modern studies 20 mark essay example

STA Higher Modern Studies

Higher modern studies, potential essays.

See the document below for a list of potential essays. Use this to plan essays and revise knowledge, analysis and evaluation. Remember that there are many ways to word questions so practice being able to determine exactly what the question is asking you and figure out the structure.

For the crime and the law section there are no example questions – I may update this later. Just be aware that you could be asked about the causes, consequences and responses to crime.

Examples of ku Possible Questions MARCH 2018

USA Model Essays

See blow for model essays on various USA sub-topics:

USA Influence – USA Influence Model Essay

USA influence 2 – USA-Influence-Model-Essay

Rights and Responsibilities 12 mark analyse paragraph – Rights and Responsibilities USA Essay

Political progress minorities essay paragraph – Progress for Minorities Essay

Participation Essay paragraph – Participation Voting Paragraph

How democratic paragraph – How democratic paragraph Feb 2018

Government responses to social and economic inequalities, Affirmative Action paragraph – Government Responses to S and E inequalities model para AA

Checks on Government Model Essay – Checks on Government Model Essay

Analyse Paragraph – Social and Economic Inequalities – Analyse – Social and Inequalities Model Essay

Knowledge Questions

See the document below for a 20 mark essay guide:

20 Mark Knowledge Question September 2015

Remember that for 12 mark analyse questions, there are 8 marks for knowledge and 4 marks for analysis – no need for an overall conclusion and just a one sentence introduction if any.

For 12 mark evaluate questions, there are 8 marks for knowledge and 4 marks for evaluation (conclusions). You may do an overall conclusion for this type of question but you can also do mini-conclusions at the end of each paragraph.

Skills Questions

The PowerPoints below explain the techniques for answering the two different  types of skills questions:

Conclusion Questions UPDATED JAN 2018

Objectivity Questions

Remember to use the SQA website for the last three years of past papers and the specimen paper:

https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47924.html

Online Study Materials

Visit Modernity Scotland for extra Higher materials  – https://www.modernity.scot/  (Username is stthomas, see Mr Canning for password)

See the US and Canada section of the BBC news website for up-to-date stories relevant to the world powers topic – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada

See the politics section of the BBC website for up-to-date news relevant to the Democracy in Scotland and the UK unit – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics

See BBC Bitesize for Higher Modern Studies revision materials on all three units – https://www.bbc.com/education/subjects/ztsvr82

All PowerPoints below:

1. Lessons 1 and 2 USA Intro, geography etc. Blog

2. LESSONS 3-8 Political System and Process Blog

3. LESSONS 9-16 Social and Economic Inequalities Blog

4. International Influence of the USA Blog

You can also use the Modernity Scotland website for more information on the USA topic – https://www.modernity.scot/ – see Mr Canning for login details.

Democracy in the UK

Below you will find materials for the Democracy in the UK unit.

Participation –  Participation in the Political System Blog

3. Impact of EU membership Blog

Welcome to the Higher Modern Studies Blog!

Welcome to the St Thomas Aquinas Higher Modern Studies blog. Here you will find class materials for all topics. PowerPoints from class will be posted here following lessons. If you miss a period you can catch up by accessing the blog.

Materials posted here will be the same as in class but will not include images.

29/12/23 UPDATE: Terrorism added in National 5 section; Advanced Higher content updated; revision strategy suggestions published.

World Powers: The USA

World Powers is 'Part A' of Section 3 in the exam paper. You use your knowledge & understanding of the USA to answer one question. The topics studied are detailed in the Course Assessment Specification (CAS), which is outlined below. Use the contents table below to click to relevant headings.

Course Assessment Specification (CAS)

The study of a world power focuses on political and socio-economic issues. Candidates may choose a major world power from any members of the G20 group of countries, including the EU, but excluding the UK.

extent to which the political system allows democratic participation

political institutions and their ability to dominate government decision-making

socio-economic inequality and its impact on a specific group in society

effectiveness of government responses to socio-economic inequality

a world power’s international influence 

Access National 5 resources for 'World Powers: The USA'

PowerPoint presentations

LAST UPDATED: 18th April 2023

To view a file, click the box and arrow symbol in the top-right corner of each tile. This should open the PowerPoint presentation in a new tab.

Political institutions

This covers the different institutions that make up the federal government in America. It looks at their powers, and evaluates the limitations on their powers.

Democratic participation

This covers the ways Americans can get involved with politics, and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses.

International influence

This covers the ways America has cultural, economic and military influence globally. These means are evaluated to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

Inequalities

This covers the causes and extent of social and economic inequalities in America, and evaluates the effectiveness of government responses to tackle them.

Class materials and resources

Selected materials and resources from class.

Revision crib sheet

This document shows the World Powers CAS headings, with key examples underneath each.

The Trump Show

This document is a handout to accompany the BBC series, 'The Trump Show', helping to illustrate Executive powers.

This document is accompanies the Netflix documentary, 13th. It focuses on African American experiences of the justice system.

Whose Vote Counts, episode 1

This handout allows you to take notes from episode one of the Netflix series, 'Whose Vote Counts', linking to the 'Democratic participation' CAS heading.

Whose Vote Counts, episode 3

This handout allows you to take notes from episode three of the Netflix series, 'Whose Vote Counts', linking to the 'Democratic participation' CAS heading.

Homelessness in America

This document features questions on a CNBC mini documentary about the extent of homelessness in America, linking to the socio-economic CAS heading.

Please note, the content below was created ahead of the 2019 exam diet. Therefore, some of the information will be out of date. I have kept the attachments below available though in case the information is of use.  

Essay questions

The questions below are common essay questions, drawn from either past papers or made up to provide examples, based on the CAS at the top of this page. The essay answers below may be completed or provide you with the skeleton necessary to create a comprehensive response in the exam.

Influence of the USA

Gov. responses to issues, executive dominance of decision making.

Although from Higher Politics, you could be asked a question relating to the Executive's ability to dominate decision-making. You wouldn't compare to the UK, though.

Legislative dominance of decision making

Although from Higher Politics, you could be asked a question relating to the Legislature's ability to dominate decision-making. You wouldn't compare to the UK, though.

Peoples' political rights in the USA

Kindly shared by Mr Beattie at Vale of Leven Academy.

Effectiveness of the system as a 'check'

Socio-economic issues in america, success of gov. in tackling issues, analyse opportunities.

Essay plan for 'Analyse the opportunities that exist for people to influence government decision making (12 marks)'.

Essay plan for 'Analyse the ability of this World Power to influence other countries (12 marks'.

Opportunities to influence decision making

This 20-mark essay template addresses the question, 'There are limited opportunities for people to influence government decision making. Discuss. (20 marks).' It looks at some of the reasons as to why some people in America are unable to participate in US political decision making.

Additional revision materials

Racial discrimination.

A source-based revision task that looks at political discrimination and participation, by ethnicity.

Gender discrimination

A source-based revision task that looks at political discrimination and participation, by gender.

Guns in the USA

Cut outs that are used normally for a revision activity about the number of guns, and related laws, in the USA.

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Structure and planning of essay

Watch this to find out how to structure the perfect essay for Higher Modern Studies (and how to climb the Matterhorn)

search thinkfour.

There is a huge mountain that sits above the town of Zermat in Switzerland called the Matterhorn. It is breathtaking.

When most mountains in Europe had been climbed, this one stood unconquered. An international competition was launched for the first to the summit and when this challenge was finally overcome, four of the party of seven who had achieved it fell to their deaths trying to get back down.

Nowadays, about 150 climbers each year get to the top. Some routes to the summit are still regarded as impossible -completely unclimbable; but there are many different routes to choose from, some much safer than others and the route a climber selects is vital to their success.

When you are writing an essay in Modern Studies, just like climbing the Matterhorn, you have to pick the right route. Some routes are safer and will get you to the top. Some routes are more complicated and can lead to trouble.

I want to tell you about the route I use when teaching essays to my class, one that can help you get to the top.

This is thinkfour.

There are two types of essay; I call the 12 mark essays an extended response, because they don’t have an introduction or conclusion, and are more like a long Nat 5 answer. 20 Mark essays, though, are our Matterhorn, and you are only ready to tackle them when you have enough knowledge and training. Like an ascent up a mountain, planning is key. You can’t just start, or you’ll quickly lose your way. You need to know where you are going and that means knowing the answer to your 20 mark essay before you start. Your introduction will lay out the factors that you are going to be discussing, like a plan on the page, but it’s what you do with those factors, in each section of your essay, that really counts. With 8 knowledge marks, and 6 analysis marks up for grabs, I recommend 4 main sections to my classes, each dealing with a different factor.

Take an essay like “to what extent does social and economic inequality exist in the US?” You have a range of options with an essay like this, but you can make a strong case for four main sections focusing on income, health, education and the criminal justice system. Across these four factors you have to do a range of things. You need to make points of knowledge which answer the question, you need to delve into the detail of that and really hammer home the point that you are making. You need to back that up with some evidence, and you need to analyse how that fits with your overall answer. 40sec -1min section

This gives us a rough structure that I call PEEA, Point, Explain, Example, Analyse. For a 12 mark extended response, I would tell you to PEEA for each factor, but in a 20 mark essay it is different, you have to go further to open up the full range of marks on offer. Here, I tell pupils to PEEAPEEA, basically to come up with a second point for each factor. In an essay on inequalities you can easily do this, for example, by doing one education paragraph on high school dropouts by ethnicity, and a second on access to College. In other essays the second PEEA is the counter-argument or balance to the first, such as saying that social class has an impact on voting behaviour, but following that up with a counter-point about partisan dealignment in recent years. The one drawback with this is how long it takes to write, so I suggest that pupils use PEEAPEEA for three factors, and a simple PEEA for the last, but you can get away with two PEEAPEEAs and two simple PEEAs if you really find the clock a challenge.

So remember, whether it’s a trip up the Matterhorn in Switzerland or writing an essay in Modern Studies, planning is key. Know your route before you set off as some are difficult and will get you into difficulty whilst others are more straight forward.

Tackling a 20 mark essay isn’t the same as conquering the unconquerable, but if you follow these steps and take full marks, you’ll feel like you’re on the top of the world.

This was thinkfour, thanks for watching.

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