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The sources that you are likely to come across at A-Level will be either images or written sources and are usually primary (written or made at the time of study). You will simply need to remember the skills that you have been developing since year 7! Think of the 5 Ws that you might have learned lower down the school – they will help:
For both written and image sources, it is unlikely you will be able to answer all of these questions. However, you should try to address the basic areas of analysis: author, audience, bias, purpose, context, motivation and validity – the who, what where, when, why and how of it all. Below are specific questions to help you analyze and answer your question. Source interpretation: written sourcesIdentify the source. Is it primary or secondary? Who wrote it? When was it written? What kind of document is it? Where was it published? How widely was it circulated? What is it about? Put it in its context. What events had happened or were happening when this was written? Specifically, what was happening where this was written? Who was the intended audience and what bias might they have had? Consider the author and their purpose. Who was the author? Consider their race, gender, religion, nationality, heritage, party affiliation, socio-economic class, and their job. Is there bias? Is the author trying to persuade, incite, enlighten, explain or deceive their audience? Why was it written and for whom? Was the author paid to write this? Or bribed or threatened? Where did it first appear: a newspaper, a diary, a letter or a propaganda flyer? Evaluate the information. Read the information, summarize it, and identify keywords, examples of bias and intention. Are there footnotes or citations? Does it reference other documents or events? What is the document about and how does that help you understand the period? What is the overall theme? How similar is it to other documents from the same period? How does the author claim to have their information? What assumptions does the author make? Is the author expecting any resulting action, sentiment or opinion from the audience? Source interpretation: image sourcesIdentify the source. Was the artist an eyewitness or is this image secondary? Who created it? When was it created? What medium is it? What is it portraying? Where was it published? Who would have seen this image? Put it in its context. What events had happened or were happening when this was created? Specifically, what was happening where this was created? How long after the actual event portrayed was the image created? Who was the intended audience and what bias might they have had? Consider the artist/creator and their purpose. Who was the artist? Consider their race, gender, religion, nationality, heritage, political point of view, socio-economic class, and their job. Is there bias? Are certain people or places portrayed in a more positive light? Is the artist trying to persuade, incite, explain to or deceive their audience? Why was this image created and for whom? Was the artist paid to do his work? Or bribed or threatened? What does that tell you? Where did it first appear: a newspaper, a diary, a letter or a propaganda flyer? Evaluate the information. Look at the image, understand what is being portrayed, and identify the main focus and points of interest. Is there a caption or a title? Is it captured in a particular style? If yes, what associations can you make with this style? What does the scenery, the action, the people and the details tell you about this period in time? What is the overall theme? How similar is it to other images from the same period? If it is unusual for its period, why might the artist have chosen to be different? What assumptions does the author make? Is the author expecting any resulting action, feeling or opinion from the audience? Remember... you are being tested on your ability to analyse sources. You won't be expected to know minor details of the architecture in a photo and you won't necessarily know the class and religion of an author. Use the information you are given in the source, recognize and detect in the source. Your own knowledge of the period of time should add to the source evidence you have before you in answering a question. Tips for Analysing Political ImagesTechniques used by cartoonists
Symbolism
Exaggeration
Labelling
Analogy
Irony
Once you've identified the persuasive techniques that the cartoonist used, ask yourself:
Examples of Symbols used in Political Cartoons
Steps in Analyzing a Political Cartoon
Suggested Questions:
Use the above when looking at the following cartoon:"The New Protector" Analogy:
To note:
Irony:
Have a look the following photograph:Hyperinflation - Germany 1923 This is a photograph taken in 1923 of a man using German banknotes as wallpaper. There are also similar images of children using bundles of banknotes as building bricks. How far does this photograph explain why Germany faced difficulties in 1923? Use the source and your knowledge to explain your answer.
The source shows one difficulty, hyperinflation, facing Germany in 1923. The man using banknotes as wallpaper and German children playing with banknotes shows just how worthless the money was and so it has been reduced to a toy. The source indicates just how much money was in circulation and further underlines how worthless German money was, even in mass quantities. However, the source does not show the repercussions of hyperinflation on ordinary German citizens such as unemployment, loss of savings and general financial struggle. In addition, this source does not explain two other reasons Germany faced difficulty in 1923: the Munich Putsch and the invasion of the Ruhr. The source does not indicate the difficulties of the invasion of the Ruhr, when the French and Belgians occupied the Ruhr, a major German industry centre, because the Germans had failed to make a reparations payment in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles. German workers, supported by the Weimar government, went on strike but passive resistance only exacerbated the issue. As the source shows, the government's response was to print more banknotes which became virtually worthless. Besides the invasion of the Ruhr, the source also doesn't show the Munich Putsch, a third difficulty in Germany in 1923. When Hitler tried to take over the government by force, it was a clear act of violence and open opposition to the Weimar government and, quite obviously, the Munich Putsch and its leaders were never properly dealt with, something the source gives no indication of. Therefore, the source shows a limited extent of the problems Germany faced in 1923, demonstrating the issue of hyperinflation without showing the impact on ordinary German lives, and with absolutely no indication of the invasion of the Ruhr or the Munich Putsch.
What is the importance of historical sources?Historical sources can be used as evidence to back up your claims of what the past was like. They allow you to say that something happened, whether it's a battle, or the existence of a famous figure. You can then use them to create your own interpretations of the finer details.
What is the importance of historical research in education?The foremost purpose is to gain a clear perspective of the past and the present. The present problems are understandable only on the basis of past. 2. It provides us with a greater appreciation of the culture and of the role which education is to play in the progress of society.
How will identifying sources help you as a student of history?Primary sources help students relate in a personal way to events of the past and promote a deeper understanding of history as a series of human events. Because primary sources are incomplete snippets of history, each one represents a mystery that students can only explore further by finding new pieces of evidence.
What is the value of using historical sources and evidence in the history classroom?The use of primary sources exposes students to important historical concepts. First, students become aware that all written history reflects an author's interpretation of past events. Therefore, as students read a historical account, they can recognize its subjective nature.
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