HLE Brainstorming

• Engels
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

Lesson objectives 

HLE examiner's feedback 

HLE construction and steps to take 

Consider the assessment criteria and read an example essay 

Assess the essay 

Start to refine your own HLE proposal 

Rikard

Coen

Elsje

Anna

Kate

Zoë

 

Andrea

Emilia 

Aamu 

 

Hugo 

Erik

Shamatmika

Ella 

Lena 

Mia 

Cleo 

Neysa 

Megan 

Dheeshitha

Alastrina 

Damien 

Robin

Kim 

DOOR

WINDOW

BOARD

Constructing your line of inquiry 

Develop initially a number of lines of inquiry. These must include the following elements:

Question word 

Author 

Text 

Genre/text type

Literary/Linguistic technique

Insightful idea 

Precise context 

The line of inquiry is the question you will answer in your essay. When you flip it and answer it, that is your thesis statement. 

Constructing your line of inquiry 

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

Now take 15 minutes to construct at least one, possibly more lines of inquiry.

Brainstorming Ideas and Features in the text 

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

This step will help our to break down the line of inquiry. Consider the insightful idea(s). Do this before you search for evidence in the text(s) 

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

Literary or linguistic aspects (conventions realism)	Features/techniques	Insightful idea(struggle identity men and women)
Realistic plot	-plausible story that the audience can relate to - Limited characters	- Allows audience to understand this complex societal issue (struggle for identity) through the simplistic plot line
Believable characters	-People that the audience could encounter in real life -Middle class	- Bank manager, doctor, housewife, widow - Allows the audience to identify with the characters and consider their own role in this identity struggle
Simple dialogue	- pet names & endearments - No soliloquies - No asides - short exchanges	-infantilisation of Nora by Torvald highlights the men and women dynamic - lack of insight into the inner world of the characters means that actions become highlighted - Tarantella - struggle

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

Literary or linguistic aspects (conventions realism)	Features/techniques	Insightful idea(struggle identity men and women)
discussion of prescient social issues (through the use of stereotypes)	borrowing money women - widowed women - marrying for financial protection - Financial restrictions - punishment from society	- Some stereotypical character features clarify this complex issue. - interaction Nora and Krogstad identities - interaction Nora and Torvald identities - interaction Nora and Mrs Linde identities
Criticism of social injustice	- stages an alternative way of being a woman - criticism of women's complicity in society - criticism of men's role in society	- highlights the power dynamics between men and women (all characters) - Focuses on both men and women through the three men and three women - differing identities
Realistic sets	- stove - Christmas tree, doors etc symbolism - Three walls showing a realistic room fully furnished (breaking the fourth wall not in theatre realism)	- Nora is 'trapped' within the 3 walls of her front room. Physically struggling to get out of the front door - The middle class audience recognise or would aspire to this front room - Audience

Finding evidence and outlining 

re of 

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

One you have generated ideas and features, you can move to outlining your body paragraphs. Now you must find textual references that link to the features that you will discuss. It is essential that you plan the structure of your HLE before writing. Jumping into an introduction when you don't know where you are going will result in ending up somewhere you don't want to be. 

Finding evidence and outlining 

re of 

You should have generated a number of topics which will help to answer your field of inquiry. Each main topic is one body paragraph. 

Finding evidence and outlining 

re of 

How does Hendrik Ibsen utilize the conventions of realism within theatre in his play A Doll's House  to convey the struggle for identity for both men and women in Norwegian society in the 1800s?

For this essay, these topics could each be focused on in one body paragraph:

1. realistic plot and believable characters. 

2. Simple dialogue 

3. Use if somewhat stereotypical characters to highlight prescient social issues

4. criticism of social injustice 

5. Realistic sets 

It is essential to bring in evidence for your arguments. 

Understanding assessment 

In your pairs, sort the assessment criteria for the HLE.

Level 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 

Total points available for the HLE 20% of your grade 

Check your answer 

Examiner report 

Every year the IB examiners publishing a report on the work that our candidates submit. This can be an eye-opener to show what the pitfalls are that candidates can fall into. Avoid them! 

Feedback from the examiners crit A 

Feedback from the examiners crit B 

Feedback from the examiners crit B 

Feedback from the examiners crit C 

Feedback from the examiners crit D

Highlighting

Read the HLE and as you read highlight the following aspects of this work: 

1. Literary or Stylistic Features 

2. Textual references (quotes or references)

3. Author/ reader (audience) relationship (effect on reader) 

4. Line of Inquiry/ insightful idea

5. Transitions 

HLE draft upload date!

The date for upload of your HLE has been set at 

11th October. 

It is now in MB 

Proposal 16th Sept 

Final HLE uploaded on 18th Nov 

Grade the HLE on Szymborska's poetry 

Give the essay points out of 20 and justify your answers. 

- What did they do well? 

- What could they have done better?

- Read the examiner's marks and comments (following slides)

Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation (5 marks)

• To what extent does the student show knowledge and understanding of the work or text?
  
• To what extent does the student use their knowledge and understanding to reach conclusions about the work or text in relation to their chosen topic?
  
• How well does the student use references to the work or text to support their ideas in relation to their chosen topic?
  

4 out of 5: There is good knowledge and understanding of the work. Using three poems demonstrates good coverage of the work in relation to a very specific line of inquiry. It is very close to excellent, but is held back at times by the repetitive ideas/phrasing. References are relevant and support the candidate's line of inquiry.  

Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation (5 marks)

• To what extent does the student analyze and evaluate how language, style, and wider authorial choices influence meaning in relation to their chosen topic?
  

4 out of 5: The analysis and evaluation are appropriate and sometimes insightful. The candidate handles narrative voice well and also discusses the smaller minutia of it too. However, it's not consistent enough in terms of close language analysis to be convincing at all times. 

Criterion C: Focus, organisation, and development (5 marks)

• To what extent is the presentation of ideas organised, focused, and developed?
  
• How effectively has the student integrated supporting examples into their essay?
  

4 out of 5: There is a clear line of inquiry and the student stays focused on it. Examples are also well-integrated. A bit more cohesion in terms of connecting all three poems together - in relation to the narrative voices used - would have aided this candidate even more. 

Criterion D: Language (5 marks)

• How clear, varied, and accurate is the student's language?
  
• To what extent is the student's choice of register, style, and terminology appropriate?
  

4 out of 5: There is a bit of repetitiveness in terms of the vocabulary used especially the verbs used to argue a point. However, on the whole, this is clear and carefully chosen with a good degree of accuracy. 

Higher Level Essay brainstorm 

• First idea: The role of memory in the novel. 
• More detailed idea: How is the topic of memory, both personal and collective, explored by Vuong to explore the characters' developing understanding of themselves and their place in the world?

The next step would be to kill you darlings and decide where your focus is for an essay of max 1,500 words ( 3 pages single spaced and 6 pages double spaced).

Then start to populate, in a second circle, examples that would specifically support your argument. 

Mindmup.com

1. Go to mindmup.com and use the free option.
   
2. Make, for yourself, the central idea as focused as you can. 
   
3. Generate more than you need to be able to find focus for your essay. 
   

Example thesis statement

Vuong dramatically employs non-linear and disrupted plot construction to convey 

Lesson objectives 

HLE steps suggested in Inthinking 

Dates and timeline

HLE timeline advice from Inthinking

• Look back at your learner portfolio. What literary work(s) and non-literary text(s) jump out? What interests you? Alternatively, look at the 7 concepts of the course. What do you find interesting or worth exploring in greater depth?
• Narrow your ideas down into a possible topic, title or question you want to answer. Talk with your teacher, with your peers, with anyone who will listen. Clarify your ideas and arguments through discussion.
  

communication, creativity, perspective, representation, identity, culture and transformation

HLE timeline advice from Inthinking

• Once you have decided on a line of inquiry, draw a spider diagram for it. Branch out from each aspect of your thinking and answer all parts of it in relation to the text or work you are focusing on. Share your thinking with others to clarify your ideas even more.
  
• Write a thesis statement which will come at the end of the first paragraph. In your thesis statement, provide a focus for your essay. What are you arguing and why?
  

HLE timeline advice from Inthinking

• Quote hunt. Find quotations from the primary source that help you explore your line of inquiry. Rewrite them on pieces of paper. Look for similarities between the quotations and start to cluster them. What is the guiding idea behind each cluster of quotations? Could this ‘guiding idea’ become a ‘topic sentence’? How might these tie in to the thesis statement?  
  
• Write an outline to your essay using your spider diagram, thesis statement, quotations and more. Make sure you stick between the 1200-1500 word limit.
  

HLE timeline advice from Inthinking

• Assess several samples using the assessment criteria. Review the expectations and what quality looks like.
  
• After you have written the first draft of the essay, get feedback on your first draft from your teacher. 
  
• Revise, edit, and proofread your work at least twice. Communicate with peers and your teacher. 

Timeline 

11th October - 1st draft 

Feedback and meeting with your teacher before 25th October.

Redrafting (3 weeks) 

Upload 18th November in MB