How do you write the period-study essay, and how do the SPaG marks affect it?
The period-study extended essay: how to plan and structure a balanced 'How far do you agree' answer, argue both sides with precise evidence, reach a supported judgement, and write accurately for the 5 SPaG marks carried on the period-study essay (printed at 20 marks).
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the period-study extended essay, explaining how to plan and structure a balanced 'How far do you agree' answer, argue both sides with precise evidence, reach a supported judgement, and write accurately for the 5 SPaG marks carried on the period-study essay (printed at 20 marks).
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What this dot point is asking
The period-study essay is the biggest single question on each paper's Section A, and it carries the 5 SPaG marks. This page teaches how to plan and structure a balanced "How far do you agree" essay, argue both sides with precise evidence, reach a supported judgement, and write accurately so you pick up the spelling, punctuation and grammar marks. The skill transfers across the Persian and Roman period studies.
The answer
What the essay is and how it is marked
Plan both sides first
A minute spent planning prevents a one-sided answer, which is the commonest way to lose marks.
Argue with precise evidence
Judge, and write for SPaG
Examples in context
A model essay is balanced, precise, analytical and clearly written, ending with a judgement that follows from the argument.
Try this
Q1. How many of the period-study essay's 20 marks are for SPaG, and what is the content marked out of? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. 5 marks are for SPaG, so the historical content is marked out of 15.
Q2. Explain why you should plan both sides before writing a "How far do you agree" essay. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Because the essay rewards a balanced argument with a judgement, planning both sides ensures you argue the statement and the other view with developed, ranked points, rather than writing a one-sided answer, which is the commonest way to lose marks.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J198/01 202020 marks'Cyrus the Great owed his success mainly to his policy of conciliation.' How far do you agree? [period-study essay, printed at 20 marks including 5 for SPaG]Show worked answer →
A period-study extended essay (AO1 and AO2), printed at 20 marks of which 5 are for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
For the statement. Conciliation (respecting religion, the Cyrus Cylinder at Babylon) secured conquered peoples and made the empire durable.
Other factors. Military strength and leadership delivered the conquests; the weakness of his enemies helped.
Judgement. Weigh conciliation against the other factors and reach a supported conclusion, for example that military success won the territory but conciliation kept it. Write in accurate, well-organised prose for the SPaG marks.
OCR J198/02 202120 marks'The fall of the Roman monarchy was caused mainly by the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus.' How far do you agree? [period-study essay, printed at 20 marks including 5 for SPaG]Show worked answer →
A period-study extended essay (AO1 and AO2), printed at 20 marks of which 5 are for SPaG.
For the statement. The king's tyranny (murder, ignoring the Senate, ruling by fear) built deep resentment among the nobles.
Other factors. The immediate trigger (the rape of Lucretia) and the nobles' wish to rule themselves through elected magistrates.
Judgement. Weigh the long-term tyranny against the trigger and the nobles' ambition, and reach a supported conclusion. Write accurately for the SPaG marks.
Related dot points
- The structure and assessment of OCR GCSE Ancient History (J198): the two components and their period and depth studies, the three assessment objectives (AO1 knowledge, AO2 explanation and analysis, AO3 use of sources), the question types and mark tariffs, and the SPaG marks on the period-study essays.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the structure and assessment of the J198 course, explaining the two components and their period and depth studies, the three assessment objectives (AO1 knowledge, AO2 explanation and analysis, AO3 use of sources), the question types and mark tariffs, and the SPaG marks on the period-study essays.
- The AO3 source skills: making supported inferences from a source, comparing two sources, and judging how useful a source is for a stated enquiry using content, provenance (nature, origin and purpose) and contextual knowledge, rather than labelling a source reliable or biased.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the AO3 source questions, explaining how to make supported inferences, compare two sources, and judge how useful a source is for a stated enquiry using content, provenance and contextual knowledge, with a method that transfers across the Greek and Roman options.
- The second-order historical concepts behind AO2: causation (long-term causes and immediate triggers), change and continuity, consequence, and significance, and how to use them to answer 'Explain why' questions and the extended essays with ranked, analytical argument.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the second-order historical concepts behind AO2, explaining causation (long-term causes and immediate triggers), change and continuity, consequence and significance, and how to use them to answer 'Explain why' questions and the extended essays with ranked, analytical argument.
- The depth-study extended essay: how to plan and structure the highest-tariff essay on the paper, integrate detailed knowledge with the prescribed sources where relevant, argue a balanced case and reach a sustained judgement, with the depth-study essay tariffed up to 25 marks.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the depth-study extended essay, explaining how to plan and structure the highest-tariff essay on the paper, integrate detailed knowledge with the prescribed sources, argue a balanced case and reach a sustained judgement, with the depth-study essay tariffed up to 25 marks.
- Revision and exam technique for OCR GCSE Ancient History: how to revise the prescribed sources as well as the content, how to drill each question type against its mark scheme, and how to manage the time across the two-hour papers, balancing the short questions, source questions and the extended essays.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to revision and exam technique, explaining how to revise the prescribed sources as well as the content, how to drill each question type against its mark scheme, and how to manage the time across the two-hour papers, balancing the short questions, source questions and the extended essays.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Ancient History J198 specification — OCR (2017)