SBQ SKILLS –
UTILITY
Usefulness of a source…
O In History, we use sources to study about past
events. Sources provide useful information.
O But no one source is perfect in telling us
EVERYTHING about the event.
O So, the source will be useful but also have limitations
O Useful because it tells us one part
O Limitations because it does not tell us the other part
How do we know whether
the source information is
useful / limited?
O By checking with what we have studied in
our textbook which is also known as
Contextual Knowledge
How useful is chocolate in
making brownies?
O Chocolate is useful because it forms one part of
the recipe.
O But it has limitations because we need more
ingredients to form the other part of the recipe.
O How do we know this 
Contextual Knowledge
(what we have read in recipe books)
Coming back to History…
How useful is a source in telling us about an
event?
Other ways of phrasing the question:
O Is the source useful in telling us about an
event?
Para 1:
The source is useful in telling me [insert question]. But it
has limitations.
Para 2:
The source is useful because it tells me one [insert factor]
This is evident from [quote evidence from source].
This is supported by CROSS-REFERENCING to contextual
knowledge which tells us that _______________.
Para 3:
However, the source has limitations because it does not tell
me other [insert factor].
This is supported by CROSS REFERENCING to contextual
knowledge which tells us that __________.
How useful is the source in
telling us about achievements
of the Chinese?
Source A: An extract on inventions in ancient China
Many of the world’s most important inventions
came from China. By the time the invention of
paper passed to Western Asia and Europe in the
8th century CE, the Chinese had developed
printing. Such inventions brought reading and
writing to ordinary people.
The source is useful in telling us about the achievements of the
Chinese. However it has its limitations.
The source is useful in telling us about one achievements of the
Chinese such as the invention of printing.
This is evident from source which says “by the time the invention of
paper passed to Western Asia…the Chinese had developed
printing.”
This is supported by cross-referencing to contextual knowledge
which tells us that the Chinese were the ones who invented printing
which was then known as block printing and movable type.
However, the source has its limitations because it does not tell us
other achievements of the Chinese such as the invention of pottery.
This is supported by cross-referencing to contextual knowledge
which tells us that the Chinese used unique techniques to produce
pottery and porcelain of very high quality.
Let’s practise the skills now!
Turn to workbook pg. 73 