Exam Question On The Wall St Crash
The USA Depth Study, 1919-1941: The Wall St Crash, October 1929
(a) Describe the stock market boom in the 1920s (4 marks)
(b) Explain why the US economy was already showing signs of weakness before the Wall St Crash in 1929 (6 marks)
(c) ‘Speculation was the main cause of the Wall St Crash in October 1929’ How far do you agree with this statement? (10 marks)
Answering the 10 mark essay question.
How Far questions are ‘balance’ questions requiring you to decide how important a factor was in comparison to other factors. You have to identify the other factors yourself and weigh up their relative importance.
Mark scheme
Level 2: Describes the reasons rather than explaining how they were important (3-5)
Level 3: Explains one reason. (5-6)
Level 4: Explains the reason given and other reasons but does not compare their importance (6-8)
Level 5: Compares the importance of the reasons and explains why one is more Important than the others (8-9)
Level 6: Reaches a judgement on the relative importance of the factors or explains how factors together contributed/can see links between them. (9-10)
Structure: You should write an introduction, main body in paragraphs and a conclusion. If you don’t write a conclusion, it is unlikely you will reach the top Level 6.
Introduction: Use the key words in the title and identify the other key factors you think are important. e.g Speculation was a key cause of the Wall St crash but there were other longer term weaknesses in the American Economy in the 1920s that also contributed to the Crash.
Paragraphs:
You can either write 2 paragraphs. One paragraph on how speculation helped to cause the Wall St Crash and a second paragraph on how other factors also contributed.
Or you can structure your essay with one factor per paragraph. ALWAYS start with the factor identified in the title.
Remember each paragraph must start with a sentence identifying a CAUSE of the Wall St Crash.
Precise and accurate factual detail must be used to support the
(a) Describe the stock market boom in the 1920s (4 marks)
(b) Explain why the US economy was already showing signs of weakness before the Wall St Crash in 1929 (6 marks)
(c) ‘Speculation was the main cause of the Wall St Crash in October 1929’ How far do you agree with this statement? (10 marks)
Answering the 10 mark essay question.
How Far questions are ‘balance’ questions requiring you to decide how important a factor was in comparison to other factors. You have to identify the other factors yourself and weigh up their relative importance.
Mark scheme
Level 2: Describes the reasons rather than explaining how they were important (3-5)
Level 3: Explains one reason. (5-6)
Level 4: Explains the reason given and other reasons but does not compare their importance (6-8)
Level 5: Compares the importance of the reasons and explains why one is more Important than the others (8-9)
Level 6: Reaches a judgement on the relative importance of the factors or explains how factors together contributed/can see links between them. (9-10)
Structure: You should write an introduction, main body in paragraphs and a conclusion. If you don’t write a conclusion, it is unlikely you will reach the top Level 6.
Introduction: Use the key words in the title and identify the other key factors you think are important. e.g Speculation was a key cause of the Wall St crash but there were other longer term weaknesses in the American Economy in the 1920s that also contributed to the Crash.
Paragraphs:
You can either write 2 paragraphs. One paragraph on how speculation helped to cause the Wall St Crash and a second paragraph on how other factors also contributed.
Or you can structure your essay with one factor per paragraph. ALWAYS start with the factor identified in the title.
Remember each paragraph must start with a sentence identifying a CAUSE of the Wall St Crash.
Precise and accurate factual detail must be used to support the