This set practises the four skills from the change, continuity and comparison module: fixing the question, showing change with evidence, finding continuity and comparing two cases. The questions run from easier to harder.
Attempt each question on paper first. All places, figures and quotations are invented for practice.
The invented data
Harbourtown, share of workers
| Year | Workers | Fishing | Canning | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1,600 | 70% | 5% | 25% |
| 1950 | 3,600 | 40% | 35% | 25% |
Canning workers in Harbourtown: 80 in 1900, 120 in 1920, 900 in 1940, 1,260 in 1950.
Riverford, share of workers
| Year | Workers | Farming | Mill | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 2,000 | 60% | 10% | 30% |
| 1950 | 3,000 | 45% | 25% | 30% |
Questions
Q1. Which version is the better question about change? (a) “What happened in Harbourtown?” (b) “How much did the main jobs in Harbourtown change between 1900 and 1950?”
Show answer
(b). It has a start date, an end date and one dimension (main jobs). (a) has no boundaries, so an answer could wander anywhere.
Q2. By how many percentage points did fishing’s share of Harbourtown’s jobs change between 1900 and 1950?
Show answer
70% − 40% = 30 percentage points (a fall).
Q3. How many fishing workers were there in Harbourtown in 1900 and in 1950? What does this show about the fall in share?
Show answer
1900: 0.70 × 1,600 = 1,120. 1950: 0.40 × 3,600 = 1,440. The number rose by 320 even though the share fell, because the workforce more than doubled. A fall in share is not a fall in numbers.
Q4. Label each statement as established fact, a source’s viewpoint or an interpretation. (a) “Canning workers numbered 1,260 in 1950.” (b) A council report says, “The old way of life is fading.” (c) “Canning replaced fishing as the economic heart of the town.”
Show answer
(a) Established fact: a count from records. (b) A source’s viewpoint: it tells us what the author felt. (c) Interpretation: an explanation of what the facts mean, which can be debated. Note that fishing still employed 1,440 workers, which complicates (c).
Q5. Canning employment rose between 1900 and 1920, 1920 and 1940, and 1940 and 1950. Which period saw the largest rise in total, and which saw the fastest rise per decade?
Show answer
Rises: 1900 to 1920 = 40; 1920 to 1940 = 780; 1940 to 1950 = 360. Largest in total: 1920 to 1940. Per decade: 20, 390 and 360. Fastest: 1920 to 1940 (390 per decade). This marks the main turning point, though 1940 to 1950 was close.
Q6. Fishing boats moved from sail to motor between 1900 and 1950, yet the Friday market continued. State one continuity and one change, and explain how they differ.
Show answer
Continuity: the Friday fish market continued. Change: the boats changed from sail to motor power. They differ because the market’s pattern stayed recognisable while the method of fishing was transformed. Both can be true in the same period.
Q7. Riverford’s farming share fell from 60% to 45%. Compare this fall with Harbourtown’s fishing fall.
Show answer
Riverford’s fall: 15 percentage points. Harbourtown’s: 30. Harbourtown’s fall was twice as large. In both, the traditional trade lost share, so the direction was similar but the scale differed.
Q8. Riverford had 1,200 farm workers in 1900. How many in 1950? Did the number rise or fall?
Show answer
1900: 0.60 × 2,000 = 1,200. 1950: 0.45 × 3,000 = 1,350. The number rose by 150, though the share fell.
Q9. Improve this comparison: “Harbourtown’s fishing fell. Riverford’s farming fell. So both towns changed.”
Show answer
It names both cases but does not measure them. A better version: “In both towns the traditional trade lost share, so the direction was similar. However, Harbourtown’s fishing fell by 30 percentage points, twice Riverford’s 15-point fall in farming, so change was sharper in Harbourtown.”
Q10. A student writes: “Harbourtown changed completely between 1900 and 1950.” Use evidence to judge how far this is supported.
Show answer
The claim is too strong. Evidence for change: canning rose from 5% to 35% and fishing’s share fell by 30 points. Evidence against: other jobs stayed at 25%, 1,440 people still fished, and the Friday market continued. A better judgement is “substantial but not complete change”.
Q11. A single 1951 council report describes Harbourtown’s jobs. Why can it alone not show change between 1900 and 1950?
Show answer
It reports one moment. To show change you need matched evidence from near 1900 as well, about the same dimension. The report is also a viewpoint, so its claims should be checked against counts.
If you got these wrong
| What went wrong | Go to |
|---|---|
| Q1: unclear start, end or dimension | Define the period and dimension |
| Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q8, Q11: mixing shares and numbers, or using opinion as proof | Use evidence to show a documented change |
| Q6, Q10: ignoring continuity, or overstating change | Identify continuity without overlooking variation |
| Q7, Q9: describing two cases without comparing | Structure a balanced historical comparison |
For answer structure beyond this module, see writing and answer development.
Using your results
If most of the errors cluster in one row, return to that lesson first, then retry the same questions after a day or two. Real exam questions differ in layout, so use this set for the thinking rather than the format. A teacher in online one-to-one History tuition can set follow-up questions based on your own errors.