This presentation will guide you through the steps needed to answer the Reliability question type in the SBQ section of your exam. I've borrowed the SURE acronym from the library campaign to help you to remember the answer structure for reliability questions.
2. RECAP
SBQ Source-based questions
◦ 30/50 marks for History
◦ 35/50 marks for SS
SBQ Skills
◦ Inference
◦ Comparison
3. Targets for Today
Learn how to allocate time for the
exam
Understand what reliability questions
are and how to answer them
4. Time allocation
HISTORY SOCIAL STUDIES
SBQ
5 questions
30 marks 60min 35 marks 70min
SEQ
Choose 1
from 2 (H) or
3 (SS) two-
part
20 marks 40min 15 marks 30min
Duration / Marks (Each paper):
1 hour 40 min / 50 marks
5. Reliability questions
What are reliability questions?
Check if a source can be trusted as a
source of historical information
Test your ability to understand a source
in context, using:
◦ Its purpose & provenance
◦ Other sources & contextual knowledge
6. Reliability questions
Why test reliability?
Life skill:
How do you know what to believe?
Academic skill:
Why do I need to read so many
sources?
7. Examples of reliability
questions
Can you believe what Source A tells you
about…?
Are you surprised by Source A?
How reliable is Source A? (extent
question)
How far can you trust Source A? (extent
question)
NOTE: Reliability questions can be used
on both textual and pictorial sources
8. Is this source reliable?
Why or why not?
Our whole country is awaiting and demanding one
thing. The traitors and spies who were selling our
country must be shot like dirty dogs. Our people
are demanding one thing. Crush the accursed
reptile. The graves of the hateful traitors will grow
over with weeds and thistles.
But over us, our happy country our sun will shine
bright and luminous as before. Over our road
cleared of the last scum and filth of the past, we,
with our beloved leader and teacher, the great
Stalin, will march as before onwards towards
communism.
A speech by the prosecutor at one of Stalin’s
show trial, March 1938.
9. Is this source reliable?
Why or why not?
How did you make your decision?
What evidence did you use?
10. Answering a reliability
question
SEE? SURE or not???
Para 1:
SEE
Para 2:
State reliability
Ulterior motives (purpose)
Refer to another source
Explain
11. Answering a reliability
question
PARA 1
SEE
(1 short paragraph)
Same as answering an inference
question
Limit answer to 2-3 lines max
Only worth 1-2 marks
12. Answering a reliability
question
PARA 2
State reliability (1/2 line)
What this source says is
reliable/unreliable because…
(go straight into next step: Ulterior
motives)
13. Answering a reliability
question
Ulterior motives (full purpose
statement = VAM + DO)
Who is writing/saying/drawing this?
Why do you think he is saying this?
What is the desired outcome?
14. Answering a reliability
question
Refer to another sources (CR)
What do the other sources say? (CR)
How is this different/the same as what
this source says?
16. Answering a reliability
questionSEE & SURE Length
SEE Paragraph 1: 3-4 lines max
State reliability Paragraph 2: ½ line
Ulterior motives (full
purpose statement =
VAM+DO)
Paragraph 2: 2-3 lines
Refer to another source
(CR)
Paragraph 2: 2-3 lines
Explain
Paragraph 2: 1-2 lines
17. The 2nd paragraph (1)
(S) What this source says is
reliable/unreliable because…
(U) …it is taken from a speech by Stalin
(provenance). Stalin probably gave this speech
to convince the people of Russia that
industrialisation was a great success, so that
they would give their full support to his
economic policies and contribute more
enthusiastically to the Five Year Plans…
(purpose)
(R) … In comparison, Source X shows me that
rapid industrialisation actually caused the
people to suffer, as seen in, ‘quote’. (CR)
18. The 2nd paragraph (2)
(E) All of this shows me that what
Stalin says is clearly untrue. Stalin has
ulterior motives for making this
speech. The evidence from Source X
also shows me that what he is saying
about the effects of industrialisation is
inaccurate. Therefore, this source is
unreliable.