January/February Updates
The new year began and we rocketed off by publishing comprehensive resources for the memoir Born a Crime, new pages on Canadian Residential Schools, another short story, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which completes our ten-story, ready-to-use as a unit anthology, and much more! It's February, and the May exam session is approaching for students in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, schools are launching the Extended Essay in accordance with the changes for 2027. With that in mind, we have an updated EE page, a new video for True/False justification questions, as well as vocabulary building exercises and tips for exam practice. Below is a snapshot of some of our recent updates.
Born A Crime, Trevor Noah's memoir of stories about growing up in Aparthied South Africa is a great choice for an HL literary choice, or just an entertaining insightful resource for all students into and anglophone culture, as it relates to the themes of Identity, Experience, Social Relationships, and Sharing the Planet. We have published comprehensive resources on the first four chapters that include an introduction with a PowerPoint, vocabulary flashcards, TOK questions, Paper 1 reading and listening, Paper 2 reading and listening, and Paper 1 writing. The remaining chapters will be published in installements in the coming weeks. We hope you enjoy!
Canadian residential schools were Christian church and state-sponsored boarding schools for Indigenous children that operated for more than 150 years. It was an abusive system that had devastating effects on severla Inigenous communities. This is an important topic for students to understand as it relateds to the Theme of Sharing the Planet and Human Rights. It also introduces students to the topic of Indigenous cultures and their place in anglophone countries. We have created reading, writing, listening and speaking activities based on the Canadian prime minister's speech apologizing to native peoples, along with an interview from filmmakers who made a documentary on this topic. The pages are complete with a ToK activity on Knowledge and Indigenous Societies, allowing students to extend their knowledge gained in English B with ToK.
The true-or-false justification question is perhaps the most challenging and feared on the Paper 2 reading exam. However, it teaches students essential skills for academic reading and writing. They're basically saying, "Yes, I agree with this claim, because it says here...", or "No, that's not right. Here it states...". The video on this page gives you an insight into the thought process required when approaching this question type, and some practical strategies to help you get the mark in the exam.
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" is the 10th short story published on our site, so this collection can be used as an entire literature unit for HL students. The short story is by American author Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1953. It takes place in 2153, after the invention of a medicine that halts the aging process. This 12-page, thought-provoking story fits well with the English B themes of Sharing the Planet and Social Organization. This page features the story, accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation with discussion activities and vocabulary flashcards.
Many schools are now preparing students for the Extended Essays that will be submitted in 2027. The Extended Essay guide for 2027 has been updated, and we have summarized the changes on this page. The general requirements remain the same, however, the grading criteria and the requirements for the reflection form have changed. Moreover, the IB has eliminated the categories for English B EEs, yet they have maintained the same choice of topics. You can read more about that here.
If you're seeking professaional development opportunities for the new year, then take a look at our offerings at InThinking. I will be leading face-to-face workshops for Category 1 and 2, in Barcelona and Berlin respectively. Check out the options below and get in touch with your DP Coordinator if you'd like to attend. It would be awesome to see you!
DP Category 2
Berlin, Germany: Friday 6 - Sunday 8 March, 2026
Workshop leader: Joseph O'Callaghan
Info & Agenda
DP Category 1
Stockholm, Sweden: September 11 - 13, 2026
Workshop leader: TBA