History

Firstly, History can be a great choice for the EE as it lends itself well to essay writing and offers lots of interesting topics to choose. Watch Historical documentaries to get inspiration.

Secondly, the student can choose a topic that is not being studied in the Markham IB curriculum, although some may choose to study a taught topic to underpin their knowledge for exams.

Thirdly, ensure that the Historical topic is from at least 10 years in the past. If you choose to ignore this, you will lose many marks across several criteria.

Fourthly,keep the scope of your EE narrow to stay within the 4000-word limit and ensure that the question can be answered /is manageable within this scope. Remember to try and address one of the key historical concepts in your question.

Finally, try to think of a topic that has a genuine question to answer There is a requirement that you ‘critically analyse’. Therefore, you must avoid questions that lead to a narrative response.

Firstly,there should be enough sources to make the investigation meaningful, and if you find there are not enough, then you should change your direction earlier rather than later. This can be achieved with general reading around the topic thus providing you with greater context and allow you to see if you have enough relevant sources.

Secondly, make use of the school library, online university libraries and websites such as JSTOR to access articles related to the topic.

Thirdly, send emails to academics and authors who specialise in your topic focus. Some of the best History EE’s have utilised this personal approach to research.

Finally, you will need to read a range of material. One book from the library will not cut it. Think primary and secondary sources that include; books, journal articles, research papers, online resources etc. This prep work will allow you to give a balanced judgement. Make sure you record your research notes and write down where you found the sources.

Firstly, create a flowchart/plan that shows the direction of your essay.

Secondly, divide the essay into sub headings to ensure the essay is broken down into manageable bite sized chunks.

Thirdly, meet the deadlines set out by your supervisor and the school.

Fourthly, have a discussion with anybody willing to listen about your topic. This will allow you to bounce ideas and hear different opinions.