IB History Paper 1 Anyone who believes you can’t change history has never tried to write his memoirs. David Ben Gurion History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it. Winston Churchill

Question 1 – Comprehension 2 parts  1 st part is 3 marks  2 nd part is 2 marks Spend about 5-10 minutes on this question Asks you to identify the significance or implication of a source Identify 3/2 distinct significances or implications to get full marks Make sure your comments reflect an awareness of all sections of the excerpt Make these clear by using words like “First…” Answer the question as if the reader does not know anything about the topic Keep your answers short and to the point Try to use vocabulary associated with the period or the topic in order to indicate that you have background knowledge When referring to a cartoon or map, make explicit reference to it Do not quote from the excerpt Do not bother bringing in outside knowledge

Question 2 – Analysis 6 points Spend about 15 minutes on this question Asks you to compare and contrast two documents Use a highlighter and/or pen to notate the sources 2 specific similarities and 2 specific differences is okay, but 3 is ideal Devote one paragraph to similarities and one paragraph to differences The points of similarity will usually be rather basic and obvious Use terms such as “similarly”, “whereas”, “both”, and “in contrast” to make direct comparisons Use phrases such as “Source A backs…”, and “…supports source B”. Use direct quotes but keep them short and focused on the most relevant words or phrases If you claim that a certainly similarity or difference exists, make explicit reference to the part of the source(s) in question Do not use bullet points Do not bother to bring in outside knowledge Do not analyze each document separately, engage in a running comparison Do not compare the source of the documents

Question 3 – Evaluation 6 points Spend about 15 minutes on this question Asks you to identify the Origin, Purpose, Value and Limitation of 2 different sources Treat each source separately in 2 different paragraphs Explicitly use the words Origin, Purpose, Value and Limitation Briefly state the origin and purpose in each sentence each, but give more detail about the value and limitations Focus your evaluation of the source’s value and limitations on the source’s provenance, not its content Stick to the question and do not include general or irrelevant statements Do not bring in outside information Do not analyze the content of the document Do not merely state facts about the document but ask what the implications of the facts are. Do not make categorical statements about the value or limitations of a document. You answers must be more specific to the document in question.  Example: Do not claim that a document’s limitation is that it is a translation, excerpt or secondary source

Question 3 – Evaluation Ask the following questions of a document: Who created the source and why? Was it created on the spur of the moment, a routine transaction, or a thoughtful, deliberate process? Did the recorder have first hand knowledge of the event or did the recorder report what others saw and heard? Was the recorder a neutral party or did the recorder have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? Did the recorder produce the source for personal use, for an individual, or for a larger audience? Was the source meant to be public or private? Did the recorder wish to inform or persuade others? Did the recorder have reasons to be dishonest? Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after, or after some lapse of time? How long of a lapse?

Question 4 – Synthesis 8 points Devote about 25 minutes to this Treat this question like a mini-essay Briefly outline your answer and assemble your evidence in advance before you start writing Construct an answer to the question and then support your claims through evidence and reference to the sources Show off as much of your own knowledge as you can in this question It may be wise to read this question first before the others and take a minute to jot down key terms and concepts from your own knowledge before you answer the rest of the questions. Do not use a narrative approach; keep it analytical and focused on the question Do not just make vague references to the sources. Engage with the material and refer to specific sections and facts from them (quotations are good)