IA Guidelines 2007Dr. Dina Taher Internal Assessment How to write a good one?

IA Guidelines 2007Dr. Dina Taher

Internal Assessment

How to write a good one?


What is an IA?

An internal Assessment in Economics is a written commentary based on an economics article that you have chosen.

The article you choose should allow you to explain and analyze economic events.

For Economics SL, your IA represents 25% of your total IB score.

For Economics HL, your IA represents 20% of your total IB score.


What to do?

Pick an article that will allow you to use what we have learned in class.

– For your first IA, you mostly need to find an article that will allow you to use the concepts of supply/demand, elasticity, and market failure.

– In your internet search, it would be useful to search for the price of a commodity.

• price of coffee, price of oil, price of cocoa, etc.


Where can I find an article?

• You may use proquest:– Account name: 0XBSH869Q– Password: xxxxxxxx

• You might browse the economist, or business today in the school’s library.

• You could buy the Ahram Weekly (on Thursdays), there is a section on the Economy.

• If you are unsure, you could show me the article you like and I will let you know if it is appropriate.

Ask Ms. Sahar

Your article has to be recent. 6 months is the maximum allowed range!


Then What?

Once you have picked an article, you need to analyse it. If your article is about a change in the price of a commodity, ask yourself: Why did the price change? Can I use a supply and demand diagram to explain what happened? By how much did quantity change? Who was affected by price change?


Your IA

Write an economics commentary of 650-750 words, where you explain and analyse what happened in the article you have picked.In your commentary, you should:

Define economic terms Explain economic theory Use and explain graphs Evaluate

• Can you detect contradictions/limitations between economic theory and the real world problem at hand.

• Are there winners and losers• Is there any bias in the way the article was written• Can you predict what will happen in the future based on what

happened in this article?


Assessment

There are 5 IB Criteria on which your commentary will be assessed:

– A: word limit+ IAs cover more than 3 sections of syllabus. [2 marks]

– B: 4 different sources + appropriate use of diagrams.[4 marks]

– C: Economic terms are used and are defined correctly.[5 marks]

– D: Theory explained and applied [5 marks]– E: Evaluation [4 marks]


Format

• Title Page

• Article– If the article is long, you need to highlight the

sections you use

• Commentary– Number your pages and write your name as a

header on the top RHS of each page


Title Page

Economics Commentary Number: HL number 1

Title of extract: Gasoline Demand Accelerates As Katerina Price Surge Wanes

Source of Extract: The Wall Street Journal

Date of extract: 5/ 11 / 2005

Word count: 735

Date the commentary was written: day/month/year

Section of the syllabus to which the commentary relates: Section 2.1, 2.2, 2.4

Candidate Name: Dina Taher

Candidate Number: 0654-000


Help!!

• I cannot choose an article for you, but for your first IA, you could show me the article and I will tell you whether it is appropriate or not.

• You will get feedback on the first version and will be allowed to make changes once.

• The second version you submit will be your final version. – Your IB Score will be based on this version.


Good Luck!

Documents

IA Guidelines 2007Dr. Dina Taher Internal Assessment How to write a good one?