Class of 2018 The Extended Essay

What is The Extended Essay? core requirement of IB Diploma 40 hours 4,000 words or less Student selected topic Student works with mentor The EE is externally assessed using specific grading criteria outlined by IB

At the heart of the program…

Mock Extended Essay Due Dates Feb. 2-Mentor Contract due to English teacher Feb. 25-Research Question and completed mentor log due Mar. 22-annotated bibliography due April 2- turn in outline to mentor before Spring Break April 14-outline to teacher April 25-rough draft to mentor May 10-mentor log and graded rubric to teacher May 24-final draft and full EE folder due to teacher

WHAT AM I EXPECTED TO DO? Chose your subject area Decide on a Research Question Research A LOT Analyze your findings Write your outline Write your rough draft Write your final draft Meet all deadlines for due dates and mentor meetings

Subject Areas The topic you choose Biology may NOT be Chemistry used for your EE Literature next year! History

Choosing your research question First decide on your subject and research Then decide on topic Then find a specific issue You need a question

For example… Subject area - History Topic - War and Genocide Subtopic - Rwanda Research Question -To what extent did Belgian imperialism in Rwanda cause the Rwandan genocide in 1994? NOT – What was the Rwandan Genocide? TOO BASIC

For example… Subject area - Biology Topic - Aging on the human body Research Question - What are the effects of age & gender on the photoreceptor cells of the human retina? NOT – What do photoreceptor cells do? TOO BASIC!!

Organization of the EE Paper The length of the extended essay is to be approximately 4000 words. This does not include the bibliography, appendices or the abstract. The abstract should be no more than 300 words. Students will be penalized for essays exceeding these limits. Title page Conclusion Table of Contents Page numbers Abstract References Introduction Citations Main body Bibliography STUDENT

What does my mentor do? Your mentor will: Support and guide you in your research and writing process Verify that your EE is your own work Analyze and grade specific items turned in – bibliography, outline, rough draft Notify Ms. Garner and Ms. Chaney of suspected malpractice or failure to meet deadlines Submit a predicted grade for your final draft

What does my mentor do? Your mentor will NOT: Schedule meetings – you must arrange meeting dates Tell you what to do and how to do it Edit your paper

How is the EE graded? Assessed Externally – possibly in a different country Scores range from 0-36 points Point values are then aligned with an Alphabetical grade (A, B, C, D, E) The IB uses a specific grading criteria – rubric found in your handbook Overall EE performance and overall ToK performance determine number of points awarded towards IB diploma

Recommended things to do… read the assessment criteria read previous essays to identify strengths and possible pitfalls Make an outline for your essay start work early and stick to deadlines maintain a good working relationship with their supervisor construct an argument that relates to the research question use the library and consult librarians for advice record sources as they go along let their interest and enthusiasm show. check and proofread the final version carefully.

The next step… Read your EE guide Choose your Subject Area Decide on a broad topic Research and decide on your specific question Select and meet with your mentor Submit your EE Supervision Contract to English teacher on February 2nd or 3rd

Questions?