IB Twentieth Century World Topics
Internal Assessment Guide
and
Summer Assignments
Introduction
Internal assessment is an integral part of the history program. Internal assessment requires
candidates to display skills and historical understanding in a context other than that of the formal
examination. In brief, the requirements for internal assessment for the history course are that:
 The candidate undertakes a historical investigation of his or her choice within the
historical context of either subject listed under the Topics heading.
 The emphasis on a specific historical inquiry under the guidance of a teacher
 The candidate applies the skills of the historian to the investigation
The historical investigation is assessed against six criteria which are related to the objectives of
the history course.
The same piece of work cannot be submitted to meet the requirements of both the internal
assessment and the extended essay. Furthermore, you may not rework, transform, or otherwise
manipulate a research paper from your tenth grade AP World History class. The internal
assessment is a very different kind of paper and students who have attempted to “rewrite” old
papers have not done so successfully.
The nature of internal assessment (IA)
The internally assessed work is to be an in-depth study of an historical subject related to the
Twentieth Century World Topics course. It constitutes 20% of the total assessment in history at
the higher level (HL) and 25% at the standard level (SL).
The internally assessed study in history allows for flexibility and you are encouraged to use your
own initiative.
Some suggested types of study are:
 Analysis/evaluation of primary and secondary sources on a particular theme
 Cross-curricular exercise, for example a work of art or literature examined in an historical
context
 Genealogical study
 Historiography, analysis of an historiographical debate
 Local history project
 Report based on an archaeological site, or other fieldwork
 Research paper/essay
The internally assessed study is compulsory for both higher and standard level IB history, and is
an integral part of the history program. The teacher’s role is to discuss and give advice to each
candidate about the area of study, title, sources, exact focus, format and structure, but the actual
assignment must be the candidate’s own work.
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Written studies (research paper/essay format)
As well as the research/essay many of the above examples will be in written format. The
maximum word limit for a written study is 2,000 words. The minimum word limit is 1,500
words. Candidates who fail to adhere to these requirements will be penalized. This
maximum/minimum word limit does not include supplementary information such as contents
pages, references, bibliography and appendices. For further formatting requirements, see the IA
structure sheet.
Time allocation
The weighting (20% HL and 25% SL) of the internal assessment should be reflected in the time
given to internal assessment during the course itself. The internal assessment should be
undertaken throughout the program, and not treated as an afterthought. It is recommended that
candidates devote up to 30 hours of the IB history time to their internal assessment.
Objectives of the internal assessment
1. Demonstrate historical understanding through acquisition, selection and effective use of
knowledge.
2. Present clear, concise, and well-substantiated arguments.
3. Evaluate, interpret and use source material critically
4. Evaluate different approaches to and interpretations of, historical events and topics *
5. Explain the causes and effects of historical continuity and change. *
* Objectives 1, 2, 3 must be addressed but whether or not objectives 4 and 5 are addressed
depends on the nature of the work submitted.
A few important dates are posted here. Two dates are stated depending on the altering
block schedule. These dates are subject to change.
August 13th/August 14th, 2015– Get initial approval of topic and question. It is expected that
during the research process your topic and question will doubtless alter, but a clear initial topic
and question should be chosen by this date.
August 18th/August 19st, 2015
Candidates are to produce a statement, of no more than one paragraph (Section A – Plan of the
Investigation) detailing:
The area and focus of the
study: What is your
specific question?
answered?

The format of the study
e.g., research paper,
historiographical analysis,
or local history project.

Resources the candidate
intends to use.

Difficulties that may be
encountered.
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Summer Reading Assignment 2015
Summer Reading assignment – You must read and complete the following assignments:
1.
Title - History: A Very Short Introduction
Author - John H. Arnold
ISBN number - 019285352X
Publisher - Oxford University Press
Publication Date - February 2000
2.
Two of your sources (books or scholarly journals) on your IA subject. You may not find
a book that entirely relates to your topic/question; in that case just read the section(s) that
do. It is suggested you use approximately six to eight sources in the writing of the paper.
Two of these sources will be selected for evaluation and should be read in their entirety
(section C of the investigation). Sources that ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE are
encyclopedias, textbooks, and certain internet material – please see me if you have a
question about whether a certain internet source is appropriate. If you have not checked
with me on your internet source assume it is not acceptable. Your sources, since this is a
history class, are to be primarily books and scholarly journals or texts.
The assignment: You must write a paper of at least 500 words that displays knowledge
and understanding of your source books and a detailed response that links how each of
the two sources you read relates to John H. Arnold’s History: A Very Short Introduction.
You will be graded based on the fulfillment of the above and the application of Arnold’s
book to your sources.
August 21st, 2015
Summer Reading assignment paper due.
September 3rd/ September 4th, 2015
Tentative outline of your Internal Assessment. This outline is to be similar to the example you
were given in class in May 2015 and attached to the last page of this packet. This outline will
follow the exact format of the Internal Assessment.
October 7th/ October 8th, 2015
Annotated bibliography due. Annotated bibliographies are to include 1) a brief summary, 2) an
assessment of each source and 3) a reflection on how each source could be useful to students
research on the IA. Information from The Purdue Online Writing Lab found at the following link
may be useful: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/>
October 29th/October 30, 2015
100 Notecards (or equivalent) and bibliography due
Notecards are to include (1) source and page number, (2) paraphrase of relevant material such as
an author’s argument and other ideas, and/or quotations (if it is a quote you MUST put it in
quotations), and (3) corresponding tag/categorization (thematic terms that will help students to
utilize information when writing outline, e.g. #economics, #political_rise, #WWII, etc.). This
assignment is designed to help you with Part B–Summary of Evidence. Students should use the
five sources from Annotated Bibliography and other sources they find in the course of research.
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November 19th/November 20th, 2015
Final outline due – this outline is highly detailed. The only difference between this and your first
draft are things like transitional phrases. It will also follow the correct format of the IA.
December 10th/December 11th 2015
Rough Draft Due. Papers are due to turnitin.com and WILL be checked for Plagiarism at this
point. Mr. Feldberg will read and return with general remarks to be corrected before final draft.
Thursday, February 12, 2016
Internal assessment due – N O
E X C E PT I O N S
General Topics of Course
 Origins and Developments of Single Party States
Topics addressed will relate to the origins, ideologies, form of government, organization,
nature and impact of these regimes. There will be a focus on Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s
USSR, Mao’s China, Peron’s Argentina, Castro’s Cuba.
 The Cold War
Topics addressed will relate to East-West relations from 1945-1991. The focus is generally
on the origins, course and effects of the superpower rivalry with attention also being given to
the events and problems in other regions such as the effects of the conflict on developing
nations and their relation to the industrialized world.
 Communism in crisis: 1976-89
Topics addressed will relate to the major challenges- social, political, and economic- facing
the regimes in the leading socialist (communist) states from 1976 to 1989 and the nature of
the response of these regimes. There will be a focus on post-Moa China, domestic and
foreign problems of the Brezhnev era: economic and political stagnation: Afghanistan:
Gorbachev and his aims and actions.
If you have questions regarding any aspect of the internal assessment you may contact me at
Feldberg@fultonschools.org.
The Internal Assessment
Student Guide
Planning
1. Start by identifying a general area of interest.
2. Narrow it down to a specific question/area of investigation.
3. Choose a working title that may be changed/refined at a later stage.
4. Make sure you can obtain sufficient resources for your planned investigation.
5. Read widely around the area of study and note resources used.
6. Review your thesis question and refine it if necessary.
7. Take notes from your chosen resources, including exact references.
8. Complete section A (plan of the investigation) and show it to Mr. Feldberg
9. Re-read your notes and decide where they would fit into the sections of the investigation.
10. Complete your investigation, according to the IBO guidelines.
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On completion of the investigation, you may find it useful to use the following checklist.
Checklist
Item
Does the front cover have your name, candidate number, word count and question?
Completed
Do you have a contents page?
Are all the pages numbered?
Have you completed all the sections of the historical investigation:
A: Plan of the investigation
B: Summary of evidence
C: Evaluation of sources
D: Analysis
E: Conclusion
F: List of sources
Does your bibliography contain all sources used?
Is your bibliography set out in alphabetical order?
Is your investigation within the word limit of 1500 – 2000?
Have you signed the declaration on form 3/CS?
The Internal Assessment
Structure
Every candidate must produce a written account consisting of the following six sections:
A. Plan of the investigation
B. Summary of evidence
C. Evaluation of sources
D. Analysis
E. Conclusion
F. List of Sources
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A. Plan of the investigation
The student should:
 State the topic of the investigation, which should be formulated as a question
 Define the scope of the investigation
 Explain the method of the investigation
This is a relatively brief but important section. A sharply focused question and a clearly
structured plan will be more likely to produce a successful investigation.
B. Summary of evidence
The summary of evidence should indicate what you have discovered from the sources used.
It can be in the form of either a list or continuous prose. Any illustrations, documents, or
other relevant evidence should be included in an appendix and will not be included in the
word count. This section should consist of factual material that is:



Drawn from sources that are appropriate for the investigation
Correctly and consistently referenced*
Organized thematically or chronologically
*This section should be organized and properly referenced, including footnotes (we will use
the Turabian manual for referencing and footnoting.), and provide evidence of thorough
research.
C. Evaluation of sources
This section of the written account should be a critical evaluation of two important sources
appropriate to the investigation and should explicitly refer to their origin, purpose, value and
limitation.
The purpose of this section is to assess the usefulness of the sources but not to describe their
content or nature.
D. Analysis
This section should consist of:
 An analysis that breaks down complex issues in order to bring out the essential elements,
and underlying assumptions and any interrelationships involved
 An understanding of the issue in its historical context
 A critical examination of the factual material presented in section B
 An awareness of the significance of the sources used, especially those evaluated in
section C
 A consideration of different interpretations of evidence, where appropriate
In this section the elements of the investigation identified in section B will be broken down
into key issues/points. Consideration of historical context can add weight and perspective to
the study. Where appropriate (depending of the scope of the investigation) links can be made
with associated events and developments to aid understanding of the historical importance of
the chosen investigation.
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E. Conclusion
The conclusion must be clearly stated and consistent with the evidence presented and
relevant to the research question.
This section is a follow-up to section D. It requires an answer or conclusion, based on the
evidence presented, which either partially or fully addresses the question stated or implied in
the investigation.
F. List of sources
A bibliography or list of sources and all citations, using one standard method, must be
included; any illustrations, documents, or other supporting evidence should be included in an
appendix. None of these will form part of the word count. The word count to the
investigation must be clearly and accurately stated on the title page.
All sources, whether written or otherwise, (including interviews) should be listed. This
section should be organized alphabetically. We will use the Turabian manual for
referencing.
Although a word count for each section is not specified, the following is a suggestion:
A. 100 – 150
B. 500 – 600
C. 250 – 400
D. 500 – 650
E. 150 – 200
Totals – 1500 – 2000 words, 25 marks
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The following outlines are examples of what is expected on September 3/4, 2015.
The Internal Assessment
Tentative Outline Example I
An investigation into social history: How successfully did Hitler promote the ideal of the
family in the Third Reich?
A. Plan of the Investigation
To establish what Hitler’s ideal for the family was.
To measure how far his vision accorded with reality.
B. Summary of Evidence
Background: position of family/women prior to 1933.
Duties of women defined as: children, church, kitchen (kinder, kirche, küche).
Hitler’s ideals: Mein Kampf and other contemporary sources, e.g. speeches.
Evaluation of evidence: historians of social history of Third Reich.
C. Evaluation of Sources
Evaluation of two historical studies, e.g. Crew, D F. Nazism and German Society 1933 –
1945, New York: Routledge, 1994. Noakes, J and Pridham, G. Nazism 1919 – 1945, Vol.
2. State, Economy & Society 1933 – 1939, Cambridge, UK: University of Exeter Press,
1984.
D. Analysis
The place of family in Nazi ideology.
Role of men: penalties on bachelors.
Ideal of women as mothers/wives/employees as promoted by Hitler and Goebbels.
Reality of women’s position: Lebensborn (homes for unmarried mothers); employment
patterns – demands of war and re-armament.
E. Conclusion
Evaluation of myth of German family as measured against evidence of family like from
social history studies. Discussion of pressures/outside influences that undermined family
policy.
F. List of Sources
Bibliography (Turabian/Chicago Style format)
Please include a correctly formatted list of your sources
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The Internal Assessment
Tentative Outline Example II
An investigation of an event represented in newspaper reports: How did newspaper reports
on the death of Kennedy vary, and how reliable were they?
A. Plan of the Investigation
To show how the reports of Kennedy’s assassination reflected the impact of the event on
America. To demonstrate how reporting changed with the passage of time.
B. Summary of Evidence
Sections on Kennedy and on assassination. Immediate reactions of the press. Subsequent
press reports.
C. Evaluation of Sources
Evaluation of two historical studies, e.g. Evaluation of major newspaper reports, such as
in the Washington Post and The Times (London). Either compare contemporary accounts
or show how treatment of Kennedy’s assassination changed over time in one newspaper.
D. Analysis
Importance of context. Tone of early reportage and analysis of reasons for it. How
newspaper reporting changed with emerging evidence and changing mood of country.
E. Conclusion
Accuracy and effectiveness of reporting. Discussion of newspapers as sources of
historical evidence.
F. List of Sources
Bibliography (Turabian/Chicago Style format)
Please include a correctly formatted list of your sources
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The Internal Assessment
Tentative Outline Example III
An investigation comparing a film and a written account of a historical event: How and
why did the accounts of the storming of the Winter Palace in October 1917 differ in the
film, October, and in the book, A People’s Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891–1924?
A. Plan of the Investigation
To study the film October and compare it with a historical study of the storming of the
Winter Palace.
Details of evidence: discussion of significance.
B. Summary of Evidence
Film footage: October, 1927, directed by Eisenstein (account of storming of Winter
Palace)— emphasis on symbols.
Written account: Figes, O. 1996. A People’s Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891–
1924. Pimlico.
C. Evaluation of Sources
Evaluation of two historical studies, e.g. Eisenstein’s October: functions—propaganda,
creation of a myth.
Historical focus of A People’s Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891–1924.
D. Analysis
Myth of revolutionary uprising—spontaneous or not?
Function of film—giving confidence and pride to an emerging Russian state.
Focus of historian—overall evaluation.
E. Conclusion
Contrast between the two sources. Analysis of revolutionary myth. Evaluation of sources
and evidence as presented, for example, propaganda, western historian’s view.
F. List of Sources
Bibliography (Turabian/Chicago Style format)
Please include a correctly formatted list of your sources
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IA Topic Development
Using the 20th Century topics listed on page four of this packet please take a moment to develop
some possible questions you may have on the topic. A simple search of one of the topics that
interests you may be helpful in developing a question. Once you have a few topics and questions
developed, go to the link below and complete the form.
http://goo.gl/forms/uu5iJ9GiHn
Remind 101
Please sign up for Remind 101 by texting @mrfeldbe to the number 81010.
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