IGCSE History 0470 - Historical Skills

This section outlines the key historical skills you need to develop for the Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 exam. These skills are crucial for analyzing historical sources, evaluating historical arguments, and communicating your understanding effectively.

4.1 Source Analysis

Understanding and interpreting historical sources is fundamental to history. This involves examining the source's origin, context, and potential biases.

Types of Sources

• Primary Sources: Created during the historical period being studied (e.g., letters, diaries, official documents, photographs).
• Secondary Sources: Created after the historical period by someone who did not experience it firsthand (e.g., textbooks, biographies, articles).

Source Analysis Techniques

1. Origin: Who created the source? What was their position or role?
2. Context: When and where was the source created? What was happening at the time?
3. Purpose: Why was the source created? What was the creator trying to achieve?
4. Audience: Who was the source intended for?
5. Reliability: How trustworthy is the source? Are there any signs of bias?
6. Content: What information does the source provide? What does it tell us about the past?

Example Analysis

Consider a diary entry from a soldier during the First World War. To analyze it, you would consider who the soldier was, their rank, and their experiences. You would also look at the date and location of the entry to understand the context. The purpose might be to record personal experiences or to communicate with loved ones. You would then analyze the content for details about daily life, morale, and the impact of the war.

4.2 Interpretation

Interpretation is the process of making sense of historical sources and constructing historical narratives. It involves drawing conclusions based on evidence and considering different perspectives.

Key Aspects of Interpretation

• Identifying Themes: Recognizing recurring ideas, events, or patterns in historical sources.
• Understanding Cause and Consequence: Analyzing the reasons why events happened and their effects.
• Recognizing Different Perspectives: Considering how different people in the past might have viewed events.
• Evaluating Evidence: Assessing the strength and reliability of the evidence used to support historical claims.

Formulating Interpretations

Interpretations are not simply statements of fact; they are arguments supported by evidence. They often involve considering multiple interpretations and explaining why one interpretation might be more convincing than others.

4.3 Evaluating Historical Arguments

Evaluating historical arguments involves critically assessing the strengths and weaknesses of historical claims. This includes considering the evidence used to support the argument, the logic of the argument, and alternative interpretations.

Evaluating Evidence

When evaluating evidence, consider:

• Source Reliability: Is the source trustworthy?
• Corroboration: Does the evidence support other sources?
• Bias: Does the evidence reflect a particular viewpoint?
• Completeness: Is the evidence comprehensive?

Identifying Assumptions

Historical arguments often rely on underlying assumptions. Identifying these assumptions is important for evaluating the argument's validity.

Considering Alternative Interpretations

A strong historical argument acknowledges and addresses alternative interpretations of the evidence.

4.4 Communication

Clearly and effectively communicating your historical understanding is essential for success in the IGCSE History exam.

Structure and Organisation

Your responses should be well-structured and organised, with clear paragraphs and topic sentences.

Use of Evidence

Support your arguments with specific evidence from historical sources.

Historical Language

Use appropriate historical terminology accurately.

Different Question Types

Question Type	Skills Tested	Example
Short Answer	Knowledge, recall, basic analysis	"What were the main causes of the outbreak of the First World War?"
Extended Response	Analysis, evaluation, interpretation, communication	"To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a success?"
Source-Based Question	Source analysis, interpretation, evaluation, communication	"Using the given sources, assess the extent to which women's roles in society changed between 1900 and 1950."

By developing these historical skills, you will be well-prepared to succeed in the Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 exam.