Year 10 World War Two

Research Essay Summative Assessment

Your task: Research and write an in-class essay on World War Two on an area of interest.

Requirements:

 Choose an area of interest from World War Two.

o This could be something that we studied, or something outside the scope of what we’ve covered in
class (be sure to check with your teacher first)
 When you have chosen your area of interest create your essay question (what you want to research and
discuss in your essay).
o Your question must move beyond factual and must be either a debateable or conceptual question.
o Your question must be approved by your teacher
 You will have 3 lessons dedicated to research your topic.
o You should use a range of sources including primary and secondary sources (Strand B.iii)
o As you research you must collate your sources into a Harvard style bibliography. This will be handed
in along with your plan (Strand C.iii)
 After your research lessons, you will be spending one lesson writing your essay plan. (Strand B.ii)
o Your plan must be single sided, A4, and handwritten in class.
o You can bring in your notes / research from the previous lessons to help formulate your plan
o Your plan will be collected by your teacher at the end of the lesson and given back to you when you
write your essay.
 You will then spend the following lesson writing your essay in class.
o Your essay will be assessed on:
 The depth and accuracy of your knowledge on your chosen topic (Strand A.i & A.ii)
 How effectively you communicate your essay (Strand C.i)
 The structure of your essay (do you use TEEL? Is your contention clear?) (Strand C.ii)
 Your bibliography and use of in-text references (Strand C.iii)
 Your analysis of the key concepts and ideas (Strand D.i)
 How well you formulate your arguments in your paragraphs (Strand D.ii)
Assessment Criteria (A, B, C and D)

Task Specific Criteria Description

A high achieving response will do the following:

A: Knowledge and Understanding

 Your essay includes a wide variety of sophisticated subject and topic specific words and ideas related to
World War II.
 Your essay demonstrates a sophisticated and detailed understanding of the topic you have chosen, with
multiple relevant descriptions or examples from primary and secondary sources.

B: Investigating

 You have effectively completed a detailed handwritten essay plan on 1 side of A4 paper.
 Your essay plan and final essay demonstrate that you have conducted in depth research into your chosen
topic, using appropriate, varied, and relevant primary and secondary sources.

C: Communicating

 Your essay maintains a clear contention throughout and is appropriate for a historical inquiry.
 The information expressed in your essay is historically accurate.
 Your essay includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
 Your paragraphs use effective TEEL structure, including specific evidence and evaluation.
 You have included an extensive and accurate bibliography using the Harvard style.

D: Critical Thinking

 You identify and interpret the relationship between your evidence and evaluations to reach conclusions in
support of your contention.
 You present a sophisticated and detailed analysis and discussion in response to your research question.
 Your writing synthesises information and presents a valid, well-supported argument.
A: Knowledge and Understanding 0 1-2
A i) use a wide range of terminology in Not Uses limited
context shown relevant
terminology
A ii) demonstrate knowledge and Not demonstrates basic
understanding of subject-specific content and shown knowledge and
concepts through developed descriptions, understanding of
explanations and examples content and
concepts with
minimal
descriptions and/or
examples.
B: Investigating 0 1-2
B ii) formulate and follow an action plan to does not follow a
investigate a research question. Not plan
shown
B iii. use research methods to collect and record collects and records
appropriate, varied and relevant information limited, not always
consistent with the
Not research question
shown
C: Communicating 0 1-2
C i. communicate information and ideas Not communicates
effectively using an appropriate style for the shown information and
audience and purpose ideas in a limited
way, using a style
that is limited in its
appropriateness to
the audience and
purpose.
C ii. structure information and ideas in a way Not organizes
that is appropriate to the specified format shown information and
ideas according to
the specified format
in a limited way
C iii) document sources of information using a Not Documents sources
recognized convention. shown of information in a
limited way
D: Critical Thinking 0 1-2
D i) discuss concepts, issues, models and theories Not analyses concepts,
shown issues, models and
theories to a limited
extent
D ii) synthesize information to make valid, well- Not summarizes
supported arguments shown information to a
limited extent to
make arguments
3-4 5-6 7-8
uses some uses a range of consistently uses a
terminology terminology accurately wide range of
accurately and and appropriately terminology
appropriately effectively
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
adequate knowledge substantial knowledge excellent knowledge
and understanding of and understanding of and understanding
content and concepts content and concepts of content and
through satisfactory through accurate concepts through
descriptions, descriptions, thorough, accurate
explanations and explanations and descriptions,
examples. examples. explanations and
examples.
3-4 5-6 7-8
somewhat follows a follows a substantial effectively follows a
partial action plan to action plan to comprehensive
investigate a research investigate a research action plan to
question question investigate a
research plan
uses a research uses research methods uses research
method(s) to collect to collect and record methods to collect
and record mostly appropriate relevant and record
relevant information information appropriate, varied
and relevant
information
3-4 5-6 7-8
communicates communicates communicates
information and ideas information and ideas information and
satisfactorily by using a accurately in a way ideas effectively and
style that is somewhat that is mostly accurately in a way
appropriate to the appropriate to the that is completely
audience and purpose audience and purpose appropriate to the
audience and
purpose
Structures information Structures information structures
and ideas in a way that and ideas in a way that information and
is somewhat is mostly appropriate ideas in a way that is
appropriate to the to the specified format completely
specified format appropriate to the
specified format.
sometimes documents often documents consistently
sources of information sources of documents sources
using a recognized information using a of information using
convention. recognized a recognized
convention convention.
3-4 5-6 7-8
analyses concepts, discusses concepts, completes a detailed
issues, models and issues, models and discussion of
theories theories concepts, issues,
models and theories
summarizes synthesizes synthesizes
information to make information to make information to make
arguments valid, well-supported valid, well-supported
arguments arguments