IB Language & Literature assessments

1. IB Language & Literatureassessments For those who missed the open house at the beginning of the year, need a refresher, or whose children are being vague about the requirements.

2. To receive credit & accrue points for the IB diploma students must inthe 1st semesterof theirjunior year: research, create, and present the 10-15 minute Individual Oral Presentation ( IOP). Students select from one of the texts read during the semester. • Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Journey due 1st day of school • Selected speeches due early Sept • Persepolis I score it according the IB IOP rubric. It is the 1st score to earn points for the Diploma. 1st assessment is due immediately after Winter break.

3. How is your child prepared for the 1st assessment? In addition to class discussions, direct teaching, lectures, and student group presentations, students are instructed how to: • create an effective PowerPoint • given specific guidelines for the IOP • receive a check list of IOP requirements All lectures, PowerPoints, checklists, additional resources etc are available on my website.

4. In the 2nd semester of junior year. Students must for each of the 2nd semester novels • Contribute to the “interactive oral” (IB speak for class discussion) • Write a 400-word in-class reflection • Write a timed-write essay • Write another essay based on 1 of their 3 previous essays • This essay & their original timed write & the interactive oral are sent to IB scorers • EffiBriest must be read by Feb 1 • Kafka on the Shore must be read by March 1 • Paradise of the Blind must be read by April 1 Students who do not keep up with the readings will find it very difficult to complete any of the requirements. 2nd assessment is due last day of April

5. How is your child prepared for the 2nd assessment? Students who show basic content knowledge of the novels: • Participate in in-depth class discussions • All students are shown & given access to official IB sample of a reflection • Will have their essay topics personally approved by me. This furthers their chances of writing an essay where both their knowledge and analytical skill have the best chance for attaining high marks by the official IB scorer. For example, if a student has a lower register, consistently scores poorly on analytical papers, or did not complete the novel, I steer them away from writing about the transcendental & metaphysical components of Kafka on the Shore. • 1st drafts of essay are reviewed and suggestions for improvement are provided. My goal is to help your child attain the maximum points they can on every one of their IB assessments. As students have different strengths & weaknesses, I try to give them the best chance at performing well at their level.

6. The month of May • Is devoted to teaching students how to write & research for their EXTENDED ESSAY—EE. • Students are expected to complete an excellent 3rd draft over summer break. • August of their senior year is devoted to fine-tuning, correcting errors, format, & abstract writing for the EE. • EE’s are collected at the end of October.

7. How is your child prepared for EE? • Lectures/powerpoint of EE requirements • 40 Official IB guidebooks are available in class • Official PDF guidebook available on website • A supplementary quick-guide • Focus on the subject specific requirements/rubric • Supervisor suggestions • Individual approval for every student’s topic!!! • Checklists, word lists, etc • Individual guidance with me and/or their EE supervisor I will NOT APPROVE a topic that is not recognized by IB, too difficult to achieve in the word count, too vague, or too complex. It is in your child’s best interest to consider the suggestions if they wish to be awarded the most points by official IB EE readers.

8. 1st semester senior year • Students must read &analyze: • selected poems by Langston Hughes Oct-Nov • Macbeth by Shakespeare : mid September • Tracks by Louise Erdrich due 1st day of school • Note: Due dates may vary according to how much we get accomplished. in order to prepare for the Individual Oral Commentary—IOC • This is a 20 minute taped recording & a sampling is sent to IB. I provide a suggested score—IB moderators may either lower or raise the overall scores. • 10 minutes is spent analyzing a poem & 10 minutes is spent analyzing one of the texts. IOC’s are done during the 1st week back from Winterbreak.

9. How is your child prepared for the IOC’s? • Lectures, graphic organizers, PowerPoints, class discussion, group presentations & practice- practice-practice! • Students practice mock IOC’s by taping themselves & classmates using their phones. • Students listen to previous class’ IOC’s ( low, medium, high scores) Students will need to study & review the works over Winterbreak.

10. Last semester senior year ! YIPEE! Students will need to read: • Selected stories from Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver & Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy • The Handmaiden’s Tale by Margaret In order to be able to answer paper 1 essay & paper 2 essay given during the may IB exams • Paper 1 asks a generalized genre question • Paper 2 asks students to analyze either an unseen poem or selection from an unseen prose piece

11. How is your child prepared for Paper 1 & paper 2? • Class discussion • Graphic organizers • Lecture/powerpoints • Practice-practice-practice • Shown & given access to samples of low, medium, & high scoring essays.

12. Quick Recap • Individual Oral Presentation: 1st semester 11th grade • Reflection, timed write, formal essay: 2nd semester 11th grade • Extended Essay: October of their 12th grade • Individual oral Commentary: 1st semester 12th grade • Paper 1 & paper 2: 2nd semester 12th grade

13. Please remember that… • Students receive a syllabus of the works & requirements at the beginning of each year • All novels are available from upper classman, Amazon& bookstores. • IB boosters hosts a fundraiser every year at B&N where students are encouraged to buy the required texts • IB syllabus, EE guides, handouts, resources & all rubrics are available on website • Most of the PowerPoints & lectures highlights are on the website. http://www.cnusd.k12.ca.us//Domain/2675

14. Thank you!