EXTENDED ESSAY:
What Students Need to Know!
Mr. Edwards
Extended Essay Coordinator
Presentation Topics
• Overview
• Implication
• Participation
• Selection
• Mistakes
• Tasks
• Conclusion
• Homework
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Overview
What is an Extended Essay?
O A culmination of ALL the skills you have learned
and honed in high school and the IB
O An investigation into an area of academic
interest
O Completely designed by you
O Written in formal research paper format,
containing an academic argument
Research Paper Format
O Primary and secondary sources
O ≈ 8 to 20 sources, depending on subject
area
O Must represent original, unaided work
Academic Argument
O Writing done by scholars for scholars
O Devoted to topics of interest to scholars
in a particular academic field
O Presents an informed reader with an
informed argument
O What is known?
O What do you think about this?
Benefits of Extended Essay (EE)
O Personal project
O Feeling of pride
O Preparation for college
O Great sample of your work and writing
O For college admissions
O For scholarships
O For further research
A few of the EE Subject Areas
O Group 1 (English)
O History
O Group 2 (World
O Mathematics
Languages)
O Music
O Biology
O Physics
O Chemistry
O Visual Arts
O Economics
O World Studies
O Environmental
O More on Haiku
Systems
Format of EE
O Title Page
O Table of Contents
O Acknowledgements
O Abstract (300 word maximum)
O Text (4,000 word maximum)
O Appendices
O Bibliography
≈ 10 – 12 pages
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Implication
Why Does EE Matter?
O International Baccalaureate Program
O Requirement for diploma acquisition
O Expensive to change subject area once
reported to IB
O Contributes to possible bonus points
O Oxford High School
O *Represents 25% of TOK grade Senior year.
O TOK Essay is another 25%
*pending
Assessment of EE
Externally assessed by examiners
assigned by IBO in a specific subject
Group 1 (United Kingdom)
Group 2 (Haslett, MI)
Biology (France)
Economics (Argentina)
Physics (Botswana)
Where EE Fits in the IBDP
3 Higher Level (HL) Subjects
3 Standard Level (SL) Subjects
= 12 pts
= 12 pts
_________________________
= 24 pts total
EE and/or TOK → up to 3 bonus points!
Failure of either EE or TOK results in needing 28
points instead of 24 pts
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Participation
Participants in Process
O Students
O Supervisors (OHS staff)
O Extended Essay Coordinator – Mr. Edwards
O DP Coordinator – Mr. Eldridge
O International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)
Student Responsibilities
Attend in-school EE sessions
Meet assigned deadlines
Set goals and self-monitor progress
Work consistently and in increments over time
rather than all-at-once when an assignment is
due
O Schedule appointments to meet with their
mentors (and keep them)
O Complete a majority of work over the summer
months
O
O
O
O
Supervisor Responsibilities
O Meet with their students to check their
progress, offer suggestions, answer
questions
O Report to the coordinator when students
have not met deadlines
O Review research questions, outlines,
and rough drafts
O Read final drafts, make predicted
grades, and complete IB folders before
essays are sent to examiners
Coordinator Responsibilities
O Provide guidance through mentoring and
O
O
O
O
O
workshop training
Provide sample essays and detailed
documents describing the process, the
format, and the deadlines
Assign supervisors
Monitor student progress
Assist students in meeting IB
requirements
Contact IBO when necessary
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Selection
Subject Area Selection
O Decide which subject(s) interests you the
most
O Review the subject specific guidelines
and general criteria applied to the
specific subject area
Without personal curiosity and interest,
it’s impossible to do research.
Subject Area Selection
O Choose a subject in which you are
competent
O Choose a subject in which you have had
formal classroom training
O Choose a subject with which you have
some familiarity
Topic Selection
O Discuss ideas with your teacher, with
friends, with parents, and anyone else
that you think may be able to give you
advice
O Consider your experience, background,
and passions
O Think about topics in courses about
which you have wondered more
O Review sample essays for ideas (see
Haiku)
Topic Selection
O Consider the subject area requirements
(see Haiku)
Each area has specific requirements
that must be met to earn a respectable
score.
O Discuss topic ideas with an expert (e.g.,
IB teachers) in the field of interest
Topic Selection
O Do some preliminary reading
O Library (OHS and OU)
O Research databases (appropriately
selected)
O Make a list of potential topics
O Choose a topic that you love
Topic Selection
O Choose a topic that is manageable in
scope, complexity, and length
O Choose something interesting (e.g., a
passion, a local issue, etc.)
O Narrow to one or two subject areas and
one or two topic areas within each of
those subjects
Topic Selection
O Choose a topic that requires you to
O argue a position
O evaluate an issue
O draw conclusions from an experiment
case study
O create a solution to a problem
(The essay must argue a position;
it may not be a report!)
or
Topic Selection
O Do more preliminary reading, particularly
in scholarly journals and other reputable
sources
O Make a list of potential
controversies/issues/problems within
the larger topic
O Is graffiti art?
O Are Holocaust reparations feasible?
O THINK
O Do more reading
Topic Selection
O Begin making a bibliography to insure that
primary and secondary sources are
available
O Narrow to a single controversy, problem, or
issue
This approach covers all subject areas,
from a hypothesis in science, to a
disagreement between literary critics, to a
solution to a local political problem.
Topic Selection
O Do not choose a topic you have used for
another IB assessment (no doubledipping)
O Do not choose approaches that are
largely narrative, descriptive, or
biographical
O Do not choose trite issues (e.g., capital
punishment, abortion, drug legalization ,
etc.)
O Do not choose issues about which you
have a bias
Topic Selection (Examples)
O Group 1: What is the significance and
function of the character Eustace in C.S.
Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia?
O History: The establishment of foreign
schools in Turkey in the 19th century
Topic Selection (Examples)
O Physics: How is the amplitude of a swing
affected by the displacement of the
center of mass in a parametrically
pumped swing?
O Visual Arts: What is the symbolic
meaning of the DIA north and south wall
mural Detroit Industry by Diego Rivera?
Topic Selection (Examples)
O Music: At a glance, Bach and
Schoenberg seem to have nothing in
common. How are the two composers
linked when viewing their works from a
technical point of view?
O Good RQ!
O Economics: Is there a connection
between international coffee prices and
living standards in Uganda?
O Good RQ!
Topic Selection(Bad Examples)
O Chemistry: How was the periodic table
formed?
O History: Who was Adolph Hitler?
O Group 1: Symbolism in the Harry Potter
series
O Biology: The causes of cancer
O Music: The collected works of Mozart
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Mistakes
Mistakes Students Make
O Failing to read the subject guidelines
O Assuming that since they have done
a history internal assessment, they
should write an extended essay in
history
O Writing on the same topic as their
history assessment
O Choosing topics that require little or
no analysis or conclusion
Mistakes Students Make
O Choosing topics that do not fit the
subject area guidelines
O Choosing topics about which there is
little available research
O Picking a topic with the attitude “I’ll
change it later.”
O Denying the EE process is here
O Delaying the selection of a viable
topic
Mistakes Students Make
O Procrastinating
O Procrastinating
O Procrastinating
Mistakes Students Make
O Uncritically relying on online sources
such as Wikipedia, Google, etc.
O The above and other similar sources may
not be used in Works Cited!
O Discovering too late that their
knowledge of the subject is not deep
enough
Mistakes Students Make
O Pursuing unethical means of gathering
data (e.g., animal testing)
O Not contributing to the research (i.e.,
The Extended Essay is a compilation of
information from other sources.)
Mistakes Students Make
• PLAGIARIZING
Plagiarism:
The use of the work of other
authors (texts, data, creative
productions, oral statements OR
ideas) without proper
acknowledgement, with the
effect that it appears to be the
plagiarist’s own work or idea
Consequences of Plagiarism
O IBO considers plagiarism a serious
O
O
O
O
violation of academic integrity.
A student who plagiarizes an Extended
Essay risks loss of his/her IB Diploma.
IBO leaves the responsibility for
detecting plagiarism to the individual
school (Turnitin.com).
The OHS Code of Conduct addresses the
definition and consequences of
cheating.
Plagiarism may result in suspension.
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Tasks
Immediate Tasks for Students
O Talk to potential supervisors (OHS DP
teachers)
O Be proactive
O Think about with whom you work well and
have a good rapport
O Find an outside mentor (science
particularly)
O Read, read, and read more
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Conclusion
EE Golden Rules
O Be realistic (You, most likely, will not find
a cure to cancer.)
O Be original
O Be focused
O Keep within the discipline of the subject
(The EE is an academic essay.)
O Spend sufficient time on the process,
and the paper will write itself (almost)
Resources (via OHS)
O Teachers: to discuss topics within their
subjects
O Supervisors: to establish working
relationship and to maintain pace
O Media Specialist (Ms. Connor): to assist
with database searches to narrow the
search and yield quality sources.
Resources (via Haiku)
O Extended Essay subject guide
O Content subject guides
O Extended Essay samples (from various
subjects)
O PowerPoint presentations
Miscellaneous
O Attend all EE meetings
O Gather all materials from missed
meetings
O Complete all EE work by their
respective due dates
Questions?
EXTENDED ESSAY:
Homework