How to answer the 6 mark explain question

AQA (B) GCSE Modern World History

Unit 2 Depth Study 1 Lesson 2

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Hodder Education Revision Lessons

Answering the ‘Explain …’ question

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Your teacher asks the pupil: ‘Explain why you failed

to finish your homework.’

He answers: ‘My mum was ill.’

That’s not an explanation – it’s a reason.

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Principles



An explanation is a series of ideas, joined by the

word ‘so’, which link the reason to the result, thus:

‘My mum was ill so I had to go to hospital with her

so I got home late so I didn’t have time to work so I

failed to finish my homework.’

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Principles



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You answer the ‘Explain …’ question

in much the same way!The key to a good explanation is to explain

from the reason RIGHT THROUGH to the result.



You are going to get a question which asks you to

explain something, for example:

‘Explain why the Bolsheviks grew in

popularity between March and November

1917.’

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Note that the ‘result’ it is asking you to explain is the Bolsheviks’ popularity.



The mark scheme says that this is how you are

going to earn the 6 marks:

• Cite a number of reasons for the stated result.• Explain (with relevant facts) how the reason

produced the result.

Note that you must make sure that you know what result you are trying to explain;

many pupils explain the wrong thing! Click to continue

TIP

‘Why’ needs ‘reasons’ – ‘How’ needs ‘ways’



You are advised to spend

10 minutes maximum

on this question.

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Explain why the Bolsheviks grew in popularity

between March and November 1917.Click to

continue

So, let’s begin …

Can you think of any reasons?




between March and November 1917.

An efficient party

organisation

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They helped defeat Kornilov

Lenin returned to Russia from exile

in Switzerland

They set up Pravda – a propaganda

newspaper

Lenin published the April Theses

People in the towns were

starving

They had a private army – the Red GuardsRussia was

losing the warThey took control

of the Petrograd Soviet

I can think of LOADS!!!



I can think of LOADS!!!


between March and November 1917.

An efficient party

organisation

Click to continue

They helped defeat Kornilov


in Switzerland


newspaper

Lenin published the April Theses

People in the towns were

starving

They had a private army – the Red GuardsRussia was

losing the warThey took control

of the Petrograd Soviet

But you only need to think of TWO!





continue


newspaper

Let’s take just one of them …

• Can you think of a fact to go with it?

Smuggled by the Germans, April 1917

• And how did Lenin help to make the Bolsheviks popular?

– Provided the ideas– The April Theses were very popular– Figurehead– Accepted leader

And you’re re

ady to writ

e …


in Switzerland




in Switzerland

Start off …

The first reason the Bolsheviks

grew in popularity was because …



continue





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Add the reason …




grew in popularity was because


in Switzerland.


in Switzerland








in Switzerland.

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Add the fact …




in Switzerland (smuggled by the

Germans, April 1917).









Germans, April 1917).

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Finally, add the explanation …The first reason the Bolsheviks




Germans, April 1917). This helped

their popularity because Lenin

provided the ideas, especially the

April Theses which were very

popular. He was a prominent

figurehead and the accepted

leader, so that helped their image.








Germans, April 1917). This helped

their popularity because Lenin

provided the ideas, especially the

April Theses which were very

popular. He was a prominent

figurehead and the accepted

leader, so that helped their image.

The second reason the Bolsheviks


Click to continue

And now all you need …… is the second reason.


newspaper

They had a private army – the Red Guards

(Your teacher might advise you to add a third reason.)

A third reason the Bolsheviks grew

in popularity was because …



Write two more paragraphs for your essay,

remembering for each paragraph to:• suggest a reason for the Bolsheviks’

growing popularity

and:•provide a fact to go with it.

Then explain how it made the Bolsheviks

more popular, using the word ‘so’.Click to

continue

So …



• suggest at least two reasons for the Bolsheviks’

growing popularity?

• provide facts to go with the suggestion?

Peer-assess each other’s essays. Did they:

• for each reason, give a thorough explanation of how it led the Bolsheviks to become more popular?

How to answer the 6 mark explain question

Education

depth study

bolsheviks popularity

switzerland germans

propaganda russia

private army lenin russia

pravda lenin

lenin help

pravdar lenin