Some helpful tips and reminders as you prepare for these two IB tasks
The Reflective Statement (Thursday, April 25)
The reflective statement is essentially part of the EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT (marked by IB examiners). It gets attached to the WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT about 1 of the 3 "Works in Translation" you have studied this year. This Written Assignment is an essay between 1200-1500 words in length (25% of the 70% External Assessment). At the close of this year you will DRAFT this essay based on one of the works (Persepolis, Kokoro, or Perfume) and Mrs. Meade will give feedback early next school year.
For each work in translation, at least 30 minutes of class time should be devoted to an Interactive Oral, during which we discuss culture and context of the novel. For Kokoro, the Interactive Oral, on which you will base your REFLECTIVE STATEMENT, was in the form of a "Speed Date" session in groups discussing pertinent questions as well as the individual mini presentations followed by brief class discussion.
What is the Reflective Statement?
This is a typed piece of prose between 300 - 400 words (word count is important, as you are docked 1 point if it goes over 400 words). It's your chance to reflect on the insights you gained from the Interactive Orals. the BIG QUESTION:
"How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations fo the work developed through the Interactive Oral?"
Think of this as a "before and after" experiment - what do you know and understand NOW that you did not understand prior to the Interactive Oral?
You might want to think about the following:
* how did finding out about the author's background or background of the work help you get more out of it?
* what cultural and historical elements helped shape the book? In what ways do time and place matter to this work?
*what was easy to understand and what was difficult in relation to social and cultural context issues?
*what connections and/ or conflicts did you find between issues in this work and your own cultural experience (or other works you've read or other topics studied)?
*what aspects of technique / literary devices were interesting to you and why?
How is the Reflective Statement Assessed and What Happens to It?
The typed statement is held on file until you decide which reflective statement you will use to support your Written Assignment (so if you do the latter on Perfume, then the Kokoro one will NOT be submitted).
The reflective statements is awarded a mark out of 3 using assessment criterion A, called "Fulfilling the Requirements for the reflective statement".
The descriptors vary from "superficial development of a student's understanding of cultural and contextual elements" (1), to "some development" (2), to "shows development" (3)
TIPS!
1. Bring your notes (review them prior to class)
2. Remember to show before and after change in your understanding.
3. You can write in first person
4. This is NOT based on research, but rather on your experience with the I.O.
5. Count words and write the word count on the cover page. Print your reflective statement and submit by the end of class.
Supervised Writing (Tuesday, April 30)
The Supervised Writing task shifts focus to the LITERARY ASPECTS of the work.
You will be provided with 3-5 prompts (unknown to you until the class period), and will be asked to write a critical response to one of them.
This is NOT TYPED, but handwritten, and you will have access to YOUR NOVEL and ALL NOTES, but NOT the Internet. You will be given 60 minutes.
You can include mind maps, bullet points, sketchnotes as well as continuous prose as you explore the question.
What's the point of the Supervised Writing and What Happens to It?
This will serve as a "rough draft" of sorts for your final Written Assignment, so you should pick a prompt you really enjoy and could see yourself pursuing further. This piece does NOT get sent to the IB, but is kept on file and may be used to document your thinking if the IB asks for it.
Tips to Prepare
We'll do some prep, as in presenting our "Kokoro Mapped" giant posters, which will be hung in the room.
You are encouraged use the KOKORO PADLET to extract quotes (write these on separate note paper) or any other bits you think might be relevant. You can also use the Padlet responses to mark up your own book, which you may use freely in this assessment.
Questions to Consider as You Write
* Is there a literary focus, with a sense of the author's choices?
* Do you demonstrate you know the novel well and comprehend it?
* Do you have a clear line of argument and defend your opinions with examples?
* Is what you say about the novel accurate?
* Have you made detailed references to the text (include quotes, passages, etc.)
Resources - these are helpful guides