Table of contents:
Day 1 | Paper 1 | Extended Essay | Day 2 | Paper 2 | TOK | IA / HI | Day 3 | Paper 3
Day 1
09/07/2012 (My Personal Notes)
IB History workshop, Category 2, July 2012. Auckland.
Key issues we’ll discuss during this workshop:
Marking, exchange ideas, using criteria, IA
- Don’t count too much on the doubling up in P1, P2 and P3, you need to really have a spread of topics so that students are covered for everything. You may get a false sense of confidence if you rely on doubling up too much. G2 form allows you to give that sort of feedback to IBO.
- It seems to be getting harder to get a 7 in History, this is a real issue for teachers and students who may both lose confidence. 68% as a grade boundary. No essay seems to be getting more that 16 marks.
- Internal Assessment: Make the question evaluative, to what extent.
- History is no a one answer subject, ever changing perspectives, continual developments, historiography. Global World.
After tea break session:
- Teacher should aim to deliver a holistic education, include TOK. What is History? Create different perspectives (Note: Any examples?) i.e. Moroccan Crisis radio program seen from different countries’ perspectives. Or use the Japanese History book, look at how they interpret History (Get that PDF from Beate?).
- Look at leaders through the Learner Profile. (i.e. Was Napoleon a risk taker?)
- How does it fit with TOK?
- Students should take ownership of own learning.
- There is just written assessment, why? Oral would be good too.
- Values in teaching: Inquiry, Cooperation, International Mindedness,
- Suggestion: Speak and Response cards. I did a quick search: http://www.ehow.com/info_7933461_effects-response-cards-classroom.html seems interesting, must look more in to it.
Holistic Internationally-minded education
- Head, Heart, Hands
- What is the difference between International / Global Education?
- Advice for ‘going global without going anywhere’
- Introduce global content in your curriculum
- Choose course options
- Think with students about attitudes, values and dispositions
- Use technology to connect across cultures and geographical regions
- Discuss global concerns
Questions for reflection:
- What does it mean to have a global education?
- What are the essential component of an international mind?
- What is intercultural competence and inspired to be globally engaged
- How can it be assessed?
Paper 1
It’s a theory paper. Make sure that they have their timing right. Put the timing on the white board while doing a practice paper. You must link the limitation to an origin or a purpose (make sure you read the examiner’s report). 
- Everything what is in the caption is the origin.
- Origin and Purpose is more surface. Purpose focuses on the audience, who was viewing, reading, listening?
- Value and Limitation is more evaluative.
- OPVL is there to organise their thoughts, it needs to be included, but there needs to be linkage between them.
- Start with O and P, link V and L to O and P (The purpose should contain a verb: To …. include verb …. , the purpose is to…..)
- Keep every source separate.
- Make sure that the compare / contrast is valid. There is not always an even compare (similarity) and contrast amount. Try to get four contrasts and two similarities.
- When comparing: Just quote the key part of the sentence.
- Similarities and differences requires quite a bit of decoding. Students need to be trained very well.
- Teach each skill separately on each topic.
- Task 2 tends to take the most time.
- During the 5 minutes reading time, look at the sources and start doing the question mentally on 1a and 1b. They should be able to do it quickly.
There’s no excuse for NOT getting 5 points for the first question.
Cartoons can be tricky. Every detail counts.
O and P: type of source, author, audience and context
V and L: are determined by the origin and purpose of the document.
Nice idea: Get students to write down a memory from they were 5 or 10 years old. Then they relate this story to a fellow student, get that other student to assess the Value and Limitation of their story.
Note: don’t focus on the URL, makes the students think that it’s a secondary source, just because it’s a on a website.
(60 minutes + 5 minutes reading time)
- Q 1a and b: 8 to 10 minutes (max!!, maybe only 5 minutes, that is why they need to use the 5 minutes reading time to mentally answer 1a and 1b. They should be almost in bullet form. 1A = literally ‘what it says’. Keep it short.
- Q 2 and 3: 12 – 15 minutes
- Q 4: 15 – 20 minutes
Do not just describe the sources. You should plan it like an essay and use all five sources. It is a mini essay!
Extended Essay
Usually a Higher level subject in History EE.
Let the student self assess using the criteria. Beate marks the draft using the criteria, gives them an A,B, C etc
Students cannot write about events less than 10 years old.
Should spend 3 – 5 hours in total with student.
The candidate should not know the answer before starting.
Introduction: Why is the topic worthy of study?
Should contain a clear concluding statement, i.e. the response that will be developed in the body of the essay.
Body / Development: The argument must be developed in a systematic, logical and convincing manner. Sub headings are useful. Include Hisoriography.
Conclusion: quite short, clearly stated, relevant to research question, substantiated.
Comments from past examiners:
too descriptive, unsubtantiated, irrelavant
Read the guidelines!! Read the criteria!!
Most important role of supervisor is to help formulate a research question
Examiners are generally unhappy with the quality of supervision
Increasing reliance on internet sources
Do not copy chunks
Don’t pick a topic which could not be answered in a whole book.
Original research can be really powerful, i.e. use an interview.(But make sure there are enough other sources)
Day 2, 10/07/2012 (My Personal Notes)
Paper 2
Should students be steered away from the really obvious questions? (i.e. Question about causes of WW1):
Officially students can not be penalised for choosing a popular question, but it is harder to take an original approach. If they take a popular one, they should either do a really solid, complete answer or take a more original approach.
Make sure kids aware of the region that a dictator is from, or left / right wing.
Mock exams are really important, you might pick up on mistakes in questions (i.e. they pick wrongquestions, dictators or left / right etc)
Students should be really aware about the command terms.
To what extent + Compare and contrast are more tricky.
No question on any IB paper will ever ask for a narrative response.
Sign posting is important. This makes it easier for the examiner to mark (same goes for OPVL). Paper 2: They should be using elements and keywords of the question.
They should start with answering the question. Answer the question in the first two sentences.
History essays need facts and dates as supporting evidence.
There is no right answer or set answer, but a possible marking scheme what to expect.
Stronger students in particular should choose the meatier questions because there is more to go on, more ideas to work out)
DEFINE key terms (i.e. Nationalism, Militarism + define the time frame)
Idea: Get students to write detailed essay plans, rather than whole essays. Let it include Topic Sentences, Main points, challenges, conclusions etc.
Students should get lots of practice analysing questions.
Note: Examiners only spend five minutes marking each essay!!!
Paper 2: A backup topic will be Weimar Germany.
Last year’s (2011) November paper was really difficult.
Paper 2: The Introduction
- Explain title and what you intend to show
- Define Time frame and key words.
- Provide necessary background / context
- Clarity from the start and then back that up with arguments.
- Do not include: This essay will explore etc etc –> This invites a narrative approach.
- Introduce concepts (continuity, change, cause and effect, theme, social, political, economical etc)
- However, when including the facts, make sure that these are chronogical.
Recommendations and guidance by examiners:
Teachers need to review past exams and discuss various types of questions
Compare and contrast, assess the extent, analyse the issues, how significant. Etc.
You should study the subject reports.
Examiners spend a lot of time on the examiner’s reports.
First / Second / Third / In conclusion leads to a narrative approach, better to use there fore etc. Consequently.
Historiography is important and may get students the top marks. Historiography lends itself to analysis. Historical processes and Historiography is part of that.
The IA / Historical Investigation lifts students’ writing skills.
TOK
Starter questions:
Are people naturally peaceful or naturally violent?
Why do some countries seem to go to war with each other all the time?
Do more weapons lead to less wars?
Who are we likely to get into war with?
When going through your 5 year review, you have to show some awereness of TOK.
1983 stopmotion video, made in Russia, about war: ‘Konflikt’:
IA / Historical investigation
Notes are in workbook. Page 84 in History guide.
Marks are easily lost by not following the directions / criteria directly.
Typical pitfalls – from a moderator’s view:
- IA: No comparisons
- Part A: Not clearly stated
- Part B: Not enough evidence
- Part C: Sources described only, three or all sources evaluated. Do them separately.
- Part D: repeating part B – sources not analysed
- Part E: Conclusion not answering the actual question or not consistent
- Part F: inconsistency in referencing; author names not alphabetically, websites no access date – word count not on title sheet.
Should generally pick a topic from the syllabus
B can be done in dot points, can put them under headings. Use dot points wisely.
Good to have two different types of contrasting sources (primary and secondary, different types)
An annotated bibliography is not required, but quite interesting. Could be a good excercise for the student. The moderator seemed to like it, however, it is not required.
Ideally two differening sources, different historiography, different opnions. Part of a legal document and what was made out of it, original speeches and a historian’s interpretation.
Referencing: Chicago could be better, include page numbers. Choose it carefully. APA / footnoting.
Do not use: I, I think, I believe etc in IAs
There are 9 samples of different IAs on the OCC:
http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group3/d_3_histx_tsm_1108_1/html/production-app3.ibo.org/publication/272/part/2/chapter/2.1.html
Word count has to be on the front page
In Source C, you have to use the words O P V L
Don’t used the word “biased”, use “perspective”
History books can be a good topic for an IA.
Use a historiographical survey – change over time -, force research. These are great IA topics.
The development of cartoons can be good too.
In part D, you need to analyse the sources, do not include new evidence. Only discuss what is in part B.
In your marking of the drafts: Be super critical and mark very hard, be very precise.
The police / court room analysis: Part B (Summary of evidence) is the policeman who is going in front of the jury and presents the evidence. In Part D (Analyis), it is the jury who analyses the evidence that was presented in B.
The concepts of Change is a good one to focus on.
Idea: Pick a topic from Paper 3, this boosts their scope and they could it use it to write an essay about for Paper 3.
Movies are problematic, not conduisive to good history. It’s possible, but approach with caution.
Great idea: go to the university library with the kids and show them what is there.
Day 3, 11/07/2012 (My Personal Notes)
Paper 3
Pick three sections. Some topics are massive.Overlap is handy, gives students options.
Are there any differences between Paper 2 and Paper 3?
Marker’s comments: He could see the similarities between papers taught by same teachers. You need to talk to other teachers. Also, get students to find their own sources so that they get different perspectives, not just the teachers’.
Essay should be easy to read. Sign posting is important. Hand writing is important. The marker may be marking reading this at 2 am.
They only have 50 minutes to write it, not very long.
Planning is very important.
Usually first essay is the best, second less, third one is usually worst.
60 marks in total, 39 gives you a 7.
If they run out of time, they can finish it in dot points. A good plan might also be looked at. (Although this Marker said that he would not look at it.)
Just write something, even it is just a conclusion.
Good idea: Write two paragraphs WITH the question, and then challenge presumptions in the third paragraph.
End of notes.
My Reflection
This was my first IB History workshop, hopefully they’ll be many more. The most beneficial thing was just being in one room with a group of committed and experienced teachers who were all willing to share. It is so valuable to have time to talk, compare, discuss. You pick up new ideas and perspectives, just from having a chat; there is so precious little of that happening in day-to-day teaching.
The other thing I got out of the workshop was peace of mind. Hearing stories from other teachers made me realise how lucky I am in my workplace. I am surrounded by amazing colleagues, great resources and wonderful students who make my life as a beginning IB History teacher so much easier.