Writing Ancient History Notes! (1 Viewer)

[persephone]

to all ancient historians,

the trial HSC is coming up soon and i don't know how to write up my ancient history notes. How is everyone else doing it? My teacher suggested the 2/3 1/3 method where you divided your page into third's and 2/3 is for content the other third is for evidence and historians, etc. But that is too difficult especially when you have to keep to the syllabus points. And it's also very difficult for the historical period i'm studying because i have to make notes on each of the pharaohs....so any help or any examples would be much appreciated!


....persephone....(i'm not stressing out...honestly...)

 

[toddp387]

Hey Persephone,
Now i dont really know if this will help but it seems to work for me.
All i do is get lots of sheets of scrap A4 paper. Then just put relevent topic headings, followed by dot points of what i feel are important points or things i havent fully remembered. If i think a quote would help i just write in with the dot point.

I know it probly isnt the most intellectual way to do it but thats the only way i can. If i try and put notes in my book i am always trying to make them neat and am always worried if i have worded it right. This way i just feel as if i can scribble down notes and not worry if i babble on a little bit to much and stuff.

Everyone does have there different ways of studying but i hope i helped all the same.

Catchya.
Todd

 

[persephone]

thanks ..... much appreciated.... i am comforted by the fact everyone has their own way of studying. i feel slightly better.

 

[SmokedSalmon]

U know I never studied using the syllabus points as a guideline. I would look at the past exam questions provided by my teacher and write extended responses to each one.
Also, from what I can remember, like Todd, I would get each pharaoh, write dot points for their building programs, military campaigns, political affairs, portrayal (were they a mighty warrior? were they linked strongly with the gods?) and other subtopics mentioned in my history text book.
After the written info for each topic, mention all the quotes from historians also including primary evidence like scarabs. Yes its tedious but it helped me immensely.

And also use multi colours when writing ur titles and information. I.e. Write Green for military campaigns, purple for building projects. It makes the studying more inviting since ur not just staring at boring blue or black pen for 10 pages. Even drawing little pictures is another way of helping u recall the facts better.

 

[vicksta]

Hey!!
basically what i do with my ancient notes, is I divide the topic up into relevant headings, eg Religion in New Kingdom Egypt, then I write dot points about every aspect of that topic, with qoutes, references, sources and evidence next to each point. Then, closer to the exam I make more refined notes with just the most relevant points, or subtopics, including all the quotes and evidence that i think could be needed to back up a point in exams...thats about it... oh! I also use lots of pretty coloured highlighters, because not only do they make study fun, but they look awesome and it makes tricky points and details heaps easier to remember!! hope this is useful to you!

 

[angelduck]

What i do, espoecially in the NK topic is to summarize under the main types of questions you can get - like Amun, military, building etc. And also under specific Pharaophs. It takes longer, is longer, but that way when you read your notes, they all correspond specifically to a question, and flow easily. For lothers, such as Minoans, i just summarized under syllabus dot points

 

[teh winnar!]

YEAH SMOKEDSALMON IS RIGHT YOU KNOW

NOTES ARE STUPDI . ESSAYS ARE BETTER THAN A BAG FULL OF NUNS

EDIT: CATHOLIC NUNS, NONE OF THAT PRODESTANT HERETIC CRAP

 

[cornflower]

I think my teacher is losing it. She has gone through the notes stage and is now trying to convince us to make it into a game, like concentration so that we can match the quotes/references to the syllabus point.

 

[teh winnar!]

ASK EHR TO TEACH YOU HISTORY INSTEAD

THREATENMENT IS ALWAYS A VALUABLE TOOL TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

 

[*girl04*]

my friends that did ancient just said they wrote notes like someone asid above. they didnt do it like chemistry where you follow the sylbuss as with ancient the dot points are more "broad" not the same s something like chem where they are little and you just follow them.

 

[silvermoon]

heya, i dont really haver one method for study notes, but the one im using at the moment is: doing extended notes following the syllabus, then looking at all the different areas that they ask questions on and writing short dot points about what id include in a question like that (ie. cing where all the info fits 2gether). oh, and i sometimes colour code, it does help.
hmm, not sure i agree though with the 'i write answers to past questions' people. i mean, i think thats great and u need 2 do that, or at least consider what u could put in them, but i dont think u can rely on them as notes, more as a revision to c how well u actually know ur stuff.
anyways, thats just my humble opinion, take it or leave it

 

[Murray]

Basicly i go thought all my notes (and some of the notes off this site r great!) and try to make a concept summery of the topic.
But the thing that helps most is makin a source summery with all the quotes, evidence and well sources that u will need in the exam and learn it!!

 

[Gemstone]

Well I don't actually use the syllabus dot points for making my notes in ancient because I find that is too difficult for ancient.

For Historical Period (I do Egypt) I do notes on each pharaoh (about 2-4 pages each) under the heads Background, Military Activity, Building Program, Administration and Other Significant Contributions.

For Personality I do a similar thing to my historical period but add things like Justification of Rule and Officals and Nobles plus an assessment of reign (I do Hatshepsut)

For Society I do Background, Geography, Industries, Housing, etc. I haven't done my society notes yet (I do Minoan). Anyway that's what works for me but you just make sure when you say something you give the evidence were possible

 

[*girl04*]

to all ancient historians,

the trial HSC is coming up soon and i don't know how to write up my ancient history notes. How is everyone else doing it? My teacher suggested the 2/3 1/3 method where you divided your page into third's and 2/3 is for content the other third is for evidence and historians, etc. But that is too difficult especially when you have to keep to the syllabus points. And it's also very difficult for the historical period i'm studying because i have to make notes on each of the pharaohs....so any help or any examples would be much appreciated!


....persephone....(i'm not stressing out...honestly...)

my teacher gets us to do it the 2/3 1/3 way. we right down facts and then suport them with evidence ..

 

[persephone]

my teacher gets us to do it the 2/3 1/3 way. we right down facts and then suport them with evidence ..

your teacher does it the 2/3 1/3 way? do you have my old teacher? my old teacher invented the 2/3 1/3 way....hmmm....interesting...

 

[*girl04*]

your teacher does it the 2/3 1/3 way? do you have my old teacher? my old teacher invented the 2/3 1/3 way....hmmm....interesting...

maybe i do! ( i dont know who your old teacher is so i cant say)

 

[persephone]

well, do you go to an all girl's boarding school down in the southern highlands? cos my old teacher went there....not mentioning any names!

 

[*girl04*]

no, i got to public co ed school

 

[persephone]

oh well, it's not the same person then!

 

[classics_chic]

Have a look at the Macquarie Study Guide, it's great for a summary- write notes from that if you can get it.

To get to know your stuff I recommend reading the relevant parts of your ancient sources (e.g. Greece 500-440 Herodotos, Fall of the Roman Republic Caesar, Suetonius and Plutarch) and through that you'll form your own understanding of the time period, which is the best way to get the best marks!

Good luck!