Islamic History Essay Help

[shotaway]

I'm doing my EE in Islamic History, however I'm unsure as to the topic. I chose 'To what extent was the conquest of Muslim Spain unprecedented?' as my question, but I'm very unsure on how to go about it. I'm visiting a university library and have already found some research, but my guess is that there will not be an incredible amount of content in the books there. I don't have a huge amount of time (first draft has to be handed in at the end of January), and I'm scared that my essay will be too narrative and not critical enough. Please help! Should I look to change my topic? Are there any IH nerds out there who can help? It's also a bit weird as I chose my historical investigation to be about the downfall of Muslim Spain, so I can share resources between the two topics, but I'm scared for that one as well!

Thanks.

[~Lc~]

oh chosing to write about a historcal time period as you have done is a bit tricky. My friend for his EE chose the effect of the Ottomans on the fertile Crescent as his EE topic and he got a C in it even though it was fairly good. The reason for this is because you have to remember you have to link the past to the future and discuss how what your topic is is reflected/contrasted with the place you're talking about now. Which is why I always went for architecture instead because it's easier to do that in plus easier to analyse

so it's good that you're worried about it. Try to write down all the info you have and try to make sense out of it. give one section of your EE for description to give the examiner a general idea of how things were at that time, then continue the rest of it with analysis- which is basically making sense of everything u previously mentioned. your EE should take almost the format of your Historical investigation, so make sure you have everything required in all the parts of the essay.

I did IH, but we did the crusades and pre Islamic Arabia so I can't really help you with this I'm afraid though if u do want to switch topics I'll be glad to suggest some

[Mr. Shiver]

oh chosing to write about a historcal time period as you have done is a bit tricky. My friend for his EE chose the effect of the Ottomans on the fertile Crescent as his EE topic and he got a C in it even though it was fairly good. The reason for this is because you have to remember you have to link the past to the future and discuss how what your topic is is reflected/contrasted with the place you're talking about now.

Are these requirements for any type of History, or are they specifically for Islamic history because of the nature of the subject area? If it's the latter, then how exactly is one supposed to find out about these "additional expectations" seeing as the Extended Essay guides give guidelines that only cover History in general? Or are they simply supposed to be "understood" because "it goes without saying"?

Upon reading the Islamic History subject guide, I see that relating the past to the present is a prime focus of the internal assessment. So does this mean that such expectations apply to the Extended Essay as well?

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 24, 2008 by Mr. Shiver

[~Lc~]

I'd imagine it was, I remember having 2 replies in this thread! wher'd it go? oh well! I don't know if they're different for other subjects, as I've only done IH and I think I may have just waffled about the IA and mislead you! follow your EE guide! but then again, I forgot to relate the past to the present in my Arabic B EE, and I have a strong feeling that is why I didn't get an A! just do it to be on the safe side

I'll get you the EE soon

[Mr. Shiver]

I'd imagine it was

Could you be more specific? I'm not quite sure what you're referring to here.

I don't know if they're different for other subjects, as I've only done IH and I think I may have just waffled about the IA and mislead you! follow your EE guide!

Yeah, I talked to my IB coordinator yesterday to ask if she could get me a copy of the Islamic History Teacher Support Material (it gives some sample IAs and how they're evaluated. It's not on the OCC or the IB Store, otherwise I would have had it by now.) She basically told me I was thinking too much about the Extended Essay being approached the same way as IA's, which she told me wasn't necessarily true, and that I was too concerned about History and Islamic History being different subjects, when in reality they should be approached the same way. She also said that since History and Islamic History have now just been grouped together as one topic (History), any differences that might have existed before have probably been eliminated. I do plan on following the guide like a bible, but I was just worried that if I was doing my EE on an Islamic History topic, that I might need some other guidelines that aren't in the guide.

I'll get you the EE soon

I really appreciate this. I'm not in any serious rush though, so I can wait for as long as necessary until all the exams and whatnot are over with.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Mr. Shiver