Name: _______________________________________
IB HistoryI Summer Assignment
Learning Objectives: International Baccalaureate students become internationally minded
people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet help
create a better and more peaceful world.
Welcome to the IB Program and IB History I!
This summer your mission is to have fun adventures in “international mindedness”. What
does that mean?
You will go beyond your usual routes around your neighborhood and blast into other worlds.
If you travel to another country, you should keep a journal or a blog comparing your life to
how people in other places live and think. If you’re staying in the U.S.A., go to a museum
in DC that has exhibits about current daily life in other countries (e.g. the Smithsonian
Museum of African Art, Sackler Gallery of Art, or the Museum of the American Indian). You
also could interview American immigrants (maybe some whose stores or restaurants you
know), asking them to compare their experiences here and in their countries of origin.
Another possibility is talking to people at cultural fairs or summer festivals that focus on or
Latino/Hispanic cultures. Whatever you decide to do, talk to people and get lots of facts
about life and thinking in other countries.
On the first day of school, you will turn in a 500-word essay (typed) comparing your own
international experiences or those of an American immigrant to his/her life in the country of
origin. Be sure to consult the rubric below to make sure your essay is perfect!
Comparative Essay Rubric
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Title of essay shows the main topic and ideas of the paper
Essay is broken up into four distinct paragraphs
Paragraph #1: introduction to your essay clearly outlines your thesis about the main
similarities and differences between the experiences of people in two countries
Paragraph #2: Directly compares two aspects of daily life of people in the U.S.A.
with those in at least one other country. Be sure to include specific details that show
both similarities and differences in daily life and cite the sources for your evidence.
Paragraph #3: Directly compares two aspects of how people think about at least two
main common issues in the U.S.A. with those in at least one other country, e.g.
importance of family, role of the government, globalization, education, popular
culture, etc.. Be sure to include specific details that clearly demonstrate both
similarities and differences in how people think about the two common issues and
cite the sources for your evidence.
Paragraph #4: This is your concluding paragraph in which you summarize your main
points comparing experiences in two countries and ask a question that you were not
able to answer in your comparisons.
Questions? Ask Ms. Cohen in Room G307 or email her at [email protected]
Directions for IB History students: Label the world map above with each of the following 28 items and then be
prepared for a quiz on this map during the 1st week of school.
Major Bodies of Water:
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All oceans -- Pacific, Indian, Atlantic
South China Sea, Bay of Bengal, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Guinea, Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, North Sea, Baltic
Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea
Rivers: Yellow (Huanghe), Ganges, Indus, Tigris, Euphrates, Nile, Mississippi, Amazon, Yangtze
Straits: Straits of Gibraltar and Straits of Malacca
Continents: Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Europe, Australia
Questions? Ask Ms. Cohen in Room G307 or email her at [email protected]