For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng

Source-based questions: Skills and Techniques

1.1 Making Inferences Suggested Starters:
1. Remember to: a. Infer from the right issue b. Circle/ highlight the issue stated in the question c. Cite the source reference. Eg. Source A tells me that d. Look for at least two inferences and support with evidence (found from the cartoon/ quote/ caption) e. Write different inferences in separate paragraphs f. Quote exact figures or statistics if source is a statistical one such as a graph Eg. Oil production increased from 11.7 million tonnes in 1928 to 28.5 million tonnes in 1937. g. Use specific terms wherever possible Eg. Relations were hostile or strained. Remember not to: a. Infer from irrelevant issues not asked in the question b. Write two or more inferences together, followed by evidences for both (or more) If you do this, you are expecting the examiner/ marker to match the correct inference to the corresponding evidence for you. c. Use terms that are too general Eg. Relations were good/ bad.

- Paints (the person) in a bad light - Poor/ Favourable impression - By drawing such a parallel, the cartoonist is implying that the (person) is a vile/ contemptuous figure. - Disgusted/ appalled, etc

1.2 Inferring the Purpose of a Source What the Skill entails:

This skill lends itself very well to sources such as posters, photographs, speeches, paintings and political cartoons. They are meant to send certain messages across to targeted audience and achieve certain outcomes/results.

Steps in Inferring the Purpose of a Source:

Examine the Context Read the provenance carefully and use your knowledge of what you have learnt to think of the circumstances/ situation in the country that made it necessary to produce such a source. The provenance contains vital information about the source Eg. The year a cartoon was drawn or the name of the person who gave a speech What is the source trying to tell you? Look for evidence or clues in the source. Who was the source trying to influence? What is the source hoping to achieve?

2.

Explain the Message Identify the target Audience Explain the desired Outcome

Suggested Framework:
Firstly, I can learn from Source A that as it is evident from Source A which shows Secondly, I can learn that as it can be seen from Source A which shows Note: If the question requires you to state the opinion of the cartoonist towards a particular figure/ event, write words that are emotionally suggestive Some examples:

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
This can be seen from Source A which says:

Example:
Source A: Stalin giving a speech to the Soviet people about the first Five-Year Plan in 1932.
What are the results of the Five-Year Plan in four years? We did not have an iron and steel industry. Now we have one. We did not have a machine tool industry. Now we have one. We did not have a modern chemicals industry. Now we have one. We did not have a big industry producing agricultural machinery. Now we have one. Steps Context Examples 1932 was the end of the first Five-Year Plan and Stalin was planning to roll out the second Five-Year Plan with even higher targets. Many Russians had begun to feel tired due to pressures and high targets of the first plan. (a) The Soviet Union had benefited greatly under the first Five-Year Plan; (b) The Soviet Union had modernised/ advanced/ become industrialised due to the first Five-Year Plan. Stalin was speaking to the Russians. Stalin was hoping to convince the Russians of the benefits of the first Five-Year Plan so that they would support his second Five-Year Plan.

We did not have an iron and steel industry. Now we have one. We did not have a machine tool industry. Now we have one. [Evidence] This speech aimed to convince the Russians that Stalins plans were a success and thus, motivate the people to continue working hard to support the FiveYear Plan and to help the country advance further. [Outcome and Message]

Tips on Answering Questions that Test this Skill: 1. Remember to:

a. Think of the motive behind the source, the targeted audience and desired end result(s) the source hoped to achieve. Read the provenance carefully to get a hint of who the audience was Eg. If the source was published in the Soviet Union, the likely target audience would have been the Russians. Be specific in explaining the outcome the source hoped to achieve Eg. win the support of the Russians for collectivisation Use more forceful verb (rather than inform/ comment/ tell) wherever possible Eg. the cartoon was published to convince ; the speech was made to justify/ defend/ allay the fears of

b.

Message

c.

d.

Audience Outcome

Suggested Framework: Suggested Answer:

Stalin made this speech in 1932, the year the first Five-Year Plan ended and he had planned to introduce the second plan. [Context] To ensure the success of the second plan, he needed the Russians to work hard to meet the production targets and to support the plan. Hence, he made this speech to convince the Russians that the Soviet Union had reaped many benefits from the first plan. [Audience and Outcome]

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
i.e. what is the topic discussed? What do the sources say about the topic discussed? What can you infer from the sources about the issues raised in them? How do the writers/ artists/ speakers feel towards the issues raised in the sources Eg. Are they: Neutral Objective Biased Supportive Critical Positive/Negative What is the motive behind the sources i.e. Why do the sources say what they say? What are the writers/ speakers/ artists trying to achieve?

In view of (explain the context/ situation in the country. Think of something that would involve the particular person/ event/ organisation with regards to the source) This speech in Source B was made to (Infer from the message and quote evidence from source to support your answer; specify target audience and desired outcome)

Content of Sources (L2/3) Tone of Sources (L4)

1.3 Comparing Sources What the Skill entails:

Essentially, this skill requires you to analyse two sources and identify the similarities and/or differences between them. Purpose of Sources (L5)

Aspects to Consider in Comparing Sources:

Aspect Source Type (L1) Guiding Questions Are the sources written/textual sources eg. Diaries, letters, official reports, newspaper articles or speeches? Are the sources pictorial sources eg. Maps, posters, paintings, cartoons or photographs? Are the sources statistical sources eg. Pie charts, tables showing statistics or bar graphs? You can get details on the source origin from the provenance. So, read the provenance carefully for the following points: 1) Who wrote the sources? Who made the statements? Do the writers/ speakers/artists come from similar or different backgrounds? 2) Where were the sources published? 3) When were the sources produced? 4) What were the sources about,

Remember the mnemonics: Strawberry tart Source type Or Chocolate Tart Please Origin of sources Content of Sources Tone of Sources Purpose of Sources

Important pointers to bear in mind:

1. While it is true that by mentioning and drawing comparisons between the source types and the origins of two sources would earn you some marks, these are low level similarities and differences and thus would not score high marks. In order to score higher marks, Comprehend the sources Analyse the sources Identify as well as explain points of comparison

Origin of Sources (L1)

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
2. Also, not all sources allow comparison of tone or purpose. Do not force the fit if the source doesnt lend it. In cases like these, focus on explaining similarities and/or differences in source content. Remember to support your explanation with evidence from the sources. Use contrasting adjectives to describe the tone wherever possible E.g. Positive versus negative; critical versus defensive; optimistic versus pessimistic Use appropriate conjunctions or paragraph starters such as, In contrast to, However, On the other hand, to signal to the examiner that you have finished explaining one side of the argument Use words such as both sources agree that to suggest that you are explaining a similarity ( or disagree for difference)

Suggested Starters: Remember to:

Explain both sides, i. e. explain both differences and similarities Write different points in different paragraphs, i.e. explain similarity in one paragraph followed by one difference in another paragraph. * State the common criterion for comparison EXPLICITLY so the examiner knows what you are comparing E.g. The two sources are similar in terms of their tone towards appeasement; The sources differ in their views on the causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis; Both Sources A and B agree that the failure of appeasement was a cause of war in 1939. * Be specific in explaining the tone of the source E.g. Both sources adopt a critical tone towards the policy of collectivisation; Both sources adopt an optimistic tone towards the League of Nations

Suggested Framework:

Sources A and B are similar in content as both agree that (state similarity in content and explain). This can be supported by Source A which states that (Quote and explain). Similarly, Source B states that (Quote and explain) However, Sources A and B differ in their tone/ purpose (or both) towards (specify issue/ topic) Source A adopts a tone towards Source B adopts a tone towards This is evident from Source A which states (Quote evidence from Source A) while Source B states that (Quote evidence from Source B) Also, Sources A and B differ in terms of their purposes. Source A is published to (state underlying motive) while Source B aims to (state underlying motive).

1.4 Testing Reliability What the Skill entails

This skill require you to determine how reliable a source is or how much you can

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
believe what it says about the topic or issue raised This skill requires you to make crossreferences to other source given or your contextual/ background knowledge. *Examine the reliability of the source (a) Check for bias in the source. Does it give you a onesided viewpoint? Does the writer use words that are emotional or emotionally suggestive? Does it contain generalisations or sweeping statements that may not be true? (b) Study the provenance carefully to determine if the writer/speaker is likely or unlikely to tell the truth. Consider the following: Type of source (Speech or propaganda photograph) Typicality of the source i.e. How representative the source is of the situation as a whole? E.g. Does the source show only a certain context or group of people? Origin of the source i.e. who produced the source; which organisation he/she represents; when/the event at which the source was produced Purpose of the source i.e. why the source was produced; what outcome the source hoped to achieve. * Enhanced reliability (refer to note 2)

Steps in Testing Reliability Step

Determine the claim in the content of the source Check the reliability of the content of the source

Guiding Questions
What does the source tell you about the topic at hand?

(a) Is there any contradiction within the source content? (b) Does it agree with other sources or your contextual knowledge?

Important pointers to bear in mind:

1. It is rare to find to find absolutely reliable sources. Therefore, do not simply dismiss a source as completely unreliable (or reliable). Instead, explain why it is so. Some sources have enhanced reliability. i.e. You are more likely to believe the source because of the person who wrote or said it.

2.

Example:

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
One would expect a high-ranking Nazi leader to speak positively about the Nazi Party. However, if he speaks negatively about the Nazis, it would tarnish the reputation of the Nazis and he might even be punished or killed if he was discovered. Therefore, he has nothing to gain from it (there is no direct ulterior motive but a revelation). Despite this, he still made negative comments about the party and that makes the source more believable. This is an example of enhanced reliability. content. Cross-refer to other sources or your contextual knowledge to support your point (Mention what the source didnt say) (a) Cross-refer to other sources and/or contextual knowledge to check reliability or source content. (b) Check the reliability of the source by considering the following: Bias Type of source (speech or propaganda photograph) Typicality of the source i.e. how representative is the source of the situation as a whole? e.g. Does the source show only a certain context or group of people? Origin of the source i.e. who produced the source; which organisation he/she represented; when/event at which the source was produced Purpose of the source i.e. why the source was produced; what outcome the source hoped to achieve *enhanced reliability

Reliability of source & content

1.5 Evaluating Usefulness (Utility) What the Skill entails:

This skill requires you to determine how useful a particular source is for understanding or finding out about the issue at hand. This skill requires you to make crossreferences to other sources provided in the question or your contextual knowledge. You should ask yourself the following concerning the source: How relevant is it in helping your understanding of the topic or issue? How reliable is it?

Important Pointers to bear in mind:

1. Every source has its use, depending on what you need the source for. So, it is important to keep in mind the topic given in the question. Every source has its limitations and flaws. Therefore, rarely do you spot sources that give you a complete picture of an issue. Similarly, it is also hard to find absolutely reliable sources. Therefore, do not simply dismiss a source as completely unreliable (or reliable). Move on to explain why it is so. Even a biased source can be useful.

2.

Steps in Evaluating Usefulness Steps

Usefulness in content of source

Guiding Questions
How is the source useful in helping you understand the topic at hand i.e. what does the source tell you about the topic? (Mere mentioning of what the source says) What does the source not tell you about the topic at hand? Think of what the source lacks in

3.

4.

Example:
A written account by an anti-Nazi youth may be biased but it is still useful in telling you that the

Limitation in content of source

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
Nazis did not enjoy full support from their people as well as how a non-supporter felt towards the regime. not mentioned. [Cross-refer to other sources if available] Source A is likely to be true based on what I have learnt as collectivisation did bring about positive results such as mechanisation. Through this, peasants were taught how to use state-provided tractors, fertilisers and new farming methods. However, one has to be careful when using the source as it is likely to be a propaganda photograph. In source A, peasant women are posing beside the machines. Such a photograph would have been used to convince other peasants of the benefits of collectivisation in the hope that more peasants would join the collective farms or that they would not resist Stalins collectivisation programme. Also, Source A only shows a certain group of women operating the machines, and as such, is not representative of the whole peasant population. Still, Source A is not useless. It is still useful evidence of the fact that collectivisation did bring some good to the Russians.

Worked Example:

Source A is a photograph showing Russian women using machines to winnow grains on a collective farm. Q. How useful is Source A in helping you understand the effects of collectivisation? Explain your answer. [6]

Suggested Answer:
Source A is useful in helping me understand the positive effects of Stalins collectivisation policy. It shows me that collectivisation benefited the Russians as it introduced mechanisation to the farms and peasants learnt new skills in handling the machines. Mechanisation would also inadvertently improve productivity. This can be seen from Source A which shows women using machines to process the harvested grains. However, Source A has its limitations in terms of its content as it does not show me other aspects of Stalins collectivisation such as the negative effects. Source A does not tell me about the misery and suffering brought about by the liquidation of the peasants, including the kulaks, which I gather from contextual knowledge. As such, Source A is not entirely useful because it only shows the benefits of collectivisation, and the negative impacts of it were

Suggested Framework:
Source A is useful in terms of its content as it tells me that (infer what the source tells you about the topic/issue) This can be supported by Source A which states (Quote and explain) However, source A has its shortcomings in content as it does not tell me about (infer what the source does not tell you about the topic/issue) which I can gather when I cross-refer to (sources/contextual

For use in 2010 and 2011

Alston Ng
knowledge) (Give specific examples/explanations from contextual knowledge/sources to support) One must be mindful of the purpose of (the source) (Explain purpose of the source and other checkmarks also) Therefore (decide on extent of usefulness of Source A)