why

Are you SECURE ?Can you talk about BACKGROUND events.

Can you suggest INTERPRETATIONSCan you SELECT, COMPARE and COMBINE reasons and

deductions

Year 9 Flight path

Are you HIGHEST?Can you use BACKGROUND between and within periods

Can you make JUDGEMENTS about USEFULNESSCan you show a range of PERSPECTIVES

Can you CONNECT, COMPARE and CONTRAST

Year 9 Higher Background knowledge between and within periods. Make supported judgements about usefulness of sources and ideas.Use wider range of perspectives and points of view.Make connections, comparisons and contrasts to write a balanced account.

Y9 ExceedingY8 Highest

Show and use background knowledge, and talk about the “big picture”.See links between different things we have studied. Changes over time. Different interpretations, see points of view.Analyse the sources & evidence. Talk about strengths and weaknesses, reliability, bias etc. Use lots of quotations, asking your own questions.Write accurate fact based structured explanations.

Y9 SecureY8 Exceeding Y7 Highest

Make judgments and deductions using “quotations” and sources. Talk about causes, spot similarities & differences . Write structured fact based explanations.

Y9 GrowingY8 SecureY7 Exceeding

Explain decisions made, give reasons for things. Explain why and how things happened. “Because.” Use accurate facts.

Y9 FoundationY8 GrowingY7 Secure

Recall facts, use basic vocabulary, make basic statements and stories.

Y7 EXCEEDING Y8 SECURE Y9 GROWINGAre you spotting different points of view? Understanding causes? Making basic deductions from sources? Are you explaining why & how & giving reasons? Using “because,

probably, for example, but, perhaps, ”Y7 SECURE, Y8 GROWING Y9 FOUNDATION

Are you just listing and describing & telling the story?

Y7 HIGHEST Y8 EXCEEDING Y9 SECUREAre you comparing or contrasting reasons? Suggesting explanations and causes? Making deductions from sources? Referring to the

background?

Y8 HIGHEST Y9 EXCEEDINGAre you using wider background and context? Are

you criticising the evidence? Reliability, Bias? Using quotations and facts to prove your point?

Y9 HIGHESTAre you using background to link between and within periods? Making supported judgements about source

usefulness? Showing wide range of perspectives ? Using connections, comparisons and contrasts to write balanced

accounts.

• Which level have you chosen and why?• What could be done to improve next time –

give real example

Older material from this point on – before flight paths.

What to do to get Y9 Foundation, Y8 Growing and Y7 Secure

Describe more than one reason for a historical event or change. Can you describe

lots of reasons for things?

Describe some features of a particular period in history. Can you describe

things that happened?

Describe some causes and effects Can you describe what happened after events?

Describe some changes Can you describe how some things changed?

Begin to select and combine information from historical sources. Can you put

sources together?

What to do to get Y9 Growing, Y8 Secure and Y7 ExceedingExplain links between different

causes. Can you explain links?

Explain reasons why events and changes have been seen in different ways.

Can you explain different points of view?

Explain why some events are more important than others. Can you explain

why some things are more important than others?

Explain using proper vocabulary Can you use proper historical words?

Develop your evidence handling skills by asking and explaining searching questions about historical sources.

Can you criticise sources?

What to do to get Y9 Secure, Y8 Exceeding and Y7 Highest

Analyse events and comment on why some things change while others stay the same.

Can you discuss why some things change and others do not?

Analyse, compare and choose evidence to help support your conclusions. Can you select

evidence to back up your ideas?

Analyse reasons for making judgements Can you make and

explain your judgements?

Analyse links between causes and reasons Can you discuss

reasons for things happening?

Analyse problems and investigate them. Can you investigate

and ask questions?

What to do to get Y9 Exceeding and Y8 HighestComment in depth about local,

national, and international factors which affect diversity, changes and causes.

Can you discuss “the big picture” background?

Comment fully why the importance of events varies according to point of view.

Can you discuss how points of view might change history?

Conduct investigations and develop and refine questions. Can you investigate

and develop good questions?

Comment critically on reliability, origin, nature and purpose of evidence.

Can you criticise sources?

Comment on “big picture” issues and make clear links. Can you link ideas

together?Organise and use relevant evidence to write well-structured work. Can you organise

your writing ?

Year 9 Highest skills•Display and use very detailed background knowledge and

links between and within different periods.•Show knowledge of background links within the period of

study.•Make evidence based supported judgements about the

usefulness of sources & interpretations.•Suggest own questions,•Show a wide range of points of view.•Make connections, comparisons and contrasts to create a

critically balanced account.

SOURCES• What FACTS can we get from it?

What INFERENCES or DEDUCTIONS can we get from it?What was the PURPOSE of the source?How could you USE it in history investigations?Is it a RELIABLE piece of evidence?Does it agree or disagree with a HYPOTHESIS ? (statement) … Queen Elizabeth was just an ordinary woman

Or, sometimes we can look at sources like this:…• NATURE, (what actually is it?)• ORIGIN, (who made it?)• MESSAGE, (what is it actually telling you?) • PURPOSE

EXPANDED VERSIONLevel 8: ’is able to”• Display and use very detailed background knowledge between different periods. • Show knowledge of background links within the period of study.• Make judgements about the usefulness of sources/interpretations.• Write critical analytical accounts clearly based on evidence.• Show a wide range of perspectives. • Make connections, comparisons and contrasts to create a balanced account.Level 7: “is able to”• Display and use solid background knowledge and context. • Apply key terms with understanding.• Use strengths and weaknesses of sources to substantiate your ideas.• Refer to quotations and sources to clearly illustrate a point.• Write independent and well-structured conclusions.• Use accurate and relevant information which accurately offers explanations.Level 6: “is able to”• Make reference to background events and use the knowledge appropriately.• Make quotations from a range of sources • Suggest obvious interpretations and causes for events.• Select and combine information from a range of sources into deductions.• Recognise and compare reasons for different interpretations.• Write independently structured accounts.• Use accurate relevant detail which offers explanations.Level 5: “is able to”• Make reference to background events.• Make basic deductions from sources.• Recognise that there are different points of view.• Explain why things happened and use the correct historical vocabulary. • Write accounts which show accurate information.• Show an understanding of what causes events to happen.Level 4: “is able to”• Recall facts and describe what is seen in sources.• Recognise obvious differences between past and present.• Make obvious statements about the past.• Use a limited historical vocabulary.• Make basic statements and narratives about historical events.

ORIGINAL SHORT VERSIONLevel 8: ’is able to”• Display and use detailed background knowledge of different periods. • Make judgements about the usefulness of sources/interpretations in critical analytical

accounts showing a range of perspectives. • Make connections, comparisons and contrasts to create a balanced account.Level 7: “is able to”• Display and use background knowledge and context.• Use strengths and weaknesses of sources and interpretations to substantiate your ideas.• Write independent and well-structured conclusions using accurate and relevant

information which accurately offer explanations.Level 6: “is able to”• Make detailed deductions and quotations from a range of sources suggesting obvious

interpretations and causes for events.• Recognise and compare reasons for different interpretations.• Write independently structured accounts with accurate relevant detail which offer

explanations.Level 5: “is able to”• Make basic deductions from sources, explain why things happened and use the correct

vocabulary. • Write accounts which show accurate information and understanding of causation.Level 4: “is able to”• “Recall facts, use limited vocabulary, make basic statements and narratives.”

Bloom’s thinking skills.

BLOOM - Create and synthesise – can you assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write, hypothesise?

BLOOM - Evaluate – can you argue different sides, use theories, select evidence, Review and improve work. Test out your ideas. Link things together?

BLOOM – Analysis – can you judge, compare, criticise, question, sequence, rate, assess, investigate, question?

BLOOM Application – can you use historical ideas, prove, predict, select, persuade, apply, solve?

BLOOM Comprehension and explaining – can you show understanding, explain, clarify, interpret, argue, justify, decide, give reasons?

BLOOM Knowledge, identify and describe – can you recall, report, summarise, review, match, detect, recite, quote, list, name?