26 March 2006 sundayherald 7
EXAM GUIDE
Young Chinese actors prepare for an opera in Hefei. China’s role in the modern world is one of the subject areas you may have studied
MODERN
STUDIES
BY TRACEY DEIR &
DR STAN DA PRATO
Tracey Deir is the Principal Teacher of
Social Studies at St Margaret’s Academy,
Livingston. She has several years’
experience marking Standard Grade
Modern Studies. Dr Stan da Prato is
Depute Head Teacher at St Margaret’s
Academy, Livingston, and has been for
several years an SQA examiner in Modern
Studies at Standard Grade and Higher.
W
Revise
Rights and responsibilities: these go
together – SA1 & SA3.
Equality: why do differences exist between
families, elderly, the employed and unemployed in SA2 and also between ethnic and
other groups in SA3 – USA/Russia/China.
Ideology: beliefs and ideas about how a
society should be run – SA2 & SA3.
Needs: of the unemployed, elderly, families
in SA2 or countries in SA4.
Power: can be economic and military/
political power in Europe or Africa in SA4.
The media, equal opportunities and the
effects of new technology can turn up
anywhere in the exam.
HILE knowing your current
affairs is a distinct advantage
when preparing for a Modern
Studies exam, the subject itself
is far more than a collation of recent news
headlines. At all levels of examination
there are specific themes you must familiarise yourself with.
The questions are designed to test your
Knowledge and Understanding of the topic
as well as your ability to evaluate sources
and state and justify conclusions. Complementing your answer with a knowledge
of current events can help but you must
study your textbooks and notes.
Enquiry Skills (ES), worth 60%. Make a note
of how many marks a question is worth. If
it is worth four marks you need to ensure
that two separate points are given. It is
good practice to write in paragraphs, one
paragraph for each point you are making –
a six-mark question at Credit should have
three clearly written paragraphs.
In Syllabus Area (SA) 3 Ideologies, you
must choose between USA, China and
Russia.
Make sure to choose the topic you have
studied. Do not try to do all three!
STANDARD GRADE
Participation: meaning to take part in. May
appear in SA1 & SA3.
At all levels, questions are broken into two
elements: Knowledge and Understanding
(KU), worth 40% of your overall grade, and
/ Practise
Concepts
Representation: meaning to act on behalf of
others – appears in SA1 & SA3.
Test
Photograph: AP
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING (KU)
QUESTIONS
What you have learned throughout the
two-year course will be tested by these
questions. You must show the marker what
you know and understand about the
question asked.
Be sure to give detailed responses that fit
the Syllabus Area you are answering. SA1
deals with UK Politics, so give UK examples: MP, Prime Minister, MSPs, Labour
and Conservatives. For SA3, in the USA
option, you should provide American
examples: Senator, President, Republicans
and Democrats.
It is always a good idea to put specific
examples into your answer. Take a Credit
question from the 2005 exam which asks
you to “Choose either Local Councillors or
Review
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8 sundayherald 26 March 2006
MODERN STUDIES
From page one
MSPs or MPs. Describe, in detail, the ways
in which the type of representatives you
have chosen works on behalf of the people
they represent.” (KU 6 marks).
Notice in the question some words
appear in bold – this is done to make sure
you notice them.
It is really important to follow the
instructions you are given.
You must choose one of the three
representatives and write three points
about them, not one point for each of the
representatives.
A candidate chooses to write about MSPs
and writes: “MSPs represent their constituents in many ways both inside and outside the Scottish Parliament. One way MSPs
can do this is by taking part in a debate.”
While this answer is correct, the candidate would only receive one mark. What
the candidate should have done is give a
detailed description using an up-to-date
example.
To improve on the quality of this answer
and receive a full two marks, the answer
would continue …
“Recently debates were held on the issue
of banning smoking in public places.
During the debate MSPs, like our MSP
Bristow Muldoon, would contribute their
points of view so that people from
our constituency (Livingston) would be
represented in the Scottish Parliament.”
This answer would be worth two marks
but there is still more needed. A second
developed point is necessary.
“MSPs also work on behalf of the people
they represent by asking questions during
First Minister’s Questions. This is held
once a week and gives MSPs a chance to
ask First Minister Jack McConnell a
question directly. An important issue like
closing the A&E Department at a local
hospital would be an example of an issue
that constituents would want their MSP to
do something about.”
There are still another two marks
needed to complete this six-mark question. You need to write a third and final
p a r a g r a p h o n o n e o f t h e f o l l ow i n g
possibilities to complete your answer:
Holding a surgery, attending a local
function in the constituency, replying to
letters and e-mails sent in by constituents,
being a member of a committee such as
Transport or Education, or any other point
that shows how an MSP can represent
constituents. Remember to include an
example that is related to either local
councillors, MSPs or MPs according to
which one you have chosen to write
about.
ENQUIRY SKILLS (ES) QUESTIONS
Most Enquiry Skills questions are based on
the sources provided in the question.
These may be charts, tables, graphs or
statements. You must select information
from the source without simply copying
the information straight from the source as
this will not gain you any marks. Check the
number of marks available and write in
paragraphs just as in the KU questions. Be
sure to use all the sources you are given
and name them by including phrases like
“according to Source 2”.
Do not bring in any KU material. When
you are given a statement to show exaggeration, for example, try and break up the
statement and link parts of it to the
source(s) especially when more than one
source is given.
the 21st century was a topic given in the
2005 Credit paper. Your responses must
relate to the topic you are given.
ES investigating questions are marked
with the symbol below.
A comparison of wages in selected industries
Hotels &
restaurants
Retail
trade
10%
23%
22%
44%
67%
34%
Electricity/gas &
water supplies
5%
Less than £6 per hour
£6 – £10 per hour
More than £10 per hour
33%
62%
Study the information above, then answer
the question which follows.
Write down two conclusions that can be
reached about differences in wages between
the selected industries.
You must only use the information above
Conclusion questions like the one above
can prove to be quite a challenge. What
you have to remember is that you are
trying to put the figures into words. For
this question, a well-written response
might read: “One conclusion is that hotels
and restaurants have the highest paid
workers. 22% of hotel and restaurant workers earn more than £10 per hour while
only 5% of electricity/gas and water
supplies earn more than £10 per hour.
This answer would be awarded two
marks.
For a further two marks you need to use
another piece of information from the
source to write a different conclusion.
“Another conclusion is that people
working in retail trade are poorly paid.
According to the source, 67% of people
working in retail earn less than £6 per hour
compared to 33% for those who work in
electricity/gas and water supplies.”
Be sure to notice whether you are asked
to look for exaggeration, reasons to
s u p p o r t o r o p p o s e, s o m e o n e b e i n g
selective or to write conclusions before
you start to write your answer.
You must include parts of the source in
a complete answer to gain full marks.
Try and quote directly from the information and/or statistics you are given in the
source(s). Take care to write any figures as
they are given, ie percentages (%) or US
dollars ($) or UK pounds(£).
The other type of ES question deals with
investigating. There will be one in each
exam paper.
You are always given a topic to write on,
for example, The European Union (EU) in
At Credit level only, you must form a
hypothesis, which is a statement that can
be proved or disproved. For example: “All
EU members should use the euro”. Simply
copying the topic or making only very
slight changes are unlikely to be awarded
any marks.
At all levels you will be asked to give
aims or headings – these can be questions
or statements beginning with “To find
out”. An aim which follows on from our
earlier topic and hypothesis might be: “To
find out the reasons why some countries,
like the UK, do not use the euro”.
Remember, aims follow on from the
topic (hypothesis at Credit) – so be careful
not to simply copy your hypothesis into a
question and call it an aim – you will not
receive any marks.
You will also be asked about methods
that you can use in your investigation. Be
sure to know the advantages and
disadvantages of the methods listed below.
n Letters/e-mails
n Interviews
n Surveys/questionnaires
n Internet
n Library research
n CD Roms
n TV/video/newspapers
Once again, you must remember to tie in
these advantages and disadvantages with
the topic you are investigating.
For example, if you discuss conducting a
survey of public opinion you would have
to make it clear that you are wishing to get
the views of large number of people and
that it might take quite a bit of time to
do this.
General Paper – 1 hour 30 minutes
Allow about 20 minutes to complete each
Syllabus Area.
Most questions are worth four marks
each and ask for two developed points. Be
sure to include specific examples that fit
the question you are asked.
Credit Paper – 2 hours
You must use your time wisely in this
paper. Allow 30 minutes for each Syllabus
Area.
There will be a 10-mark ES question
(split 8 + 2) at the end of the exam so make
sure you leave enough time for this last
question.
Foundation Paper – 1 hour
This exam involves writing shorter answers
and ticking boxes. Allow 15 minutes for
each Syllabus Area.
If the question asks for one piece
of information, only write one in your
answer. If two tick boxes are required, tick
only two.
Helping more Scottish students to achieve their goals
26 March 2006 sundayherald 9
MODERN STUDIES
sources and write a balanced answer
which gives both points of view. You must
then come to a decision.
The BBC has designed some webpages
t o h e l p yo u re v i s e f o r In t e r m e d i a t e
Modern Studies – you can access them by
visiting:
www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/
MIND MAP: STANDARD GRADE
HIGHER
PAPER 1 – ONE HOUR 25 MINUTES
In this paper, time management is crucial.
You have five 10-mark answers to write,
which means you have only 17 minutes for
each question.
Make sure you take a watch with you.
And don’t forget to use it! You will never
get top marks if you do not complete all
the questions.
Section A – UK Politics
Two 10-mark questions from one study
theme. Part a) will ask you to describe and
start with a word such as “Describe” or
“What”. Part b) will expect a conclusion
and start with Examine, Discuss or To
what extent?
A good conclusion is more than a short
paragraph at the end beginning “In conclusion …” Try to start your answer with a
strong statement. Look at the following
opening to an answer to the question set
in the 2005 exam.
“To what extent does the media influence
voting behaviour?”
Answer begins: “The main influence on
voting behaviour used to be social class,
which is linked to employment, income
and where a person lives. Class de-alignment means that these factors are no longer
as important. The media increasingly
influence the public’s view of politicians
and politics.”
This is the start of a conclusion which will
be developed throughout the answer,
perhaps finishing with:
“In conclusion, political opinions nowadays are largely moulded by the media,
especially TV. Politicians see TV as their
most important contact with voters. Class is
now much less important and the major
political parties no longer have class-based
policies. However, this has also led to an
increase in the number of voters who do
not bother to vote.”
STUDY TIPS
There is a lot of information to learn so
make a study plan. Try using mind maps
or thought webs. An example of an outline
for a mind map to help revise the USA
topic is shown above. You can make it as
detailed or as basic as you wish.
Remember bullet points and lists are
used as a memory tool to help you with
your revision. When answering questions
in the exam you will need to build on your
mind map points, include explanations
and examples and write in proper
sentences and paragraphs.
Test yourself using past paper questions
in the same amount of time you will have
in the final exam.
Revise
The BBC Bitesize revision video can also
b e v e r y u s e f u l . Te s t y o u r s e l f u s i n g
the information on the BBC Scotland
Education website at www.bbc.co.uk/
scotland/education/bitesize/
INTERMEDIATE
For those who sat Standard Grade Modern
Studies last year, some features of the
Intermediate exams will be similar.
However, unlike Standard Grade, the
Intermediate paper has many questions that
you do not have to do. There are nine study
themes, but you only have to do three: a
Political Issues study theme, a Social Issues
theme and an International Issues theme.
/ Practise
In the Intermediate 1 paper, spend 30
minutes on each study theme.
In the Intermediate 2 paper, spend 40
minutes on each study theme.
There are two types of questions:
Knowledge and Understanding (LO1) and
Evaluating (LO2). In LO1 questions you
use the knowledge you have revised.
Evaluating is very similar to Enquiry
Skills at Standard Grade. However, you will
not be asked questions on Investigating
but you will be asked to “Make a Decision”
on a specific social issue. This may be, for
example, in Study Theme 5: Crime and the
Law in Society, on whether to increase the
number of police officers in Scotland.
You must be careful to use all the
Test
POINTS WORTH NOTING
ST1, Central Government
Central to this study theme are the powers
of the Prime Minister and the extent
to which Parliament can control the
Government.
When discussing pressure groups, which
include the media, remember that media
publicity is not an end in itself; some very
effective groups avoid publicity in favour
of other methods such as lobbying. Be able
to compare and discuss how effective
pressure groups and other influences are
in changing policies.
ST2 – Scottish Government
Remember local government, what it does
and how it is financed, is included along
with Scotland’s devolved Parliament and
the Executive.
How is our devolved system organised?
What are the functions of the different levels of government and how do they interact? What effect has devolution had on the
lives of Scottish people?
Review
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10 sundayherald 26 March 2006
MODERN STUDIES
From previous page
Short Evaluating Questions
These total 10 marks and along with
reading the paper should take about 30
minutes. The answers are based entirely
on the sources which the question tells
you to use. There is only one correct
answer. Do not bring in background
knowledge or use very big chunks of
the sources hoping the right answer must
be in there somewhere!
THE REPORT: HIGHER
ST3 – Political Parties and their Policies
Know how political parties choose their
leaders and policies.
ST4 – Elections And Voting
Be able to discuss voting behaviour,
particularly social class/family background
and the media as well as voting systems.
Know specific voting systems. First Past
the Post (FPTP) for the House of Commons; Proportional Representation (PR) is
not one system – be aware of actual systems such as Additional Member System
(AMS) in Scotland, Single Transferable
Vote (STV ) for MEPs in Northern Ireland
but planned for Scottish councils, and to
what extent they are truly proportional.
Remember AMS includes FPTP!
THE REPORT
(see panel)
How about doing some of your revision
online? Practice questions and feedback
for Paper 1 and Paper 2 are available for
Higher Modern Studies, just visit:
www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/
bitesize/
ADVANCED HIGHER
Section B
Whether it is Study Theme 5: Income and
Wealth, or Study Theme 6: Healthcare, you
only do one 10-mark question, but revise
widely to provide background knowledge
for Paper 2 – see the list under Paper 2. All
the questions will be Describe type
questions.
There are three Study Themes:
Comparative Politics and Research
Methods
Law and Order and Research Methods
The European Union and Research
Methods
Only look at the one you have studied.
Your dissertation already accounts for onethird of your overall mark.
Section C – International Issues
As in Section A – Two 10-mark questions
from one Study Theme. Part a) will ask you
to Describe and part b) to reach a
Conclusion.
ST 7 – South Africa
Apartheid is now in the past, so be aware
of current social/economic issues and
problems such as inequality, crime,
health and the responses of the Government. Also, know how the political system
now operates in the Republic of South
Africa (RSA).
ST8 – China
Know about the Communist Party and the
way it dominates politics and Chinese society. Contrast economic change and progress
with political and social repression.
ST9 – America
Ethnic Minorities in USA. Do not over
quote statistics. Be able to discuss the
main minorities: African Americans,
Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans. Why
do some minority groups do better than
others? Check if political, social or economic
progress/problems are being asked for.
Immigration and the distribution patterns
of the main minorities are also relevant.
ST10 – European Union
Be aware of the roles of the main institutions: Council of Ministers, European
Commission and European Parliament.
Also, issues such as CAP/CFP, single
currency and enlargement.
ST11 – Global Security
NATO and the UN, their aims, organisation and effectiveness in recent conflicts.
Give examples of peacekeeping methods
and conflicts but do not write recent histories like those of Iraq or Yugoslavia. The
changing role of NATO and the case for
reforming the UN.
ST12 – Politics Of Food
Do not write about development (aid) in
general as you did in Standard Grade but
concentrate on food and the factors that
limit its production and distribution, such
as civil war, corruption and debt. Use examples from anywhere in Africa except South
Africa. Be clear on the differences between
NGOs, governments and international
organisations such as the UN and the EU.
PAPER 2
Decision Making Exercise (DME) – One hour
20 minutes
The invigilator will give you papers on both
Income and Wealth and Healthcare –
discard the DME you have not studied.
This is worth 20 marks – allow at least 50
minutes. You need at least four subheadings.
1: Role, remit and a clear decision.
(Chapter 1)
2: Why you recommend your chosen
option. (Chapter 2)
3: Why you reject the other option.
(Chapter 3)
4: Conclusion/Summary. (Chapter 4)
You must use all the sources and integrate
them with background knowledge. Make
it obvious. Make annotations in the margin as
below (the letters B, C1 etc refer to the
sources that are given in the DME; BK means
background knowledge). Look at part of
Chapter 2 of an answer to the 2005 DME on
Healthcare in which the candidate decided to
recommend that foundation hospitals should
not be introduced into the Scottish NHS:
B
BK
C2
I agree that the
experience of foundation
hospitals in England shows
confusion in Labour’s health
policy. They have abandoned the
original aims of the NHS.
These were for a comprehensive,
integrated service providing the
best possible care to every
patient free at the point of use.
Politicians have lost public
confidence over the NHS which
is why a majority do not trust
government promises to
improve it.
Note how annotating the margin of the
answer book gives a simple checklist to
ensure you have used and integrated the
sources and your background knowledge.
In Chapter 3 the same candidate
explains why they rejected the arguments
of a supporter of foundation hospitals –
sometimes called rebuttal.
A
BK
C3
BK
I welcome the increased
spending on the NHS but I
disagree with the statement that
reform is essential if the money
is to be spent effectively. For
years waiting lists were a
disgrace and even resulted in
patients’ deaths. The extra
money is essential to make up for
the damage from years of
underfunding. The statistics
show NHS spending is higher per
head in Scotland but also show
that we have more doctors and
nurses per 100,000 people –
surely something of which to be
proud?
Scotland has problems of
poverty and remoteness which
inevitably increase health costs.
Background knowledge
This is essential. Further development
from the sources as well as national and
local examples can usually be brought in.
Examples of background knowledge
Health
Original aims of the NHS.
Infinite demand – limited resources.
Recent changes in health policy.
Public and private health provision.
International comparisons.
Devolution – differences in provision and
policies between Scotland and England.
Health inequalities.
The elderly.
Income and Wealth
Original aims of the Welfare State
(Beveridge).
Income distribution and poverty.
Benefits and taxes.
Employment.
Social class.
Gender.
Race.
Government policy.
SECTION A
Two 30-mark essay questions chosen from
four – one per context, one hour each.
These essays are much more challenging
than the 10-mark questions you answered
at Higher. At this level, essays should do
more than describe. Phrases such as “to
some extent”, however, will feature in a
good essay as you must compare, contrast
and evaluate different points of view.
In the exam itself, use the first minutes
to write a plan for your answer – 45 minutes is plenty of time for writing.
The essays will allow you to range widely
and incorporate a variety of evidence – the
more you think about the topic the more
you will realise you have to say.
Answer the question given, not the one
you hoped for! It will be open-ended
enough for you to incorporate much of
your knowledge.
SECTION B
Total of 30 marks on research methods –
one hour.
You should be aware of bias/exaggeration, ethics, reliability and the advantages
and disadvantages of research methods
including opinion polls, telephone canvassing, interviews, questionnaires, focus
groups and the ways computers and other
new technology can help the researcher.
You do not need to carry out statistical
tests or draw graphs, but it is useful to be
aware of the reasons for statistical testing
and understand terms such as “significant”
and “correlation”.
Be prepared to give examples. Some
q u e s t i o n s w i l l a s k yo u t o c o m m e n t
on data.
MODERN STUDIES
EXAM TIMETABLE
Level/Paper
Time
Monday May 15
Intermediate 1
Intermediate 2
Higher Paper 1
Higher Paper 2
9am-10.30am
9am-11am
9am-10.25am
10.45am-12.05pm
Monday May 22
Standard Grade
Foundation
General
Credit
9am-10am
10.20am-11.50pm
1pm-3pm