IB Docs (2) Team
2022 Paper 1: Sample Response 1 (Ode to Cauliflower)
The November 2022 Paper 1 text “Ode to Cauliflower” by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl presented students with ample opportunity to thrive. Grumdahl’s words and images are an overt celebration of the humble cauliflower. It’s a hard text to misinterpret! And yet, students needed to make sure they moved beyond description of the cauliflower and into interpretation and analysis of the words and images. This required analytical vocabulary – words that demonstrated what the author was doing and, more importantly, why.
What’s interesting about this exemplar is the almost Marxist approach it takes in the introduction, last body paragraph, and conclusion. It’s a valid interpretation of the text and demonstrates the student’s understanding of it to a heightened degree.
Please note that we cannot reproduce the exam here. However, the exam does state “The following text is an article written by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl for the online magazine Experience Life.” And you can find a link to the exam text here: https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/ode-to-cauliflower/
It’s also important to know that the entire article is not used in the exam. It’s been modified. Under the heading “The Humble Mutant” the first three paragraphs and the last paragraph are in the exam. However, paragraphs number 4-10 are omitted. The IB uses an ellipse in the exam to demonstrate that omission.
As with all of our resources, use this exemplar how you see fit in your classroom, to fit your needs, in your particular context.
Sample Guided Textual Analysis
November 2022 Paper 1 Sample Response 1 (Ode to Cauliflower)
Guiding question: How and to what effect are diction and imagery used in this text?
Teacher's Comments
Criterion A: Understanding and interpretation (5 marks)
- To what extent does the student show an understanding of the text? What inferences can the student reasonably make?
- To what extent does the student support their claims with references to the text?
5 out of 5: The student has a “thorough and perceptive understanding of the literal meaning of the text.” Big picture, the interpretation is “convincing and insightful” even if more development of that interpretation is needed in the last two body paragraphs. The student consistently demonstrates they understand the writer's celebration of the cauliflower and its history while also understanding the criticism of the food industry.
Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation (5 marks)
- How well does the student does the student evaluate the ways in which language and style establish meaning and effect?
4 out of 5: There needs to be more unpacking of the images, and more discussion of the effect of the writer’s specific word choice. There is a good overall appreciation of how words and images shape meaning, but it’s not yet precise enough to earn top marks in this band.
Criterion C: Focus and organisation (5 marks)
- How effectively does the student structure and present their ideas?
- How balanced and focused is the response?
4 out of 5: The conclusion is short (at 2 sentences) and it seems a bit more could have been said there. The same is true for the final two body paragraphs. They seem just slightly rushed and more development of the ideas would enhance the response. In other words, it’s not yet “effectively organized.” It’s close to top marks, but not there yet.
Criterion D: Language (5 marks)
- How clear, varied, and accurate is the student’s language?
- To what extent is the student’s choice of register, style, and terminology appropriate?
4 out of 5: The language is a bit repetitive (depicts, furthers) and using an even more sophisticated vocabulary would have given this student an ability to analyze in greater depth and detail.
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