History IA for the holidays

Hi,
Just a bit more detail about what you have to do over the holidays for the IA:
You need to pick a topic and formulate a (draft?) research question.

All the information you need is here: http://ibhistoryia.wikispaces.com/ (bookmark it)

The sections on the site you should focus on are:

• http://ibhistoryia.wikispaces.com/Finding+information
• http://ibhistoryia.wikispaces.com/Formulating+a+research+question
• http://ibhistoryia.wikispaces.com/Sample+of+past+IA+questions
• General: http://ibhistoryia.wikispaces.com/IB+Documentation
• Sample IAs: http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group3/d_3_histx_tsm_1108_1/html/production-app3.ibo.org/publication/272/part/1/chapter/3.html

All the key advice is on the site, but I’ll just reiterate in this email:

• A good IA relies more than anything else on a good starting point: a well-defined, narrow question with some element of a debate.
• Your key information should come from reputable books and peer reviewed academic articles.
• Work backwards: If you only have a broad topic like "Appeasement", "Nazi Olympics", “Tsarist Russia” or "The Spanish Civil War", you can narrow it down by first looking at what sources/books are available to you. Locate a really good primary (or secondary) source(s) and build up your research question from there.
• Get cheap books from http://www.brotherhoodbooks.org.au/categories/history-and-archaeology/ (second hand, online, free shipping) or just try your local library. There are lots of books online in the Wesley Electronic book library (http://wesley.eblib.com.au/patron/Default.aspx) and of course there’s the trusty Google Drive with all its books. 

Due date for the History IA is the start of Term 3. Does that sound like a long time from now? I hope you said NO because you will blink three times and it will be Term 2, and all of a sudden you have 3 IAs, 500 essays, 39 orals and your EE due, all while trying to organise your notes and study for your trial exams.

So please, take these holidays to get your books and your topic all sorted.
Send me your draft questions whenever you want.

In Term 1 we will devote lessons to the writing of the IA, but don’t rely on those lessons too much; they are only there to give you guidance, help and feedback.

I hope you have a fabulous break, despite of all the work your teachers have no doubt heaped upon you.
Ms. VW