year10 history exam study guide

YEAR 10 HISTORY HALF YEARLY EXAM 2010

Revision Sheet

You need to revise all work covered this year – that is:

1. Cold War : - what was it
- how was it fought
- strained relations between allies at end of WW2
- Berlin Blockade
- one other event from the Cold War period

2. Site Study – your visit to the Australian War Memorial
(Revise by reading over your assignment)

3. Australia and the Vietnam War - why were we involved
- what Australian soldiers experienced there and upon return
- who supported and who opposed the war, and why
- what happened on the homefront, protests and moratoriums etc. and why these changes occurred over the period of the war
- Effect on Vietnam veterans

4. People Power and Politics:
- your significant individual and the event/issue they were associated with (your current assignment)
- Australia as a Global Citizen (UN, and all topics associated with this)
- Prime Minister (Gough Whitlam)

Your exam will be 1 hour 45 minutes long and in 4 parts.

PART A: 20 multiple choice questions covering all areas of the syllabus
PART B: 4 x Paragraphs. There will be internal choice in each of the 4 questions and the topics will cover most of the course.
PART C: Sources Skills (a particular topic)
PART D: Essay on some aspect of Vietnam

Notes on Essay Writing.

ANSWER THE QUESTION! You must focus on this throughout your essay, not just in the introduction and conclusion. The question will contain a word like evaluate, or assess, or explain, or discuss. All these words indicate that you must put forward an ARGUMENT – ie, a statement, supported by detailed evidence which explains the reasons for your making the statement in the first place.
(continued over page)
- Structure your writing: introduction, at least 4 paragraphs of discussion and then a conclusion

Introduction: answer the question (using the words of the question) and present your argument
At least 4 paragraphs: each paragraph should be 5-7 sentences and should follow the pattern: Statement, Evidence, Argument, Link (back to the question).
Conclusion: Reiterate your argument from the intro – paraphrase as now you have presented your material, use words like: in conclusion, because, as a result of etc.
- Use correct terminology
- Back-up your statements with evidence
- Make a judgment and show analysis (i.e. explain why and how something happened, and what its result was) .
- Don’t write a narrative (e.g, something happened, then this, then this, then something else happened). This is a description, not an essay.

Remember to keep within the suggested time limits for each question, as your exam paper will advise.