IB HISTORY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Higher and Standard Level
International School Manila IBO Code 0046
One part of the assessment in IB-S History is the Internal Assessment, which makes up 25% of the final IB mark for SL students and 18% for HL. If you do not do the Internal Assessment, you will not receive any grade for the examination or any IB mark for History.
The topic choices for IS Manila are as follows:
1.
A topic related to 20 th century history in any of the IB regions and ALSO
RELATED TO one of the three IB topic areas covered in this course: a.
The Causes, Practices, and Effects of War b.
Nationalism and Independence movements in Asia and Africa c.
The Cold War: Origins, Development and Ending
2.
For your first I.A. you will do your research on a Practice of War in WWI
The idea here is for the Internal Assessment work as an aid for the student in preparation for performance on the IB exam itself. These are two vast areas from which to choose an interesting topic for investigation. The choice of topic question will be made in consultation with the History Instructor. THERE IS ONE RESTRICTION: The subject may NOT be the
same one chosen for an Extended Essay. The time period may be the same, the topic may not.
THE IB GUIDELINES OF CRITERIA, attached to this statement, are specific in their demands for academic honesty. Full annotation of Footnotes (End notes) and Bibliography are essential. Although primary or original sources may be used, they are not essential. Focused books, scholarly journals, appropriate internet sites and other materials of recognized academic credibility will serve as the base for the paper. To ensure you don’t make any mistakes on this, the paper will be submitted to Turnitin.com before the final submission. The paper MAY NOT exceed 2,000 words, excluding footnotes, bibliography, maps, diagrams, or appendices. There is no need for an Abstract on this paper.
At the International School Manila, this assessment is completed in the second semester of the
IB1 year, so as not to conflict with the Extended Essay. The project will be assigned in
February and will be completed by the October 10 of the first semester, year one.
The attached criteria NEED to be studied as the guide to the assessment, as do the samples and
supplemental materials!!! The marks are internally assessed by the instructor, and then sent to an external moderator for verification.
Please see the instructor if you have any further questions about the Internal Assessment.

IB1 HISTORY 2012-2013 (2014 Cohort)
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT TIMELINE
Mr. Hutchison
_____ 26 September 2012 – Distribute Internal Assessment assignment explanation and
assessment guidelines.
_____ 28 September 2012 – Final topics must be determined, crafted into research questions, and cleared with instructor.
_____ 3 October 2012 – Turn in a rough outline (no less than 3 pages, including source
(list) of the intended argument of the paper. Must include the thesis, the sequence and intended supporting evidence of the argument, and a rough bibliography of works consulted to this point. MUST FOLLOW THE PROPER FORMAT. This will enable the instructor to advise the student on the course of the study.
_____ 8 October 2012 – Turn in first full draft of I.A., including foot/endnotes and bibliography. Make it as much like the final draft as possible, including the proper format, so I can help you polish it as much as possible.
_____ 12 October 2012 –
(Turnitin.com same day)

1. Start by identifying a general area of interest.
2. Narrow it down to a specific question or area of investigation.
3. Choose a working title that may be changed or refined at a later stage.
4. Make sure sufficient resources can be obtained for the planned investigation.
5. Complete section A, the plan, and evaluate the suitability of the research area.
6. Read widely around the area of study and note down resources used.
7. Review the research question and refine it if necessary.
8. Take notes from resources, gathering evidence and diverse opinions.
9. Ensure accurate use of referencing.
10. Sort evidence thematically or chronologically.
11. Choose two suitable sources to evaluate in section C.
12. Review your analysis. Check for differing viewpoints where appropriate.
13. Write the investigation, according to IB guidelines.
This section gives further clarification on what each section of the investigation should contain.
Every student 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 Sources and word limit
Total: 1,500 –2,000 words
25 marks
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. It is also very important to note information regarding the
10 year rule as outlined in the section “Internal assessment details—SL and HL” of the guide.
Students should:
• state the topic of the investigation, which should be formulated as a question; it could be useful to provide a rationale for the choice of the selected topic for investigation
• define the scope of the investigation ; identify themes or areas of investigation to be undertaken in order to reach an effective and successful conclusion to the investigation
• explain the method of the investigation by stating the ways in which themes or areas will be analyzed.

Identify the two sources to be evaluated and their value to the investigation

This section should be organized, referenced and provide evidence of thorough research. This can be in either a bulleted list or continuous prose.
This section should consist of factual material that is:
• drawn from sources that are appropriate for the investigation; sources should be sufficient to provide an in-depth understanding of the topic and clearly related to the question
• correctly and consistently referenced
• organized thematically or chronologically.
The two sources chosen for this section could be, for example, written, oral, visual or archeological. The purpose of this section is to assess the usefulness of the sources but not to describe their content or nature.
Each source can be referred to in a separate paragraph or both sources can be evaluated in a running comparison.
This section should consist of:
• a critical evaluation of two important sources appropriate to the investigation
• explicit reference to the origin, purpose, value and limitation of the selected sources.
This section should consist of:
• an analysis that breaks down complex issues in order to bring out the essential elements, any 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.
Information should be correctly and consistently referenced.
This section requires an answer or conclusion to the research question, based on the evidence presented.
The conclusion must be clearly stated, consistent with the evidence presented and relevant to the research question.
There should be accurate and consistent referencing throughout the investigation. All sources, whether written or otherwise (including interviews), should be listed.
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 for the investigation must be clearly and accurately stated on the title page.