Internal Assessment YOU are the HISTORIAN And History is… I.B. HISTORY Internal Assessment YOU are the HISTORIAN And History is…

HISTORY IS FUN!

What does a historian do? Develops a research question. Examines a wide variety of sources for evidence. Assesses the values and limitations of these sources. Analyzes the evidence. Draws a conclusion.

Internal Assessment In Standard Level History the I.A. is worth 25% of your overall grade. In Higher Level History the I.A. is worth 20% of your overall grade. A solid I.A. sets you up for success in IB History

Internal Assessment The History I.A. is a historical investigation of 2200 words - scored out of 25 points It is divided into three sections Identification and evaluation of sources 500 words, 6 points Investigation 1300 words, 15 points Reflection 400 words, 4 points

The Topic The topic should be an historical issue. Describing the assassination of Franz Ferdinand is not an historical issue. Examining - “Did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand cause WW I?” - is an historical issue.

The Research Question Research Question should be specific, focussed and enable analysis Reference IB command terms - avoid why and what It must involve analysis, not be descriptive or narrative IF YOU HAVE A GOOD QUESTION, YOU SHOULD HAVE A GOOD PAPER!!!

A. Identification and Evaluation of Sources A brief but very important section. Clearly states the research question Identifies scope of research Identifies and evaluates 2 sources Sources should be central and relevant to the topic

C. Evaluation of Sources Evaluation - OPVL - origin, purpose, value and limitation Do not use the words ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ source. Rather describe the source; i.e. history book, speech, government directive etc.

C. Evaluation of Sources When evaluating a secondary source keep these points in mind. What areas have received emphasis Are there areas the author has chosen to ignore or underplay. Remember; no historian can include everything. Choices must be made. These choices affect the nature of the thesis and analysis.

Investigation The “meat” of your IA Clear, coherent and effective organisation Critical analysis Range of evidence - must be cited Different perspectives Includes conclusion

Works Cited and Bibliography Not scored, but required Expectation that ALL students clearly acknowledge their sources Cannot list works that were not listed or used in the IA Failure to properly cite sources or failure to include a bibliography will be viewed as an academic honesty issue.

A Note on Sources Textbooks are not considered as acceptable sources Internet sources are too be approached and used with care - general websites are not seen as academically reliable The Internet is an excellent source for documents and other primary sources.

Plagiarism You must cite (reference) all ideas and quotes that are taken from your sources. You do not have to cite general knowledge.

Plagiarism A paper without citations is plagiarized and thus should receive a failing mark.

Reflection Individual and personal Your experience as an historian Process and challenges Methods

Plagiarism This is non-negotiable.

Appendix Use the appendix for anything that does not fit into the body of the investigation. This might include maps, charts, illustrations, etc.

Appendix You CANNOT place something in the appendix unless it is referenced in your paper. Most papers will not have an appendix.

Explanatory Footnotes Explanatory footnotes are used sparingly. They are used to translate non-English words or define terms. i.e. Weltpolitik, NSC 68 etc. To include ‘explanatory’ information that does not fit into the context of the paper.

Embedded Quotes In History papers you DO NOT use embedded quotes. In English papers you do use embedded quotes. In History papers you DO NOT use embedded quotes. You do not use someone else’s words to finish your own sentence.

List of Sources There are no options.

List of Sources You can earn two points for a proper list of sources and staying within the word count. It would be silly not to get these two points. The 10% over and under for word count is an I.B. myth.

Penultimate Draft Complete with Proper cover page Proper list of sources Proper form Word count 1500 to 2000 words

Initial Draft Due Date Friday, June 1st

Penultimate Draft This will be marked and receive a AISG grade. It will be marked by I.B. criteria.

Final I.A. Due in September

Keys to a good I.A. Follow Directions! Write with two books or documents by your side. Directions to I.A. Thesaurus [I don’t trust online Thesauruses]

The three most important keys to a good I.A. Revise!