Research and Planning

Overview

This 75-minute session is Lesson 4 in a 12-part unit titled Mastering IB English Assessments. It focuses on the critical skills of research and planning essential for the IB Higher Level (HL) Essay. Students will learn to develop efficient research strategies, critically evaluate sources, and organise their findings for essay development, aligning with the IB Learner Profile attributes of Inquirers and Thinkers.

Curriculum Alignment

IB DP English A: Language and Literature Guide (2023, HL Essay strand)

Objective C: Use language appropriate to the context and purpose.
Objective D: Select and structure appropriate vocabulary, expressions, and sentence structures to develop a clear, coherent, and convincing argument.
Approach to teaching and learning: Emphasis on research, critical thinking, and organisation to build well-supported arguments.
ATL Skills: Research (information literacy, media literacy); Self-management (organising, time management); Thinking (critical thinking).

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Formulate focused research questions to guide their HL essay writing.
Identify, gather, and differentiate between primary and secondary sources relevant to their essay topics.
Evaluate the credibility and reliability of research materials using IB academic standards.
Organise source notes systematically to support thesis development and argument construction.
Develop a preliminary essay plan/outline incorporating research findings to scaffold their HL Essay writing process.

Materials

Whiteboard and markers
Student devices (tablets/laptops) with access to school online databases and library e-resources
Printed Research Source Evaluation Rubric (IB-aligned criteria)
Graphic organiser templates for essay planning (digital and paper copies)
Sample HL Essay prompts and research questions from previous IB exams
Timer or clock

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Context Setting (10 minutes)

Begin with a brief discussion: Why is research vital for the HL essay? Prompt students to connect research skills to IB values such as academic honesty and critical inquiry.
Share the learning objectives and outcomes clearly.
Present a real-world scenario where poor research negatively impacted argument credibility to illustrate importance.

2. Developing Research Questions (10 minutes)

Conduct a mini-workshop on crafting focused, open-ended research questions suitable for IB HL Essays.
Use examples from past paper prompts; model turning a broad topic into a precise question.
Students draft their own research questions based on their chosen HL essay topics (from a previous lesson or independent selection).
Pair-share for peer feedback to improve question focus and scope.

3. Research Strategies & Source Gathering (15 minutes)

Explicitly teach an IB-specific research strategy:
- Using the school library’s e-resources, academic databases (e.g., JSTOR, Project Muse), and credible internet sites.
- Differentiate primary vs secondary sources with class examples relevant to English literature and language (e.g., original texts, interviews, criticism articles).
Distribute the Research Source Evaluation Rubric, which focuses on: author credibility, timeliness, bias, relevance, and academic rigour.
Instruct students to find 2-3 sources related to their research question using digital devices and begin quick evaluations.

4. Source Evaluation and Note Organisation Activity (20 minutes)

Students fill out the rubric for each source found. Encourage annotation of source features and relevance to their essay thesis.
Introduce the matrix/grid graphic organiser for organising sources by thematic relevance, arguments supporting/contrasting, and key quotes/data.
Guide students to categorise their sources accordingly in the organiser.
Teacher walks between desks providing formative feedback.

5. Developing an Essay Plan (15 minutes)

Recap how research findings translate into a structured essay plan.
Provide a step-by-step outline template oriented to the IB HL Essay requirements: thesis statement, topic sentences, evidence integration, and counterarguments.
Students draft a rough essay plan integrating their research.
Include the strategy of linking evidence clearly to analytical points, aligned with IB’s emphasis on critical thinking and coherence.

6. Reflection and Wrap-up (5 minutes)

Conduct a quick whole-class round: students share one new insight or challenge discovered about research and planning.
Highlight how these competencies build toward IB assessments and academic success beyond school.
Assign as homework: refine the research question and complete a more detailed essay plan for peer/conference review in Lesson 5.

Assessment

Formative:
- Observation and feedback during research and planning activities.
- Review of students’ research question drafts and source evaluation rubrics.
- Collection of graphic organisers and preliminary essay plans for teacher feedback.
Summative:
- Although this lesson is formative, it feeds directly into later assessed HL Essay drafts. Teacher will monitor the development from research plan to full essay submission in later lessons (Lessons 7-12).

Differentiation Strategies

Provide sentence starters and question stems for developing research questions to support diverse learners.
Have accessible resources ready for students struggling with library databases or online searching.
Peer mentoring during source evaluation for students needing additional scaffolding.
Allow use of voice-to-text tools for students with writing disabilities to draft plans.

Extension Opportunities

Encourage advanced learners to look into interdisciplinary sources (history, psychology) to enrich essay context.
Explore citation and academic honesty principles explicitly to prepare students for IB’s ethics standards.
Create a “Source Triangulation” mini-challenge: find at least three perspectives on a single argument for deeper analysis.

Teacher Reflection Notes (Post-Lesson)

Which research strategies engaged students most, and which barriers arose?
Did students effectively apply the source evaluation rubric and produce focused research questions?
How might the essay planning scaffold be improved to better align with HL essay expectations?
Consider integrating a peer-review session earlier for developing critical feedback skills.

This lesson equips IB HL English students with fundamental research and organisational tools essential for crafting insightful, well-evidenced essays — a core measure of success within the IB Diploma Programme.

Teaching Instructions