P a u l H a r t • L i P o C h u n U n i t e d Wo r l d C o l l e g e • H o n g K o n g • p a u l @ l p c u w c . e d u . h k

THE PAPER 2 & 3 BIBLE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY WRITE A DP HISTORY ESSAY

FOR 2017 CURRICULUM FALL 2017 1

% OF GRADE

HL SL

25 45

Paper2isbasedon12worldhistorytopics.Studentsmustanswertwoquestionschosenfromdifferenttopics.Thetotalexamlengthis1hour30minutes(45minutesperessay).

1.SelectingtheQuestion• Readallthequestionsfromthetopics(P2)andsections(P3)youhavecoveredinclass.

• TheFirststepinwritingagoodpaperischoosinganappropriatequestion.• Whenyouchooseaquestionmakesureyouunderstandthe(command/key/ambiguous)termsinthequestionandthechronological,geographic,andthematicscopeofthequestion,andthatyouhaveappropriatehistoricalevidencetosupportanyresponse.

• Youshouldfeelcon$identwiththequestionyouchoose.2.UnderstandingtheQuestion“Questionanalysismeansreadingtheentirequestion,breakingdownthetaskintoconstituentpartsorthemesandthenavoidingthetemptationtoreproduceanavalancheofinformationwhoserelevancetothespeci$icdemandsisquitemarginal.”–May2009HistorySubjectReport

“Understandingthetask(questionanalysis)isessentialforsuccessintheexamination.Candidatesneedtobeawareofthedemandsofthecommandtermsandtotakenoteofanydatesprovidedinthequestion.”May2010HistorySubjectReview

• Readthequestionthreetofourtimes.Makesureyouknowwhatit’sasking:1. Whattypeofaresponsedoesthecommandtermdemand?2. Aretherenebulous/keytermsinthequestionthatneedtobedeFined?3. Whatisthe(chronological,regional,thematic)scopeofthequestion?

• Answerthequestionasitis,notasyouwantittobe!• Donotjustblindlyagreewithwhateverthequestionasks.(ex.“TowhatextentweredandelionsimportantinHitler’srisetopower?”)

• Don’tbeafraidtochallengeanybuiltinassumptions(ex.“WhyweretheintentionsofthoseresponsiblefortreatiesrarelyfulFilled?”)

3.PlanningtheEssay“Athematicapproachtoessays,whenappropriate,usuallyprovidesamoresuccessfuloutcome.Thechronologicalnarrativeoftentendstowardsdescriptivewritingandcurtailsanalyticaltreatmentoftopics.”–May2010HistorySubjectReport

• PlanallyouressaysbeforeyoubeginwritingyourFirstone• Take4-6minutestoplaneachessay;youmayfeellikethisisawasteoftimebutitwillsaveyoutimeoverallandwillmeanyoudomostofyourthinkingatthestart,allowingyoutospendtherestofyourtimewriting

• Writeyourplanninginaspareanswerbookletsothatyoucankeepyourplanninginfrontofyouasyouwrite

• Organizeyourarguments/paragraphsintosuitablethemesasthematicapproachesgenerallyscorebetterthanchronologicalaccounts

• Afteryouhaveestablishedyourarguments,writedownrelatedkeynames,policies,dates,events,keyactorsandstatisticsinpointform

• Usepertinentandappropriateinformationonly;makesureyourargumentsandhistoricalknowledgearerelevanttothequestion(thiswillhelppreventyourwritinggoingoffonatangent)

• NowbeginwritingtheessayquestionyouaremostconFidentwith

Command Terms

Compare-Giveanaccountofthesimilaritiesbetweentwoitemsorsituations,referringtobothofthemthroughout.

Contrast-Giveanaccountofthedifferencesbetweentwoitems,referringtobothofthemthroughout.

Discuss-Offeraconsideredandbalancedreviewthatincludesarangeofarguments,factorsorhypotheses.Opinionsorconclusionsshouldbepresentedclearlyandsupportedbyappropriateevidence.

Evaluate-Makeanappraisalweighingupthestrengthsandlimitationsofanargumentorconcept.

Examine-Consideranargumentorconceptinawaythatuncoverstheassumptionsandinterrelationshipsoftheissue.

Towhatextent-Considerthemeritsorotherwiseofanargumentorconcept.Opinionsandconclusionsshouldbepresentedclearlyandsupportedwithappropriateevidenceandsoundargument.

Note:Theprimarydifferencesbetweena“towhatextent”questionandan“evaluate”questionare:1)thata“towhatextent”questionopensthedoortotheroleotherfactorsplayed,whilean“evaluate”questiondemandsthatthestudentfocusonthetopicbeingevaluated,and2)an“evaluate”questionsrequiremoreofajudgmentorclearstanceonthequestion.

% OF GRADE

HL SL

35 N/A

Paper3isbasedon18sectionsoftheregionaldepthstudy.Studentsmustanswerthreequestions.UnlikethePaper2,studentsmaychoosetwoanswersfromthesamesection.Thetotalexamlengthis2hours30minutes(50minutesperessay).

Scope• Chronology• Region• Theme(cultural,economic,legal,political,social,territorial,technological)

P a u l H a r t • L i P o C h u n U n i t e d Wo r l d C o l l e g e • H o n g K o n g • p a u l @ l p c u w c . e d u . h k

FOR 2017 CURRICULUM FALL 2017 2

Introduction“Higherawardsalsotendedtogotothosecandidateswhowereabletoeffectivelyde$ine/explainkeytermsattheoutset.”–May2009HistorySubjectReport• Inyourintroductionyouwanttobesureto:

• Setthehistoricalcontext• Clarifyanykeyterms(totalwar,guerrillawarfare,ideology,propaganda,militarism,brinksmanship)ornebulousterms(success,circumstances,modern)fromthequestion

• Yourintroductionshouldnarrowfromabroadoverviewofthehistoricalcontexttoathesis,whichdirectlyanswersthequestion

Thesis• Thethesisshouldbethelastsentence(s)ofyourintroduction

• Itshoulddirectlyanswerthequestionbyusingthelanguageofthequestion

• Itshouldstatethemainideayouplantoprove;itistheonestatementyouwouldmakeifyoucouldonlymakeonestatementabouttheessayquestion

• AnidealthesisnotonlydirectlyanswersthequestionbutalsospeciFiestheargumentsthatwillbepresentedinthebodyoftheessay

Body“Thebestresponsesrevealedcommandofchronology,taskidenti$ication,structureandabovealltheprovisionofrelevanthistoricaldetail.Itcannotbeemphasizedenoughthatanswersmustbesupportedbyreferencetohistoricalknowledge.”–May2010HistorySubjectReport

"Toomanyresponsessufferedfromagreat[lack]ofsuf$icient,relevant,accuratehistoricalknowledge.Sweepinggeneralizationsdevoidofconvincinghistoricalsubstantiationseemedtocharacterizetoomanyresponses.”–May2010HistorySubjectReport

• “Hit‘emhard”-Startyourbodyparagraphswithyourstrongestargument• Eachbodyparagraphshouldbeginwithatopicsentencethatintroducestheparagraph’smainargument;historicalevidenceshouldnotbepresentedinthetopicsentenceasthisleadstoanarrativeapproach

• Theuseoftopicsentencesensuresthatyouareansweringthequestionandsupportingyourthesisstatement,whileavoidingheadingoffonatangent

• Ideallythetopicsentenceneatlytransitionsfromthepreviousparagraph• Everythingintheparagraphshouldsupportthetopicsentence• Theuseofrhetoricalquestionscanhelpclarifyandchannelyourideas,whilesoundingsophisticated• Thebestsupportisinthecombinedformofexplanationandhistoricalknowledge• Avoidnarrativeordescriptiveaccounts(“storytelling”)• Usedatestodemonstrateyouunderstandchronologyandthehistoricalcontext• BespeciFicinyourresponses;avoidgeneralizations

SEXC-AnEasyGuidetoBodyParagraphWriting

Statement-introducetheparagraphwithyourtopic sentenceExplanation-developtheideaputforwardinyourtopic sentence;“Fleshitout”eXample-providehistoricalknowledge,examples, detailsandstatisticstosupportyourargumentConcludingstatement-restateyourargumentandlink itbacktoyourthesisstatement,demonstrating howtheparagraphservestoproveyourthesis

UsingHistoricalVocabularyTrytoincorporatetheacademiclanguageintoyouressay,suchas:hegemony,irredentist,ratify,geopolitical,sovereignty,casusbelli,unilateralism,Manichean,etc.

RecipeforDistaster(aka.Don’tDoThis!!!)

• Avoidusingnon-academiclanguageorslang• Useaconcludingsentencethatsummarizestheparagraphandtiesitbacktoyourthesis;don’tFinishyourparagraphwithaquotefromahistorian

P a u l H a r t • L i P o C h u n U n i t e d Wo r l d C o l l e g e • H o n g K o n g • p a u l @ l p c u w c . e d u . h k

GeneralTips• TheFirstessayyouwriteshouldbetheoneyou’remostconFidentin.However,don’tspendmorethan50minutes(P2)or60minutes(P3)onyourFirstpaperasyourisknothavingenoughtimeforyourother(s)

• Don’tusetheFirstperson(saying“Hitlerwasapoormilitarytactician,”ismorepowerfulthansaying“IthinkHitlerwasapoormilitarytactician.”)

• Avoidhypotheticals(useis,was,andwill,notcanandcould)• Writeconsistentlyinthepasttense• Donotusewhiteout.;crossoutunwantedwordsbydrawingalinethroughthem

• Usetermsfromthelanguageoftheeventyou’restudying(latifundistas,bainianguochi,Wehrmacht)

• Textbookauthorsaren’thistorians• Avoidcliches(“allinall”),superlativesthatyoucan’tsupport(all,every,none,never)andtheuseofetc.ore.g.

• Ifyourealizethereistextyouwanttoaddtoaparagraph,trytoadditlaterthatsamepage,notattheendofyouressay

Historiography“Historiographyisnotthebe-allandend-allofhistoryessaywriting:itshouldnotbeasubstitute/replacementforsolidfactualknowledge,accuratechronologyandsequencingwhichmustformthebasisofanyeffectiveessays.”–May2009HistorySubjectReport

“Candidatesthrowaroundtermslikerevisionist,intentionalist,structuralist,orthodox,etc.withoutrealunderstandingofthetermsandwithoutanyrealappreciationofthebasisofevidencewhicheachoftheseschoolsusesintheirargumentation.”–May2010HistorySubjectReport

• Historiographyisusefulbutshouldbeusedtosupportarguments,notinlieuofthem

• Avoidnamedroppingschoolsofthought(orthodox,revisionist,post-revisionistschools)withoutdemonstratingsomeunderstandingofhow/when/whytheydeveloped

• Quotingacademichistoriansismuchmoreappropriateandfruitfulthanquotingtheauthorsofschooltextbooks

• Themarkbandawardsstudentswhoevaluatedifferentapproachestohistoricaleventsandusehistoriographytosupporttheirargumentmorethanstudentswhosimplystatedifferenthistoricalviews.

FOR 2017 CURRICULUM FALL 2017 3

Conclusion• BrieFlysummarizeyourarguments,drawthemtogetheranddemonstratehowtheysupportyourthesis(two-threesentences).Ittotal,yourconclusionshouldnotbemorethanFivesentences.

• Aimtoincludesomebigpicturethinkinginyourconclusionthatlinksyourquestiontothekeyconceptsofthecourse(seepage4).Forexample,“WhileitisnexttoimpossibleforthehistoriantodeFinitivelyidentifythreeconcreteandprimarycauses…”or“Whilepromotingchange,thelateQingreformsrepresentedsigniFicantcontinuitywithChina’spast.

• Ifyourunoutoftime,skipwritingaconclusionsoyoucanwriteagoodFinalbodyparagraph

• Don’tintroduceanynewinformation

CommonlyMisspelledWords

AggressiveDependentDisastrous

LedSeparate

P a u l H a r t • L i P o C h u n U n i t e d Wo r l d C o l l e g e • H o n g K o n g • p a u l @ l p c u w c . e d u . h k

FOR 2017 CURRICULUM FALL 2017 4

10CommandmentsofHistoryEssayWriting

Thoushaltnot…1.UsetheFinalmomentsbeforetheexamtomadlycram2.Story-tell

Thoushalt…3.Givegreatthoughttoquestionselection4.Readthequestionandknowthouscope5.DeFinekeytermsinthyintro6.Finishthyintrowithathesis7.Includeargumentsinthythesis8.Usedates,dates,dates9.Beginparagraphswithtopicsentences10.Believeinthyself

ThePaper2&3Criteria(SimpliYied)• Theresponseisfocusedonthedemandsandimplicationsofthequestion

•Wellstructuredandeffectivelyorganized• Responseisclearandcoherent•Knowledgeisdetailed(P3),accurateandrelevant• Eventsareunderstoodwithintheirhistoricalcontext

• Clearunderstandingofhistoricalconcepts(seeright)

• Appropriateandrelevantexamplessupportanalysis/evaluation

• Differentperspectivesareevaluated

• Well-developedcriticalanalysis(P3)

• Mainpointsaresubstantiated• Conclusionisconsistentwithevidence

CopingwithStress• Getagoodnight’ssleepbeforeyourexam• BeconFidententeringtheexamknowingyou’vedoneallyoucantoprepare

• Takeaseriesofdeepbreathswhileclosingyoureyes• Usepositivesilentselftalk(“Iknowthis”,“Iamsmart”,“IamgoingtobeFine”)

• Putthingsinperspective–let’sbehonest,it’sjustaHistoryPaper!

CommonP2/P3Mistakes• Forgettingtoincludedatesintheessay• Confusingmethodsandconditions• MisusingthetermsUSSR/Russia• Mixingup19thcenturyand1900s

CommonP2Mistakes• Answeringtwoquestionsfromthesametopicarea

• Answeringquestionsontopic11(twentiethcenturywars)usingexamplesfromoutsidethetwentiethcentury(e.g.Sino-JapaneseWar,OpiumWars)

• Failingtoobservetheneedtoprovideexamplesfromtwodifferentregions• FailingtodistinguishbetweenriseandruleofSPS(Topic3)

AttheEndoftheEssay• Makesurethequestionnumbersarewritteninthelefthandmarginandmatchthequestionyouactuallywroteon

• Filloutyourcandidateandpage#s

• Crossoutanymaterialyoudonotwantmarked

ConceptsChangeContinuityCausationConsequenceSigniFicancePerspective

HittingtheCriteriaEvaluatingdifferentperspectives-integratehistoriographyorshowdifferentwaysoflookingattheissue(“thoughitmaybeargued…)Demonstratingconceptualknowledge-makeexplicitsomeofthesixconceptsinthecourseUnderstandingHistoricalcontext-usedatesorcauseandeffectStructuredandorganized-usetopicandconcludingsentencesthatusethelanguageofthequestion