Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91001 about?

Accepted Answer

This standard asks you to research and write up a detailed investigation of a historical event or place that matters to New Zealand and New Zealanders. You need to find evidence from different sources, organise it clearly, and explain how it answers the questions your teacher gave you. The better you evaluate your own research process and link your evidence back to your research questions, the higher your grade.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91001?

Accepted Answer

1. Choose a historical event or place significant to New Zealand (it can be local or international, but must be relevant to New Zealand) 2. Find evidence from at least 2–3 different types of sources (books, websites, interviews, museum artefacts, newspapers, etc.) and mix primary and secondary sources where possible 3. Select evidence that directly answers the focussing questions your teacher set, not just anything interesting 4. Organise and present your evidence clearly, showing where each piece came from (author, title, date, website, etc.) 5. Reflect on how well your research worked: what went well, what was hard, and how the evidence helped answer your questions

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91001?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You carry out a straightforward investigation—pick a topic, find some sources, select relevant evidence using the focussing questions, organise it, and record where it came from. Merit: You go deeper by using a mix of primary and secondary sources thoughtfully, and you evaluate your investigation process by discussing what worked and what didn't. Excellence: You write comments linking each piece of evidence directly to the focussing questions, organise your evidence really well, and thoroughly reflect on your investigation—including how you'd improve it next time and whether the evidence actually answered what you set out to find.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91001?

Accepted Answer

1. Writing a biography instead of focusing on a person's role in or contribution to a specific historical event (e.g. writing about Martin Luther King's life rather than his role in the civil rights movement) 2. Not recording source details properly (author, title, date, website) or only keeping vague notes about where information came from 3. Picking sources that all say the same thing or missing out on primary sources—teachers want to see you using a real variety of evidence types

Historical investigation

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