Get your students to practice analyzing texts for paper 1 with this exemplar!

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Texts – both literary or non-literary – are seeped in meaning and convey important ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Developing the ability to analyse and interpret these texts allows students to engage more deeply with the world around them and understand different viewpoints.

In the DP language and literature course, paper 1 encourages students to analyse and interpret complex unseen texts. To help your students develop the necessary skills for attempting paper 1, we’ve curated and marked a sample student response for paper 1 along with sample texts – an opinion piece and a cartoon. The purpose of the exemplar is threefold:

To demonstrate the importance of annotating the text extracts for interpretation and analysis
To practice writing essays in response to exam-style guiding questions provided for each extract
To understand how paper 1 is marked for each assessment criterion

Ideas for using the resource:

Share the sample text extracts with your students. Ask them to annotate it and come up with a thesis statement and supporting points. Share the annotated version of the texts and discuss the thesis statements with them.
Practice makes perfect! Use the unseen texts as a summative assessment to get your students to practice attempting paper 1 style guiding questions
Give students the rubric for paper 1 and have them mark the unannotated essays. Ask them to support their marking with excerpts from the essays. Discuss the marks given to the essay and share the marking notes for them to reflect on.

Author

Thomas Lewandowski

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This resource has been produced independently of and not endorsed by the IB. Toddle’s resources seek to encourage sharing of perspectives and innovative ideas for classroom teaching & learning. They are not intended to be replacements for official IB guides and publications. Views and opinions expressed by the authors of these resources are personal and should not be construed as official guidance by the IB. Please seek assistance from your school’s IB coordinator and/or refer to official IB documents before implementing ideas and strategies shared within these resources in your classroom.

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Thomas Lewandowski

Thomas Lewandowski has been teaching literature since 2006, and has been committed to helping students develop an authentic love for literature. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Saint John's University, a Master's of Art in Teaching from the University of Arkansas, and is a National Board Certified Teacher in the U.S. He spends a lot of time demystifying reading, writing, literary criticism and literary analysis for both DP teachers and students through his YouTube videos that have garnered more than 750,000 views.

Assessment, Classroom Strategies, Language and Literature

Grading Paper 1 (HL) | Exemplar and Markscheme

Texts - both literary or non-literary - are seeped in meaning and convey important ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Developing the ability to analyse and interpret these texts allows students to engage more deeply with the world around them and understand different viewpoints.
In the DP language and literature course, paper 1 encourages students to analyse and interpret complex unseen texts. To help your students develop the necessary skills for attempting paper 1, we’ve curated and marked a sample student response for paper 1 along with sample texts - an opinion piece and a cartoon. The purpose of the exemplar is threefold:
1. To demonstrate the importance of annotating the text extracts for interpretation and analysis
2. To practice writing essays in response to exam-style guiding questions provided for each extract
3. To understand how paper 1 is marked for each assessment criterion