History Study Notes: Writing in History and Assessment Skills

COMMAND TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS

• Identify: Extract or list the most relevant information.

• Describe: Give an account of the main features of a concept or source.

• Outline: Provide a summary of the most relevant or essential points.

• Compare: Discuss similarities and differences between two concepts or sources.

• Explain: Provide a methodical commentary on how or why something occurred. Break your response into several steps. Offer commentary on causes, response and outcomes.

• Discuss: Present a fluid and coherent viewpoint or interpretation on a topic. Organise your justification or reasons into separate discussion points. Support with evidence.

• Analyse: Break a concept into its components – for example, the different causes of World War I – and explain each of them in a connected manner.

• Evaluate: Present a judgement. Discuss strengths/merits and weaknesses/limitations and use these to support an overall opinion.

• To what extent: Present a judgement as to how much you agree with a proposition. Weigh up evidence for and against the idea in the question and use these to support an overall opinion.

• DIFFICULTY: (indicates level of challenge on the slide)

WRITING HISTORICALLY

• Draw on key knowledge from the unit – both broad ideas and specific facts

• Engage with historical thinking skills

• Respond directly to the prompt

• This will take practice through the unit, so write often to write well

HOW TO APPROACH A HISTORY QUESTION (GENERAL PRINCIPLES)

• Approach a question by analysing the prompt, identifying command terms, and planning your response

• Emphasise evidence-based reasoning and clear structure

• Plan to allocate time and ensure each part of the prompt is addressed

MILK FRAMEWORK

• MILK is a mnemonic to structure the answer planning process for a question

M = IDENTIFY THE MARKS ALLOCATED

• Look at how many marks each question is worth to determine required detail

• Question ranges from 1 mark to 10 marks

• Break down the question to identify where the marks are allocated

• Example framing: For a 4-mark question, plan for multiple concise points

I = IDENTIFY THE INSTRUCTION TERM

• Identify the instructional verb used (e.g., Identify, Describe, Explain, Evaluate)

• Understand what the question asks you to do

• Break the instruction into sub-questions to create steps for the answer

• In practice: If the verb is Explain, plan a methodical commentary with several steps

L = IDENTIFY THE LIMITS OF THE QUESTION

• These limits ensure you answer the whole question

• Examples of limits:

  • Describe two characteristics…

  • Explain one positive or one negative impact of…

  • Identify and describe…

K = IDENTIFY THE KEY KNOWLEDGE BEING TESTED

• Determine what knowledge the question is asking you to refer to

• Consider: Is it language, impact, perspective, or authorship of a source?

QUESTION EXAMPLE: SMALLPOX OUTBREAK IN AUSTRALIA (1789) – 4 MARKS

• Question (example): Using the source and your own knowledge, explain the impact of the outbreak of smallpox in Australia in 1789

• Boxed term: Contagion – The spreading of disease from one person to another by close contact

• I (Identify): Recognise the instruction term in the question and plan sub-questions

• L (Limits): Identify what the question restricts you to discuss (e.g., focus on 1789, smallpox only, use source and class knowledge)

• K (Key knowledge): Determine whether you should focus on language, impact, or perspective, and whether to reference who wrote the source

• I (Instruction): For the verb Explain, provide a methodical commentary on how/why something occurred; break into several steps; discuss causes, response and outcomes

• Concerning quotes: Some prompts require directly quoting from the source and including knowledge beyond what is written; underline the limits

• Contagion reminder: The definition remains a core concept for discussing the spread of disease

ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR THE SMALLPOX EXAMPLE (COMMON MARK SCHEME ANALYSIS)

• Specifics you might be asked to cover (example breakdown):

  • 1 mark: One clear impact of the outbreak

  • 1 mark: How the outbreak affected Indigenous people

  • 1 mark: Evidence from the source supporting the point

  • 1 mark: Why Indigenous people were vulnerable

• Overall, you should assemble these points into a coherent answer that references both the source and your own knowledge

SONGLINES AND FIRST NATIONS (CLASSROOM PROMPT)

• Whole class Question 1 (5 marks): Using the source and your own knowledge, discuss the importance of songlines to First Nations people

• Highlights for preparation:

  • Understand the cultural significance of songlines as a knowledge and navigation system

  • Be prepared to reference how songlines relate to land, identity, and storytelling

  • Use evidence from sources and prior learning to discuss impact and meaning

PRACTICE PROMPTS (SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS)

• Source 1 (Port Arthur postcard): Describe one reason for the Colonisation of Australia

• Source 2 (Mililma May poem): Explain the concept of country for First Nations people

• Source 1 details: Postcard featuring the Commandant’s House and Arsenal at the former Port Arthur convict settlement, Tasmania

• Source 2 details: A poem by Larrakia woman Mililma May

REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE AND CONNECTIONS

• The emphasis on writing clearly and responding directly to prompts aligns with best practices in historical writing and assessment design

• The command terms relay activity mirrors real exam strategies: understanding prompts, matching expectations, and collaborating to reinforce learning

• Discussion of smallpox, Indigenous vulnerability, and colonisation prompts students to consider ethical and historical complexities, including perspectives of First Nations peoples

• The MILK framework provides a practical, repeatable approach to planning answers, applicable across many history tasks