1. This publication is designed to guide you through the different types of question you will
encounter in your GCSE History Sources Paper. It is not going to do your revision for you.
You will need to do that from the work you have done in class.
GCSE HISTORY SOURCES PAPER
BRITAIN: 1939 - 1975
2. 1
CONTENTS:
What is this exam about? ..................................................................................................................2
What do you need to revise? ............................................................................................................2
Where to find resources ...................................................................................................................2
Inference Questions .........................................................................................................................3
Purpose Questions............................................................................................................................5
Reliability Questions.........................................................................................................................7
Usefulness Questions......................................................................................................................10
Comparison Questions ...................................................................................................................13
Judgment Questions .......................................................................................................................16
3. 2
GCSE HISTORY
SOURCES PAPER
BRITAIN: 1939 - 1975
WHAT IS THIS EXAM ABOUT?
In this exam you will be given a selection of sources. You can expect
to see a mixture of things like photos, paintings, cartoons,
newspaper clips, diaries, government reports, speeches and
extracts from history books.
You will be asked a number of questions which expect you to show
that you are able to use a range of different skills.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO REVISE?
You could be given topics to do with:
The experience of immigrants in Britain,
The experience of women in Britain,
The setting up of the NHS,
The experience of children in Britain,
The extent to which the period, or bits of the period, were
positive or negative for all the groups above.
… So you need to revise them! You have done all of them in lessons.
Equally as importantly, though, you need to be really clear on what
to do for the different types of questions. This guide is all about what
to do – that’s how important we think it is.
WHERE TO FIND RESOURCES
This guide will help with how to answer the different types of
question.
Many of you will have a revision guide, but all of you should have
your class notes to revise from.
There are past examination papers available to download from
www.chshistory.com/GCSE
HOW TO
REVISE
Don’t just sit there
reading stuff. Do
things!
Practice questions
Make revision
cards
Make a timeline
Make mindmaps
Teach a topic to a
friend / family
member
Create concept
maps
Use helpful web
sites *
Mark your own
answers
* Web Sites
For a full list of useful
web sites go to
chshistory.com/GCSE
4. 3
INFERENCE QUESTIONS
These questions want you to work something out using one or more
sources. They are usually worth 6 or 7 marks.
An Example
WHAT DOES THIS SOURCE SUGGEST ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCES OF CHILDREN DURING WORLD WAR TWO?
USEFUL
SENTENCE
STARTERS
In the Source it says… I
can see…
This suggests that [use
the key words from the
question] was…
because…
When you are working
something out, it cannot
be something the source
already says – it needs to
be your own idea.
Top Tips:
Look at / annotate the
source/s carefully before
you write your answer.
Don’t spend too long on
this question – it is
supposed to be an easy
one.
Step 1:
Pick out the key details
from the source.
Step 2:
Work out what the key
details suggest to you.
Example:
The house they are going
into looks quite posh.
Example:
The home was probably a
nice place to live.
Step 3:
Add in a relevant piece of
own knowledge.
Example:
827,000 children were
evacuated during WW2.
Here’s one I made earlier…
In the Source I can see a posh looking house with large stone
steps and a neat looking drive and a group of children who look
like they have just arrived there. This suggests that children
would have had a positive experience during World War Two
because the homes they moved into were often very nice places
to live. This was called evacuation and 827,000 children were
evacuated during the Second World War.
You would need two paragraphs like this to get good marks!
5. 4
Now You Try One…
WHAT DOES THIS SOURCE SUGGEST ABOUT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE TO
WOMEN WORKERS?
My Answer:
The British Government appointed Dame Laura
Knight to paint this in 1943.
This Question in Disguise…
Any of the following questions need you to do the same thing as above:
1. What can you learn from Source X about…?
2. What does Source X suggest…?
3. What is the attitude of the author in Source X?
4. How can you tell Source X approves / disapproves of…?
5. Is Source X for or against…?
6. 5
PURPOSE QUESTIONS
These questions want you to link what the Source tells you to what
you know was going on at the time the Source was produced. You
need to use what you know to explain why this particular Source was
produced at this particular time.
An Example
WHY WAS THIS SOURCE PRODUCED IN 1943?
USEFUL
SENTENCE
STARTERS
In the Source…
This suggests that the
Source was produced in
X Year because…
It can also be useful to
concentrate on the author
of the Source. Is there
anything we know about
him/her that would
explain why they created
the Source?
Top Tips:
Look at / annotate the
source/s carefully before
you write your answer.
You must use details from
the Source and your own
knowledge together to
answer this question.
Step 1:
Pick out the key details
from the source.
Step 2:
Link to relevant, specific,
own knowledge.
Example:
The crowd is looking
expectantly at Churchill.
Example:
Churchill said NHS had to
wait to end of WW2.
Step 3:
Link back to question – why
was this produced in 1943?
Example:
Shows different attitudes of
people and government.
Here’s one I made earlier…
In the Source the crowd, who are gathered around the Beveridge
Report, are looking expectantly at the “Govt” as symbolized here
by Winston Churchill. In 1943, Churchill was the Prime Minister.
A year earlier, in 1942, Beveridge had produced his Report which
called for a comprehensive welfare system. Churchill said that
the British public would have to wait until after the War had…
7. 6
Now You Try One…
WHY WAS THIS SOURCE PRODUCED IN 1960?
Here’s one I made earlier (cont.)…
… ended before any decision could be made on the introduction of Beveridge’s ideas.
Therefore, this cartoon was produced in 1943 to illustrate the differences in opinion held by
the British Government and the British public on the matter of the Beveridge Report and to
show Winston Churchill’s isolation from his people on this matter.
You would need two paragraphs like this to get good marks!
My Answer:
8. 7
RELIABILITY QUESTIONS
What you are really being asked here is, do you trust the Source/s
they have given you?. You need to use a range of skills to work out
your answer to this. Your answer should always show both sides of
the argument (i.e. ways it is reliable and ways it is not reliable)
before reaching a conclusion.
An Example
HOW RELIABLE IS THIS SOURCE?
TWO COT
Type – What type of
source is it? A cartoon
isn’t supposed to be
100% accurate, but a
History book should be.
Who – Who produced
this Source? Would they
have a particular
opinion?
Own Knowledge – Does
what the Source says
match up with what you
know?
Content – Does the
Source use particularly
strong language that
gives away the author’s
opinion?
Other Sources – Does
what this Source says
match up with any of the
other sources you have?
Time – When was the
Source made? Does it
matter if it is close to / far
away from the events it is
describing?
Top Tips:
See which of the TWO
COT tests you can use
before you start writing.
You must use details from
the Source and your own
knowledge / other
sources together to
answer this question.
Your answer must show
both how it is and how it
isn’t reliable.
I was at university in 1968 when campus health centres were
handing out the Pill like sweets. We slept around and talked a lot
to each other about the evolution we were part of. And then it
began to dawn. It wasn’t really what we wanted, but it had become
hard to say no.
An anonymous interviewee on the BBC’s radio programme
‘Woman’s Hour’ in 1970.
Step 1:
Pick out key details from
source / provenance.
Step 2:
See which of the TWO COT
tests will be useful here.
Example:
Describes Pill as being
available “like sweets”.
Example:
Content – seems a little
exaggerated.
Step 3:
Write arguments for and
against Source’s reliability.
Example:
Exaggerated language
suggests it is not reliable.
Here’s one I made earlier…
The interviewee in this source describes the Pill as being handed
out “like sweets” when they were at university in 1968. The
language they have used here seems a little exaggerated. Using
exaggerated language like this makes the Source less reliable
because it makes you question where the truth ends and
exaggeration begins.
Step 4:
Write your verdict: overall,
how reliable is the Source?
Example:
Overall, I think this Source
is not reliable because…
9. 8
Now you try one…
HOW RELIABLE IS THIS SOURCE?
• Reason/s why the Source is reliableSection 1
• Reason/s why the Source is not reliable.Section 2
• Your verdict on how reliable the Source is
overall.Section 3
Here’s one I made earlier (cont.)…
On the other hand, perhaps the claim the interviewee makes about the availability of the Pill is
not as far-fetched as it at first seems. I know that after the Family Planning Act of 1967, the Pill
did become much more freely available for women. Perhaps this lady’s university was one of
the places where a Family Planning Clinic was set up and they were prepared to hand out the
Pill to women who needed it. This Source appears more reliable when you compare what it
says to what we know was happening around that time, and perhaps not as exaggerated as it
first appears.
Overall, this Source seems quite reliable. Although it uses some exaggerated language, the
situation it describes is basically backed up by the facts about what was happening around
1968.
London is the place for me,
London this lovely city,
To live in London you are really comfortable,
Because the English people are very much sociable,
They take you here and they take you there,
And they make you feel like a millionaire,
London that’s the place for me.
A song written by ‘Lord Kitchener’ (real name Aldwyn Roberts),
who arrived in Britain on the SS Empire Windrush in 1948.
Type Who Own Knowledge
Content Other Sources Time
11. 10
USEFULNESS QUESTIONS
This question wants you to work out how useful a source is for a
particular investigation / issue. You will need to explain reasons
why it is and is not useful before reaching a conclusion.
An Example
HOW USEFUL IS THIS SOURCE TO A HISTORIAN TRYING TO
FIND OUT HOW THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TRIED TO
KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE HEALTHY?
An anti-smoking poster produced by the government’s Health
Education Council in the 1960s.
USEFUL
SENTENCE
STARTERS
On the one hand, the
Source does tell us
about…
On the other hand, the
Source does not
mention…
The Source is [very,
fairly, not] reliable
because… This makes it
[more, less] useful
because…
Top Tips:
Make a list of things you
would want to find out
after reading the
question but before you
look at the Source.
You must use details from
the Source and your own
knowledge together to
answer this question.
Step 1:
List useful things you would
need to answer Q.
Step 2:
What does the Source tell
you about your list?
Example:
What health problems did
young people have?
Example:
Source suggests smoking
was a problem.
Step 3:
What doesn’t the Source
tell you about your list?
Example:
What other tactics the NHS
used apart from posters.
Step 4:
Is the Source reliable?
Does that affect usefulness?
Example:
Produced by government,
so probably reliable.
12. 11
Ask any man if he’d rather his wife worked or stayed at home and see what he
says; he would rather she stayed at home and looked after his children, and was
waiting for him with a decent meal and a sympathetic ear when he got home from
work. You can’t have a deep and safe happiness in marriage and the exciting
independence of a career as well.
Monica Dickens, an author, in the magazine Woman’s Own, 28 January 1961.
Now you try one…
HOW USEFUL IS THIS SOURCE TO A HISTORIAN ENQUIRING INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WOMEN IN THE 1960S?
Here’s one I made earlier…
One thing which it would be useful to know if we are to work out how effectively the NHS tried
to keep young people healthy is what health problems young people were facing in the first
place. This source, which has the heading “More money – more fun – if you don’t smoke”,
suggests that smoking related illnesses were common among young people and the fact that
the Health Education Council produced a poster informing young people of the benefits of
stopping smoking suggests that the NHS were trying to combat this problem. Therefore, this
Source is useful because it tells us about a serious health problem affecting young people and
shows us one way in which the NHS tried to deal with that problem.
Another thing which it would be useful to know is what different techniques the NHS used to
deal with the health problems of young people. This source, which is just a single poster
about smoking, unfortunately gives us no indication about whether the NHS used anything
other than posters to get through to young people. I know that the NHS helped set up Family
Planning Clinics, for example, but there is no mention of them here. Therefore, this Source is
less useful because it fails to tell us about the range of strategies used by the NHS. Just relying
on this source we would have to assume that all the NHS did was produce posters, which
obviously isn’t true.
Overall, this Source seems reliable. There is nothing controversial in what it is putting across,
and I know that the NHS certainly did try to prevent illness in young people rather than just
waiting to clear up the mess after they had become ill. Since it is reliable that does make the
Source more useful to the historian trying to find out about this issue.
In conclusion, I think this Source is quite useful. It is reliable and tells us about one of the big
health problems faced by young people and one of the ways the NHS tried to deal with this
problem. However, its usefulness is limited because it is so narrow in what it tells us.
This Question in Disguise…
Any of the following questions need you to do the same thing as above:
1. How far does this Source explain…?
2. Does Source X surprise you?
3. How far does this Source prove…?
14. 13
COMPARISON QUESTIONS
These questions will ask you to work out, from two or more sources,
which is the most reliable or which is the most useful. You will have
to compare the sources you have been given to work out which is
the best.
These answers should follow the same ideas as the RELIABILITY and
USEFULNESS questions we have looked at already. Below, there is a
basic guide for how to answer these questions.
An Example
WHICH SOURCE IS THE MOST USEFUL OUT OF SOURCES A
AND B?
For a reliability comparison question you would also need to
directly compare the sources, like in the example above. You
would just need to pick two or three things from the TWOCOT list on
Page 7 to base your answer on.
Which one tells
you the most
useful things?
Source A tells
me... which is
[very, not very]
useful
because...
Source B tells
me... which is
[very, not very]
useful
because...
Therefore,
Source [A/B] is
more useful
than Source
[A/B]
because...
Which one is most
reliable?
Source A seems
[very, not very]
reliable
because...
Source B seems
[very, not very]
reliable
because...
Therefore,
Source [A/B] is
more useful
than Source
[A/B]
because...
In conclusion,
Source [A/B] is
more useful than
Source [A/B]
because...
COMPARISON
SENTENCE
STARTERS
Whereas…
However…
On the other hand…
In contrast…
Top Tips:
Don’t forget to use
specific details and
quotes from the sources
to support the points you
are making.
You must use details from
the Source and your own
knowledge together to
answer this question.
15. 14
Now you try one…
LOOK AT SOURCES A AND B. WHICH IS THE MOST USEFUL TO THE HISTORIAN TRYING TO
FIND OUT ABOUT THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE 1950S?
Source B
Woman role: Have kids, be a house wife, make
sure dinner is on the table, keep her mouth shut.
Man’s role: Get married, go to work, and
financially support the family.
Answer to the question ‘What were gender roles
like in the 1950s?’ on answers.yahoo.com by the
user ‘Green Eyed RedHead’ in March 2011.
Source A
An advert for a food blender from 1956
My Answer:
17. 16
Step 1
Find some sources
which agree with the
statement in the
question and some that
disagree.
Step 2
Link the sources you
have chosen together
(they should say similar
things).
Step 3
Start writing!
Section 1
Explain the argument which
agrees with the statement in
the question. Use details /
quotes from the sources and
your own knowledge.
Section 2
Explain the argument which
disagrees with the statement
in the question. Use details /
quotes from the sources and
your own knowledge.
Section 3
Conclude by explaining
which side of the argument
you find most convincing.
You should comment on the
reliability/strength of the
sources here.
JUDGMENT QUESTIONS
You will be given a statement and you need to decide whether you
agree with it or not. You need to use a range of sources, and your
own knowledge, to explore both sides of the argument.
Answer Structure
Now you try one…
STUDY ALL THE SOURCES AND USE YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE.
‘MOST PEOPLE IN THE 1950S HAD “NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD”.
EXPLAIN WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH THIS VIEW. [10]
The sources are on the next page.
JUDGMENT
SENTENCE
STARTERS
Whereas…
However…
On the other hand…
In contrast…
In addition…
Source B supports Source
A because…
One fact which supports
this idea is…
I think the argument [in
favour of / which
disagrees with] the
statement is more
convincing because…
Top Tips:
Don’t forget to use
specific details and
quotes from the sources
to support the points you
are making.
You must use details from
the Sources and your own
knowledge together to
answer this question.
You cannot sit on the
fence! You must decide
which side of the
argument you support.
18. 17
Source A
A cartoon published in the New
Statesman on Boxing Day, 1959.
The TV screen reads ‘I’m
alright Jack’, which means: ‘I’m
busy looking after myself and
don’t have any time for you’.
Source B
Possibly the most novel finding [of this report] is the extent of
poverty among children. For over a decade it has been generally
assumed that such poverty as exists is found overwhelmingly
among the aged [elderly]… We have estimated that there were
about two and a quarter million children in low income
households in 1960… On the whole the data we have presented
contradicts the commonly held view that a trend towards greater
equality has accompanied the trend towards greater affluence.
From Brian Abel-Smith and Peter Townsend, The Poor and the
Poorest, published in 1965.
Source C
A poster advertising
holidays in North
Yorkshire in 1953.
Source D
A family watching television in the 1950s.
Source E
… Increased earnings come from the increasing production of
most of our main industries – steel, coal, motor cars; a large part
of the increase is going to exports or to investments. That is all to
the good. Indeed, let us be frank about it: most of our people
have never had it so good. Go around the country, go to the
industrial towns, go to the farms, and you will see a state of
prosperity such as we have never had in my lifetime – nor indeed
ever in the history of this country.
What is beginning to worry some of us is, is it too good to be true?
– or perhaps I should say, is it too good to last?
Harold Macmillan’s speech at Bedford, 20 July 1957. Harold
Macmillan was British Prime Minister.
You should usually expect to find seven sources on your exam paper, all of which you could use in your
answer to this question. Two have been removed here to save space.
