STAFF GUIDE
SECTION 1
Introduction
The Extended Essay at the Higher and Intermediate 2 levels and the
Assignment at the Intermediate 1 level of RMPS is a development of
units of work that have previously been completed in Religious Studies
Higher Grade (the Study in Depth), Standard Grade (the Investigation)
and in Short Courses (Investigation of Issues). The main change in the
procedure is that the candidates’ final submission of the Extended Essay
(or, in the case of Intermediate 1, the Assignment) will be completed
during a two-hour supervised examination with the assistance of a plan
that has been previously prepared by the candidate as a result of
planning and research that candidates will have completed in class and
in their own time.
The Extended Essay and the Assignment will be externally assessed in
three main areas: planning and retrieval of information, analysis and
evaluation, and presentation of conclusions. The total number of marks
allocated to this part of the final assessment will be 35 in the case of
Higher, 25 at Intermediate 2 and 16 at Intermediate 1 levels. Staff should
ensure that candidates select a topic or issue from within the units of
the RMPS course.
The Extended Essay will vary in length. At Higher level it should be
between 1500–2000 words long and at Intermediate 2 level between
1200–1500 words long. At Intermediate 1 level the Assignment will be
between 400–800 words long.
The task of teachers as far as the Extended Essay and Assignment are
concerned will be similar to that previously encountered during the
Study in Depth and Investigation units of the Higher, Standard Grade
and Short Courses. Staff are encouraged to help or guide the candidates
in the choice of their topic or issue, their planning and research and
general supervision of the work as it progresses. However, teachers may
well have to teach candidates the various skills that are necessary for the
writing of an extended piece of work during the two-hour period of the
actual assessment. Staff are thus encouraged to develop general essay
writing skills and techniques with candidates with a view to developing a
longer type of essay compared to what candidates would normally be
expected to write in response to questions in other parts of the course.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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STAFF GUIDE
Teachers’ attention is drawn in particular to the assistance they may
need to give to candidates in the preparation of the ‘Essay Plan’ that
they will take into the examination room to use as a basis for the writing
of their essay as this is a new development from what has previously
been done in Religious Studies. Some detailed advice about this aspect
of the unit is given in the guidelines to candidates that follow. It is
assumed that staff will also make use of these guidelines in their own
preparation of the work on the Extended Essay. More detailed
information on the Essay Plan format has been prepared by the SQA for
the guidance of staff.
The information that follows aims to guide both staff and students in the
preparation and writing of the Extended Essay and Assignment.
However, both should feel free to adapt the information to their own
needs and circumstances.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
STUDENT GUIDE
SECTION 2
What makes a good Extended Essay/Assignment?
This guide is designed to enable you to write a good Extended Essay or
Assignment. It will give you advice about how to go about planning and
structuring your work and also about presenting the conclusions of your
research.
The essay/assignment which you are being asked to write aims to
discover:
• what you know about a particular topic or issue
• your ability to research and record information from a variety of
primary and secondary sources
• your ability to analyse and evaluate the information you have
researched and discovered
• your ability to draw conclusions from your study and to be able to
justify this conclusion with appropriate reasons.
The Extended Essay/Assignment also gives you the opportunity to
produce your best piece of work. It allows you to select the topic/issue,
find out information for yourself and gives you time to plan and
organise what you will write.
The key aspects of a good essay are:
• A clear introduction
• A well structured line of argument/discussion
• An appropriate conclusion.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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STUDENT GUIDE
A well structured essay/assignment can be compared to the different
parts of a ‘journey’:
1.
A clear introduction
The introduction is a statement of intent. It gives an indication to
the reader of the ‘route’ you are going to follow. It serves as a
‘guide’ or ‘map’ to the remainder of your presentation.
2.
A well structured line of argument/discussion
This can be described as a development of the direction of the
introduction, adding your own knowledge of the topic which you
have discovered from your research and including your own
assessment (analysis and evaluation) of the topic/issue. It can be
compared to a ‘well planned route’.
3.
An appropriate conclusion
The conclusion is like the ‘journey’s end’ where you sum up your
argument/topic/issue and have the opportunity to express your
own opinion on the subject you have been investigating.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
PLANNING AND SELECTING THE TOPIC/ISSUE
SECTION 3
This is probably the most important part of your Extended Essay/
Assignment. Using the analogy of the journey again, it would be similar
to knowing exactly where you are going when you set out.
A number of points should be kept in mind when you are selecting the
title of the topic/issue for investigation:
• Ensure that it is related to one of the units from the RMPS course.
• Ensure that the title does not just give you the opportunity to
research information from a number of sources, but also provides you
with the opportunity to present different viewpoints that can be
analysed and evaluated.
• Ensure that a number of aspects of the topic can be considered. A
brainstorming exercise could be done in the early stages to give you
an idea of what different aspects of your topic could be considered.
You can then eliminate some to leave you with a reasonable number
of aspects or areas of research that you can cope with and which will
give you a well balanced approach to your essay/assignment.
• A preliminary discussion with your teacher on the availability of
resources would be recommended at an early stage to ensure that
you have sufficient information available for your research or give you
some indication of where you might be able to get it. You will need a
lot of information to be able to write on one topic/issue for 2 hours!
It is worthwhile to sit down and think through this important
stage in a fairly detailed way. It can save you a great deal of time
and frustration later on. The importance of the planning stage
cannot be overstressed. Discussion with your teacher should
form an important part of this stage. If you follow the advice you
have been given in these notes, this should enable you to start
your journey on the right footing. It will enable you to move
smoothly to the next important stage of the journey in due
course.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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PLANNING AND SELECTING THE TOPIC/ISSUE
• Your title and initial ideas are a ‘working hypothesis’. These may
change during the course of your research as you come across
information you were not aware of at the beginning. This should not
be seen as a problem but as a natural working out of what happens
during research into a topic or issue. All you need to do is to change
your plan to accommodate this development.
The point here is quite simple: if you have a plan or outline of your
‘journey’ you can change and adapt it as you go along. Not having a
plan in the first place makes this process much more difficult – and
time consuming – to deal with.
Do not be worried about a change of title either. You may not finally
settle on this until nearly the end of your research. Having some kind
of working title to serve as a guide to your research is important.
Your final title may be about the last thing you do in the preparation
of your Extended Essay/Asignment.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
SECTION 4
The key to a good Extended Essay/Assignment is the quality of your
information and resources. The quality of your resources will dictate to a
great extent the quality of the work you produce. To begin with you
should select from available resources in your department and school
library. A good idea might be to list what you think you may require
under the following headings:
Information
needed
Information
I have
Information
required
This will provide a handy summary of what you have immediately
available and what you require to do more research on. Your
information may be obtained from a variety of sources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
books and other information in the classroom
books/information from the school library
magazines, newspapers, articles as appropriate
books/information from your local library
databases, CD-ROMS, etc., as available
video material from all the above sources
the internet.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
How, and to what extent, you use these sources is entirely up to
yourself as the responsibility for your study is primarily your own.
Consultation with your teacher will help you identify which kinds of
resources might be of more relevance and save you a lot of time into the
bargain. One of the problems you will face is the sheer quantity of
information available. Selecting a variety of, as well as relevant, sources
is an extremely important part of the skills you need to demonstrate in
the writing of your essay/assignment. Where possible, select a range of
both primary and secondary sources and list all the ones you use.
When you are researching your topic do not waste time reading books
or texts from cover to cover. Use the index and contents pages to scan
and skim and keep your research information/notes closely tied to your
keyword plan.
Use a variety of materials that give you a range of opinions or views and
try to research all the areas you have identified as relevant in your
keyword plan.
To help you in your planning and research, a useful approach is to break
up your issue into manageable areas. This can be done, for example, as a
keyword/key question map similar to the example given on the next
page.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
Keyword plan or map
Completing a keyword/key question diagram like the one below which
will enable you to identify the main areas you will have to research and
all the key questions or issues which will have to be covered.
You may add as many other boxes as you wish.
The aims of the keyword plan or map are as follows:
• to break down a general issue into smaller, manageable parts which
can then be more effectively researched
• to give a clear indication at a glance of all the main parts of the topic/
issue you are researching
• to provide a checklist which can be used for creating and revising the
essay/assignment plan.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
A keyword plan/map can help you to:
• identify a specific essay/assignment question/issue from a more
general area
• break down the question/issue into sections or parts to allow you to
be more effective in your research and analysis of the issue. One
advantage of this is that you can research each identified area and
then tick it off on the keyword plan once it has been completed.
It goes without saying that the overall plan of your essay should
closely relate to the keyword map. This will enable you to keep
to the task you are carrying out. But remember that this does
not mean that you cannot add anything to your keyword map as
you progress through your research. If you come across an idea
or aspect of your topic which you had not anticipated then it is
quite a simple task to add this to your keyword map and include
it in your final plan/outline.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
Dialogue boxes
Another useful tip as part of the planning and research stages of your
essay/assignment is the use of dialogue boxes. These can be used to jot
down particular points or issues that you wish to think about or
investigate further, or allow you to comment on what you have already
done. Writing down the information in the dialogue boxes can allow you
to keep the information in your keyword plan to a minimum.
Dialogue box 1
Dialogue box 2
Dialogue box 3
Dialogue box 4
Dialogue box 5
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
Organising your priorities
You may also find it helpful to put your tasks into the order in which
you intend to tackle them:
This will help you plan your research in an organised and coherent way.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
Action planning
As already mentioned in the section on the keyword plan/map, it is a
good idea to break down your investigation into smaller manageable
parts. This can be in the form of key questions which can then be
pursued on a separate basis. The following grid may help you plan such
an approach.
Key question
What will
I do?
Resources
I have
Resources
I need
Achieved?
Yes/No
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PLANNING AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION
The use of quotations
The selection and use of a variety of short and relevant quotations may
be regarded as an important part of the presentation of your argument.
The use of examples, evidence and quotations to support the points you
are making indicates that you can deal with source material in an
appropriate way. If this information comes from a written source this
should be acknowledged. You may also wish to include a summary of
someone’s arguments or information as part of your work. This is an
appropriate thing to do provided you acknowledge the fact. The use of
this kind of information can add weight to your presentation, make a
stronger argument and thus gain you more marks. Remember that your
Extended Essay is about 33 per cent of your total exam mark so it will
pay you well to be as thorough as you can in your work on this part of
the course.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
THE ESSAY/ASSIGNMENT PLAN
SECTION 5
It might be helpful at this point to say something about the essay plan.
This is a crucial part of your work on the Extended Essay/Assignment as
not only is it submitted with your essay at the end of the two-hour
assessment period, but it is your most important source and guide for
the writing of the Extended Essay/Assignment. A good-quality plan will
help you a great deal when you write your final piece of work.
Here are some general points about the plan:
• The plan should be no more than 250 words long.
• It should provide an outline shape for your essay.
• It should allow you to check before the final sitting that you have
gathered enough information and have the necessary analysis and
evaluation of this material.
• It should be comprehensive enough to make you feel confident that
you can write for two hours on the topic/issue you have selected.
• It should be tested and revised where necessary before the final
sitting.
• It should show clearly and specifically your introduction, the main
structure of your essay, i.e. the headings of the main paragraphs/
sections, your main arguments and conclusion.
In addition to these points:
• Your teacher can comment on and help you in the creation and
revision of your plan.
• The plan should be taken into your examination sitting and used as
the basis of your essay/assignment.
• It should be submitted with your essay.
The plan is extremely important.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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THE ESSAY/ASSIGNMENT PLAN
Some helpful points about the preparation of your plan
• You only have 250 words – don’t waste any.
• Use keywords or phrases, not long sentences.
• A keyword map or flow chart will help, as it is a good way of
minimising the information you will have to write. This can remind
you of the main points or arguments in your essay.
• Remember only to use information that is appropriate and relevant
for dealing with the topic or issue you have chosen. Select your
information carefully and only use what is absolutely relevant.
• Identify the main arguments and use paragraph headings to remind
you of what these are. Make sure that each paragraph contributes
towards the overall topic/issue you are dealing with.
• Put all this information into a coherent order so that you can easily
present and follow through your overall argument without having to
sit and wonder what the point was that you were trying to make in a
particular part.
• Use quotations to support a key idea, point or argument. Do not copy
out large chunks of a quotation but use brief ones or summarise the
main point of a longer one in a paraphrasing manner. Remember to
acknowledge sources.
• Remember to express your own opinion, which shows your ability to
analyse and evaluate arguments. Include reasons for your own
opinions to justify your views.
• Use a general but fairly brief introduction and a more detailed
conclusion to sum up the main substance of your argument to round
off your essay/assignment.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
THE INTRODUCTION
SECTION 6
In many ways the introduction can be one of the most difficult parts of
the essay. It is a very important part because it sets the scene for the
whole piece of work. In metaphorical terms, it creates the scenario for
the ‘journey’ of the essay/assignment itself. Once this initial obstacle has
been overcome, it gets you into the real heart of your task – the
presentation of the information, the analysis and the evaluation.
A number of things should be kept in mind about the introduction.
• It should have three main purposes:
a)
to show your understanding of the selected topic for your essay
b)
to outline the main points of your argument
c)
to provide a smooth transition to the first paragraph of the
remainder of your essay.
• It should not be packed with facts or details. Remember it is a general
statement of intent and an indication of how you will go on to
develop your arguments in the essay.
• The first few sentences of your extended essay are vital in the sense
that they commit you to a particular course of action. You must
ensure that you have the information and ideas available to write
what you are going to write – the ‘map’ relating to your journey.
• The introduction is not only important to you, the writer, but also the
reader and, in your case, the marker! First impressions do count.
How many times have you been attracted to a novel or film after you
have read the first paragraph or viewed the first few minutes of it? Or
have you been turned off because you did not enjoy these initial
stages? It’s as important as that. The person who will read and mark it
will regard the introductory sentences as being very important. A
good introduction impresses – a poor one depresses! A bad or poor
introduction may persuade the reader and marker to anticipate the
kind of information that will follow – and that anticipation will be
coloured by what has been read in the first few sentences.
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THE INTRODUCTION
• In your introduction do not:
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a)
just repeat the topic/issue you are about to discuss
b)
give any conclusion or opinion of your own – that should come
at the end or during the development of your essay
c)
start to develop the main points yet – this should be done in the
next section.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY
SECTION 7
When you wrote your essay plan you should have included the main
sections or headings which you intend to pursue in the essay. Your main
task now is to work through each of these sections/headings step by
step. (If your plan does not do this you should go over it again and
amend it as necessary. You will not have the time to do this during the
writing of your essay/assignment.) Remember that you have to submit
the plan along with your essay/assignment so the plan and the
completed essay/assignment ought to agree.
Assuming that you have followed the guidelines for writing a good
introduction to your Extended Essay, you are now ready to develop the
main structure. A number of points should be kept in mind as you do so:
• Begin each paragraph with a sentence linking it with the previous
one.
• Identify the main point for each paragraph and select the information
which you think best makes that point.
• Illustrate points you make by the use of appropriate evidence,
quotations or references.
• Avoid excessively long sentences or paragraphs. If you feel that a
paragraph is going to be on the long side, look for an appropriate
division point in the subject matter to allow you to divide it up. If a
marker has to go back and re-read parts of your work, he or she may
lose the thread of your argument.
• Your essay should show a range of differing opinions on the topic/
issue to give you the opportunity to present the information and to
analyse and evaluate it.
• Your essay/assignment should show a clear line of argument. Refer
back to the title on a regular basis to ensure that you are keeping to
the point.
• Avoid jumping about from point to point in the same section or
paragraph. Try to be systematic and disciplined in your writing.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY
• Take care that you do not just describe what people have said about
the topic/issue. Engage in the information you present by comparing
one view against another and presenting your own evaluation or
opinion of what the writers are saying.
• Remember to include words such as ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’,
‘because’, ‘therefore’, ‘consequently’, ‘on the one hand’/’on the other
hand’, ‘although’ – all of these are good words or phrases to provide
both a variety of approach and good linking opportunities. It also
makes the essay/assignment more interesting to read.
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
THE CONCLUSION
SECTION 8
The purpose of the conclusion is to summarise for the reader what you
have discovered during the time you have spent researching and
writing. It is also an opportunity to remind the reader of the main points
of the argument and to show that you have answered the question you
set out to answer or investigate.
As the conclusion is the last part of your essay, it is important that you
leave a good final impression in the mind of the reader/marker.
The following points can act as a checklist to ensure that you conclude
your essay/assignment appropriately.
• Return to the question/issue but do not introduce any new evidence
or material. Make sure that you have answered the question or dealt
with the issue you intended to.
• Briefly summarise the key points of your argument but do not do so
in a long-winded way.
• Express your own views or opinions on the question/issue as a final
evaluation of the information you have presented.
• Check that your conclusion is based on the evidence presented in the
essay.
• Remember that you do not need to decide definitely one way or the
other about your issue if you do not feel that this is appropriate. It is
permissible to ‘hedge’ your answer by briefly presenting more than
one view or by using words like ‘however’ or ‘nevertheless’.
Professional RMPS writers often do this so what is good enough for
them can be acceptable for you! You will not be penalised for ‘sitting
on the fence’ – provided you state clearly why.
• Try to finish with a flourish. A good final sentence is as important, if
not more important, than a good opening one.
RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)
CHECKLIST
SECTION 9
The following checklist will help you to ensure that you have covered all
the main requirements for the Extended Essay/Assignment. It can also be
used as a set of guidelines to be followed for the process of the
Extended Essay/Assignment by focusing attention on the main points
which require to be included in the final piece of work.
Tick the relevant box once you are sure that you have completed the
task.
Planning, identification and retrieval of information
The aim of my study has been clearly stated and is relevant to
the syllabus
I have identified and included a variety of both primary and
secondary sources
I have selected relevant information from these sources
I have planned the structure of the essay carefully
Analysis and evaluation of the information
I have presented different viewpoints about the topic/issue/
question I have investigated
I have compared and analysed these different viewpoints
I have paid attention to the context of the information I have
presented and have taken this into account in my essay
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CHECKLIST
I have taken into account any assumptions that have been
made by the writers
I have discussed and evaluated these different viewpoints and
have included my own views as part of this evaluation
Orderly presentation of conclusions
The essay/assignment follows a logical structure and
progresses in a coherent way
I have presented a clear conclusion, taking into account the
views I have considered and my analysis and evaluation of
them
My conclusion is relevant and appropriate to the aim of my
essay/assignment
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RMPS: EXTENDED ESSAY (INT 2, H); ASSIGNMENT (INT 1)