How should I answer a History GCSE sources question when the source is an image?

Like every question it is always an important start to read the question carefully. The most simplistic sources question will be something like, "How does source A show the effects of urbanisation in Victorian Britain?". First, I would annotate the photo highlighting relevant parts of the image that show the effects of urbanisation. This will serve as a sort of plan. When writing an answer to a source question you should remember to be aware of and address three key points-the origin, purpose and usefulness of the source. Origin- when, where and who created the source? Secondly, what was this source's 'purpose' or 'objective'- for example, was it aimed to promote the modernisation that came with urbanisation or warn people of the dangers of urbanisation? Or was it created long after the Victorian era, as an informative interpretation of urbanisation in retrospect? Then address how 'useful' is this source in showing the effects of urbanisation in Victorian Britain- e.g. can we trust it, is it bias, how informative is it? Be careful not to just list the effects of urbanisation you can see in the source you must use and apply your own knowledge, do not just state what you see. Use small nuggets of your own knowledge to support a point you make about the source and add some background to the source. This will ensure your answer is very detailed and informative.

Answered by Saskia H. History tutor

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