How do I analyse a Source in context?

Interview Q & A 1. History GCSE Q: How do I analyse a Source in context? A: Typical exam questions about source material might be: Use the source and your own knowledge to explain what Source A tells you about...? Lets take an example! This is a question from the exam board OCR on the American Depression: 1. Use the source and your own knowledge to describe the effects of the Great Depression on the people of the USA. Source: "Last summer in the hot weather, when the smell was sickening and the flies were thick, there were a hundred people a day coming to the dump. A widow who used to do housework and laundry, but now had no work at all, fed herself and her 14 year old son on garbage." Answer: You are being asked to bring two things together - what the source says and what you know. It is important not to repeat just what the source says, but discuss its significance. Use evidence from the source to answer the question concisely.Highlight key words that show the effects of the Great Depression and add support this with your own knowledge - Pick out key facts and dates!Use PEEL- Point, Evidence, Explain, Link Why don't you have a go first and let me know how you have done! Remember to use both the source and your own knowledge.Try writing about the source first.Then add in what you can remember about the historical background which would help you understand the source better. Here I have used evidence from the source and my own knowledge from the GCSE syllabus to create an answer and analyse the source. Example Answer: The sullen tone of the source portrays that during the Great Depression Some people in the USA were hit so hard by the Depression that they went and lived off the rubbish dumps. With no dole or social security they had to do this or starve. There were 12 million unemployed by 1932. This was because demand for goods had fallen so much that factories had closed. (4)