To explain a development from sources, state a claim first, then support it from two or more sources and show how they fit together. Do not walk through the sources one by one.
This lesson builds on comparing primary accounts and on causation and supported explanation.
What is the difference between a list of sources and an explanation?
A list says what each source contains. An explanation answers a question: it says why or how something happened, and it uses the sources as proof. The marker should be able to read your first sentence and know your answer.
The method in five steps
- Read the question and underline the development and the dates.
- Write a one-sentence claim that answers it.
- Match evidence: for each part of the claim, pick a source detail that supports it.
- Link: show how the sources work together, for example one gives the cause and another the effect.
- State a limit: what the sources cannot tell you.
Worked example
All extracts are invented for practice.
Source C (invented practice extract). Notice from the Port Merrin town council, February 1941. “Fewer cargo ships are reaching the harbour. From 1 March, every household must register with one grocer and receive a ration book.”
Source D (invented practice extract). Letter from a mother to her sister, February 1941. “The shelves are half empty by midday. Last week there was no sugar at all, and the shops that had some charged double.”
Source E (invented practice extract). From a modern local history, written for this exercise. “A shared system of ration books reduced the advantage that wealth or free time gave to some shoppers.”
Question: Explain why ration books were introduced in Port Merrin in 1941.
Claim: Ration books were introduced because shortages made fair sharing necessary.
Evidence for shortage: Source C says fewer cargo ships were arriving. Source D reports empty shelves and no sugar.
Evidence for fairness: Source D reports shops charging double, which suggests some people were being priced out. Source E, an interpretation, says the system reduced the advantage of those with more money or time.
Link: C gives the cause the council stated, D shows how it looked to a household, and E gives a later judgement of the effect.
Limit: only one council notice and one family letter are given, so we cannot tell how widespread the shortages were or whether every shop charged double.
Written answer: “Ration books were introduced in Port Merrin because shortages made fair sharing necessary. Source C says fewer cargo ships were arriving, and Source D describes half-empty shelves and sugar running out. Source D also reports prices doubling, and Source E suggests rationing reduced the advantage of those with more money or time. Taken together, the sources show shortage and unfairness as linked reasons, although two sources from one town cannot show how typical this was.”
The mistake to watch for
Mistaken answer: “Source C is a council notice. It says fewer ships are coming. Source D is a letter. It says shelves are empty. Source E is a history book. It says rationing was fair.”
Each sentence describes a source, but no sentence answers the question. The correction is to begin with the claim and bring each source in as evidence for one part of it.
Check yourself
1. Write a one-sentence claim answering “Why did the council require households to register with one grocer?”
Show answer
For example: “The council required registration so that limited supplies could be shared by a controlled list of households.” This uses Source C and gives the purpose of registration, not just a description of it.
2. Which source is an interpretation, and how do you know?
Show answer
Source E. It is a later account that judges an effect of rationing, rather than a record made in 1941.
3. Name one limit of using only Sources C and D.
Show answer
They come from one council and one household, so they may not show conditions across the whole town. Source D is also one person’s report to a relative.
Where this leads next
Next, separate evidence-based explanation from moral or political endorsement. When you are ready, use the integrated practice set.
Planning the claim before the evidence is a habit that sticks faster with feedback. Our online one-to-one History tuition can review your plans against your own syllabus.