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FALL 2014

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

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY WRITE A DP HISTORY ESSAY

Paper&2!consists!of!30!questions! Paper&3!consists!of!24!
made!up!of!six!questions!from! % OF GRADE questions!made!up!of!two! % OF GRADE
4ive!different!topics.!Students& questions!from!twelve!
must&answer&two&questions,& HL SL different!sections.!Students& HL SL
each&selected&from&a&different& must&answer&three&
topic.&The!total!exam!length!is!1! 25 45 questions.&The!total!exam! 35 N/A
hour!30!minutes!(45!minutes! length!is!2!hours!30!minutes!
per!essay). (50!minutes!per!essay).

1.&Selecting&the&Question Command Terms

• Read!all!the!questions!from!the!topics!you!have!covered!in!class. Analyze&B&Break&down&in!order!to!bring!out!
• The!4irst!step!in!writing!a!good!paper!is!choosing!an!appropriate!question. the!essential!elements!or!structure.
• When!you!choose!a!question!make!sure!you!understand!the!terms!in!the!
question!and!the!scope!of!the!question,!and!that!you!have!appropriate! Account&for&/&Why?&B&present!a!reasoned&
historical!evidence!to!support!any!response. case!for!the!existence!of!something.
• You!should!feel!con$ident)with!the!question!you!choose.
• Students!tend!to!experience!more!success!with!command!terms!like! Assess&/&Evaluate&B&Make!an!appraisal&
“analyze”,!“evaluate”!and!“to!what!extent”.!Approach!compare!and!contrast! weighing!up!the!strengths!and!limitations!of!
as!well!as!twoLpart!questions!with!caution. an!argument!or!concept.

2.&Understanding&the&Question Compare&B&Give!an!account!of!the!
“Question)analysis)means)reading)the)entire)question,)breaking)down)the)task) similarities&between!two!items,!or!
into)constituent)parts)or)themes)and)then)avoiding)the)temptation)to)reproduce) situations,!referring!to!both!of!them!
an)avalanche)of)information)whose)relevance)to)the)speci$ic)demands)is)quite) throughout.
marginal.”)–)May)2009)History)Subject)Report
Contrast&B&Give!an!account!of!the!differences!
“Understanding)the)task)(question)analysis))is)essential)for)success)in)the) between!two!items,!referring!to!both!of!them!
examination.)Candidates)need)to)be)aware)of)the)demands)of)the)command) throughout.
terms)and)to)take)note)of)any)dates)provided)in)the)question.”)May)2010)History)
DeKine&B&Give!the!precise&meaning&of!a!word,!
Subject)Review
phrase,!or!concept.

• Read!the!question!three!to!four!times.!Make!sure!you!know!what!it’s!asking: Describe&B&Give!a!detailed&account.
• What!type!of!a!response!does!the!command!term!demand?
• What!are!the!terms!in!the!question!that!need!to!be!clari4ied? Consider&/&Discuss&B&Offer!a!considered&and&
• What!is!the!scope!of!the!question? balanced&review&that!includes!a!range!of!
• Answer!the!question!as!it!is,!not!as!you!want!it!to!be! arguments,!factors!or!hypotheses.!Opinions!
• Do!not!just!blindly!agree!with!whatever!the!question!asks.!(“To!what!extent! or!conclusions!should!be!presented!clearly!
were!dandelions!important!in!Hitler’s!rise!to!power?”) and!supported!by!appropriate!evidence.
• Don’t!be!afraid!to!challenge!any!built!in!assumptions!(Why!were!the!
intentions!of!those!responsible!for!treaties!rarely!ful4illed?).! Distinguish&B&Make!clear!the!differences&
between!two!or!more!concepts!or!items.
3.&Planning&the&Essay
“A)thematic)approach)to)essays,)when)appropriate,)usually)provides)a)more) Examine&B&Consider!an!argument!or!concept!
successful)outcome.)The)chronological)narrative)often)tends)towards)descriptive) in!a!way!that!uncovers&the&assumptions&
writing)and)curtails)analytical)treatment)of)topics.”)–)May)2010)History)Subject) and&interrelationships&of!the!issue.
Report
Explain&B&Give!a!detailed&account&including!
• Begin!by!planning!the!essay!question!you!are!most!con4ident!with.!Plan! reasons!or!causes.!
both!(P2)!or!all!three!(P3)!essays!before!you!begin!writing!your!4irst!one.
Identify&B&Provide&an&answer&from!a!
• Take!4L6!minutes!to!plan!each!essay.
number!of!possibilities.
• Write!your!planning!on!a!spare!answer!sheet!that!you!will!attach!to!the!
back!of!your!essay. Justify&B&Give!valid&reasons&or&evidence&to!
• Organize!your!arguments/paragraphs!into!suitable!themes!as!thematic! support!an!answer!or!conclusion.
approaches!generally!score!better!than!chronological!accounts.
• After!you!have!established!your!arguments,!write!down!related!key!names,! To&what&extent&B&Consider&the&merits&or&
policies,!dates,!events,!key!actors!and!statistics!in!point!form. otherwise&of!an!argument!or!concept.!
• Use!pertinent!and!appropriate!information!only.!Make!sure!your!arguments! Opinions!and!conclusions!should!be!
and!historical!knowledge!are!relevant!to!the!question.!This!will!avoid!your! presented!clearly!and!supported!with!
writing!going!off!on!a!tangent. appropriate!evidence!and!sound!argument.

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! FALL 2014

Introduction
“Higher)awards)also)tended)to)go)to)those)candidates)
who)were)able)to)effectively)de$ine/explain)key)terms)
at)the)outset.”)–)May)2009)History)Subject)Report
• In!your!introduction!you!want!to!be!sure!to:
• Set!the!historical!context
• Clarify!any!key!terms!(total!war,!guerrilla!
warfare,!ideology,!propaganda,!militarism,!
brinksmanship)!or!nebulous!terms!(success,!
circumstances,!modern)!from!the!question!
• Your!introduction!should!narrow!from!a!broad!
overview!of!the!historical!context!to!a!thesis,!
which!directly!answers!the!question
Thesis
• The!thesis!should!be!the!last!sentence(s)!of!your!
introduction
• It!should!directly!answer!the!question!by!using!
the!language!of!the!question
• It!should!state!the!main!idea!you!plan!to!prove;!it!
is!the!one!statement!you!would!make!if!you!
could!only!make!one!statement!about!the!essay!
question
• An!ideal!thesis!not!only!directly!answers!the!
question!but!also!speci4ies!the!arguments!that!
will!be!presented!in!the!body!of!the!essay

Body
“The)best)responses)revealed)command)of)chronology,)task)identi$ication,)structure)and)above)all)the)provision)of)
relevant)historical)detail.)It)cannot)be)emphasized)enough)that)answers)must)be)supported)by)reference)to)historical)
knowledge.”)–)May)2010)History)Subject)Report

"Too)many)responses)suffered)from)a)great)[lack])of)suf$icient,)relevant,)accurate)historical)knowledge.)Sweeping)
generalizations)devoid)of)convincing)historical)substantiation)seemed)to)characterize)too)many)responses.”)–)May)
2010)History)Subject)Report

• “Hit!‘em!hard”!L!Start!your!body!paragraphs!with!your!strongest!argument
• Each!body!paragraph!should!begin!with!a!topic!sentence!that!introduces!the!argument;!ideally!this!topic!
sentence!neatly!transitions!from!the!previous!paragraph
Using&Historical&
• The!use!of!topic!sentences!ensures!that!you!are!answering!the!question!and!
Vocabulary
supporting!your!thesis!statement,!while!avoiding!heading!off!on!a!tangent
Try!to!incorporate!the!
• Everything!in!the!paragraph!should!support!the!topic!sentence
language!of!a!historian!
• The!best!support!is!in!the!combined!form!of!explanation!and!historical!knowledge
into!your!essay,!such!as:!
• Avoid!narrative!or!descriptive!accounts!(“storytelling”)
hegemony,)irredentist,)
• Use!dates!to!demonstrate!you!understand!chronology!and!the!historical!context
ratify,)geopolitical,)
• Be!speci4ic!in!your!responses;!avoid!generalizations
sovereignty,)casus)belli,)
• Avoid!using!nonLacademic!language!or!slang
unilateralism,)
• Use!a!concluding!sentence!that!summarizes!the!paragraph!and!ties!it!back!to!your!
referendum,)etc.
thesis
SEXC&B&An&Easy&Guide&to&Body&Paragraph&Writing&

Statement!L!introduce!the!paragraph!with!your!topic!
! sentence
Explanation!L!develop!the!idea!put!forward!in!your!topic!
! sentence.!“Flesh!it!out”
eXample!L!provide!historical!knowledge,!examples,!
! details!and!statistics!to!support!your!argument
Concluding!statement!L!restate!your!argument!and!link!
! it!back!to!your!thesis!statement,!demonstrating!
! how!the!paragraph!serves!to!prove!your!thesis
Conclusion
• Brie4ly!summarize!your!arguments,!draw!them!
together!and!demonstrate!how!they!support!your!
thesis!(twoLthree!sentences)
• Aim!to!include!some!big)picture)thinking!in!your!
conclusion!that!touches!on!the!historical!signi4icance!of!
the!question/event!under!consideration
• Your!conclusion!should!not!be!more!than!4ive!sentences
• If!you!run!out!of!time,!skip!writing!a!conclusion!so!you!
can!write!a!good!4inal!body!paragraph
At&the&End&of&the&Essay
• Make!sure!the!question!numbers!are!written!in!the!left!hand!margin!and!match!the!question!you!actually!wrote!on
• Make!sure!your!candidate!and!page!numbers!are!4illed!in
• Cross!out!any!material!you!do!not!want!marked

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
PAPER 2 & 3 BIBLE! FALL 2014

Historiography Scope
“Historiography)is)not)the)beVall)and)endVall)of)history)essay)writing:)it)should)not) • Chronology
be)a)substitute/replacement)for)solid)factual)knowledge,)accurate)chronology)and) • Region
sequencing)which)must)form)the)basis)of)any)effective)essays.”)–)May)2009)History) • Theme!(cultural,!economic,!
Subject)Report legal,!political,!social,!
territorial,!technological)
“Candidates)throw)around)terms)like)revisionist,)intentionalist,)structuralist,)
orthodox,)etc.)without)real)understanding)of)the)terms)and)without)any)real) Common&P2/P3&Mistakes
appreciation)of)the)basis)of)evidence)which)each)of)these)schools)uses)in)their)
argumentation.”)–)May)2010)History)Subject)Report • Forgetting!to!include!dates!in!
the!essay
• Historiography!is!useful!but!should!be!used!to!support!arguments,!not!in!lieu!of! • Confusing!methods!and!
them conditions
• Avoid!name!dropping!schools!of!thought!(orthodox,!revisionist,!postL • Misusing!the!terms!USSR/
revisionist!schools)!without!demonstrating!some!understanding!of!how/ Russia
when/why!they!developed!
• Quoting!academic!historians!is!much!more!appropriate!and!fruitful!than! Common&P2&Mistakes
quoting!the!authors!of!school!textbooks
• The!markband!awards!students!who!evaluate!different!approaches!to! • Answering!two!questions!
historical!events!and!use!historiography!to!support!their!argument!(P2;!16L20)! from!the!same!topic!area
more!than!students!who!summarize!the!views!of!historians!and!use!them!as!a! • Answering!questions!using!
substitute!for!the!development!of!their!own!argument!(P2;!10L12) examples!from!outside!the!!
twentieth!century!(e.g.!SinoL
Japanese!War,!Opium!Wars,!
etc.)
• Failing!to!observe!the!need!to!
provide!examples!from!two!
different!regions
• Failing!to!distinguish!between!
rise)and!rule)of!SPS!(Topic!3)

General&Tips
• The!4irst!essay!you!write!should!be!the!one!you’re!most!
con4ident!in.!However,!don’t!spend!more!than!50!minutes!
(P2)!or!60!minutes!(P3)!on!your!4irst!paper!as!you!risk!not!
having!enough!time!for!your!other(s)
• Don’t!use!the!4irst!person
• Write!consistently!in!the!past!tense
• Do!not!use!white!out.!Cross!out!unwanted!words!by!
drawing!a!line!through!them
Coping&with&Stress
• Get!a!good!night’s!sleep!before!your!exam
• Be!con4ident!entering!the!exam!knowing!you’ve!done!all!
you!can!to!prepare
• Take!a!series!of!deep!breaths!while!closing!your!eyes
• Use!positive!silent!self!talk!(“I!know!this”,!“I!am!smart”,!“I!
am!going!to!be!4ine”)
• Put!things!in!perspective!–!let’s!be!honest,!it’s!just!a!History!
Paper!
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