International Baccalaureate courses use ideas from political philosophy in several places, and Locke appears in discussions of rights, legitimacy, and the state. Students may encounter him in Global Politics, in History, or in Theory of Knowledge conversations about how we justify claims. Essays in these courses are assessed against criteria that emphasize command terms, evidence, and evaluation. Feedback on Locke should reflect this context.

Command terms shape what a good response looks like. A question that asks students to explain Locke's view of legitimacy requires a clear account of his reasoning, while a question that asks them to evaluate it requires judgment supported by evidence and counterarguments. Students often confuse these, writing a description when evaluation is called for. Feedback should point out the mismatch and show how to shift the approach.

IB courses also emphasize the use of examples from the real world. In Global Politics, a student might link Locke's ideas on consent and resistance to a contemporary protest movement or to debates about state sovereignty. The rubric should reward examples that are specific, accurate, and clearly linked to the theory. Vague references to the modern world do not earn much credit.

Connecting Locke to Course Concepts

Each IB course has its own concepts, and strong essays tie Locke to them. In Global Politics, concepts like power, legitimacy, and sovereignty offer natural links. In TOK, a student might consider how Locke's appeal to natural law and reason as sources of knowledge compares with other ways of knowing. Feedback should encourage these connections while keeping them tied to the text.

• Match the response to the command term, whether explain, discuss, or evaluate
• Use specific passages from the Second Treatise and cite them accurately
• Support claims with real-world examples that are precise and relevant
• Connect Locke's ideas to the course's key concepts, such as legitimacy or sovereignty
• Include a balanced evaluation that weighs strengths, limits, and alternative perspectives

Assessment Criteria and Feedback

IB rubrics use descriptors across several criteria, and students benefit from seeing how their work maps onto them. When giving feedback, refer to the relevant criterion and the level descriptor, explaining why the essay reached a particular band. This helps students understand the standard and plan revisions. It also aligns your comments with the language of external assessment.

Be careful to follow the official criteria for your course and assessment type, since these change over time and vary by subject. Your rubric for Locke essays should be an adaptation of those criteria, not a replacement. Consult the current subject guide when building it. Accurate alignment ensures that practice matches what students will face.

Managing Workload in IB Programs

IB teachers often juggle heavy grading loads alongside internal assessments and coordinated deadlines. Feedback on practice essays is valuable but time-consuming, and students need it quickly to improve before final assessments. Establishing a rubric that mirrors the official criteria lets you give targeted comments efficiently. Comment banks tied to descriptors are especially useful.

Some IB teachers use GraideMind to apply a rubric based on the relevant criteria and generate first-pass feedback that they review and refine. This gives students quicker responses without removing the teacher from the process. As always, the teacher's professional judgment is the final word. The tool simply helps manage volume.

Encouraging International Perspectives

The IB values international-mindedness, so students should place Locke alongside thinkers from other traditions. They might compare his account of legitimate government with Confucian ideas about the mandate of heaven, or with African communitarian thought. This broadens the analysis and demonstrates the global reach of political questions. Feedback should welcome well-supported comparisons.

At the same time, remind students to avoid sweeping generalizations about entire cultures. A careful comparison relies on specific texts and clear points of similarity and difference. Rewarding this discipline helps students build both breadth and precision. The best IB essays combine both.