History HL

[Richard Stifler]

Historians,

I am attending History Higher Level and, since I really enjoy History, I have been pissed because I cannot get more than a 5... I hate Paper 1, the questions are so obvious and brief that I don't even know what to say, should I write like a lot and say a lot of bull****? Or should I say the least as possible and write just a few lines? If so, what should I say then? Under what structure?

The Paper 2... well, that one I particularly enjoy as I can say what I want and write a much as I want, and embellish it with those speech connectors that every big answer needs to be organized and coherent. Nevertheless, I can only get 5's and I was hoping I could get more. I would like to have at least 6 on total... and my answers are very complete I produce arguments and illustrate them with examples occurred... my History teacher even says my writing is perfect... what's missing then?

Does anyone have a tip? Or a book that can help me out understanding the philosophy of IB History? Or has anyone had a 7? Please feel free...

Cheers,

Richard  

Edited August 7, 2016 by Richard Stifler

[=-=]

Hi:) I completely understand your pain...this was exactly how I felt throughout my two years of IB history. I've been getting 4s and 5s during 11th grade, but I ended up with a 7 in the actual IB exam. 

The most important thing I must tell you is, Don't despair!

With Paper 1, the most efficient way for me to study is just practicing tons and tons of past paper, because as you said, the questions tend to be very obvious and brief. Usually I like to compare my answers with the mark scheme provided, just to see what kind of information IB wants(they tend to vary from year to year). Also, another key thing with paper 1 is the time constraint, so try to practice under exam conditions. 

With Paper 2, it honestly sounds like you are on the right track..I have always struggled with the structure of essays in paper 2. One thing I would advice you to do is add some historiography along side your argument, this really shows IB examiners that you understand the different perspectives and the significance of these perspectives. Another thing is to try and pack in as much dates and details as possible for your evidence. 

My prescribed topics were Single party states(Hitler, Castro)and causes and effects of wars(WW1, WW2, Spanish Civil War). 

Hope this helps:) 

[slothlife]

For Paper 1:

• Practice using past papers. Like tons of them. The more you do, the easier it'll get.
• Keep your answers as short and coherent as possible. I struggle with this myself because I have a tendency to write a lot but in Paper 1 they don't care much for complex sentences, they just want the answer. Short and sweet is key in Paper 1, it will save you a TON of time.
• Read the questions before the sources 

 

For Paper 2:

• Include historiography throughout

[Richard Stifler]

On 11 de Agosto de 2016 at 9:41 AM, =-= said:

Hi:) I completely understand your pain...this was exactly how I felt throughout my two years of IB history. I've been getting 4s and 5s during 11th grade, but I ended up with a 7 in the actual IB exam. 

The most important thing I must tell you is, Don't despair!

With Paper 1, the most efficient way for me to study is just practicing tons and tons of past paper, because as you said, the questions tend to be very obvious and brief. Usually I like to compare my answers with the mark scheme provided, just to see what kind of information IB wants(they tend to vary from year to year). Also, another key thing with paper 1 is the time constraint, so try to practice under exam conditions. 

With Paper 2, it honestly sounds like you are on the right track..I have always struggled with the structure of essays in paper 2. One thing I would advice you to do is add some historiography along side your argument, this really shows IB examiners that you understand the different perspectives and the significance of these perspectives. Another thing is to try and pack in as much dates and details as possible for your evidence. 

My prescribed topics were Single party states(Hitler, Castro)and causes and effects of wars(WW1, WW2, Spanish Civil War). 

Hope this helps:) 

Pal,

Despair is my middle name... seriously, I entered the IB at the end of the 1st year and there were several topics that I wasn't in the classes, the 1st WW is one of them. Fortunately, I got in time to study Hitler and Stalin (but I don't think I can compare them), the Tsarist Russia, LoN and the 2WW. I only know one totalitarian single-party leader (Hitler) and I don't feel comfortable to compare two distinct wars, as like I said I wasn't in the IB at the time the History class lectured the 1st WW. I mean I can study it, but still if I could avoid it...

Thank you for the advices on Paper 1, but still isn't there any guide or book about Paper 1? I saw one from Cambridge, do you think I should buy it?

Also, for the History IA... I am kinda wandering around on the topic. It is to explain the reasons why a country of my own choice got in the 1st world war. Ill try to combine the sources my teacher provided me and more less link them with motives for that country to join the 1WW.

What do you mean by "historiography"? Should I quote historians then, from those tiny sources astrayed on the margins that no one cares about?

I just wanted to grasp the philosophy of IB History, so that I could get a 6 or 7, who knows?!, on the final exam. I will only have the march mocks now, so I won't have much time.

Cheers,

Richard

[Richard Stifler]

On 11 de Agosto de 2016 at 10:43 PM, slothlife said:

For Paper 1:

• Practice using past papers. Like tons of them. The more you do, the easier it'll get.
• Keep your answers as short and coherent as possible. I struggle with this myself because I have a tendency to write a lot but in Paper 1 they don't care much for complex sentences, they just want the answer. Short and sweet is key in Paper 1, it will save you a TON of time.
• Read the questions before the sources 

 

For Paper 2:

• Include historiography throughout

Thanks, pal

Would you advise me to buy Cambridge Paper 1 guide?

Could you also help me out on this question? Or know someone who could?

 

Thanks,

Richard

[slothlife]

14 hours ago, Richard Stifler said:

Thanks, pal

Would you advise me to buy Cambridge Paper 1 guide?

Could you also help me out on this question? Or know someone who could?

 

Thanks,

Richard

I've personally never used the Cambridge guide, nor do I know anyone who has, so I can't really advise you to purchase it; yet, given that its from Cambridge, it does seem like a safe and reliable source

Sorry but I can't help you very much with the second question since I'm currently having the same problem. However, what I've been doing and suggest, is to try to find universities that offer the course "International Law"/"Global Law." -- that seems like a safe bet. Sorry once again that I'm not a huge help. 

[Richard Stifler]

4 hours ago, slothlife said:

I've personally never used the Cambridge guide, nor do I know anyone who has, so I can't really advise you to purchase it; yet, given that its from Cambridge, it does seem like a safe and reliable source

Sorry but I can't help you very much with the second question since I'm currently having the same problem. However, what I've been doing and suggest, is to try to find universities that offer the course "International Law"/"Global Law." -- that seems like a safe bet. Sorry once again that I'm not a huge help. 

Its ok, pal. Don't worry.

Yeah but I think that course isn't much of a help, as it is more of a diplomacy job. It is meant for those who want to pursue international careers, like ambassadors. Still, you can be lawyer, tho you d be one who d deal with political and foreign affairs (for UN, Central Banks, NGOs and so on).

At least for me, it is not the profession I was looking for. I wanted to be a regular defense attorney, not one dealing with foreign affairs. But if you like it, then go on. This article explains it quite well http://www.mastersportal.eu/articles/428/what-can-i-become-if-i-study-international-law.html

Cheers,

Richard

[=-=]

18 hours ago, Richard Stifler said:

Pal,

Despair is my middle name... seriously, I entered the IB at the end of the 1st year and there were several topics that I wasn't in the classes, the 1st WW is one of them. Fortunately, I got in time to study Hitler and Stalin (but I don't think I can compare them), the Tsarist Russia, LoN and the 2WW. I only know one totalitarian single-party leader (Hitler) and I don't feel comfortable to compare two distinct wars, as like I said I wasn't in the IB at the time the History class lectured the 1st WW. I mean I can study it, but still if I could avoid it...

Thank you for the advices on Paper 1, but still isn't there any guide or book about Paper 1? I saw one from Cambridge, do you think I should buy it?

Also, for the History IA... I am kinda wandering around on the topic. It is to explain the reasons why a country of my own choice got in the 1st world war. Ill try to combine the sources my teacher provided me and more less link them with motives for that country to join the 1WW.

What do you mean by "historiography"? Should I quote historians then, from those tiny sources astrayed on the margins that no one cares about?

I just wanted to grasp the philosophy of IB History, so that I could get a 6 or 7, who knows?!, on the final exam. I will only have the march mocks now, so I won't have much time.

Cheers,

Richard

Hey, believe it or not, I was actually in a even worse situation..My teacher during 11th grade was absolutely the worst and we spent one year learning about Lenin--which I didnt even need to know according to the SL syllabus. Basically the whole class relied on IGCSE and self-studied knowledge for the exam--and it turned out pretty good for everyone in our class, so dont worry too much!

Paper 1: Personally I didnt use any kind of guidebooks for Paper 1, so I'm not sure about the Cambridge one. But there are several threads on here that I found pretty useful, so you might want to look into those. 

IA: that sounds like a good topic with plenty of sources and evaluation points:) Although I would narrow it down a little bit more given the word count limit, because its very easy to fall into the trap of too much description and not enough analysis.

Historiography: it basically means "the history of history". I wouldnt spent too much time memorizing sources word for word, but it is useful to memorize a few prominent historians and their respective views. For example when it comes to a question about Hitler's rise to power, I would try to bring in the debate between Structuralist historians(who believed Weimar was doomed from the beginning) and Intentionalist historians(who believed in the "Hitler myth") to support my argument. 

 

[Richard Stifler]

13 minutes ago, =-= said:

Hey, believe it or not, I was actually in a even worse situation..My teacher during 11th grade was absolutely the worst and we spent one year learning about Lenin--which I didnt even need to know according to the SL syllabus. Basically the whole class relied on IGCSE and self-studied knowledge for the exam--and it turned out pretty good for everyone in our class, so dont worry too much!

Paper 1: Personally I didnt use any kind of guidebooks for Paper 1, so I'm not sure about the Cambridge one. But there are several threads on here that I found pretty useful, so you might want to look into those. 

IA: that sounds like a good topic with plenty of sources and evaluation points:) Although I would narrow it down a little bit more given the word count limit, because its very easy to fall into the trap of too much description and not enough analysis.

Historiography: it basically means "the history of history". I wouldnt spent too much time memorizing sources word for word, but it is useful to memorize a few prominent historians and their respective views. For example when it comes to a question about Hitler's rise to power, I would try to bring in the debate between Structuralist historians(who believed Weimar was doomed from the beginning) and Intentionalist historians(who believed in the "Hitler myth") to support my argument. 

 

 

Thank you very much, pal.

Historiography: The "Hitler myth"? So it gives Hitler merit for his rise, instead of claiming that the Weimar Republic's weaknesses gave rise to Hitler? I am a little bit out of the blue with this, as my teacher had never mentioned the sources and historians as a means of illustrating our answers. So, should I develop my arguments, then "embellish" it with an historian's corroborative point of view and finally talk a bit about some counter-claims and, as previously, illustrate it with a contradictory historian, in order to set up a "debate" and not only consider my spectrum of arguments and opinions?

IA: The teacher gave us the titles. This may seem foolish but the teacher gave several topics and then he made a raffle to see who would get what. I got that one that I told you. Therefore, I am not quite sure I can narrow or alter the IA title. Still, what do you think it is important in the History IA? Like the real philosophy.

Pal, sorry to even ask this but could you help me out on this other question I have?

Thank you so much

[slothlife]

On 15/08/2016 at 8:40 PM, Richard Stifler said:

Its ok, pal. Don't worry.

Yeah but I think that course isn't much of a help, as it is more of a diplomacy job. It is meant for those who want to pursue international careers, like ambassadors. Still, you can be lawyer, tho you d be one who d deal with political and foreign affairs (for UN, Central Banks, NGOs and so on).

At least for me, it is not the profession I was looking for. I wanted to be a regular defense attorney, not one dealing with foreign affairs. But if you like it, then go on. This article explains it quite well http://www.mastersportal.eu/articles/428/what-can-i-become-if-i-study-international-law.html

Cheers,

Richard

Well I'm sorry that I couldn't be of greater assistance. 

[ellie]

Hi! Sorry for being late to the party, but this topic speaks to me. Only 2% of HL History students achieve 7s and before me, nobody in our school had ever gotten that, not even the best and brightest, so I was feeling pretty unsure of myself, crossed my fingers for a 6, which frankly also seemed unattainable.

Some advice that I can give you: you have to dive in to what you're studying. IB History guides are little use to you if you want to stand out (i.e. get over a 5). You'll need real, solid history books. My teacher was a gift from god who gave us specific pages or chapters to read, but it's not that hard to find yourself later on either (find a good book about your topic and look for your topic, history books are usually chaptered well. Now, reading real books has two large advantages: first, you get a more thorough picture of the events (make sure to skim the topic from your textbook or wikipedia first, can be overwhelming otherwise); secondly, you pick up on the writing style, and my teacher assured me that my style was one of my main assets.

Enthusiasm and interest are vital. Without these, you won't remember as much and studying will be hard (for me, it was really REALLY fun, most of the time). I also really liked watching lectures, discussions and presentations. I just searched youtube for a good historian that my teacher had mentioned and watched whatever seemed most on-topic. I remembered historians' POVs really really well because of this! Videos and audio work best for me because I'm an auditive learner, so if reading doesn't quite cut it for you, maybe try that? Oh, and I was in Russia for two weeks half a year before the exams and spent 8 hours in a history museum, even used stuff I saw there in my exams.

You'll need to surround yourself with a lot of History, read books on the bus, on the toilet, use up moments you usually do nothing with. Watch documentaries instead of your favourite TV show every once in a while, more and more as the exams approach. And you need to write A LOT. Like, as much as in a HL English essay, but you have 45 minutes instead of 2 hours. My teacher really put emphasis on this.

It's one of the most time-consuming subjects, though, and don't expect a 6 or a 7 if you don't prioritise History. You'll need to practice a lot and be dedicated. I, for example, chose to get as good as I could in History instead of pushing my Math average from a 4 to a 5, since it was a lot more important for me.  If you have any other questions (more specific), I'll gladly try to help, just ask! Good luck!!

Disclaimer: not saying this is the only, or the fireproof way to a HL History 7. It worked for me, it might help you. 

[Richard Stifler]

On 21 de Agosto de 2016 at 2:57 PM, ellie said:

Hi! Sorry for being late to the party, but this topic speaks to me. Only 2% of HL History students achieve 7s and before me, nobody in our school had ever gotten that, not even the best and brightest, so I was feeling pretty unsure of myself, crossed my fingers for a 6, which frankly also seemed unattainable.

Some advice that I can give you: you have to dive in to what you're studying. IB History guides are little use to you if you want to stand out (i.e. get over a 5). You'll need real, solid history books. My teacher was a gift from god who gave us specific pages or chapters to read, but it's not that hard to find yourself later on either (find a good book about your topic and look for your topic, history books are usually chaptered well. Now, reading real books has two large advantages: first, you get a more thorough picture of the events (make sure to skim the topic from your textbook or wikipedia first, can be overwhelming otherwise); secondly, you pick up on the writing style, and my teacher assured me that my style was one of my main assets.

Enthusiasm and interest are vital. Without these, you won't remember as much and studying will be hard (for me, it was really REALLY fun, most of the time). I also really liked watching lectures, discussions and presentations. I just searched youtube for a good historian that my teacher had mentioned and watched whatever seemed most on-topic. I remembered historians' POVs really really well because of this! Videos and audio work best for me because I'm an auditive learner, so if reading doesn't quite cut it for you, maybe try that? Oh, and I was in Russia for two weeks half a year before the exams and spent 8 hours in a history museum, even used stuff I saw there in my exams.

You'll need to surround yourself with a lot of History, read books on the bus, on the toilet, use up moments you usually do nothing with. Watch documentaries instead of your favourite TV show every once in a while, more and more as the exams approach. And you need to write A LOT. Like, as much as in a HL English essay, but you have 45 minutes instead of 2 hours. My teacher really put emphasis on this.

It's one of the most time-consuming subjects, though, and don't expect a 6 or a 7 if you don't prioritise History. You'll need to practice a lot and be dedicated. I, for example, chose to get as good as I could in History instead of pushing my Math average from a 4 to a 5, since it was a lot more important for me.  If you have any other questions (more specific), I'll gladly try to help, just ask! Good luck!!

Disclaimer: not saying this is the only, or the fireproof way to a HL History 7. It worked for me, it might help you. 

Pal,

Thank you. I admire your persuasion and wit to perceive the "fireproof" to get an optimum grade.

Could you give me some of the historians that your History teacher recommended you?

Very helpful, much appreciated. I have some other unanswered questions... tho they are not on History.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Richard Stifler

[ellie]

On 8/23/2016 at 10:56 PM, Richard Stifler said:

Pal,

Thank you. I admire your persuasion and wit to perceive the "fireproof" to get an optimum grade.

Could you give me some of the historians that your History teacher recommended you?

Very helpful, much appreciated. I have some other unanswered questions... tho they are not on History.

What topics are you doing?

[Richard Stifler]

5 hours ago, ellie said:

What topics are you doing?

Well, i have studied nazi germany, tsarist russia, lenin and stalin's russia, league of nations and all of that and the 2nd World war. 

I missed the 1ww and alexanders russia and all of that (but my class has lectured it In The beginning of the first year). 

[ellie]

On 8/25/2016 at 8:34 PM, Richard Stifler said:

Well, i have studied nazi germany, tsarist russia, lenin and stalin's russia, league of nations and all of that and the 2nd World war. 

I missed the 1ww and alexanders russia and all of that (but my class has lectured it In The beginning of the first year). 

Okay, that's great, I had the same ones!

Russia: 

• Richard Pipes (A Concise History of the Russian Revolution is a masterpiece, it's all you need to know and the revolutions are often referenced, but Three "whys" of the Russian Revolution is really short and detailed, I recommend reading it shortly before the exam)
• Robert Service (A History of Modern Russia has chapters that are identical with syllabus points, also biographies of Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky)
• Orlando Figes (A People's Tragedy is another one on the revolution, but Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991 is a bit broader, also pretty short) and Sheila Fitzpatrick are famous for Russia, but I haven't read them

World War I:

• Read up on the Fischer controversy (WWI was taught as having been Germany's fault without a doubt, but as you know, that's gross oversimplification)
• Niall Ferguson, British historian who blames Britain for WWI. Super interesting, he talks about most of his points here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT81WwCix4M&nohtml5=False (it's a great video, you can see how sassy he is)
• Henry Kissinger (I recommend the relevant chapters from Diplomacy, another very good read; the Doomsday Machine chapters are about WWI)
• Christopher Clark (Sleepwalkers) and Margaret MacMillan (lots of books) both have excellent lectures on YouTube
• Primary sources: look up some WWI poets, I also really loved All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque), it helps you understand the era much better

Nazi Germany:

• I actually really recommend the IB textbooks here, it discusses historians quite well (I used Cambridge and Pearson), get it at the library if you can, no point in buying these.
• Richard Overy (The Road to War)
• Richard Evans (The Coming of the Third Reich)

I don't have anything for the others, but Kissinger's Diplomacy covers LoN and the interwar years very well. Hope that helped! If you need help with finding anything, PM me.

[Richard Stifler]

2 hours ago, ellie said:

Okay, that's great, I had the same ones!

Russia: 

• Richard Pipes (A Concise History of the Russian Revolution is a masterpiece, it's all you need to know and the revolutions are often referenced, but Three "whys" of the Russian Revolution is really short and detailed, I recommend reading it shortly before the exam)
• Robert Service (A History of Modern Russia has chapters that are identical with syllabus points, also biographies of Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky)
• Orlando Figes (A People's Tragedy is another one on the revolution, but Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991 is a bit broader, also pretty short) and Sheila Fitzpatrick are famous for Russia, but I haven't read them

World War I:

• Read up on the Fischer controversy (WWI was taught as having been Germany's fault without a doubt, but as you know, that's gross oversimplification)
• Niall Ferguson, British historian who blames Britain for WWI. Super interesting, he talks about most of his points here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT81WwCix4M&nohtml5=False (it's a great video, you can see how sassy he is)
• Henry Kissinger (I recommend the relevant chapters from Diplomacy, another very good read; the Doomsday Machine chapters are about WWI)
• Christopher Clark (Sleepwalkers) and Margaret MacMillan (lots of books) both have excellent lectures on YouTube
• Primary sources: look up some WWI poets, I also really loved All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque), it helps you understand the era much better

Nazi Germany:

• I actually really recommend the IB textbooks here, it discusses historians quite well (I used Cambridge and Pearson), get it at the library if you can, no point in buying these.
• Richard Overy (The Road to War)
• Richard Evans (The Coming of the Third Reich)

I don't have anything for the others, but Kissinger's Diplomacy covers LoN and the interwar years very well. Hope that helped! If you need help with finding anything, PM me.

Huge thank you, i ll also try to find videos on YouTube and lectures on Russia, besides the books you recommended me. 

Appreciated your aid,

Richard