The Economics IA Rubrics
A: Diagrams (3 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student is able to construct and use diagrams.
IB Expectations: Relevant, accurate and correctly labelled diagrams are included, with a full explanation.
Checklist (to get full marks):
Drawing the diagram:
– You have fully labelled your x and y-axis
– 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 Singapore”)
-You’ve labelled all of your lines (D1, D2, S1, S2)
-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.)[unique_solution]
Explaining the diagram
-You have made sense of the diagram for the (unschooled) reader
-You have explained WHY the curves shift (etc), not just THAT they do.
-You have taken a step-by-step approach
B: Terminology (2 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student uses appropriate economic terminology.
IB Expectations: Terminology relevant to the article is used appropriately throughout the commentary.
Checklist (to get full marks):
– You have defined the 4-5 words most important words related to the concepts involved
– You have connected these definitions to the case
– You have used economics words whenever possible
C: Application (2 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the student recognizes, understands and applies economic information in the context of the article.
IB Expectations: Relevant economic concepts and/or theories are applied to the article appropriately throughout the commentary.
Checklist (to get full marks):
– You have stayed focused on the theory that’s related
– You have developed these theories
– You’ve chosen the most appropriate diagram
D: Analysis (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: There is effective economic analysis relating to the article.
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 explained related theory
– You have pointed out the extent to which what has actually happened (in real life) is not what theory would say would happen (i.e. perhaps price increased, but there was no increase in supply).
E: Evaluation (4 marks)
IB Explanation: This criterion assess the extent to which the student synthesizes his or her analysis in order to make judgments that are supported by reasoned arguments.
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 (synthesised) 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.
C onclusion
L ong terma and short term
A ssumptions
S takeholders
P riorities
P ros and cons