GCSE Coursework: History Around Us - eRiding

History Around Us – The deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy5. Appendix: Assessment ObjectivesUse this guidance to make sure you are doing what the examiners require you to do.This study of history from its visible remains affords opportunities for candidates to:i. describe, analyse and explain a chosen historical site (AO 6.1)ii. relate a chosen site to its broader historical context (AO 6.1)iii.use sources to investigate the historical site and/or its context, appreciating that the visibleremains of the past are themselves as important a resource for our understanding of history asdocumentary sources.(i) Setting coursework tasks on AO 6.1: Relating an historical site to its historicalcontext.The candidate must place the chosen site clearly in its historical context in order to show the part playedby the site in that context.The ability to explain features of the site, which are typical or atypical of the broader historical context, isa particularly useful assessment activity enabling candidates of all abilities to have access to the highestlevels of achievement. Presenting candidates with a hypothesis or question, which allows a personalanalysis of an issue, is likely to contribute to a successful coursework assignment.(ii) Setting coursework tasks on AO 6.2 and AO 6.3: Using sources to investigate anhistorical site.It should be appreciated that this coursework assignment is not a site description. The site must allowpersonal investigation and other forms of evidence must be available. The tasks set must involve anevaluation of the evidence provided by the site and the other sources, e.g. by the candidate assessingthe reliability, usefulness and limitations of the evidence.Tasks could take the form of a hypothesis for the candidate to check and verify with supporting evidence,or reject after testing for omissions and deficiencies in the evidence. Such a task could be planned andexecuted as part of a longer programme of work. A site description could be carried out beforehand butwould not necessarily form part of the GCSE assessment itself.An historical site will readily lend itself to work on historical interpretations and representations of some ofthe following are available: guidebooks, tape/slide presentations, model re-constructions engravings,paintings, etc. It may also be possible to use photographs, maps and plans, memoirs, diaries, censusreturns etc., as sources of evidence about the site. The list of possible sources and interpretations givenfor the Modern World Study may also be relevant for History Around Us.Information from a site can be recorded very successfully in the form of maps, plans, annotateddiagrams, photographs and sketches. If such techniques are used, they should be clearly integrated intothe assignment not merely appended to it. The most effective sketches, for example, are those that pickout particular features of a building to illustrate a particular point.24© eRiding 2004