GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES: HOW TO ANSWER 12 MARK QUESTIONS (AQA)
Summary
TLDRIn this GCSE religious studies revision video, Ben Wardle offers a comprehensive guide on tackling 12-mark questions to achieve top grades. He emphasizes the importance of evaluation, presenting arguments for and against a statement with supporting religious evidence. The video outlines a structured approach to answering, including presenting two religious arguments for agreement, two for disagreement, and concluding with a justified personal stance. Wardle also advises on the effective use of religious teachings, the relevance of evidence, and the importance of a strong conclusion to demonstrate a deep understanding and secure full marks.
Takeaways
- 📚 The video is a GCSE religious studies revision guide focused on answering 12-mark questions effectively.
- 🎯 To achieve full marks, students must provide a balanced evaluation, including arguments for and against the statement, supported by evidence and a justified conclusion.
- 🔑 The keyword for answering is 'evaluate', which means to consider both sides of an argument before reaching a conclusion.
- 📈 Half of the marks in AQA GCSE exams come from 12-mark questions, emphasizing their importance.
- 💡 Including religious teachings and linking them to the argument is crucial for scoring high marks.
- 🕒 Students should allocate around 15 minutes for a 12-mark question, including planning and proofreading.
- 📝 The answer should be structured with at least three paragraphs: arguments for agreement, arguments for disagreement, and a concluding paragraph.
- 📈 The video suggests using specific religious sources like scripture, teachings of religious leaders, or catechisms to support arguments.
- 📑 It's important to be specific about religious denominations or schools of thought when presenting arguments.
- ⏱ The video provides a recommended structure and timing for each part of the 12-mark answer to ensure comprehensive coverage within the time limit.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The main focus of the video is to provide guidance on how to answer 12-mark questions in GCSE religious studies, aiming to secure top marks.
What does the term 'evaluate' mean in the context of the video?
-In the context of the video, 'evaluate' means to give both sides of an argument before reaching a justified conclusion.
Why are 12-mark questions important in AQA GCSE exams?
-Half of the marks in AQA GCSE exams come from the 12-mark questions, making them crucial for achieving high scores.
What are the three key ingredients needed to secure 12 out of 12 marks in a 12-mark question, according to the video?
-The three key ingredients needed are: presenting two religious arguments to agree with the statement with evidence, presenting two religious arguments to disagree with the statement with evidence, and reaching a justified conclusion.
What does AQA suggest for structuring a 12-mark answer?
-AQA suggests including two different points of view, religious teachings relevant to the argument, and a strong justified conclusion.
How much time should be spent on a 12-mark question according to the video?
-The video suggests spending around 15 minutes on a 12-mark question, including planning and proofreading.
What is the minimum number of paragraphs recommended for a 12-mark answer?
-The minimum number of paragraphs recommended for a 12-mark answer is three, with one paragraph for agree arguments, one for disagree arguments, and one for the conclusion.
Why is it important to include religious teachings in the 12-mark answers?
-Including religious teachings is important because it shows the examiner that the candidate is knowledgeable about religious sources of wisdom and authority, which is essential for an RE exam.
How should non-religious arguments be used in the 12-mark answers?
-Non-religious arguments should be kept to a minimum, with no more than 20-25% of the 12-mark answer being non-religious.
What is the significance of the conclusion in a 12-mark answer?
-The conclusion is significant because it shows the examiner that the candidate has considered both sides of the argument and has made a judgment, which is essential for achieving top marks.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to GCSE Religious Studies Revision
Ben Wardle introduces a GCSE religious studies revision video focused on answering 12-mark questions effectively. He emphasizes the importance of mastering this question style as it accounts for half the marks in AQA GCSE exams. The video aims to guide students to achieve full marks by understanding the command word 'evaluate,' which requires presenting balanced arguments with evidence before reaching a justified conclusion. Ben encourages students to utilize religious teachings and wisdom to impress examiners with depth and strength in their conclusions.
📝 Structuring the Perfect 12-Mark Answer
The video outlines the structure for a high-scoring 12-mark answer, which includes presenting two religious arguments for and against a statement with supporting evidence. It stresses the importance of a justified conclusion that reflects a personal stance after considering all arguments. Ben advises on the use of scripture and other authoritative sources, linking them back to the question to demonstrate a deep understanding. He also discusses the marking scheme, focusing on level four responses, and provides tips from AQA on writing effective answers within a 15-minute timeframe, including planning and proofreading.
🕒 Time Management and Paragraph Structure
Ben suggests a time management strategy for answering 12-mark questions, advocating for a minimum of three paragraphs: one for arguments to agree, one for disagree, and a concluding paragraph. He advises against spending more than 15 minutes on these questions, including planning and proofreading. The video provides a rough guide for the number of words and paragraphs, emphasizing the quality and relevance of content over quantity. Ben also highlights the importance of evaluation and a strong, justified conclusion to demonstrate a high level of understanding and reasoning.
📖 Evidence and Logical Reasoning in Exam Answers
The video discusses the importance of including evaluation in answers and finishing with a strong, justified conclusion. It explains the significance of logical chains of reasoning and the need for a clear judgment on the arguments presented. Ben encourages students to be specific in their references to religious teachings and to paraphrase rather than copy texts verbatim. He also advises on the inclusion of a variety of sources of wisdom and authority, and the relevance of different denominations' beliefs to strengthen exam answers.
📝 Crafting Effective 12-Mark Responses
Ben provides examples of how to structure a 12-mark response, including an introduction, agree and disagree arguments, and a conclusion. He shares an AQA exemplar response and offers his own structure, emphasizing the importance of relevance, evidence, and clear linking back to the question. The video also touches on the use of non-religious arguments and the need to keep them minimal, ensuring the focus remains on religious teachings and their evaluation. Ben concludes with tips for securing top marks by demonstrating a deep understanding of the evidence's strength and its impact on the conclusion.
🌟 Achieving Top Marks with Evidence Evaluation
In the final part of the video, Ben emphasizes the need to evaluate the strength of the evidence presented in 12-mark answers to achieve top marks. He provides examples of how to discuss the significance of biblical teachings and their impact on a Christian's agreement or disagreement with a statement. Ben encourages students to justify their conclusions by selecting the strongest argument and presenting it confidently. The video concludes with advice on being specific in references to religious denominations and beliefs, and a reminder to believe in oneself and aim for high marks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Evaluation
💡Religious Studies
💡GCSE
💡Evidence
💡Argument
💡Conclusion
💡Scripture
💡AQA
💡Denominations
💡Justified Conclusion
Highlights
Introduction to the GCSE religious studies revision video by Ben Wardle.
Emphasis on the importance of 12-mark questions in GCSE exams, which contribute to half of the marks.
Explanation of the term 'evaluate' and its significance in answering 12-mark questions.
Guidance on structuring responses to achieve full marks, including presenting arguments for and against a statement.
The necessity of using evidence from religious texts and sources of wisdom to support arguments.
Advice on impressing examiners with depth of explanation and strength of conclusions.
Details of the marking criteria used by examiners to grade 12-mark answers.
Recommendation to focus on level four of the marking scheme to secure top marks.
Three key elements required for a perfect 12-mark answer: agree arguments, disagree arguments, and a justified conclusion.
AQA's advice on writing 12-mark answers, including the need for two different points of view.
The importance of including religious teachings and explaining their relevance to the argument.
Advice on the structure of the answer, including the number of paragraphs and the use of planning and proofreading time.
The significance of a strong, justified conclusion that demonstrates the evaluation of arguments.
How to use phrases to evaluate the strength of evidence and arguments presented.
The value of being specific about religious denominations and schools of thought when presenting arguments.
Examples of how to structure a 12-mark answer, including the use of an introduction and alternating agree and disagree points.
Ben Wardle's personal structure for approaching 12-mark questions, with suggested timings for each section.
The importance of linking evidence back to the question and using phrases that show the implications of the evidence.
Encouragement to refer to the strength of the evidence to secure a grade nine in the exam.
Closing remarks, offering luck and confidence to students preparing for their GCSE exams.
Transcripts
uh low to you I do hope you're well
welcome to this GCSE religious studies
revision video I'm Ben Wardle and today
we are talking about how to answer 12
Mark questions so we are going to cover
everything you need to know in order to
secure the top marks to get 12 out of 12
in your 12 markers now remember half of
your marks in your AQA GCSE exams come
from the 12 Mark questions and so it's
really important we are experts at
answering this style of question and
remember this question is all about
evaluation the key command word as I've
written on the screen there is to
evaluate and evaluate simply means to
give both sides of an argument before
reaching a Justified conclusion so in
order to secure 12 out of 12 you're
going to explain reasons to agree and
disagree with the statement and you're
going to use evidence there before
reaching a Justified conclusion and it
is so important at the end of your 12
markets that you are reaching that
justified conclusion that you are saying
to The Examiner that in conclusion after
considering both sides of the argument I
personally agree or disagree with the
statement for this reason so this is a
really brilliant opportunity I think to
show The Examiner you're a Grade 9
student because you can Dazzle them with
your references to scripture and other
sources of wisdom and authority and you
can really impress them with the depth
of your explanations and with the
strength of the conclusion you then
reach so let's see this as an
opportunity to secure lots of marks so
we can get that grade nine and to really
show The Examiner we are a top Grade 9
re student so here is the marks theme
that the examiner will be using to mark
your 12 markers and as you can see it's
split into four levels we are of course
going to focus on level four because we
are all aiming for at least 10 out of 12
in our 12 markers so we want to be
securing those top marks and here on the
right of the screen I've put what I
think are the three things you need to
do in order to secure 12 out of 12. so
in your 12 Market you need to present to
me two religious arguments to agree with
the statements with evidence so for
example references to scripture and
other sources of wisdom and authority
and to then explain that evidence in a
way that links back to the question you
need to give two religious arguments to
disagree with the statement again with
evidence and explanation that links back
to the statement before reaching that
justified conclusion at the end of your
12 marker so you're going to say at the
end of your essay in conclusion having
considered both sides of the argument I
personally agree or disagree with the
statement because you're then going to
reach that clear Justified conclusion
which will confirm to The Examiner that
you are a Grade 9 candidate that your
essay deserves 12 out of 12 Health now
here is the advice that AQA give us in
terms of writing our 12 Mark answers so
they tell us that a 12 Mark answer
should number one include two different
points of view and that's why I've said
you need to include your reasons to
agree with the statement and then
include your reasons to disagree with
the statement because if you just give
one side of the argument you're not
going to get any more than six marks and
that is not what we want is it we want
to be aiming for 12 out of 12. and so
the key Point here is that you need to
give both sides of the argument whenever
you're evaluating you are considering
both sides of an argument before
reaching a Justified conclusion so make
sure in your 12 Mark if you are giving
both sides of the argument you also need
to include religious teaching and
explain how it is relevant to the
argument being made and that is why I've
said you need to include
um your evidence for example scripture
or it might be a quote from Pope Francis
or it might be something from the
catechism of the Catholic church for
example and then you you need to link
that back to the question you need to
say to me really clearly why this would
mean someone agrees with the statement
or why it would mean someone disagrees
with the statement and remember if you
only refer to non-religious views so if
you only gave secular responses you
would be capped again at six marks this
is an Ari exam so make sure you're using
as much religious evidence and as many
religious examples as you possibly can
as I say see this question as a chance
to show The Examiner that you are a top
marks Grade 9 re student that you know
your scripture that you know your
sources of wisdom and authority and
really leave this opportunity to show
The Examiner that our next key point
then is that you need to be detailed as
I say explanation is absolutely crucial
for securing 12 out of 12. as I've
mentioned to you the a02 questions for
your 12 markets accounts are 50 of the
total Mark the AQA status spend actually
up to 15 minutes answering these
questions now I don't think you should
spend 15 minutes writing I think that
should include maybe one or two minutes
of planning time beforehand and again
one or two minutes after you've written
it to proofread it because remember
spelling punctuation and grammar is
assessed in this question but as a Rough
Guide we are saying 15 minutes for your
12 markers including planning and
proofreading you also need to make sure
you use a minimum of free paragraphs and
of course that means giving one
paragraph where there are arguments to
agree with the statement and you're then
giving obviously your arguments against
the statement and then you're reaching
that final conclusion so they are the
three key ingredient for your agree
arguments your disagree arguments and
then your final conclusion now AQA say
that as a guide this could be around 250
words you don't actually need to write a
lot in order to secure 12 out of 12. it
really is about the quality and the
relevance of what you're writing making
sure that everything you're writing is
clearly linked back to the statement
don't just go off on a tangent
um you know telling me all about the
quote that you've used show me why that
quote would mean someone agreed or
disagree with the statement our next key
point then is to ensure that the answer
includes evaluation and it finishes with
a strong Justified conclusion it is so
important that you are ending year 12
markets with that clear conclusion that
shows the examiner that you've
considered the agree argument you've
considered the disagree and then you've
actually made a judgment and now they
tell us that judgments on the arguments
are essential for the top level so don't
just present to me the arguments to
agree with the statement and the
arguments to disagree with the statement
you then need to make a judgment and
that's why the conclusion's so important
isn't it because it shows you making a
judgment whether you thought that the
agree arguments or the disagree argument
was Stronger so AQA say we could use
phrases such as this argument all this
evidence is robust you could say that
this argument or evidence is strong weak
inconclusive insubstantial that it's
convincing and then telling the examiner
why so you're not just presenting
evidence but you're actually then
evaluating it so for example for a
Christian if something's from the Bible
then that's going to be really strong
evidence for them isn't it because they
might believe you know that if the
infallible inerrant word of God and so
with some things in scripture then
that's going to be very strong very
substantial evidence for them and and
this will also help they're fed to
address the logical chains of reasoning
now all that that means is that there is
a really clearly developed chain of
reasoning in your answer and all you
need to do to secure that is present
your agree arguments present your
disability argument and then reach your
conclusion after considering both sides
any references to religious teaching
this is important guys can be
paraphrased AQA you're not expecting you
to copy out entire verses from the Bible
or the Quran or to be copying out entire
pages of Pope francis's encyclicals and
and so you can paraphrase the teachings
also you don't need to cite specific
references in your answers you don't
need to be saying in Genesis 1 verse 24
you can just refer to the the text or to
the source and now I would actually say
in order to secure 12 out of 12 I do
want you to be specific I don't want you
to be saying in the Bible it says please
tell me what book in the Bible for
example you know please do be specific
in that sense but you don't then need to
be giving me exact minute details and
remember as well that other sources of
wisdom and authorities such as religious
leaders that prayer hymns the catechism
and other religious figures are also
credit worthy and you will the my
revision videos we don't just focus on
the Bible and the Quran we do talk about
Pope Francis we do talk about the
catechism you know make sure you are
bringing in all those different sources
of wisdom and Authority we want to see
you know that really strong evident
faith in your 12 markers so you know do
bring those different opinions in do
bring those different sources of wisdom
and Authority in if you think of course
that they're relevant to either agreeing
or disagreeing with the statement and
finally last but not least your answers
can draw on the beliefs of different
denominations or schools of thought so
one of my pet hates when I'm reading 12
Marcus is when students write some
people may agree with the statement I
want you to be more specific than that I
want you to tell me some Catholic
Christians may agree with the statements
or some Quaker Christians May disagree
with the statement really be as specific
as you can talk about those different
denominations talk about the different
schools of thought for example the
inclusive mosque initiative and whenever
you're talking about homosexuality in
Islam is a great specific example yeah
one group within Islam that actually
have quite a clear opinion and it's
actually one of the only opinions that
could support
um homosexual relationships for example
so really try to be as specific as
possible you don't want to be assuming
that every single Christian in the world
or every single Muslim in the world
believes exactly the same thing so try
to be specific try to refer to different
denominations and different schools of
thought a quick note as well that you
can use non-religious arguments in your
themes paper answers but please please
keep them to a minimum please make sure
that no more than you know 20 25 of your
12 markers on the themes paper are ever
non-religious arguments we need to
remember we're getting our marks for our
religious teachings and our explanations
of those teachings we are doing an re
exam after all so what I want to do now
is show you two examples from AQA of how
to structure a 12 marker I am then going
to share with you my structure which you
might like to use and I've included on
their timings as well for each section
of your answer now this first AQA
Exemplar is very interesting because it
is three paragraphs which remember is
the minimum requirement from AQA so I've
had a look at this question in response
to the statement a loving God would not
send anyone to Hell evaluate this
statement for 12 marks plus of course
your spelling punctuation and grammar so
it's really important that you are
proofreading your answers after you've
written them now they have as we say
given three paragraphs they've given
their paragraph of really well explained
agree arguments with great references to
um scripture and then they've given
their disagree arguments again with
really excellent level of explanation
and really great examples before
reaching a really clear conclusion so
hey please have a read of this by the
way please have a read through but I'm
not going to read it to you don't want
to send you to sleep but what what can
we say about this well this student has
chosen to write one detailed agree
paragraph one detailed disagree
paragraph and then they've reached a
fully Justified conclusion which is
really important make sure you always
end with a fully Justified conclusion
each of their paragraphs includes
evidence for example they've referred to
scripture they've given examples of
Jesus's conduct and remember that's
great evidence for Christians because he
is the key role model he is the key
Exemplar he's not just a moral teacher
he is the Incarnate Son of God so if
he's doing something Christians are
going to take that seriously aren't they
that's going to really influence whether
they agree or disagree with that
statement if it's in alignment with what
she's the third and of course what Jesus
did in the gospels and they also include
really good explanations of their
evidence so the phrase this shows for
example is one that I particularly like
because it's where you're saying okay
here my evidence but then you're
actually saying what that shows what its
relevance is to the statement and that's
really really important for securing the
marks here and it is always always in
both paragraphs clearly linked back to
the question you must always be linking
back to the question guys they've
written therefore a benevolent God
wouldn't sentence anyone to such an
unloving life as hell so a really clear
link back to the question
um now what did AQA say about this they
said this is a high level response
despite it times being less concise than
it could be so they've said actually it
could be even shorter than this it is
well argued relevant and has reasoned
consideration of different points of
view because you've got you agree really
detailed arguments and then you've got
your disagree really detailed arguments
the reasoning leads to judgments which
is supported by knowledge and
understanding of relevant evidence and
information so they've made sure that
they're giving evidence why a Christian
would agree with the statement they're
then giving evidence why Christian would
disagree with the statement their
reference to religion is constant and
accurate and so they've said this is an
easy maximum for students at this level
so this is all they could ever expect
from you at GCSE now I'm going to be
really honest with you I think that's
pretty easy to write yeah I think that's
a really easy thing for you to do in the
exam in the time that we have available
to us all that I would say is that you
do need to know your teachings of course
and that you do need to be ready to
explain the teachings and obviously link
them back to the question so they've
given that one 12 out of 12. I want to
now give you a second example from AQA
and as you can see they've taken a
slightly different approach haven't they
they've written shorter paragraphs now
they still achieve 12 marks but as they
say they've actually broken those
paragraphs down what they've also done
which is quite interesting is they've
alternated their agree and disagree
points so they've actually done an agree
disagree and then they've gone back to
agree and then they've gone back to
disagree now again you know there is a
lot of flexibility here in terms of what
approach works for you so for this
student as they say they've chosen to
write two agreed paragraphs and two
disagree paragraphs followed Again by a
fully Justified conclusion I really like
this conclusion because they've written
that in conclusion after assessing both
sides I disagree with this statement and
I think that's really powerful in terms
of showing the examiner that you've
considered both sides of the argument
before reaching that conclusion I think
that's really impactful and because it
you know it's showing as well that
you've not just then suddenly thought of
another argument and you've decided to
write that as your conclusion you're
actually showing the examiner that you
have weighed up both sides and that that
has informed the Judgment you've now
made
so their arguments are again supported
by relevant evidence for example they've
got their Bible quotes in there they've
refer to key beliefs of the religion
such as purgatory and they've explained
them so they've used the phrase which
means so again a really powerful phrase
to be using they have again clearly
linked back to the question then surely
they deserve to go to hell and there is
nothing God can do to prevent it so
again you're seeing aren't you the same
key ingredients that there is evidence
that is explained and clearly linked
back to the question they are I have to
tell you guys the key ingredients for
securing 12 out of 12. so here's what
AKA did say this is a very articulate
response and it is easily deserving of
bull marks again I don't think that
they've done anything particularly
special in the nicest possible way to
whoever wrote this I just think that
they have really clearly understood what
it means to evaluate that they're fully
engaged with that particular statement
that they've given that evidence they've
explained it and linked that back to the
question and there you go you at the
12th Mark and the fetty is mildly
repetitive at times but the content is
impressive clear knowledge and
understanding is shown throughout with
good use of religious Concepts to argue
and come to judgments it's well argued
different points of view are addressed
and the chains of reasoning are
demonstrated so again a level 4 12 out
of 12 response so for the grand finale
of today's video guys I want to share
with you my structure for approaching
these questions and it brings those two
answers together
um now an interesting question I often
get asked is do I need an introduction
now as you saw if I just go back that
Exemplar included an introduction uh you
know they told us in one sentence what
hell is and then they actually asked us
a question always like to see a question
in your 12 markers by the way they're a
really great tool for developing your
evaluation however the original one did
not have a standalone introduction so it
is you know very much a personal choice
thing here I think my advice is if
you're going to write an introduction do
not spend more than 30 seconds writing
it so you might want to if you do want
that introduction there just have a
keyword definition so whatever the
keyword or the key concept is in the
question give me a 30 second definition
of it so just to start the essay to show
The Examiner that you understand the key
concept but here's the thing guys this
is an aoq question you are being
assessed on your evaluation not on your
knowledge and so don't worry too much
about showing the examiner you know that
that knowledge of the concept the most
important thing is that you are
evaluating the statement and of course
your knowledge will come through in your
written response there so what I would
then say is to write agree argument one
I want you to make a point you're going
to think you know Catholic Christians
may agree with the statement because
you're then going to give evidence why
they would agree with the statement you
know in the Bible in the catechism
Francis says you're then going to
explain this means this shows that and
you're going to include in there a link
back to the question you know therefore
they would agree with the statement
therefore they would strongly agree with
the statement
um so you're making sure that what
you're writing is relevant it always has
to be relevant guys this is one of the
things that loses people marks they
start going off randomly on
you have to make sure everything you're
writing is completely relevant that
everything you're writing is about
either agreeing or disagreeing with the
statements that's paragraph one that's
going to be a two and a half minutes
we're going to be really specific about
our timings here of a point evidence
explanation with a link back to the
question you're then going to do the
same thing you're going to put your
second agree argument on the page so
you're going to give me a really strong
points you might say you know Quaker
Christians would also agree with the
statement because and then again you're
going to give me your clear evidence and
then that needs to be explained this
means that this shows this teaches
Quakers that and that explanation is
going to include a link back to the
question as well again you've got to be
always linking back you'll need to show
The Examiner that you're evaluating this
particular statement you need to show
them why the evidence you've given is
relevant
I would then move on to my disagree
argument so again I'd be spending two
and a half minutes doing my first
disagree point my point evidence
explanation and Link and then my second
disagree argument with my point evidence
explanation and Link you will notice
there then that I am saying spend five
minutes writing your agree arguments
five minutes writing your disagree
arguments and I am saying to write to
agree and to disagree so that is what I
would be aiming for and then really
importantly guys is that at the end you
have got your fully Justified conclusion
and I'm saying spend about 90 seconds on
this this is where you're going to give
your judgment if you're going to say in
conclusion after assessing both sides of
the argument I and then you're either
going to say that you agree with the
statement or you disagree with the
statements because and then you need to
explain to me why you've reached that
judgment remember it's a Justified
conclusion you have to justify what
you're saying and you have to give that
reason why you've reached that specific
conclusion so I have then included here
excuse me God's just starting some green
tea
some examples of statements that I think
would be particularly helpful for
crafting your 12 markers the example you
might as of Zed want to refer to
specific denominations when you're
making your points so you might say
Roman Catholics may agree with the
statement because they believe that in
terms of uh including your explanation
and evidence a great way to introduce
evidence is to say this is shown in the
Bible which teaches that or to say for
example the catechism of the Catholic
Church teaches that
um or this is been in the gospels when
Jesus and then give me a specific
example of something that Jesus did you
know when he feeds the 5 000 for example
or he you know drives out a demon or he
you know stops the man stoning the
adulterous woman
um and then of course in terms of
explaining that you're going to say this
means that or you're going to write the
implication of this is that Christians
today should and then you know keep
going this clearly shows that and again
that's where you're actually
um passing judgment on the arguments and
and so you need to make sure that
explanation is there you are explaining
the evidence really clearly what does
that Bible quote say you know what does
it teach me what does it show me what
does the catechism
um mean you know what is the implication
of what we've read in the catechism for
example
um and so then with your link back I
would recommend using phrases such as
this would lead to a Christian or this
would lead to a Catholic Christian
strongly agreeing with the statement so
you're making it clear to The Examiner
that the evidence you've given is
relevant to the question so you've got
your evidence and then you're explaining
it with that link back to the question
in there with that link back to that key
statement you are evaluating in order to
then introduce the disagree arguments I
would use one of those really nice
linking phrases such as on the other
hand or contrastingly some Christians
would disagree with the statement
because or I might say however other
Christians such as Quaker May disagree
with the statement on the grounds that
so in know you are then really clearly
introducing the other side of the
argument you're making it really clear
that there is a shift in tone that there
is a change in the direction of the
essay that you have set out really
clearly with excellent evidence and
explanation the agree arguments but now
we're shifting tone now we're actually
going to flip the coin over and really
go into detail with really excellent
evidence on the disagree side of things
and then again I would be using the same
lines to introduce my evidence this is
shown in the Bible for example the
catechism teaches that or this is seen
in the gospels and then again explaining
it with phrases such as this means that
the implication of this is that and then
at the end really importantly guys you
are writing that conclusion so you are
going to say in conclusion after
assessing both sides of the argument I
either agree or disagree with the
statement because and then you need to
give me the strongest argument that you
have you need to really impress examiner
by selecting very carefully the
strongest argument that you have for
either agree or disagree the argument
that has swayed you to that side of the
argument and you've got to present that
to me really clearly really confidently
but also nice and succinctly we don't
want to spend really any more than 90
seconds on this at the end of your 12
Mark essay now I've put here on the
screen that if you would like to make
sure you've got that grade nine you will
refer to the strength of the evidence so
it you know it's just something that you
just add in and you know as I say you're
not then going to be writing any more
paragraph It's just in terms of what
you're including in your paragraph So
for that grade nine I'd want to see you
referring to the strength of the
evidence now this is actually really
easy to do and so for example if he was
saying this is shown in the Bible which
teaches that and then you're giving me
the key teaching from the Bible and then
you're explaining what that shows you
need to tell me why that's particularly
important why that would lead to a
Catholic Christian for example agreeing
with the statement so I would say that
the Bible is seen as the infallible and
inherent word of God therefore what it
teaches will be taken seriously so you
are saying not only what the Bible says
but actually why that would be taken
seriously why does that matter you know
why is it that because this book says
this someone is going to agree with this
statement and so just by including those
subtle references to the strength of the
evidence being presented you can show
The Examiner you are a Grade 9 candidate
because you don't just present evidence
but you actually assess the quality the
strength of the evidence so you know
basically as I put there on the second
bullet point you're showing um that you
are evaluating the strength of the
arguments you're presenting you're
saying whether you think the argument
succeeds and why so for example based on
where that quote is from well it's from
the Bible you know for a Christian the
Bible is seen as in infallible in that
inherent word of God so of course if the
Bible is saying this then yeah they are
going to agree with that statement
because they don't believe that this is
just someone's idea that they've come up
with they believe that this is the word
of God and so if the word of God is
saying this then they're absolutely
going to strongly agree with the
statement so you know really try to
start thinking about evaluating the
strength of the evidence that you are
fighting in order to secure those top
marks so yes that is it from this video
I do hope it's been helpful any
questions let me know any of your top
tips for the 12 markers please share
them in the comments below uh very best
of luck to you I hope everything is
going well for you and yes be confident
believe in yourself and let's secure
those great lines have a great day and
I'll see you soon bye-bye
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