How to Study for Modern History with Multiple Resources? (1 Viewer)

[Pete1555]

Hey all, this is my first post on this website, & I'm really looking forward to becoming an avid member to this site during my HSC year.

OK, so now to my concern. I'm currently creating notes for Modern History: World War 1, & I'm having difficulty doing so. My teacher gives out many handouts from various resources in-order for my class to get the complete concept. However, I'm finding it difficult to integrate all the information into one, as the detail is just too excessive. For example, whilst writing notes for 'Strategies and Tactics used to break the stalemate', I had close to around 4 pages of notes (writing is pathetically small ). So, I've now had to restart my notes, however this time I'm only using one resource which is 'Key Features of Modern History' by Bruce Dennett & Stephen Dixon. I use this book in class, & I do find that the information is mostly relevant & not excessive at times.

So my question is.... Is it OK to study with only one resource, or is it preferred to use multiple resources whilst making study notes. Sorry if it was hard to understand, but I hope you get it.

Thanks!

 

[cem]

I encourage my students to make their initial notes from the textbook they are using in class (and yes I use Key Features) then read another source and ask themselves if there is something essential in that second source that they absolutely have to have or whether it is much the same.

With WWI remember that it is source based as well and that your responses are fairly short so the excessive detail isn't needed - what is needed is enough detail to use with two or three given sources to answer a question.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

Hey all, this is my first post on this website, & I'm really looking forward to becoming an avid member to this site during my HSC year.

OK, so now to my concern. I'm currently creating notes for Modern History: World War 1, & I'm having difficulty doing so. My teacher gives out many handouts from various resources in-order for my class to get the complete concept. However, I'm finding it difficult to integrate all the information into one, as the detail is just too excessive. For example, whilst writing notes for 'Strategies and Tactics used to break the stalemate', I had close to around 4 pages of notes (writing is pathetically small ). So, I've now had to restart my notes, however this time I'm only using one resource which is 'Key Features of Modern History' by Bruce Dennett & Stephen Dixon. I use this book in class, & I do find that the information is mostly relevant & not excessive at times.

So my question is.... Is it OK to study with only one resource, or is it preferred to use multiple resources whilst making study notes. Sorry if it was hard to understand, but I hope you get it.

Thanks!

Hey, we hope to see some 2013 around these modern boards!

It can be super hard to create notes in modern, esp. if your teacher is like the handout king like mine was. That's where you have to be distinctive with what you take on. It's easier to consider one first, then see if the second source has new good stuff to add while condensing what you already have. Modern there's reams of info, that's why you need to get some facts down that are concise and versatile to use in exams.

It's always preferable to at least look at other resources definitely-and also looking at some historiography is preferable in personality and national study. So with WW1, I wouldn't worry about having massively detailed notes as it's source based. I spent a long time on WW1 knowledge where there's only one or two Qs you use any in the HSC and it's minimal.

 

[Siennalady]

I had the same problem during HSC. Its so easy to get flooded with ALL these hand outs.
I would recommend to use 'Key Features of Modern History' as your basis for your notes as it is, as you said where 'the information is mostly relevant & not excessive at times'
However. If you're aiming for higher, I would strongly recommend building on this with other resources. Because if you only memorise the information from one, main source like the rest of your classmates, your essays won't stand out, and that won't get you into the top bands.

What I did, was that I would first use one text book, one that my teacher would highly recommend. While I was writing my notes, I used a lot of subtitles etc. I tried not to include EVERY SINGLE DETAIL, because that just gets annoying.
I would hand my newly made notes to my teacher
If my teacher said it was good, then, I'd leave my notes as they were.
But if my teacher said I was lacking in detail etc. I would use another resource to fill in the gaps that the original textbook didn't cover.

Some textbooks are good at covering certain topics than others. The way you get your essays to stand out is the difference in quality between yours and your classmates. Using multiple resources will enable you to do that.

Hope this helps!

p.s throughout the year, try to work on condensing your notes and make them more succinct. This is AWESOME for memory retention, and you'll be able to pull things up from the top of your head easily in an exam when writing an essay. Plus, your notes are smaller in size, so there's less to cram in when most of it is already there! (hope that made sense!)

 

[tigerian]

Copious notes are often difficult to keep track of . As a teacher I use Dennet (see first thread above) but I feel that the HTA (History Teachers Association) text is more helpful and it is available for students to purchase. It is well set out and follows the Mod Hist curriculum through each section. It provides helpful notes and summaries and is worth considering if you get hold of it .

 

[Caaaaake]

Hmmmmmm, when I did modern, I actually didn't end up writing down many notes and I did alright, but for WW1 its actually quite fine to make do without multiple sources as long as the single source you're using for your own notes/study covers every aspect of the syllabus.

One thing you MIGHT want to look at is AJP Taylor's 1914-1919 WW1 chronicle or something, I can't exactly remember the title. Its quite a small little paperback book and reads really well and I found it covers most of the WW1 syllabus great and gives excellent indepth information in a readable, almost novel like format.