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Site authors

Mark Beverley currently teaches at Sevenoaks School, where he is Director of Curriculum and teacher of the Literature...more

David White (BA, MA) has taught the IB Diploma at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore since 2002...more

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Sl exemplar 3: poetry

Paper 1: the basics

This poem was set for the May 2016 SL exam. The student's response below is a rather average one. S/he engages with the poem in a relatively accurate way but the analysis tends towards the somewhat superficial and repetitive, and there is an absence of detailed comment on literary features. It is not without some merit, however - and therefore a good one to show you students so they can identify for themselves its strengths and weaknessess.

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Sentence - Phrase - Word

Core Skills

Sentence - Phrase - Word is a thinking routine taken from the book Making Thinking Visible by Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church and Karin Morrison, and it is a strategy that works very well in the IB Literature classroom. It is a simple protocol whereby students select a sentence, phrase and word from a given text in order to distill what they feel is most important. This process demands that students think about the 'big ideas' or 'deeper meanings' and then connect this thinking to specific details in the text. The outcome can then be used in a variety of ways and often leads to engaging discussions and explorations.

Annotating texts

Paper 1: the basics

Annotating texts is something we expect students to do by and large throughout the course - but when and how are the associated skills actually being taught? You might well find that some students seem to possess expertise almost instinctively, but many - perhaps most - do not. The notes below are designed to encourage your students to develop these skills by recognising the importance of annotation as a record of reading texts 'actively'. Paper 1 is the ideal to place to focus attention on the importance of this.

Written Assignment Exemplar 8

Part 1: Works in Translation

This HL Written Assignment is a response to Yukio Mishima's dark and disturbing novel, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea. It is a great text for this part of the course as it is short and accessible while also having a richness and complexity that prompts varied and original responses from students. This sample essay is one such response: while its overall argument doesn't always convince, there is no doubt the student is engaged with the novel at a deep level, and is seeking to convey an ambitious, rigorous and original exploration.

10 Tips for Paper 1

Paper 1: the basics

The following 10 tips are designed to help students adopt a systematic and effective approach to Paper 1. Many of these strategies focus on what happens in that first, crucial part of the examination, when students choose the extract they will write on and then spend time annotating and planning their response.

Written Assignment Exemplar 1

Part 1: Works in Translation

Written Assignment 1: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Reflective Statement: How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the Interactive Oral? In the Interactive Oral we looked into subjects varying from the history of the book 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' to the conditions in the labor...

Stage 4: The Written Assignment

Part 1: Works in Translation

The final stage of the process is of course to start writing the actual assignment. As the supervisor of the essay, your role is to provide guidance and support - but to keep in mind at all times that the assignment must be the work of the student. Note that you are only allowed to provide feedback on one written draft, and you must not write notes on the draft itself. Suggestions for improvement...

IOC Teaching Strategies

Part 2 Detailed Study

Preparing students for the IOC There are obviously many different ways you can develop skills associated with the Part 2 assessment task, and as time goes on, you will discover the ones that work best for you, for the texts you have studied, and for the kinds of students you teach. Below are suggested a few fairly generic things to consider: 1. Keep the assessment task/s in mind Although it is...

Written Assignment Exemplar 2

Part 1: Works in Translation

Written Assignment 2 Therese Raquin, by Emile Zola Reflective Statement: How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the Interactive Oral? The interactive oral covered a range of issues relevant to the novel’s cultural context. The emergence of the scientific method and positivism as a way of acquiring knowledge was introduced as a key...

SL exemplar 1: poetry

Paper 1: the basics

The Habit of Light, by Gillian Clarke The following Standard Level Guided Literary Analysis was written in response to this poem: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/16/saturday-poem-gillian-clarke-mothers-day The Guiding Questions questions were: 1. Explore the way the poem presents the maternal figure in the poem 2. What use does Clarke make of imagery? The Habit of Light The poem entitled...

Recommendationsmore

An excellent and invaluable site that will make the teaching of IB Literature both fun and engaging for students and teachers. The quality and quantity of material, tips and resources is impressive.

Samantha Chesler-Leiman, International School of Brunei, Brunei

It's easy to navigate, straightforward, and helpful. Even for an experienced IB teacher, the website provides helpful ways to reconsider curriculum and lesson plans.

Abigail Xiaoxuan Chen, Taipei American School, Taiwan

I wish I'd had something like this when I first started teaching IB Lit!

Alexa Mazarakis, International School of Manila, Philippines

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Subscriber comments

16 Jun Mark Beverley
Extended Essay: appropriate topics

No problem, Deb. I agree it is a shame - could have been an interesting essay!
15 Jun Deb Emery
Extended Essay: appropriate topics

Hi Mark, Thank you for your help. We were hoping that painting and literature could somehow both be considered under the large umbrella of art. It was a long shot, but would have been a fun EE had it met the criteria. I'll direct her to refine...
14 Jun Mark Beverley
Extended Essay: appropriate topics

Hi Deb: unfortunately, the proposal your student is making would not be allowed because it combines subjects from two groups. The only context in which this is allowed would be a World Studies essay or one from the two interdisciplinary courses,...
13 Jun Deb Emery
Extended Essay: appropriate topics

Hi David and Mark, Due to many circumstances, I have a student who recently needed to completely change her direction for her EE. She is now going to write a Category 2 Lit EE. She has discussed a few options with me, but I'm not sure that...
31 May David White
Paper 1: the basics

We're glad it's been so useful Chuck.
30 May chuck henry
Paper 1: the basics

Thanks David, let me say again. This website has proven to be an extremely valuable asset, particularly as I worked to shephered my first class through the IB.
29 May David White
Paper 1: the basics

Hi Chuck. For most Lit students it is not a 'foreign language', though that may be different in your context. It may be best to advise some less able students to structure their answer around the two guiding questions - they can still do...
29 May chuck henry
Paper 1: the basics

Wow, that kind of synthesis is a tall order with the clock ticking on an exam in a foreign language. I know this work defies formulas much of the time, but can you offer any formulas or techniques for producing this kind of literary alchemy?
26 May Mark Beverley
An overview of the Written Assignment

Hi Adrienne: revision of the Reflective Statements should not be undertaken. In part this is because it is not in the spirit of the exercise - but the importance of writing it sooner after the Interactive Oral is of course because of the need...
25 May Adrienne Kelly
An overview of the Written Assignment

My students wrote their Reflective Statements this year, as 11th graders, and uploaded them to Turnitin.com. Are they allowed to revise these statements before they attach them to their WA next year?
25 May David White
Paper 1: the basics

Hi chuck. This is what it says in the guide: "Two guiding questions are provided—one on understanding and interpretation, and the other on style. Students are required to address both questions in their answer. However, it is anticipated...
24 May chuck henry
Paper 1: the basics

Gentlemen, so the SL students get two guiding questions. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to answering the questions individually? What if the student numbers his answers 1 and 2? Must he synthesize the two questions into one larger...

IB English A Literature

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Latest updates see all

Sl exemplar 3: poetry

Sentence - Phrase - Word

Annotating texts

Written Assignment Exemplar 8

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10 Tips for Paper 1

Written Assignment Exemplar 1

Stage 4: The Written Assignment

IOC Teaching Strategies

Written Assignment Exemplar 2

SL exemplar 1: poetry

Recommendationsmore

Blogmore

'Taking Ownership...'

Luddites, Laputans and Literature teachers

Happy New Year

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