In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
Beyond Recycling: Mastering 'Sharing the Planet'
This theme isn't just about the environment. It's a complex web of global issues including poverty, peace, conflict, and ethics. To excel, you must analyse the connections between these issues, not just list them.
Imagine you are a world-class journalist, not just a local reporter. A local reporter states the obvious: 'Pollution is a problem.' An world-class journalist investigates the 'why' and 'how': they connect the fast fashion industry in one country (Human Ingenuity) to water pollution and labour exploitation in another (Sharing the Planet, Social Organisation), showing a deep understanding of the global system. Your Paper 2 response should aim for this level of insightful analysis.
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Deconstruct the Prompt: Identify the text type, audience, purpose, and key command terms. What specific angle on 'Sharing the Planet' is being asked for?
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Brainstorm Nuanced Arguments: Move beyond 'we should recycle'. Think about the conflict between economic development and environmental protection, or the ethical responsibility of developed nations.
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Structure for Impact: Organise your ideas logically within the conventions of the required text type (e.g., article, blog, formal letter). Use an introduction that hooks the reader, body paragraphs that develop distinct points, and a conclusion that offers a final thought or call to action.
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Integrate Sophisticated Language: Weave in high-level vocabulary, complex sentences (e.g., using the subjunctive, conditional clauses), and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate linguistic flair and meet Criterion B requirements.
Explore the concept
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Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
1. Deconstructing the Theme: Four Key Pillars
To avoid a superficial response, conceptualise this theme around four interconnected pillars. Your essay will be stronger if it draws links between them, rather than treating them as separate topics.
Medio ambiente (Environment): The most obvious pillar. Includes climate change (el cambio climático), pollution (la contaminación), loss of biodiversity (la pérdida de biodiversidad), and resource management (la gestión de recursos).
Paz y conflicto (Peace and Conflict): Competition for resources like water (el estrés hídrico) or land can lead to conflict. Discusses international relations, treaties (los tratados), and the role of global governance.
Globalización y desarrollo sostenible (Globalisation and Sustainable Development): Explores the impact of a globalised economy on the planet. This includes supply chains (las cadenas de suministro), multinational corporations (las multinacionales), and the disparity between developed and developing nations.
Ética (Ethics): This is the moral dimension. What are our responsibilities to future generations? Is it fair for developing nations to curb their growth when developed nations have been polluting for centuries? This is where you can introduce real complexity and critical thinking.
2. Building a High-Level Lexicon
To score in the top band for Criterion B, you must move beyond basic terms. Group your vocabulary learning into concepts to build a network of related words.
Verbs of Cause and Effect: Fomentar (to foster), impulsar (to drive), provocar (to provoke), desencadenar (to unleash/trigger), mitigar (to mitigate), agravar (to worsen).
Adjectives for Analysis: Insostenible (unsustainable), imprescindible (essential), perjudicial (harmful), equitativo (equitable), alarmante (alarming), irresponsable (irresponsible).
Nouns for Concepts: La desigualdad (inequality), la escasez (scarcity), el bienestar (well-being), la interdependencia (interdependence), la legislación (legislation).
Connecting Phrases (Muletillas): 'No cabe duda de que...' (There's no doubt that...), 'Por un lado... por otro lado...' (On one hand... on the other hand...), 'A fin de cuentas...' (Ultimately...), 'Hay que tener en cuenta que...' (One must take into account that...).
3. Adapting to Paper 2 Text Types
The same core ideas can be presented in different ways. Your ability to manipulate register, tone, and format is assessed under Criterion A (Language) in older guides, but its effective use contributes to Criterion B (Language) and C (Message) in the current framework. The conventions of the text type are crucial.
Artículo (Article): Needs a title. Use a formal or semi-formal register. Structure with a clear introduction, development, and conclusion. You can use rhetorical questions to engage the reader.
Blog: Needs a title. Often has a more personal, semi-formal tone. You can address the reader directly ('¿Alguna vez habéis pensado en...?'). Use shorter paragraphs and perhaps subheadings.
Carta Formal (Formal Letter): Requires specific formatting: address, date, formal salutation ('Estimado/a Sr./Sra. Director/a:'), and closing ('Le saluda atentamente,'). The tone is respectful and the purpose is clear (e.g., to persuade, to complain, to propose).
Discurso/Ponencia (Speech/Talk): Address the audience directly ('Buenos días a todos,'). Use rhetorical devices to persuade and maintain interest. Signpost your structure: 'En primer lugar, me gustaría hablar de...'
Examiners reward depth over breadth. It is better to explore one or two aspects of the prompt in detail, showing nuance and linking different ideas, than to create a superficial list of many different problems. For example, instead of just listing 'deforestation, pollution, and climate change', analyse how economic pressure for cash crops (globalisation) leads to deforestation, which in turn accelerates climate change (environment) and displaces indigenous communities (ethics).
4. Inter-thematic Connections
The most sophisticated responses show an awareness that the five IB themes are not isolated silos. Linking 'Sharing the Planet' to other themes will elevate your analysis.
Identidades: How does our identity as a 'consumer' affect the planet? Can adopting a 'green' identity lead to meaningful change?
Experiencias: Discuss ecotourism versus mass tourism. How do our travel experiences impact local communities and environments?
Ingenio Humano: Explore green technologies (las tecnologías verdes) as solutions. Are they a magic bullet, or are they an 'arma de doble filo' (e.g., the environmental cost of producing electric car batteries)?
Organización Social: Analyse the role of NGOs (las ONG), governments (los gobiernos), and international agreements (e.g., the Paris Agreement) in tackling global issues. How do community structures enable grassroots movements?
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
Task: Escribe un artículo para la revista de tu colegio (250-400 palabras). Título: El consumismo: ¿motor de la economía o destructor del planeta? Analiza las dos caras del consumismo en la sociedad moderna.
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Below is a model opening paragraph that demonstrates a nuanced approach, targeting high marks for Criterion C (Message) and Criterion B (Language).
Task: Escribe una entrada en tu blog (250-400 palabras). Título: Pequeños gestos, gran impacto: Mi experiencia en el huerto comunitario. Describe una iniciativa local sostenible y reflexiona sobre su importancia.
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Below is a model body paragraph that connects a local action to global concepts, a key skill for a high-scoring response.
How it all connects
The big idea sits in the middle — tap a linked idea to explore the link.
Tap a linked idea to see how it connects back to the main topic — that connection is what examiners reward.
Glossary
Try to recall each definition before you reveal it.
Quick check
Answer in your head first — then tap to check. No pressure.
Revision flashcards
Flip the card. Test yourself before the exam.
El desarrollo sostenible
Sustainable development. The idea of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
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Medio ambiente (Environment): The most obvious pillar. Includes climate change (el cambio climático), pollution (la contaminación), loss of biodiversity (la pérdida de biodiversidad), and resource management (la gestión de recursos).
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Paz y conflicto (Peace and Conflict): Competition for resources like water (el estrés hídrico) or land can lead to conflict. Discusses international relations, treaties (los tratados), and the role of global governance.
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Globalización y desarrollo sostenible (Globalisation and Sustainable Development): Explores the impact of a globalised economy on the planet. This includes supply chains (las cadenas de suministro), multinational corporations (las multinacionales), and the disparity between developed and developing nations.
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Ética (Ethics): This is the moral dimension. What are our responsibilities to future generations? Is it fair for developing nations to curb their growth when developed nations have been polluting for centuries? This is where you can introduce real complexity and critical thinking.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test your skills with a Paper 2 prompt on 'Sharing the Planet' and get expert feedback.
Test your skills with a Paper 2 prompt on 'Sharing the Planet' and get expert feedback.
Extra simulations & links
PhET, GeoGebra and other curated tools — open in a new tab.
Frequently asked
Checkpoint
One marked question is worth ten re-reads — close the loop before you move on.
Reading it isn’t knowing it — prove it.
Before you move on: do Test your skills with a Paper 2 prompt on 'Sharing the Planet' and get expert feedback. on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.