B.H.S. Teacher’s Advice to Students
General Advice for written responses:
- Avoid stereotypical responses bereft of any individual interpretation
- Answer the question set and not to twist it into a different and more amenable question.
- In the evaluation and interpretation of sources, it is equally essential that students avoid a mechanical approach.
- Students must answer the question – attention must be given to any key words, phrases and commands.
- Students must provide accurate and sufficient supporting detail.
- Students must know dates, avoid generalizations, and make effort not to confuse key figures and events.
- Ensure student’s handwriting is legible and encourage practice writing essays by hand.
- Avoid abbreviations, one-sentence paragraphs and colloquialisms
- Students must read more serious historical material, think about and discuss key topics and spend more time practicing their writing skills.
- MUST know the command words and the appropriate approach to a source based paper.
- Avoid formulaic and mechanical.
- Typicality, authenticity, completeness, consistency and usefulness are each given their separate paragraph.
- Students MUST go beyond the generic and include dates, contexts, tone and purpose.
- The BEST students are marked by an intellectual flexibility that can respond via intelligent questioning of the sources as to their limitations, utility, purpose and audience.
- Argument and judgment should emerge naturally
- There are few subjects left which require a piece of extended and argumentative prose (history).
- MUST read the sources, their introductions and attributions.
- Strongly advise for a focus of debate and discussion in class.