NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT
Religious, Moral and
Philosophical Studies
The Extended Essay
[INTERMEDIATE 2;
HIGHER]
and the Assignment
[INTERMEDIATE 1]

TH E RM O CH EM I S TR Y
Acknowledgements
This document is produced by Learning and Teaching Scotland as part of the National
Qualifications support programme for Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies.
First published 2002
Electronic version 2002
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2002
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by
educational establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage.
ISBN 1 85955 956 5
EC ON OMI C S: MI C RO E CO N O MI C S ( AH) iii
TH E TH EO RY O F P E RF EC T CO M PE T I T IO N
CONTENTS
Section 1:
Staff guide
Introduction
1
Section 2:
Student guide
What makes a good Extended Essay/Assignment?
3
Section 3:
Planning and selecting the topic/issue
5
Section 4:
Planning and retrieval of information
Keyword plan or map
Dialogue boxes
Organising your priorities
Action planning
The use of quotations
7
Section 5:
The essay/assignment plan
15
Section 6:
The introduction
17
Section 7:
The main structure of the essay
19
Section 8:
The conclusion
21
Section 9:
Checklist
Planning, identification and retrieval of information
Analysis and evaluation of the information
Orderly presentation of conclusions
23
vi
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
S TAF F GU I D E
SECTION 1
Introduction
The Extended Essay at the Higher and Intermediate 2 levels and the
Assignment at the Intermediate 1 level of RMPS is a development of units of
work that have previously been completed in Religious Studies Higher Grade
(the Study in Depth), Standard Grade (the Investigation) and in Short Courses
(Investigation of Issues). The main change in the procedure is that the
candidates’ final submission of the Extended Essay (or, in the case of
Intermediate 1, the Assignment) will be completed during a two -hour
supervised examination with the assistance of a plan that has been previously
prepared by the candidate as a result of planning and research that candidates
will have completed in class and in their own time.
The Extended Essay and the Assignment will be externally assessed in three
main areas: planning and retrieval of information, analysis and evaluation,
and presentation of conclusions. The total number of marks allocat ed to this
part of the final assessment will be 35 in the case of Higher, 25 at
Intermediate 2 and 16 at Intermediate 1 levels. Staff should ensure that
candidates select a topic or issue from within the units of the RMPS course .
The Extended Essay will vary in length. At Higher level it should be between
1500–2000 words long and at Intermediate 2 level between 1200 –1500 words
long. At Intermediate 1 level the Assignment will be between 400 –800 words
long.
The task of teachers as far as the Extended Ess ay and Assignment are
concerned will be similar to that previously encountered during the Study in
Depth and Investigation units of the Higher, Standard Grade and Short
Courses. Staff are encouraged to help or guide the candidates in the choice of
their topic or issue, their planning and research and general supervision of the
work as it progresses. However, teachers may well have to teach candidates
the various skills that are necessary for the writing of an extended piece of
work during the two-hour period of the actual assessment. Staff are thus
encouraged to develop general essay writing skills and techniques with
candidates with a view to developing a longer type of essay compared to what
candidates would normally be expected to write in response to que stions in
other parts of the course.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1
S TAF F GU I D E
Teachers’ attention is drawn in particular to the assistance they may need to
give to candidates in the preparation of the ‘Essay Plan’ that they will take
into the examination room to use as a basis for the writing o f their essay as
this is a new development from what has previously been done in Religious
Studies. Some detailed advice about this aspect of the unit is given in the
guidelines to candidates that follow. It is assumed that staff will also make
use of these guidelines in their own preparation of the work on the Extended
Essay. More detailed information on the Essay Plan format has been prepared
by the SQA for the guidance of staff.
The information that follows aims to guide both staff and students in the
preparation and writing of the Extended Essay and Assignment. However,
both should feel free to adapt the information to their own needs and
circumstances.
2
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
S TU D EN T G U ID E
SECTION 2
What makes a good Extended Essay/Assignment?
This guide is designed to enable you to write a good Extended Essay or
Assignment. It will give you advice about how to go about planning and
structuring your work and also about presenting the conclusions of your
research.
The essay/assignment which you are being asked to write aims to disco ver:
• what you know about a particular topic or issue
• your ability to research and record information from a variety of primary
and secondary sources
• your ability to analyse and evaluate the information you have researched
and discovered
• your ability to draw conclusions from your study and to be able to justify
this conclusion with appropriate reasons.
The Extended Essay/Assignment also gives you the opportunity to produce
your best piece of work. It allows you to select the topic/issue, find ou t
information for yourself and gives you time to plan and organise what you
will write.
The key aspects of a good essay are:
• A clear introduction
• A well structured line of argument/discussion
• An appropriate conclusion.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 3
S TU D EN T G U ID E
A well structured essay/assignment can be compared to the different parts of
a ‘journey’:
1.
A clear introduction
The introduction is a statement of intent. It gives an indication to the
reader of the ‘route’ you are going to follow. It serves as a ‘guide’ or
‘map’ to the remainder of your presentation.
2.
A well structured line of argument/discussion
This can be described as a development of the direction of the
introduction, adding your own knowledge of the topic which you have
discovered from your research and including your own assessment
(analysis and evaluation) of the topic/issue. It can be compared to a
‘well planned route’.
3.
An appropriate conclusion
The conclusion is like the ‘journey’s end’ where you sum up your
argument/topic/issue and have the opportunity t o express your own
opinion on the subject you have been investigating.
4
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
PL AN NI N G AN D S E L E CT I N G TH E TO PI C/ I S SU E
SECTION 3
This is probably the most important part of your Extended Essay/Assignment.
Using the analogy of the journey again, it would be similar to knowing
exactly where you are going when you set out.
A number of points should be kept in mind when you are selecting the title of
the topic/issue for investigation:
• Ensure that it is related to one of the units from the RMPS course.
• Ensure that the title does not just give you the opportunity to research
information from a number of sources, but also provides you with the
opportunity to present different viewpoints that can be analysed and
evaluated.
• Ensure that a number of aspects of the topic can be considered. A
brainstorming exercise could be done in the early stages to give you an
idea of what different aspects of your topic could be considered. You can
then eliminate some to leave you with a reasonable number of aspects or
areas of research that you can cope with and which will give you a well
balanced approach to your essay/assignment.
• A preliminary discussion with your teacher on the availability of resources
would be recommended at an early stage to ensure that you have sufficient
information available for your research or give you some indication of
where you might be able to get it. You will need a lot of information to be
able to write on one topic/issue for 2 hours!
It is worthwhile to sit down and think through this important stage in
a fairly detailed way. It can save you a great deal of time and
frustration later on. The importance of the planning stage cannot be
overstressed. Discussion with your teacher should form an important
part of this stage. If you follow the advice you have been given in
these notes, this should enable you to start your journey on the right
footing. It will enable you to move smoothly to the next important
stage of the journey in due course.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 5
PL AN NI N G AN D S E L E CT I N G TH E TO PI C/ I S SU E
• Your title and initial ideas are a ‘working hypothesis’. These may change
during the course of your research as you come across information you
were not aware of at the beginning. This should not be seen as a problem
but as a natural working out of what happens during research into a topic
or issue. All you need to do is to change your plan to accommodate this
development.
The point here is quite simple: if you have a plan or outline of your
‘journey’ you can change and adapt it as you go along. Not having a plan
in the first place makes this process much more difficult – and time
consuming – to deal with.
Do not be worried about a change of title either. You may not finally settle
on this until nearly the end of your research. Having some kind of working
title to serve as a guide to your research is important. Your final ti tle may
be about the last thing you do in the preparation of your Extended
Essay/Asignment.
6
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM A T IO N
SECTION 4
The key to a good Extended Essay/Assignment is the quality of your
information and resources. The quality of your resources will dictate to a
great extent the quality of the work you produce. To begin with you should
select from available resources in your department and school library. A good
idea might be to list what you think you may require under the following
headings:
Information needed
Information I have
Information
required
This will provide a handy summary of what you have immediately available
and what you require to do more research on. Your information may be
obtained from a variety of sources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
books and other information in the classroom
books/information from the school library
magazines, newspapers, articles as appropriate
books/information from your local library
databases, CD-Roms, etc., as available
video material from all the above sources
the internet.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 7
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM AT IO N
How, and to what extent, you use these sources is entirely up to yourself as
the responsibility for your study is primarily your own. Consultation with
your teacher will help you identify which kinds of resources might be of more
relevance and save you a lot of time into the bargain. One of the problems
you will face is the sheer quantity of information available. Selecting a
variety of, as well as relevant, sources is an extremely important part of the
skills you need to demonstrate in the writing of your essay/assignment.
Where possible, select a range of both primary and secondary sources and list
all the ones you use.
When you are researching your topic do not waste time reading books or texts
from cover to cover. Use the index and contents pages to scan and skim and
keep your research information/notes closely tied to your keyword plan.
Use a variety of materials that give you a range of opinions or views and try
to research all the areas you have identified as relevant in your keyword plan.
To help you in your planning and research, a useful approach is to break up
your issue into manageable areas. This can be done, for example, as a
keyword/key question map similar to the example given on the next page.
8
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM A T IO N
Keyword plan or map
Completing a keyword/key question diagram like the one below which will
enable you to identify the main areas you will have to research and all the
key questions or issues which will have to be covered.
You may add as many other boxes as you wish.
The aims of the keyword plan or map are as follows:
• to break down a general issue into smaller, manageable parts which can
then be more effectively researched
• to give a clear indication at a glance of all the main parts of the topic /issue
you are researching
• to provide a checklist which can be used for creating and revising the
essay/assignment plan.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 9
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM AT IO N
A keyword plan/map can help you to:
• identify a specific essay/assignment question/issue from a more general
area
• break down the question/issue into sections or parts to allow you to be
more effective in your research and analysis of the issue. One advantage of
this is that you can research each identified area and then tick it off on the
keyword plan once it has been completed.
It goes without saying that the overall plan of your essay should
closely relate to the keyword map. This will enable you to keep to
the task you are carrying out. But remember that this does not mean
that you cannot add anything to your keyword map as you progress
through your research. If you come across an idea or aspect of your
topic which you had not anticipated then it is quite a simple task to
add this to your keyword map and include it in your final
plan/outline.
10
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM A T IO N
Dialogue boxes
Another useful tip as part of the planning and research stages of your
essay/assignment is the use of dialogue boxes. These can be used to jot down
particular points or issues that you wish to think about or investigate further,
or allow you to comment on what you have already done. Writing down the
information in the dialogue boxes can allow you to keep the information in
your keyword plan to a minimum.
Dialogue box 1
Dialogue box 2
Dialogue box 3
Dialogue box 4
Dialogue box 5
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1 1
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM AT IO N
Organising your priorities
You may also find it helpful to put your tasks into the order in which you
intend to tackle them:
This will help you plan your research in an organised and coherent way.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
12
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM A T IO N
Action planning
As already mentioned in the section on the keyword plan/map, it is a good
idea to break down your investigation into smaller manageable parts. This
can be in the form of key questions which can then be pursued on a separate
basis. The following grid may help you plan such an approach.
Key question
What will I
do?
Resources I
have
Resources I
need
Achieved?
Yes/No
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1 3
PL AN NI N G AN D R ET RI E V A L O F INF O RM AT IO N
The use of quotations
The selection and use of a variety of short and relevant quotations may be
regarded as an important part of the presentation of your argument. The use
of examples, evidence and quotations to support the points you are making
indicates that you can deal with source material in an appropriate way. If this
information comes from a written source this should be acknowledged. You
may also wish to include a summary of someone’s arguments or information
as part of your work. This is an appropriate thing to do provided you
acknowledge the fact. The use of this kind of information can add weight to
your presentation, make a stronger argument and thus gain you more marks.
Remember that your Extended Essay is about 33 per cent of your total exam
mark so it will pay you well to be as thorough as you can in your work on
this part of the course.
14
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
TH E E SS AY / AS S I GNM EN T P LA N
SECTION 5
It might be helpful at this point to say something about the essay plan. This is
a crucial part of your work on the Extended Essay/Assignment as not only is
it submitted with your essay at the end of the two-hour assessment period, but
it is your most important source and guide for the writing of the Extended
Essay/Assignment. A good-quality plan will help you a great deal when you
write your final piece of work.
Here are some general points about the plan:
• The plan should be no more than 250 words long.
• It should provide an outline shape for your essay.
• It should allow you to check before the final sitting that you have gathered
enough information and have the necessary analysis and evaluation of th is
material.
• It should be comprehensive enough to make you feel confident that you
can write for two hours on the topic/issue you have selected.
• It should be tested and revised where necessary before the final sitting.
• It should show clearly and specifically your introduction, the main
structure of your essay, i.e. the headings of the main paragraphs/sections,
your main arguments and conclusion.
In addition to these points:
• Your teacher can comment on and help you in the creation and revision o f
your plan.
• The plan should be taken into your examination sitting and used as the
basis of your essay/assignment.
• It should be submitted with your essay.
The plan is extremely important.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1 5
TH E E SS AY / AS S I GNM EN T P LA N
Some helpful points about the preparation of your plan
• You only have 250 words – don’t waste any.
• Use keywords or phrases, not long sentences.
• A keyword map or flow chart will help, as it is a good way of minimising
the information you will have to write. This can remind you of the main
points or arguments in your essay.
• Remember only to use information that is appropriate and relevant for
dealing with the topic or issue you have chosen. Select your information
carefully and only use what is absolutely relevant.
• Identify the main arguments and use paragraph headings to remind you of
what these are. Make sure that each paragraph contributes towards the
overall topic/issue you are dealing with.
• Put all this information into a coherent order so that you can easily present
and follow through your overall argument without having to sit and
wonder what the point was that you were trying to make in a particular
part.
• Use quotations to support a key idea, point or argument. Do not copy out
large chunks of a quotation but use brief ones or summarise the main point
of a longer one in a paraphrasing manner. Remember to acknowledge
sources.
• Remember to express your own opinion, which shows your ability to
analyse and evaluate arguments. Include reasons for your own opinions to
justify your views.
• Use a general but fairly brief introduction and a more detailed conclusion
to sum up the main substance of your argument to round off your
essay/assignment.
16
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
TH E IN T RO DU C TIO N
SECTION 6
In many ways the introduction can be one of the most difficult parts of the
essay. It is a very important part because it sets the scene for the whole piece
of work. In metaphorical terms, it creates the scenario for the ‘journey’ of the
essay/assignment itself. Once this initial obstacle has been overcome, it gets
you into the real heart of your task – the presentation of the information, the
analysis and the evaluation.
A number of things should be kept in mind about the introduction.
• It should have three main purposes:
a)
to show your understanding of the selected topic for your essa y
b)
to outline the main points of your argument
c)
to provide a smooth transition to the first paragraph of the remainder
of your essay.
• It should not be packed with facts or details. Remember it is a general
statement of intent and an indication of how you will go on to develop
your arguments in the essay.
• The first few sentences of your extended essay are vital in the sense that
they commit you to a particular course of action. You must ensure that you
have the information and ideas available to write what you are going to
write – the ‘map’ relating to your journey.
• The introduction is not only important to you, the writer, but also the
reader and, in your case, the marker! First impressions do count. How
many times have you been attracted to a novel or film after you have read
the first paragraph or viewed the first few minutes of it? Or have you been
turned off because you did not enjoy these initial stages? It’s as important
as that. The person who will read and mark it will regard the introductory
sentences as being very important. A good introduction impresses – a poor
one depresses! A bad or poor introduction may persuade the reader and
marker to anticipate the kind of information that will follow – and that
anticipation will be coloured by what has been read in the first few
sentences.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1 7
TH E IN T RO DU C TIO N
• In your introduction do not:
18
a)
just repeat the topic/issue you are about to discuss
b)
give any conclusion or opinion of your own – that should come at the
end or during the development of your essay
c)
start to develop the main points yet – this should be done in the next
section.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
TH E M AI N S TR UC T U RE O F TH E E S SA Y
SECTION 7
When you wrote your essay plan you should have included the main sections
or headings which you intend to pursue in the essay. Your main task now is
to work through each of these sections/headings step by step. ( If your plan
does not do this you should go over it again and amend it as necessary. You
will not have the time to do this during the writing of your essay/assignment.)
Remember that you have to submit the plan along with your essay/assignment
so the plan and the completed essay/assignment ought to agree.
Assuming that you have followed the guidelines for writing a good
introduction to your Extended Essay, you are now ready to develop the main
structure. A number of points should be kept in mind as you do so:
• Begin each paragraph with a sentence linking it with the previous one.
• Identify the main point for each paragraph and select the information
which you think best makes that point.
• Illustrate points you make by the use of appropriate evidence, quotations
or references.
• Avoid excessively long sentences or paragraphs. If you feel that a
paragraph is going to be on the long side, look for an appropriate division
point in the subject matter to allow you to divide it up. If a marker has to
go back and re-read parts of your work, he or she may lose the thread of
your argument.
• Your essay should show a range of differing opinions on the topic/issue to
give you the opportunity to present the information and to analyse and
evaluate it.
• Your essay/assignment should show a clear line of argument. Refer back
to the title on a regular basis to ensure that you are keeping to the point.
• Avoid jumping about from point to point in the same section or paragraph.
Try to be systematic and disciplined in your writing.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 1 9
TH E M AI N S TR UC T U RE O F TH E E S SA Y
• Take care that you do not just describe what people have said about the
topic/issue. Engage in the information you present by comparing one view
against another and presenting your own evaluation or opinion of what the
writers are saying.
• Remember to include words such as ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’, ‘because’,
‘therefore’, ‘consequently’, ‘on the one hand’/’on the other hand’,
‘although’ – all of these are good words or phrases to provide both a
variety of approach and good linking opportunities. It also makes the
essay/assignment more interesting to read.
20
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
TH E CO N C LU S IO N
SECTION 8
The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise for the reader what you have
discovered during the time you have spent researching and writing. It is also
an opportunity to remind the reader of the main points of the argument and to
show that you have answered the question you set out to answer or
investigate.
As the conclusion is the last part of your essa y, it is important that you leave
a good final impression in the mind of the reader/marker.
The following points can act as a checklist to ensure that you conclude your
essay/assignment appropriately.
• Return to the question/issue but do not introduce any new evidence or
material. Make sure that you have answered the question or dealt with the
issue you intended to.
• Briefly summarise the key points of your argument but do not do so in a
long-winded way.
• Express your own views or opinions on the qu estion/issue as a final
evaluation of the information you have presented.
• Check that your conclusion is based on the evidence presented in the
essay.
• Remember that you do not need to decide definitely one way or the other
about your issue if you do not feel that this is appropriate. It is permissible
to ‘hedge’ your answer by briefly presenting more than one view or by
using words like ‘however’ or ‘nevertheless’. Professional RMPS writers
often do this so what is good enough for them can be acceptabl e for you!
You will not be penalised for ‘sitting on the fence’ – provided you state
clearly why.
• Try to finish with a flourish. A good final sentence is as important, if not
more important, than a good opening one.
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 2 1
22
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )
CH ECK L I S T
SECTION 9
The following checklist will help you to ensure that you have covered all the
main requirements for the Extended Essay/Assignment. It can also be used as
a set of guidelines to be followed for the process of the Extended
Essay/Assignment by focusing attention on the main point s which require to
be included in the final piece of work.
Tick the relevant box once you are sure that you have completed the task.
Planning, identification and retrieval of information
The aim of my study has been clearly stated and is relevant to the
syllabus
I have identified and included a variety of both primary and
secondary sources
I have selected relevant information from these sources
I have planned the structure of the essay carefully
Analysis and evaluation of the information
I have presented different viewpoints about the
topic/issue/question I have investigated
I have compared and analysed these different viewpoints
I have paid attention to the context of the information I have
presented and have taken this into account in my essay
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (INT 1 ) 2 3
CH ECK L I S T
I have taken into account any assumptions that have been made by
the writers
I have discussed and evaluated these different viewpoints and
have included my own views as part of this evaluation
Orderly presentation of conclusions
The essay/assignment follows a logical structure and progresses in
a coherent way
I have presented a clear conclusion, taking into account the views
I have considered and my analysis and evaluation of them
My conclusion is relevant and appropriate to the aim of my
essay/assignment
24
RMP S: EXT EN DED E S S AY (I NT 2 , H); ASS IG NME NT (I NT 1 )