Essay Advice
Below is essay advice from a VCE examiner. Please read it carefully to gain a greater appreciation in approaching essays:
It is one of the most frequently expressed anxieties of the history student: "I know and understand the material but I simply can't express it in essay form.''
Some students who absolutely love other aspects of the study of the past will avoid choosing history at VCE level because they are not confident about essay writing. And yet the essay is simply an exercise in clear communication, and if certain basic ideas and structures are followed, students should be able to develop a confident and successful approach to essay writing.
The most important idea to keep in mind as you start to think about how to approach an essay topic is that few issues in history are black and white. Most essay topics, even those that begin with quotes, have been structured by teachers or examiners to give students an opportunity to develop an argument. You are actually expected to disagree with the central idea in an essay quote or question, to some degree.
The next major principle of good essay writing is relevance - "answer the question, the whole question and nothing but the question''. Students should not just simply write all they know on a key word or phrase from the question (depression, peasants, consequences of war, political structures).
There are several simple ways to ensure that you know exactly what is being asked and that you answer accordingly:
Another feature of a good essay is the effective use of relevant information and evidence. You should endeavour to support most of the points that you make with specific quotes, statistics, actual events or visual material from the time. The views of historians are also useful as evidence.
For example, (we will use an example from Unit 3 so as not to mislead you with content on the Depression) if you were to write on the impact of colonisation on the Aboriginal population, you might make the point that:
Aboriginal numbers declined considerably in the first 15 years of Port Phillip.
You could then go on to give this point greater impact by providing supporting evidence:
Aboriginal Protector William Thomas estimated that in the Western Port District in 1840, there was only one Aboriginal birth for every seven death (Shaw). Furthermore Broome's suggests that Aboriginal deaths could be between 80 to 90 percent depending a different studies.
Your essay should also reflect an understanding of the complexities of the study of history. Make sure that you avoid sweeping generalisations about groups, motives and outcomes. If you use terms like ``some'', ``a section of'', ``were likely to'' and ``tended to'', you are less likely to stereotype whole groups.
The best essays acknowledge that it is impossible to have complete access to information about the past and that evidence is usually an indication rather than proof.
STUDENTS of year 12 histories are required to address this issue specifically, through the criterion ``understanding of historical sources and/or historians' approaches''. Some strategies for meeting this criterion include:
Structuring your essay
The introduction: Begin the introduction with a variation on the words of the question.
Your introduction should indicate the way you intend to tackle the question and, it should also include some reference to historians and/or sources.
The body of the essay: You should write between three and five paragraphs, each making a separate point that is supported with evidence. If the essay question has made a statement that you are to investigate, you must make sure that you offer paragraphs on both sides of that statement. Use terms from the question to start each paragraph. You should also comment a number of times on the source of evidence used and its reliability.
The conclusion: Here you draw the ideas and information together. Most essay topics offer a quotation and ask you to make a judgment (``How far do you agree?'' ``To what extent is this true?''). It is in the conclusion that you actually offer your judgment, but you must make sure that it flows from the body of the essay.
A good way to ensure that you remain relevant to the end is to make your final statement a further reworking of the question - eg, ``While economic factors definitely influenced the crisis, it was clearly the political considerations which were at the base of the events which unfolded in . . . ''
Remember above all that a history essay is an opportunity for you to show what you know and how you are able to think about what you know. While your language must be clear, it is not a creative writing exercise.
If you imagine that you have to convince your reader of a particular point of view, and if you do so clearly and systematically, supporting your argument as you go, then you are well on the way to writing an excellent history essay
Here are some sample essays that you can download to give you an idea of what examiners expect. Remember these essays are quite good but are not perfect as you read try to identify what they have done well and where they could have improved.
Below is essay advice from a VCE examiner. Please read it carefully to gain a greater appreciation in approaching essays:
It is one of the most frequently expressed anxieties of the history student: "I know and understand the material but I simply can't express it in essay form.''
Some students who absolutely love other aspects of the study of the past will avoid choosing history at VCE level because they are not confident about essay writing. And yet the essay is simply an exercise in clear communication, and if certain basic ideas and structures are followed, students should be able to develop a confident and successful approach to essay writing.
The most important idea to keep in mind as you start to think about how to approach an essay topic is that few issues in history are black and white. Most essay topics, even those that begin with quotes, have been structured by teachers or examiners to give students an opportunity to develop an argument. You are actually expected to disagree with the central idea in an essay quote or question, to some degree.
The next major principle of good essay writing is relevance - "answer the question, the whole question and nothing but the question''. Students should not just simply write all they know on a key word or phrase from the question (depression, peasants, consequences of war, political structures).
There are several simple ways to ensure that you know exactly what is being asked and that you answer accordingly:
- Use the reading time well; read and reread the question until you are absolutely sure what you are being asked and also what you are not being asked.
- Do the planning for your answer on and around the actual question, not on a separate sheet. That way your eye is constantly drawn back to the question and you are less likely to drift off the point.
- Use the actual words and concepts that the question gives you frequently throughout the essay. This acts as a straitjacket that will keep you on the point. Don't be afraid that this will make your work boring; think of it as building up your argument, rather along the lines of a debate speech.
- If there are two parts to the question (for example, ``what were the major causes of . . . and how significant was its impact on . . . ?''), deal separately with both parts, again using the terms of the question. After devoting several paragraphs to major causes, you should start the next paragraph with words such as: ``The impact of . . . was significant for several groups in the population . . .''
Another feature of a good essay is the effective use of relevant information and evidence. You should endeavour to support most of the points that you make with specific quotes, statistics, actual events or visual material from the time. The views of historians are also useful as evidence.
For example, (we will use an example from Unit 3 so as not to mislead you with content on the Depression) if you were to write on the impact of colonisation on the Aboriginal population, you might make the point that:
Aboriginal numbers declined considerably in the first 15 years of Port Phillip.
You could then go on to give this point greater impact by providing supporting evidence:
Aboriginal Protector William Thomas estimated that in the Western Port District in 1840, there was only one Aboriginal birth for every seven death (Shaw). Furthermore Broome's suggests that Aboriginal deaths could be between 80 to 90 percent depending a different studies.
Your essay should also reflect an understanding of the complexities of the study of history. Make sure that you avoid sweeping generalisations about groups, motives and outcomes. If you use terms like ``some'', ``a section of'', ``were likely to'' and ``tended to'', you are less likely to stereotype whole groups.
The best essays acknowledge that it is impossible to have complete access to information about the past and that evidence is usually an indication rather than proof.
STUDENTS of year 12 histories are required to address this issue specifically, through the criterion ``understanding of historical sources and/or historians' approaches''. Some strategies for meeting this criterion include:
- Comment on the author of a quotation and the possible reasons he or she may have for taking a particular line.
- Compare two different pieces of evidence, commenting on whether they support or contradict each other and why.
- Refer to evidence that is not available - who has been excluded (most written evidence from before the 20th century is by educated adult males).
- Comment on the work of secondary historians, noting the ways in which they reflect the values of the times in which they were written.
Structuring your essay
The introduction: Begin the introduction with a variation on the words of the question.
Your introduction should indicate the way you intend to tackle the question and, it should also include some reference to historians and/or sources.
The body of the essay: You should write between three and five paragraphs, each making a separate point that is supported with evidence. If the essay question has made a statement that you are to investigate, you must make sure that you offer paragraphs on both sides of that statement. Use terms from the question to start each paragraph. You should also comment a number of times on the source of evidence used and its reliability.
The conclusion: Here you draw the ideas and information together. Most essay topics offer a quotation and ask you to make a judgment (``How far do you agree?'' ``To what extent is this true?''). It is in the conclusion that you actually offer your judgment, but you must make sure that it flows from the body of the essay.
A good way to ensure that you remain relevant to the end is to make your final statement a further reworking of the question - eg, ``While economic factors definitely influenced the crisis, it was clearly the political considerations which were at the base of the events which unfolded in . . . ''
Remember above all that a history essay is an opportunity for you to show what you know and how you are able to think about what you know. While your language must be clear, it is not a creative writing exercise.
If you imagine that you have to convince your reader of a particular point of view, and if you do so clearly and systematically, supporting your argument as you go, then you are well on the way to writing an excellent history essay
Here are some sample essays that you can download to give you an idea of what examiners expect. Remember these essays are quite good but are not perfect as you read try to identify what they have done well and where they could have improved.
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