Fact Questions

How to write a good fact essay

How do I spot a fact essay? • A fact essay will usually begin

with:

Describe…

What were…

How did…

•However, always read the question and find out what it’s asking you to do – don’t rely on this alone

Writing Vitally important to improve your writing. Do this by:

•Reading your work out loud •Build up your use of vocabulary •Make sure you include punctuation

This will: •Impress the examiner •Increase your level

Plan Plan Plan

• Make sure you have included all relevant factors• Make sure your paragraphs are in the correct order

because:

Impress the examiner

Essay flows

Increase the level of your work

If you don’t plan – lose relevant factors, essay will seem random points instead of sophisticated answer to the question; you will drop level.

Relations

• Make sure you show how factors are related to one another

Treaty of Versailles – war guilt clause – reparations – huge debt – failure to pay – occupation of Ruhr – hyperinflation - shattered economy – loss of faith in government

• These should come one after the other in your essay• Use connectives to show how factors are linked e.g.

Example

France and Belgium troops invaded the Ruhr so they could take what was owed to them. The workers in the Ruhr went on strike to support the government, putting up passive resistance. The government printed more money to pay the workers with. Then prices in the shops began to rise and things quickly spiralled out of control.

This example does not use any connectives to show how factors are linked; it does not even attempt to explain how things are related.

Example

In response to French and Belgium troops occupying the Ruhr, the government ordered its workers to go on strike, to put up passive resistance. However, this resulted in injuring Germany far more than France or Belgium because without the richest part of Germany producing any goods, Germany had no coal, iron or steel to trade with other Nations. Furthermore, the government needed money to

Description then explanation

Must describe the factor, say what it is e.g. Hyperinflation

Then explain how this posed a problem for the Republic

Hyperinflation made the mark worthless, this led to people losing their jobs, life savings, starvation. This posed a problem by people losing faith in the new Republic. E.g.

Task

• Write a paragraph explaining how hyperinflation posed a problem for the Weimar Republic.

• Remember -

• The next serious problem faced by the government was the hyperinflation of 1923. In response to French and Belgium troops invading the Ruhr, the government told the workers in the Ruhr to go on strike; to put up passive resistance. But the passive resistance did more harm to Germany than it did France or Belgium. Firstly the richest part of Germany was no longer producing goods, this meant that Germany had no coal, iron or steel to sell to other nations. Furthermore, the Government was running short of money as it had to re house the people who had been thrown out of their homes and it had to pay the loyal, striking workers too. The Government responded to this crisis by printing more money. However, this simply caused prices in the shops to rise. The more money that was printed, the faster prices went up, things spiralled out of control, the mark quickly became worthless. The peak of the crisis came in 1923 when the cost of a loaf of bread rocketed from 4 marks to 2 million marks. Faith in the government worsened as people lost their jobs, homes and life savings. Many looked back to the glory days of the Kaiser. Hitler saw amid the chaos his chance to seize power, believing that the time was right to overthrow the failing Republic.

Opening and closing

• The first and last impression you give an examiner are the most important.

• Need to make sure the opening and closing of your answer is strong

• Introduction – should be directly linked to the question, making a judgement in the opening and closing of your answer, shows the examiner that you know your topic.

• Do not waste time including information that does not relate to the question – you will get no extra marks

• The examiner will suspect you do not understand the question/topic.

Example Making a Judgement

• The Weimar Republic faced many problems and challenges during its short existence. Many of the more serious problems and challenges came in the early 1920s with the threat from both the left and right. It can be argued however that the most potentially damaging problem that faced the Weimar Republic was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Now it’s your turn

• Put everything you have learnt into practice. • Describe the Munich Putsch of 1923 and what

happened to Hitler as a result. • Remember:

Your written communication – making sense/vocabulary

Plan

Ensure your answer flows – not random points

Use connectives

Describe then explain

Make a judgement