Meeting The Economics IA Rubric Requirements
On this, the third of three posts to make sure you score full marks on your Economics Internal Assessments, I want to give you a detailed checklist you can use to check your own work. (Here is post one, Getting Started with your Econ IA and post two: the Econ IA Structure).
I have included what the IB says they expect for full marks, and translated that into actionable steps. If you do everything on the checklist your teacher will have to give you full marks.
This is up-to-date with the "new" IB Econ curriculum (first Assessment 2022).
A: Diagrams (3 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student is able to construct and explain diagrams.
IB Expectations: Relevant, accurate and correctly labelled diagram(s) are included, with a full explanation.
Checklist (to get full marks):
Drawing the diagram:
-You have fully labelled your x and y-axis (See the Structure for this here).
-You’ve chosen the most appropriate diagram (the one that best explains the theory that relates most to your case).
-You’ve used a full title (such as, “The Market for Apples in Ontario”).
-You’ve labelled all of your lines (D1, D2, S1, S2, etc).
-You have marked all of your intersections with letters (i.e. E1, E2)
-You have shaded in and fully label the areas of the shapes on your diagram (i.e. excess demand).
-You have indicated the exact prices and quantities (or percentage changes in price or quantity if they are included in the article. (If no prices or percentage changes are mentioned, label them Q1, Q2, P1, P2, etc.).
Explaining the diagram
-You have made sense of the diagram for a reader who hasn't studied Econ.
-You have explained WHY the curves shift (etc), not just THAT they do.
-You have taken a step-by-step approach (See the Structure here).
B: Terminology (2 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student uses appropriate economic terminology.
IB Expectations: Economic terminology relevant to the article is used appropriately throughout the commentary.
Checklist (to get full marks):
- You have defined the 3-5 words most important words related to the concepts involved.
-You have connected these definitions to the case.
- You have used economics words appropriately (in a way that shows you understand what they mean) whenever possible
C: Application and analysis (3 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student recognizes, understands, applies and analyses economic theory in the context of the article.
IB Expectations: Relevant economic theory is applied to the article throughout the commentary with effective economic analysis.
Checklist (to get full marks):
-The theory (or theories) you've included are indeed relevant to the article.
-You have shown a very clear understanding of economic theory.
-Your diagram is effectively used to analyze the content (i.e. the policy) in the article.
-If possible, you have used economic theories to make simple, logical predictions (i.e. about the expected outcomes of such a policy).
D: Key concept (3 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student can explain and develop appropriate economic theories and/or concepts in the context of the article.
IB Expectations: A key concept is identified and the link to the article is fully explained.
Checklist (to get full marks):
- You have fully explained the diagram
- You have referred to areas that you’ve shaded in (i.e. consumer surplus), shifts in curves, (D1-D2), percentage increases in price, etc. Anything that can help you to fully explain the theory.
- You have explained clearly all of the effects the change (i.e. the drought) has had (i.e. supply, demand, price, quantity).
- You have fully explained the relevant theory and how it helps explain your article.
E: Evaluation (4 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student’s judgments are supported by reasoned argument.
IB Expectations: Judgments are made that are supported by effective and balanced reasoning.
Checklist (to get full marks):
-You have evaluated using at least 3 different areas of CLASPP.
-You have developed your evaluative insights.
-You leave the reader feeling that they understand that this is a complicated situation, that you’ve laid out (for example) the pros and cons, stakeholder effects and the assumptions that the theory is based on fairly.
-You have drawn together (synthesized) the different CLASPP insights to draw conclusions for the policy (i.e. whether, as a whole, the policy is appropriate or not).
-You have made it easy for the reader to understand the full picture and believe (‘to be convinced by’) your final conclusion.
F: Rubric Requirements (3 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student meets the three rubric requirements for the complete portfolio.
IB Expectations: (1) Each article is based on a different unit of the syllabus. (2) Each article is taken from a different and appropriate source. (3) Each article was published no earlier than one year before the writing of the commentary.
Checklist (to get full marks):
-In addition to the above (IB Expectations), also complete a summary portfolio sheet with details of the sources, syllabus sections, the date commentaries were written and word counts.
And that's it.
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