1. The Internal Assessment
Daniel W. Blackmon
Coral Gables Senior High
Revised June 2012

2. General
The Internal Assessment (IA) is a mandatory research paper between words in length. The requirements and assessment criteria for the IA are the same for both HL and SL.

3. General
The IA counts as 20% of a candidate’s HL History mark and as 25% of a candidate’s SL History Mark. Failure to complete the IA on time is tantamount to removing oneself from the IB program at Coral Gables Sr. High.

4. General
As part of the learning process, teachers can give advice to students on a first draft of the internally assessed work. \

5. General
This advice should be in terms of the way the work could be improved, but this first draft must not be heavily annotated or edited by the teacher.

6. General
The next version handed to the teacher after the first draft must be the final one.

7. General
All work submitted to the IB for moderation or assessment must be authenticated by a teacher, and must not include any known instances of suspected or confirmed malpractice.

8. General
Each student must sign the coversheet for internal assessment to confirm that the work is his or her authentic work and constitutes the final version of that work.

9. General
Once a student has officially submitted the final version of the work to a teacher for internal assessment, together with the signed coversheet, it cannot be retracted.

10. General
The requirement for teachers and students to sign the coversheet for internal assessment applies to the work of all students, not just the sample work that will be submitted to an examiner for the purpose of moderation.

11. General
If the teacher and student sign a coversheet, but there is a comment to the effect that the work may not be authentic, the student will not be eligible for a mark in that component and no grade will be awarded.

12. General
The same piece of work cannot be submitted to meet the requirements of both the internal assessment and the extended essay.

13. Requirements of the historical investigation
Introduction
The historical investigation is a problem-solving activity that enables students to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge to a historical topic that interests them and that need not be related to the syllabus.

14. Requirements of the historical investigation
Introduction
The emphasis must be on a specific historical inquiry that enables the student to develop and apply the skills of a historian by selecting and analysing a good range of source material and managing diverse interpretations.

15. Requirements of the historical investigation
Introduction
The activity demands that students search for, select, evaluate and use evidence to reach a relevant conclusion. The investigation should be written in the specific format outlined later in this section.

16. The following are examples of research questions.
In what ways did the New Deal’s Farm Security Administration use photography as propaganda to support its programmes?
How did the experiences of British Second World War veterans serving in Europe compare with those in the Pacific?

17. The following are examples of research questions.
Why, and with what consequences for its citizens, was Dresden (any affected town could be substituted) bombed in 1945?
In what ways did the Chinese communists use the traditional art form of opera to promote their ideology during the Cultural Revolution?

18. The following are examples of research questions.
How did the coverage of the Falklands/Malvinas War differ in the British and Argentine press?
To what extent were the Moscow Olympic Games of 1980 affected by Cold War tensions?

19. Scope of the historical investigation
Students will be required to:
.undertake a historical investigation using a good range of historical sources
.focus on a topic or event with a cut-off date that is at least 10 years before the submission date for the investigation.
.provide a title for the historical investigation that should be framed as a question
.produce a written account of between 1, ,000 words for SL and HL, which must consist of:
. a cover page with student name, number, research question and accurate word count
. a plan of the historical investigation
. a summary of evidence
. an evaluation of sources
. an analysis
. a conclusion
. a list of sources.
The historical investigation will be internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.

20. Choice of topic
Students should choose their own topic, with the teacher’s guidance and approval. The topic should be worthwhile and of interest to the student.

21. Choice of topic
Teachers must approve the topic for investigation and the research question before work is started. They must ensure that there are sufficient sources to support the investigation, and that it can be assessed by the criteria for internal assessment

22. Choice of topic
At this school, the IA for an SL student must be related either to The Causes, Practices and Effects of War or the Cold War.

23. Choice of topic
At this school, the IA for an HL student must choose a topic from Latin American History or Canadian History.

24. Scope of the historical investigation
Students will be required to:
undertake a historical investigation using a good range of historical sources
focus on a topic or event with a cut-off date that is at least 10 years before the submission date for the investigation.
provide a title for the historical investigation that should be framed as a question

25. Scope of the historical investigation
produce a written account of between 1, ,000 words for SL and HL, which must consist of:
a cover page with student name, number, research question and accurate word count
a plan of the historical investigation
a summary of evidence
an evaluation of sources
an analysis
a conclusion
a list of sources.

26. Scope of the historical investigation
The historical investigation will be internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.

27. Choice of topic
Students should choose their own topic, with the teacher’s guidance and approval. The topic should be worthwhile and of interest to the student.

28. Choice of topic
Teachers must approve the topic for investigation and the research question before work is started. They must ensure that there are sufficient sources to support the investigation, and that it can be assessed by the criteria for internal assessment

29. Choice of topic
At this school, the IA for an SL student must be related either to The Causes, Practices and Effects of War or the Cold War. History.

30. Choice of topic
At this school, the IA for an HL student must be related either to Latin American History or Canadian History.

31. Choice of topic
Students are required to provide references or acknowledgments for all sources used.

32. The written account
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

33. The written account Please pay attention to this format!
Failure to write your IA in the correct format means an automatic “F” ! I will not even read it.

34. The written account Please pay attention to this format!
Failure to correctly use MLA will be penalized severely!
In particular, improper or missing referencing / Works Cited will simply not be tolerated

35. The written account Please pay attention to this format!
Believe it or not, I have had students turn in papers without parenthetical citations, or without a Works Cited / Works Consulted.
An error of that magnitude means the paper is an automatic “F”. I will not even read it.

36. A Plan of the investigation (3 Marks) (Suggested 100-150 words)
Students 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.

37. B Summary of evidence (6 Marks) (Suggested 500-600 words)
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

38. This section should consist of:
C Evaluation of sources (5 Marks) (Suggested words)
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.

39. D Analysis (6 Marks) (Suggested 500-600 words)
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

40. D Analysis (6 Marks) (Suggested 500-600 words)
This section should consist of:
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.

41. E Conclusion (2 Marks) (Suggested 200 words)
The conclusion must be clearly stated, consistent with the evidence presented and relevant to the research question.

42. F Sources and word limit (3 Marks)
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.

43. Assessment
The IA will be marked using the Assessment Criteria set by IB. Numeric scores will be converted into letter grades using he following scale:
A= D=9-6
B= F=5-0
C=16-10

44. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Selection of the topic, construction of a tentative working bibliography and submission to the teacher for approval. (W=3)

45. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Submission of an detailed outline of the paper (W=3)

46. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Submission of the complete First Draft (full text, references and bibliography). That First Draft must be submitted to Turnitin.com Failure to upload to Turnitin.com will result in a presumption of malpractice. (W=18)

47. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Note that the content weight of the First Draft (W=18) is equal to the content weight of the Final Draft. This is because I want good a First Draft.

48. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Submission of the final draft of the Internal Assessment. It must be submitted in a 8 .5" x 11' manila envelop and must include two hard copies, and all note cards.

49. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
In addition, each student must upload the final draft to both Managebac and to Turnitin.com. Each student is expected, of course, to retain a copy of their final draft for their own records. (Content W=18; MLA W=3, Cards, Managebac / Turnitin.com W=3)

50. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
.Note: Failure to upload to BOTH Managebac and to Turnitin.com will result in an automatic “F” for ALL components of the IA grade.

51. Procedures There are four stages to completing the IA:
Failure to upload to BOTH Managebac and to Turnitin.com will result in a presumption of malpractice.

52. Due Dates All due dates are firm!
Missing a due date because a student is absent will not be acceptable.
Send the assignment in with a friend.

53. Due Dates
Proposed topic and tentative bibliography September 20-21, 2012
Submission of the Outline October 4-5, 2012
Submission of the First Draft October 24-25, 2012
Submission of the Final Draft December 13-14, 2012

54. Mandatory Completion
Please note that the paper is to be given directly into my hands.
Students who do not complete the IA will not pass the course.
Any paper submitted late will receive a letter grade of “F”.
"Late" means giving the paper to me after I leave school on the due date.

55. Mandatory Completion
If you are absent–for any reason-- on the day the IA is due, you must make arrangements to deliver the paper to me before I leave school, or you must arrange with me in advance to receive an extension

56. Mandatory Completion
I am well aware that many students regard most due dates as flexible and negotiable. Please be aware that I must mark both the First draft and Final draft, and have everything ready to be sent to IB by mid-February.

57. Mandatory Completion
Since the IA is part of the IB History score (which is why the paper is a requirement), I will mark any late papers as usual; the numeric score will be submitted to IB; the “F” will be for my grade book alone.

58. Mandatory Completion
Students who have not completed the IA will receive an "F" for each marking period and semester/examination grade until such time as the work is completed.

59. Mandatory Completion
Students who have not completed the Internal Assessment by the date that samples must be sent for external moderation are de facto no longer in IB.
That means the student must fulfill the graduation requirements that non-IB students must fulfill
The student’s graduation may be in jeopardy!

60. Mandatory Completion
Should a student turn in a IA late (between the end of the 1st and the end of the 3rd marking periods), all grades on the report card will be changed retroactively to reflect the actual numeric average for each marking period. (This has not actually happened since 1990)

61. The End