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Firsthand Experiments
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Choose sensible and feasible experiments that do not require extensive lengths of time for the construction of the apparatus.
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Highly sophisticated instruments are not required.
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It is recommended that the experiment be carried out under the direction of a school supervisor.
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If the research is carried out at a research institute or university under the guidance of an external supervisor, a cover letter outlining the nature of the supervision and the level of guidance provided must be submitted
Research Topics
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Choose a research topic that can be treated effectively within the word limit and is not of a trivial nature.
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Can be in the form of a question:
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Do wine bottles of different shapes behave as helmholtz resonators?
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Can be presented as a statement or a hypothesis:
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The objective is to establish the relationship between power and temperature of an incandescent lamp.
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Sample Research Questions
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Can a program of training at high altitude have an impact on the fitness of the athlete? (Biology)
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Does the time it takes to brew a cup of tea using a specific brand of tea leaves significantly alter the amount of caffeine dissolved in the drink? (Chemistry)
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Is it possible to determine the presence of a black hole at the center of the Milky Way? (Physics)
Chemistry
Helpful Websites for Chemistry EE Students:
IB Chemistry Web
Biology
Helpful Websites for Biology EE Students:
Computer Science
Helpful Websites for Computer Science EE Students:
Physics
Helpful Websites for Physics EE Students:
Design Technology
Helpful Websites for Design Technology EE Students:
Group 5: Mathematics
From the IB EE Guide:
Extended essay
Mathematics
Mathematics: Subject-specific guidance
Overview
An extended essay (EE) in mathematics is intended for students who are writing on any topic that has a mathematical focus and it need not be confined to the theory of mathematics itself.
Essays in this group are divided into six categories:
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the applicability of mathematics to solve both real and abstract problems
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the beauty of mathematics—eg geometry or fractal theory
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the elegance of mathematics in the proving of theorems—eg number theory
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the history of mathematics: the origin and subsequent development of a branch of mathematics over a period of time, measured in tens, hundreds or thousands of years
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the effect of technology on mathematics:
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in forging links between different branches of mathematics,
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or in bringing about a new branch of mathematics, or causing a particular branch to flourish.
These are just some of the many different ways that mathematics can be enjoyable or useful, or, as in many cases, both.
Choice of topic
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The EE may be written on any topic that has a mathematical focus and it need not be confined to the theory of mathematics itself.
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Students may choose mathematical topics from fields such as engineering, the sciences or the social sciences, as well as from mathematics itself.
Statistical analyses of experimental results taken from other subject areas are also acceptable, provided that they focus on the modeling process and discuss the limitations of the results; such essays should not include extensive non-mathematical detail.
A topic selected from the history of mathematics may also be appropriate, provided that a clear line of mathematical development is demonstrated. Concentration on the lives of, or personal rivalries between, mathematicians would be irrelevant and would not score highly on the assessment criteria.
It should be noted that the assessment criteria give credit for the nature of the investigation and for the extent that reasoned arguments are applied to an appropriate research question.
Students should avoid choosing a topic that gives rise to a trivial research question or one that is not sufficiently focused to allow appropriate treatment within the requirements of the EE.
Students will normally be expected either to extend their knowledge beyond that encountered in the Diploma Programme mathematics course they are studying or to apply techniques used in their mathematics course to modeling in an appropriately chosen topic.
However, it is very important to remember that it is an essay that is being written, not a research paper for a journal of advanced mathematics, and no result, however impressive, should be quoted without evidence of the student’s real understanding of it.
Examples of topics
These examples are just for guidance. Students must ensure their choice of topic is focused (left-hand column) rather than broad (right-hand column)
Treatment of the topic
Whatever the title of the EE, students must apply good mathematical practice that is relevant to the
chosen topic, including:
• data analysed using appropriate techniques
• arguments correctly reasoned
• situations modeled using correct methodology
• problems clearly stated and techniques at the correct level of sophistication applied to their solution.
Research methods
Students must be advised that mathematical research is a long-term and open-ended exploration of a set of related mathematical problems that are based on personal observations.
The answers to these problems connect to and build upon each other over time.
Students’ research should be guided by analysis of primary and secondary sources.
A primary source for research in mathematics involves:
• data-gathering
• visualization
• abstraction
• conjecturing
• proof.
A secondary source of research refers to a comprehensive review of scholarly work, including books, journal articles or essays in an edited collection.
A literature review for mathematics might not be as extensive as in other subjects, but students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the mathematics they are using in the context of the broader discipline, for example how the mathematics they are using has been applied before, or in a different area to the one they are investigating.
Writing the essay
Throughout the EE students should communicate mathematically:
• describing their way of thinking
• writing definitions and conjectures
• using symbols, theorems, graphs and diagrams
• justifying their conclusions.
There must be sufficient explanation and commentary throughout the essay to ensure that the reader does not lose sight of its purpose in a mass of mathematical symbols, formulae and analysis.
The unique disciplines of mathematics must be respected throughout. Relevant graphs and diagrams are often important and should be incorporated in the body of the essay, not relegated to an appendix.
However, lengthy printouts, tables of results and computer programs should not be allowed to interrupt the development of the essay, and should appear separately as footnotes or in an appendix. Proofs of key results may be included, but proofs of standard results should be either omitted or, if they illustrate an important point, included in an appendix.
Examples of topics, research questions and suggested approaches
Once students have identified their topic and written their research question, they can decide how to
research their answer. They may find it helpful to write a statement outlining their broad approach. These
examples are for guidance only.
An important note on “double-dipping”
Students must ensure that their EE does not duplicate other work they are submitting for the Diploma Programme. For example, students are not permitted to repeat any of the mathematics in their IA in their EE, or vice versa.
The mathematics EE and internal assessment
An EE in mathematics is not an extension of the internal assessment (IA) task. Students must ensure that they understand the differences between the two.
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The EE is a more substantial piece of work that requires formal research
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The IA is an exploration of an idea in mathematics.
It is not appropriate for a student to choose the same topic for an EE as the IA. There would be too much danger of duplication and it must therefore be discouraged.
Supervisors play an important role in guiding students on these distinctions. Students risk their diploma if academic misconduct is detected.
Interpreting the EE assessment criteria
Criterion A: Focus and method
(Strands: Topic, Research question, Methodology)
In mathematics, the title of the essay must be in the form of a question, which can by itself clearly describe the topic and/or aim of the essay. It must not be too long and any necessary clarification of it, together with a clear indication of the mathematical areas and the techniques, should be provided early in the essay.
For example, “Methods for approximating Π throughout history. In this essay I will describe methods of approximating Π from the work of Archimedes to the use of infinite series, infinite products and continued fractions in subsequent periods.” In other words, the focus and purpose of the essay must be made clear to the reader and appropriately related to the knowledge and understanding in context. This is clearly demonstrated when the research question indicates the mathematical techniques to be applied.
The sources consulted must be sufficient and each must contribute to the research focus of the essay.
The essay must be set out in sequential form in the manner of good mathematical writing, that is each section following on from and connected to the previous one.
A sharply written clear focus and research question can help the student ensure the essay remains within 4,000 words.
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding
(Strands: Context, Subject-specific terminology and concepts)
The essay must show clear evidence of understanding of the mathematics that is relevant to the focus of the essay. Students will not be rewarded for attempting to exhibit a wider knowledge of mathematics that is not essential to exploring the research question.
For example, in an essay on fractals, students must describe the mathematical concepts that underlie them without resorting to advanced theorems and results in analysis.
Students can demonstrate their understanding by:
• giving accurate and complete explanations of subject-specific terminology
• making knowledgeable comments on source material
• using source material in a relevant and appropriate way.
Students should ensure that the essay’s content is accessible to readers with a strong interest in the subject as well as to those with an advanced knowledge of it.
Students need to clearly communicate and explain their mathematics. They must not just talk about it but actually do the mathematics, and must show all steps in mathematical reasoning to make it clear that they understand it.
Students must make sure definitions are fully explained. If a theorem is used whose proof is too difficult, it should at least be explained by a clear example. Throughout, students need to demonstrate that they fully understand what they are doing.
Criterion C: Critical thinking
(Strands: Research, Analysis and Discussion and evaluation)
Students should be aware of the particular demands of critical thinking in mathematics.
At each opportunity in the essay, students must demonstrate their abilities in:
• correct deductive reasoning and argument
• establishing hypotheses
• formulating mathematical models.
For example, in the use of statistics to establish a hypothesis, students must collect the correct data, then display summary data and graphs, so that they choose, apply and interpret correctly the appropriate test or tests.
Students’ discussion and evaluation of their results should be concise.
It is important that students do the mathematics rather than merely describe it. They must show the steps in the algebra to demonstrate that they really understand what is going on. If they take any element from a source, they must cite that source.
Students should prove conjectures that can readily be proved. The essay must not just quote results; there must be evidence of the student doing mathematics.
Criterion D: Presentation
(Strands: Structure, Layout)
This criterion relates to the extent to which the essay conforms to accepted academic standards in relation to how research papers should be presented. It also relates to how well these elements support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the essay.
Students must provide a section and sub-section structure to their essays, with appropriate informative headings. Students should aim to demonstrate their mastery of appropriate concepts and an ability to present these in an effective way using mathematical means. Concise, elegant mathematics supported by graphs, diagrams and important proofs that do not interrupt the development of the essay are encouraged.
Use of charts, images and tables
Diagrams and pictures should be in the text, immediately close to an explanation of them. Small data tables can be included in the body of the essay but larger ones should appear as an appendix, with means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients etc given in the text.
Students should include computer routines only if they are absolutely necessary for the understanding of the essay. These must always appear as an appendix.
Any material that is not original must be carefully acknowledged, with specific attention paid to the acknowledgment and referencing of quotes and ideas. This acknowledgment and referencing is applicable to audio-visual material, text, graphs and data published in print and electronic sources. If the referencing does not meet the minimum standard as indicated in the guide
(name of author, date of publication, title of source and page numbers as applicable), and is not consistently applied, work will be considered as a case of possible academic misconduct.
A bibliography is essential and has to be presented in a standard format. Title page, table of contents, page numbers, etc must contribute to the quality of presentation.
Word count is rarely an important factor in a good mathematics EE. Since equations and formulas (indicating the student’s mathematical reasoning) are not included in the word count, a substantial essay can be produced that contains comparatively few words.
Concise, elegant mathematics supported by graphs, diagrams and important proofs that do not interrupt the development of the essay are encouraged. However, an essay that is excessive in length will be penalized, especially if this is because of unnecessary content. Students should be aware that examiners will not read beyond the 4,000-word limit, or assess any material presented past this.
There is no mandatory minimum length for an essay in mathematics, and credit will be given for organizing the content in an efficient and readable style, rather than for a page or word count. Mastery of appropriate concepts, and an ability to present these in an effective way using mathematical means, should be the aim. Students should use an appendix as appropriate (eg for large amounts of raw data or for computer routines). However, any mathematics that is essential to the understanding of the essay must appear in the main body of the essay.
Criterion E: Engagement
(Strands: Reflections on planning and progress)
This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, after considering the student’s Reflections on planning and progress Form (RPPF).
Students are expected to provide reflections on the decision-making and planning process undertaken in completing the essay.
Students must demonstrate how they arrived at a topic as well as the methods and approach used. This criterion assesses the extent to which a student has evidenced the rationale for decisions made throughout the planning process and the skills and understandings developed.
For example, students may reflect on:
• the approach and strategies they chose, and their relative success
• the Approaches to learning skills they have developed and their effect on the student as a learner
• how their conceptual understandings have developed or changed as a result of their research
• setbacks they faced in their research and how they overcame these
• questions that emerged as a result of their research
• what they would do differently if they were to undertake the research again.
Effective reflection highlights the journey the student has engaged in through the EE process. Students must show evidence of critical and reflective thinking that goes beyond simply describing the procedures that have been followed.
The reflections must provide the examiner with an insight into student thinking, creativity and originality within the research process. The student voice must be clearly present and demonstrate the learning that has taken place.
Group 6: The Arts
On this page you will find links and resources for each of the IB subjects in Group 6 (Visual Arts, Theatre, Film, Music, and Dance). Scroll down to view each subject.
Visual Arts
Helpful websites and databases for IB Visual Arts Students:
Arcadja Comprehensive artists and painters database. Search over 200k artists, over 4 million items from over 800 auction houses.
Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America Free Public Online Database. Provided by the Frick Art Reference Library: A database of dealer and collector archives consolidating information about repositories, dealers, collectors, and dealer archives (including dealer photograph archives). This tool provides essential information for scholars working in the fast-growing field of the history of collecting.
Art Discovery Group Catalogue Free Online Library Union Catalogue. Formerly the Virtual Union Catalogue for Art History/VKK, this free search tool is a European specialized union library catalogue. It gives access to more than 6 million records in various European art libraries.
Art UK is a charity working to transform access to the nation’s art collections. Their website is the showcase for art in every UK public collection and is an ambitious collaboration between over 3,250 British institutions.
Artcyclopedia is an index of online museums and image archives: find where the works of over 8000 different fine artists can be viewed online.
Artsy.net Artsy’s mission is to expand the art market to support more artists and art in the world. They are a platform for collecting and discovering art.
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) and Répertoire international de la littérature de l'art (RILA)From the Getty Research Institute BHA and RILA cover European and American visual arts material published between 1975 and 2007.
The British Museum The British Museum’s Collection Online offers everyone unparalleled access to objects in the collection. This innovative database is one of the earliest and most extensive online museum search platforms in the world.
CAMEO: Conservation & Art Materials Encyclopedia Online CAMEO is a searchable information resource developed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The MATERIALS database contains chemical, physical, visual, and analytical information on historic and contemporary materials used in the production and conservation of artistic, architectural, archaeological, and anthropological materials.
Conservation Information Network (BCIN) Free Online Database. Coverage: 1987 - Present. BCIN is one of three conservation databases first released in 1987. CIN's objective is to facilitate the retrieval and exchange of information concerning conservation and restoration of cultural property. Contains over 190,000 bibliographic citations for conservation literature.
Europeana Collections At Europeana, they work with thousands of European archives, libraries and museums to share cultural heritage for enjoyment, education and research. Europeana Collections provides access to over 50 million digitised items – books, music, artworks and more – with sophisticated search and filter tools to help you find what you’re looking for.
Their dedicated thematic collections on art, fashion, music, photography and World War I contain galleries, blogs and exhibitions to inform and inspire.
Flickr Commons The Commons was launched on January 16 2008, when they released their pilot project in partnership with The Library of Congress. Home to tens of billions of photos and 2 million groups.
FreeImages.com was launched in February 2001 as an alternative for expensive stock photography. The idea was to create a site where creative people could exchange their photos for inspiration or work. The site has evolved into the massive community you see today — there are over 2,500,000 registered users and around 400,000 photos online.
Getty Open Content Images Recently, the J. Paul Getty Trust announced that they will be “making roughly 4,600 high-resolution images of the Museum’s collection free to use, modify, and publish for any purpose.” There are now 87,000+ images in that collection. Images include paintings, manuscripts, drawings, photographs, and more and feature works by masters Rembrandt, Van Gough, David, and more. Open content images are identified with a “Download” link which can be found by clicking into the “Primary Title” link to access the full record.
Getty Research Portal The Getty Research Portal™ is an online search platform providing global access to digitized art history texts in the public domain. Through this multilingual, multicultural union catalog, scholars can search and download complete digital copies of publications for the study of art, architecture, material culture, and related fields. The Portal is free to all users.
The Google Art Project is a free online database which gives Internet browsers the opportunity to view art pieces from all over the world in a gallery-style collection.
The Guggenheim Museum Archive The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Library contains published resources that reflect and inform museum collections and exhibitions, with particular focus on modern and contemporary art, architecture, and photography. Collections include global Guggenheim exhibition catalogues, rare books, the Hilla Rebay Library, as well as an actively growing collection of artist monographs, art criticism and theory, reference materials, and periodicals.
IRIS Consortium Free Online Library Union Catalog. A library union catalog founded in 1993. It is an association of Florentine area art history and humanities libraries.
Index of Medieval Art from Princeton University holdings include images and descriptive data relating to works of art produced between early apostolic times and the sixteenth century. Although the Index of Medieval Art was formerly known as the Index of Christian Art, the collection now includes secular subjects as well as a growing number of subjects from medieval Jewish and Islamic culture. About half of the total records held in the Index are currently online; back-files and new material are added regularly.
The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational and research organization dedicated to integrity in the visual arts. IFAR offers impartial and authoritative information on authenticity, ownership, theft, and other artistic, legal, and ethical issues concerning art objects. IFAR serves as a bridge between the public, and the scholarly and commercial art communities.
Life Photo Archive Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of nearly 140,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art When The Met was founded in 1870, it owned not a single work of art. Through the combined efforts of generations of curators, researchers, and collectors, their collection has grown to represent more than 5,000 years of art from across the globe—from the first cities of the ancient world to the works of our time.
The Montias Database of 17th Century Dutch Art Inventories Free Public Online Database Provided by the Frick Art Reference Library: The Frick Art Reference Library hosts a unique database of inventories of Dutch 16th and 17th century art collections compiled by late Yale University Professor John Michael Montias. Drawn largely from the Gemeentearchief in Amsterdam, these inventories contain a wealth of information that can elucidate patterns of buying, selling, inventorying and collecting art in Holland during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Morguefile is a free photo archive “for creatives, by creatives.” Founded by Michael Connors in the early Internet days of 1996, the site was created to serve as a free image exchange for creative professionals and teachers to use in their work. This same mission remains true today: they are a community-based free photo site, and all photos found in the Morguefile archive are free for you to download and re-use in your work, be it commercial or not. The photos have been contributed by a wide range of creatives from around the world, ranging from amateur photo hobbyists to professionals.
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Their evolving collection contains almost 200,000 works of modern and contemporary art. More than 80,000 works are currently available online.
The Museum of New Zealand has recently made over 30,000 images available for download and re-use in high resolution as a part of its Collections Online library. It’s best to search this page after first checking the “with downloadable images” check box so that you only get results that are free for download. Each image specifies its license, many of which are remixable and have no copyright associated with them at all.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has hi-res image collections available both on their website and on Flickr. Here you can find images of the Mars Utopian Plain, the moon landing, astronauts, space shuttles, and so much more. NASA images are generally not copyrighted.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) makes thousands of stunning high resolution images available for download for free. The photo library is organized into collections such as the National Weather Service Collection containing over 4,000 weather-related images, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Collection, the Fisheries Collection, and many more, see the full list of collections here. The photos can be viewed by browsing the galleries or the catalogues for each collection. It’s better to view the catalogues in all cases since not all images are included in the galleries. Most NOAA photos and slides are in the public domain and CANNOT be copyrighted while a few photos are known to have copyright restrictions are so noted. Credit MUST be given to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce.
The National Archives and Records Administration offers a fantastic library of photographic images including photos of Churchill and Roosevelt, Nixon and Elvis, JFK and Jackie, World War II photos, and many many more historical photos. You can find many of them through the above-linked online exhibits page, while others are available on their Flickr page, and thousands more can be found within their Online Catalogue. All of the U.S. National Archives’ images that are part of The Flickr Commons are marked “no known copyright restrictions.” As for the rest of the site; “generally, materials produced by Federal agencies are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.”
National Gallery of Art With the launch of NGA Images, the National Gallery of Art implements an open access policy for digital images of works of art that the Gallery believes to be in the public domain. Images of these works are now available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial. Users do not need to contact the Gallery for authorization to use these images. They are available for download at the NGA Images website (images.nga.gov).
New Old Stock Vintage photos from the public archives, free of known copyright restrictions. Recapturing history.
NYARC Arcade Free Public Online Library Union Catalogue
Arcade is the catalog for three members of the New York Art Resources Consortium (NYARC). Arcade unites the collections of the Frick Art Reference Library and the libraries of the Brooklyn Museum and The Museum of Modern Art.
Oxford Art Online offers access to the most authoritative, inclusive, and easily searchable online art resources available today. Through a single gateway, users can access and cross-search Oxford’s acclaimed, regularly updated art reference works: the Grove Dictionary of Art and the Benezit Dictionary of Artists.
Public Domain Pictures (PDPics) Pdpics.com is a repository of thousands of free public domain pictures and photographs. Use these stock photos freely in any project.
The Smart Museum of Art As the fine arts museum of the University of Chicago, the Smart is home to thought-provoking exhibitions and an exquisite collection of more than 15,000 objects, including modern masterpieces, millennia-old Chinese artworks, rich examples of European painting, and provocative works of contemporary art.
Spanish Artists from the Fourth to the Twentieth Century: A Critical Dictionary Free Public Online Database. Provided by the Frick Art Reference Library: A dictionary providing essential bibliographic information on more than 5,000 Spanish artists, including comprehensive lists of alternate forms of artist surnames. Since its first publication in 1996, it has been widely acclaimed not only as a valuable reference tool but also as a thorough review of scholarly opinion regarding the artistic identities of numerous anonymous masters.
The United States Department of Agriculture It’s not very well known, but the US Dept of Agriculture has some fantastic high res photos available for download that are copyright-free, public domain, images of crops, animals, insects, food, plants, and more. I’ve been using their photos for many years now for art projects, there are over 2,000 images in their galleries.
Unsplash Make something awesome. Over 850,000 free (do-whatever-you-want) high-resolution photos brought to you by the world’s most generous community of photographers.
The Wellcome Library in London has made 100,000 art and medicine images available online for open use. This collection is where to look for offbeat, bizarre photos including medical art of all types including manuscripts, paintings, etchings, early photography and advertisements. The images here are absolutely fantastic. The images may be used for commercial or personal purposes, with an acknowledgement of the original source (Wellcome Library, London).
WikiArt.org Their primary goal is to make world’s art accessible to anyone and anywhere. WikiArt already features some 250.000 artworks by 3.000 artists, localized on 7 languages. These artworks are in museums, universities, town halls, and other civic buildings of more than 100 countries. Most of this art is not on public view. With your active involvement, they are planning to cover the entire art history of the Earth, from cave artworks to modern private collections. They also provide you with tools for translation on as many languages as needed.
WikiMedia Commons is a media file repository making available public domain and freely-licensed educational media content (images, sound and video clips) to everyone, in their own language. It acts as a common repository for the various projects of the Wikimedia Foundation, but you do not need to belong to one of those projects to use media hosted here. The repository is created and maintained not by paid archivists, but by volunteers. The scope of Commons is set out on the project scope pages.
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Gale OneFile: High School Edition
This periodical database is designed for high school students, with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.
Password: lirc -
Gale in Context: Biography offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure researchers have access to the very latest information.
Password: lirc -
Gale in Context: Middle School
Created specifically for middle school students, Gale in Context: Middle School combines the best of Gale's reference content with age-appropriate videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources, and much more. Categories cover a range of the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, U.S. and world history, literature, and many more. Gale in Context: Middle School provides engaging reference, periodical, and multimedia content supporting national and state curriculum standards for grades 6 to 12 in language arts, social studies, and science.
Password: lirc -
Covers a broad range of topics, people, places, and events in an engaging online experience to help high school students with papers, projects, and presentations.
The resources in this database reinforce development of academic and 21st-century learning skills like critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation.
Password: lirc
Theatre
Helpful websites and databases for IB Theatre Students:
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An online database for those seeking contextual information on a broad range of topics, people, places, and events. Includes full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites. Password is: lirc
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A digital library; containing digitized back issues of academic journals, books and primary sources and current issues of journals. It provides full-text searches of almost 2,000 journals. Username: RCHKLIRC Password: Rchklirc2017*
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International viewpoints on global issues, topics, and current events. Issue and country portals, highly relevant sources for analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues. Podcasts, video, and interactive graphs. Use Browse Issues and Topics, Country Finder, Basic Search or Advanced Search to explore the database. Password: lirc
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Designed to give Secondary School Students quick access to accurate information on science, literature, arts, biographies and general reference among others. Password is: lirc
From the Hong Kong Public library - Please note: These resources must be accessed using a valid Hong Kong Public Library card and password.
This is the world's leading video library on performing arts, which offers an extensive streaming of full-length videos from the world's greatest opera houses, ballet companies, orchestras and prestigious artists. It comprises a wide range of programmes in different genres including ballet performances, educational films and documentaries, Hannover International Violin Competitions, live concerts, music lectures and master classes, musical journeys, operas, theatres and introduction of different schools of masterpieces in painting. Some videos also provide programme notes and lyrics with screen subtitle options in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
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Performing Arts Periodicals Database
This database provides an unparalleled resource for performing arts on the web, with indexes and abstracts of more than 270 international periodicals plus the full text of over 97 journals from 1864 onwards, covering a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry.
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From Arts Alive in Canada, a comprehensive list of free resources and links to many theatre-related sites. ArtsAlive.ca English Theatre is designed to uncover the behind-the-scenes world of professional English Canadian Theatre. Within these web pages we invite parents, teachers and students to embark on a journey through thematically organized content that will lead to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the people and processes involved in transforming a play from the page to the stage.
The award-winning Drama Online introduces new writers alongside the most iconic names in playwriting history, providing contextual and critical background through scholarly works and practical guides.
Username: RCHK Password: LIRC
A constantly growing collection meets the full range of teaching needs for theatre studies, literature courses and drama schools. From the epic to the monologue; ensemble to one-person plays; comedy to tragedy; the historical to the contemporary; and from the highly political to the profoundly personal, there is plenty to discover.
Film
Helpful websites and databases for Film EE Students:
Free Film Education Resources for Students Since 1985, Film Education has enriched the education of teachers and learners across the UK by providing schools with unique and innovative curriculum-relevant film-based learning experiences. Our charity provides award-winning, authentic and relevant resources, training and events at no or nominal cost to teachers and has contributed to raising standards and inspiring teachers and learners across a range of subject areas. We also run cutting-edge teacher training events and each year take nearly half a million school children to the cinema free of charge in screening programmes that include the world’s biggest screening programme for young people, National Schools Film Week.
Free resources that utilise the extraordinary medium of film, with activities to use in your classroom or club, including PowerPoint presentations with embedded clips.
Free moving image, curriculum linked teaching resources
Empire magazine may not seem like a go-to place for the finer points of movie theory, but its film studies 101 is a great section to find info on all aspects of filmmaking. Great movie moments are dissected in detail, technical complexity is explained, on-set jargon is made clear and behind-camera movie roles are discussed.
Sometimes it’s not necessarily what you know, but who you know and KFTV could be your inroad to a wide knowledge of all areas of the film industry. Within its confines you’ll be able to search for film, TV and commercial production service companies in 173 countries, so if you’re looking for potential employers or an equipment rental company for the latest project you’ll be able to find the contact details on KFTV.
The BFI’s education and research section is another wealth of knowledge when it comes to film studies. It’s got sections for learning and teaching, along with information about its funding schemes, tips for film academy graduates and entertaining and inspiring ways for young people to understand film. You can also find out more about the industry with its series of statistics and reports, which might come in handy if you need to factor in some data into your class notes or essays.
The UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley, the nation’s leading public research university. Our mission is to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialogue through art and film, engaging audiences from the UC Berkeley campus, the Bay Area, and beyond. Each year BAMPFA presents more than twenty art exhibitions, 450 film programs, and dozens of performances, as well as lectures, symposia, and tours.
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The award-winning Drama Online introduces new writers alongside the most iconic names in playwriting history, providing contextual and critical background through scholarly works and practical guides.
Username: RCHK Password: LIRC
A constantly growing collection meets the full range of teaching needs for theatre studies, literature courses and drama schools. From the epic to the monologue; ensemble to one-person plays; comedy to tragedy; the historical to the contemporary; and from the highly political to the profoundly personal, there is plenty to discover.
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Covers a broad range of topics, people, places, and events in an engaging online experience to help high school students with papers, projects, and presentations.
The resources in this database reinforce development of academic and 21st-century learning skills like critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation.
Password: lirc
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Gale in Context: Middle School
Created specifically for middle school students, Gale in Context: Middle School combines the best of Gale's reference content with age-appropriate videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources, and much more. Categories cover a range of the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, U.S. and world history, literature, and many more. Gale in Context: Middle School provides engaging reference, periodical, and multimedia content supporting national and state curriculum standards for grades 6 to 12 in language arts, social studies, and science.
Password: lirc
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Gale OneFile: High School Edition
This periodical database is designed for high school students, with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.
Password: lirc
Music
Helpful websites and databases for Music EE Students:
From the Hong Kong Public library - Please note: These resources must be accessed using a valid Hong Kong Public Library card and password.
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Music Periodicals Database
It provides a music journal resource with indexes and abstracts of more than 470 international music periodicals and the full text of 130 journals from 1874 onwards, covering both scholarly and popular journals.
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A digital library; containing digitized back issues of academic journals, books and primary sources and current issues of journals. It provides full-text searches of almost 2,000 journals. Username: RCHKLIRC Password: Rchklirc2017*
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An online database for those seeking contextual information on a broad range of topics, people, places, and events. Includes full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites. Password is: lirc
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International viewpoints on global issues, topics, and current events. Issue and country portals, highly relevant sources for analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues. Podcasts, video, and interactive graphs. Use Browse Issues and Topics, Country Finder, Basic Search or Advanced Search to explore the database. Password: lirc
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Designed to give Secondary School Students quick access to accurate information on science, literature, arts, biographies and general reference among others. Password is: lirc
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From Arts Alive in Canada, a comprehensive list of free resources and links to many music-related sites. The National Arts Centre(NAC) presents ArtsAlive.ca Music, a great place to discover the excitement of the performing arts! Learn all about orchestral music, the NAC Orchestra, its musicians and friends, great composers, conductors and much more!
Dance
Helpful websites and databases for IB Dance Students:
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From Arts Alive in Canada, a comprehensive list of free resources and links to many dance-related sites.
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BALLET COMPANIES operates as a springboard to more than 3000 international dance and ballet websites including sites devoted to ballet companies, styles of dance, societies, choreographers, historical links and notable dancers.
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Explore Dance is a web magazine that explores trends and important ideas which lie at the heart of dance. It contains a variety of resources including articles and photo essays of artists such as Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey.
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Comprehensive list of Dance resources from the Educational Clearinghouse.
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Reviewed resources from the New Zealand Ministry of Education Arts Onlilne.
Exemplars with Feedback and Reflection examples
Interdisciplinary Subjects
Information about Interdisciplinary Studies
Scroll down for subject specific information about ESS,
Literature and Performance and World Studies
Extended Essay: Interdisciplinary Subjects
From the IB Guide: Interdisciplinary essays: An introduction
An interdisciplinary extended essay (EE) gives students an opportunity to undertake an in-depth and independent investigation into a topic of their choice that considers the relationship between subjects and allows for meaningful connections to be made in relation to their chosen area of research.
For example, in literature and performance, students focus on the nature of the relationships that occur between a chosen text and its adaptation for performance; in world studies an issue of contemporary global significance is explored through the lenses of two subjects; and in environmental systems and societies the interaction and integration of natural environmental systems and human societies are explored.
Students undertaking one of these options must demonstrate a solid understanding of their area of research, taking a fully integrated approach. This examination must be shown in the form of:
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a coherently written and structured essay that effectively addresses an area of research, taking an interdisciplinary approach
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bringing together concepts, methods and approaches from across different subjects
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the development and exploration of an area of study specifically appropriate to the interdisciplinary choice.
The most critical stage in preparing for the EE is the formulation of a logical and coherent rationale for selecting a particular topic for the extended essay, a topic that offers enough scope to provide material for a substantial essay, and the development of ideas around the topic and research question that examine existing views and argue against them.
The process of topic selection
Students should initially identify the broad area of inquiry that is of interest in one of the interdisciplinary options: environmental systems and societies, literature and performance or world studies.
If students choose to undertake an essay in environmental systems and societies, their motivation may well be the result of a concern or interest in particular local or global issues that relate to the environment. The chosen topic must allow for the use of theories and methods that facilitate the exploration of both the natural environmental systems and human societies. In this respect, a systems approach is considered particularly effective, and students will be expected to show some employment of this approach in the analysis and interpretation of the data gathered.
For students undertaking a literature and performance EE, their chosen topic must focus on the transformation of one form to another.
Within a world studies EE, the most successful topics reveal connections between specific or local places, people, phenomena or experiences, and the larger global framework in which they take place. Owing to the composite nature of contemporary global issues, the world studies EE is ideal for students who want to explore these issues by drawing on theories, findings and methods of two Diploma Programme subjects, integrating them to produce a coherent and insightful analysis of the issue they have chosen to investigate. The topic may relate to a particular area within a subject, but this is not a requirement.
The most important aspect of topic selection is that it should reflect the student’s particular interest and enthusiasm within the subject area. Some of the recommended topics for exploration may examine issues such as the global food crisis, climate change, ecology and its impact, terrorism, energy security, migration, global health, technology and cultural exchange.
When examining a broader topic of inquiry, a student will need to narrow down the topic to a research question that allows for specificity and detail. In addition, the research question needs to allow for the investigation to make a purposeful contribution to knowledge and understanding within the subject or about the issue being researched.
After a careful analysis of a topic and its selection, a student may start working on designing a coherently written paper.
Often their previous experiences help students to decide on their topic.
For some, the inspiration might be work already undertaken as part of the course. For a world studies EE, students may be stimulated by their CAS activities or by local or global issues they have engaged with through the news.
Students might also consult e-resources, textbooks, databases and reference guides when searching for an appropriate topic.
Literature review—demonstrating knowledge and understanding in
context
Conducting literature-based research is an essential element of the EE. Students should review the existing literature on the selected topic to inform the construction of their own research question and design. Students need to spend time on their literature review (eg by compiling an annotated bibliography) so that they can contextualize their own work. The review will also help them meet criterion B: knowledge and understanding.
Once they have discussed their choice of topic with their supervisor, students can start drawing up a research plan for their EE. This plan should be flexible enough to allow them to explore the topic in a creative manner. Students should not be afraid to take risks throughout the research process: originality is encouraged, as is the use of a number of different research models.
Students of a world studies EE are encouraged to include a brief overview as to how the research question links the local and global through a local manifestation of a global issue.
Research question
In designing a research question, students should mainly be guided by their interests, but they should also consider the relevance of their research.
The research question should be non-trivial and follow from the existing body of literature on the topic, seeking to explore it in innovative ways. The question needs to be specific and sharply focused, stated clearly on the title page and in the introduction of the essay, and fit clearly with the interdisciplinary area chosen (environmental systems and societies, literature and performance or world studies).
In environmental systems and societies, the research question must allow the student to demonstrate some grasp of how both environmental systems and societies function in the relationship under study. For example, while the environmental systems and societies syllabus includes a study of pure ecological principles, in an EE it would have to be explored within the context of some human interaction with the environmental system.
In literature and performance, the research question must focus on the relationship between the text and the performance and look at this relationship from a number of different viewpoints that could include research into the original text, its genre, the cultural and socio-historical context of which it is part. Students should be careful not to unbalance the EE by allowing research into either the text or the performing art to dominate. If the research question lends itself better to this approach it should be registered under language A or the relevant subject in the arts group.
In world studies, the research question must focus on an issue of contemporary global relevance and must clearly invite an integrative approach involving dimensions that are typically studied in the different disciplines chosen.
Students need to avoid researching a question that is too narrow or too obvious as this will limit their ability to formulate reasoned arguments. The question must give an appropriate context and encourage an investigative approach, including analysis and evaluation rather than description and unsupported value judgments.
Furthermore, a research question should be specific, should address an important and relevant issue in the interdisciplinary field and should try to offer an alternative perspective compared to previous research findings. Students should avoid developing ideas around the topic and research questions that have been addressed fully in earlier academic studies, unless they propose to examine existing views and argue against them to a greater or lesser degree.
They should craft a specific research question that is both interesting to them and challenging. It should present the student with the opportunity to collect or generate information or data for analysis and evaluation.
Research methods
The EE’s emphasis should always be on written analysis, interpretation of data and information, evaluation and construction and development of a sound argument. Therefore, it is vital that the methodology of the essay is tailored to the research question and allows for an in-depth exploration.
In the context of interdisciplinary essays, students should be guided by the methodologies associated with the subject areas they are utilizing, and this may involve both primary and secondary sources and methods.
In the case of environmental systems and societies essays, students may use both primary and secondary methods and sources, including the collection of data from fieldwork, laboratory experimentations, surveys or interviews, or using existing materials. A combination of both is highly recommended.
For literature and performance essays, the primary source is the original text but this will often have accumulated a critical discourse. This may need to be negotiated by the student, as will its historical, cultural or social “place” according to the focus of the research question. Depending on the research question proposed, students should consult visual sources, play texts, live performances and personal contacts.
In world studies, the methodology and sources used will be guided by the two subjects chosen as the disciplinary lenses, and so may come from across the spectrum available for research.
Supervisors need to ensure that students are aware of their responsibility to properly cite the resources used and check their work for plagiarism. Citations should adhere to the requirements of the IB and be consistently applied.
Framework for the EE in the interdisciplinary field
Environmental Systems and Societies
Helpful websites and info for Environmental Systems and Societies EE Students:
Literature and Performance
Helpful websites for Literature and Performance EE Students:
World Studies
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IB EE Subject Specific Information
Choose a subject and topic that interests you - something you're personally invested in - so you'll stay motivated throughout the EE process. You should be able to explain and identify to others what you're interested in and why.
Diploma Programme subjects available for Extended Essays for WSA students are:
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Biology
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Chemistry
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Classical Languages
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Design Technology
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Dance
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Film
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Geography
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Global Politics
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History
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Language Acquisition
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Mathematics
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Music
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Philosophy
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Physics
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Sports, Exercise and Health Science
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Studies in Language and Literature
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Theatre *See Theatre EE Guidelines document below.
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Visual Arts
WSA students may also choose to do one of these inter-disciplinary Extended Essays:
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Environmental Systems and Societies
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Literature and Performance
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World Studies
See Step 2. Educate Yourself! for information on these options.
A detailed guide to planning, researching, and writing a Theatre Extended essay, with emphasis on the components students need to have in order to score well in the five assessment criteria. Compiled by Simon Bell, an IB Trainer, Examiner and one of the many authors of the IB Theatre curriculum.
Click on the sub-pages of this tab to find subject specific information for each IB EE Subject.
Group 1: English, Language and Literature
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Environmental Systems and Societies
Group 1: English, Language and Literature
A Group 1 Extended Essay in studies in language and literature gives students an opportunity to undertake independent research into a topic of special interest to them within the subject. It is intended to promote advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.
The essay is open to students who are writing in a language that they would be capable of offering as a language A.
It must be written in the language for which it is registered.
Students must not submit a Group 1 EE in their Group 2 language. Studies in language and literature EEs are divided into three categories:
Category 1: Studies of one or more literary works originally written in the language in which the essay is presented.
Category 2: Studies of a literary work or works originally written in the language of the essay compared with one or more literary works originally written in another language. (The work originally written in another language may be studied in translation.)
Category 3: Studies in language based on one or more texts originally produced in the language in which the essay is presented.
At the point of submission, the category of Language A essay must be identified.
Categories 1 and 2
An EE in categories 1 and 2 gives students an opportunity to:
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study in depth a literary topic
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engage in independent literary criticism
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engage with established critical comment (where appropriate)
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develop the ability to put forward their views persuasively and in a well-structured manner, using a register appropriate to the study of literature.
Students must place their analysis of their chosen text(s) in the wider context of the discipline. This may include other literary texts, or particular critical perspectives or insights. However, this wider discussion should not detract from the main focus of their chosen text(s).
Category 3
A category 3 studies in language and literature EE gives students the opportunity to:
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demonstrate skills of textual analysis by considering how language, culture and/or context influence the ways in which meaning is constructed in texts
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examine critically the different relationships and interactions that exist between texts, audiences and purposes
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engage with established (or developing) critical writing, as appropriate
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develop the ability to put forward their views persuasively and in a well-structured manner, using a register and terminology appropriate to the subject.
Group 1 Resources in the LIRC
Gale Literary Sources
Password: livesearch
Research in Context
Designed to give Secondary School Students quick access to accurate information on science, literature, arts, biographies and general reference among others. Password is: lirc
Group 1: Language and Literature Exemplars
Group 1: Language and Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition
The Extended Essay in Language B
Overview
A group 2 Extended Essay is intended for students who are studying a second modern language. Students may not write a group 2 Extended Essay in a language that they are offering as a language A for their diploma.
There are 3 categories of group 2 Extended Essays:
• Category 1—Language
• Category 2—Culture and society (a or b)
• Category 3—Literature.
Students should put the category in which they have presented their essay alongside the subject in which it is registered on the cover sheet of the extended essay, for example,
English B Cat: 2 (b); German B Cat :3; Spanish B Cat : 1.
A group 2 Extended Essay provides students with the opportunity to develop their awareness and knowledge of the language studied, and their understanding of the culture concerned. This is achieved by enabling students to pursue their interest in the language through research based on texts (taken to be any meaningful piece of spoken or written language, for example, an article, a book, a play, a poem) or on specific cultural artifacts (such as works of fine art or architecture, films, radio or television programmes, or popular music).
The Extended Essay must be written in the language for which it is registered (the target language). It must be focused on matters related to the target culture. The Extended Essay is a research essay and the assessment criteria emphasize the importance of research skills rather than linguistic proficiency. Although a certain level of ability in the language is obviously desirable in order to undertake a group 2 extended essay, fluency is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee of success. In fact, students who are fluent in the language but who do not demonstrate the required research skills will definitely achieve a lower mark than students who are less fluent but who fulfill the other assessment criteria.
Choice of topic
As indicated in the ”Overview” section, a group 2 extended essay aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the target language and culture. Any proposed topic that will not further that aim should be rejected. The essay should consist of the study of an issue in one of three categories: language, culture and society, or literature. Combinations of these are also permissible. Each category has specific requirements that are described in this section. In addition, students should ensure that their topic:
• is worthy of investigation. For example, “Does tourism have a future in Switzerland?” or “Is the wine industry an important source of income for France?” would be too trivial for an essay of 4,000 words.
• is not too broad and allows for an effective treatment within the word limit. Topics such as “Racism in France”, “The theatre of the absurd”, or “A history of the French language” would need to be given a sharper focus.
• provides them with an opportunity to develop an argument and to demonstrate critical analysis and personal judgment rather than just knowledge. Topics that are merely descriptive or narrative, or that only summarize secondary sources (such as “French cheeses”, “The Provence region”, “The events of May 1968 in Paris”), should be avoided.
In each category the examples given are for guidance only.
Category 1: language
The essay should be a specific analysis of the language (its use, structure and so on) normally related to its cultural context or a specific text.
Language French
Topic Language laws in Quebec
Research question To what extent has Bill 101 contributed to increasing the prevalence of the French language in Quebec?
Approach An investigation into the effect of Bill 101 on the status of the French language in Quebec.
Language Japanese
Topic Foreign words (gairaigo) in Japanese
Research question Do young people use more words of foreign origin than older people?
Approach A survey of younger people and older people. Results are compared for knowledge of foreign words, frequency of their use and attitude towards their use.
Language Spanish
Topic Alternative use of the forms “vos” and “usted” in the Spanish of the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) region
Research question To what extent have differences between formal and informal usage disappeared from the language used in the Rio de la Plata region?
Approach An investigation into the language of young people from Buenos Aires in the Rio de la Plata region in a range of communicative situations.
Category 2: culture and society
A: essays of a sociocultural nature with an impact on the language
The essay should be an analysis of a cultural nature that describes the impact of a particular issue on the form or use of the language.
Language French
Topic Language and feminism
Research question Should feminine forms of more job titles be created in French to reflect shifting gender roles?
Approach An examination of the linguistic and sociological arguments for and against the feminization of more job titles in French.
Language Japanese
Topic Language for family members
Research question Does Japanese need new words to describe non-traditional family relationships as society changes?
Approach A commentary on how the use of the words "shujin" and "kanai" have changed, together with an examination of the social factors that may require new linguistic terms for family relationships to be created.
Language Spanish
Topic Language and discrimination
Research question To what extent does the language used by groups of young students from a secondary school in Buenos Aires reflect racial discrimination?
Approach A sociolinguistic investigation into the way language used by young people reflects attitudes of discrimination present in contemporary society.
B: essays of a general cultural nature based on specific cultural artifacts
The essay should be an analysis of a more general cultural nature but specific to a country or community where the language is spoken. Topics that are too broad and could apply to many cultures (like globalization, the death penalty or eating disorders) are inappropriate. Essays of a general cultural nature must be based on specific cultural artifacts. Cultural artifacts in this context are understood to include a wide variety of phenomena, ranging from works of fine art to newspapers, magazines and cartoons, to films, television programmes and popular music.
Language French
Topic Social criticism in the songs of MC Solaar
Research question What is the nature of MC Solaar’s rap critique of modern French society?
Approach An analysis of adverts targeted at the youth market seen over a one-month period, together with an analysis of how these are targeted, and possible reasons why the images used are chosen.
Language Japanese
Topic Adverts in the Japanese media
Research question How and why do Japanese advertisers use such a high proportion of non-Japanese models in advertising?
Approach An analysis of adverts targeted at the youth market seen over a one-month period, together with an analysis of how these are targeted, and possible reasons why the images used are chosen.
Language Spanish
Topic Representation of women in tango
Research question Which roles do women play in tango lyrics?
Approach A critical and thematic analysis of a corpus of tango lyrics to reveal female roles.
Category 3: literature
The essay should be an analysis of a literary type, based on a specific work or works of literature exclusively from the target language. In the case of a comparison of texts, all texts must originally have been written in the target language.
Language French
Topic Haitian politics as depicted in works by Dany Laferrière and Gary Victor
Research question Does Dany Laferrière in Pays sans chapeau share the same point of view on Haitian politics as Gary Victor in La Piste des sortilèges?
Approach An investigation into the similarities between the ways these two writers treat this
theme.
Language Japanese
Topic Pastoral references in Kenji Miyazawa
Research question What role does the natural world play in Chumon no ooi ryoriten?
Approach A commentary on the literary devices used by the author, together with the effect these have on the work.
Language Spanish
Topic Fictionalization of history in Abel Posse’s novels
Research question How does Abel Posse construct an imaginary history in his novel El largo atardecer
del caminante?
Approach A textual analysis to reveal the narrative techniques used by the author to make the plot contrast with the order of chronological events.
Treatment of the topic
The student should demonstrate an understanding of the issues raised by the research question and offer an objective, balanced analysis of these issues. The essay must be presented as a coherent argument, supported by relevant examples. Essays that are simply descriptive are unlikely to achieve a high mark.
In the case of an essay of a general cultural nature, the student should focus on, and research, what makes the topic specific and unique to the country or countries concerned. The student may draw relevant comparisons with another culture, if appropriate. However, it is essential that the focus remains on the culture of the language concerned. The purpose of comparisons is to shed light on the specific cultural issues raised by the research question of the essay.
Students may choose to analyze texts in a detailed literary fashion, or they may use literary texts as a means of exploring the target language or its culture and society.
Whenever questionnaires have been used or statistics presented, the student must show an understanding of the results and be able to interpret them with reference to the issue. A copy of any questionnaires or surveys should be included as an appendix. If photographs and/or illustrations have been used, they should be labeled, explained and justified in the context of the topic.
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Business and Management EE's
Business and Management EE Exemplars
Helpful websites for Business and Management EE Students:
Info from the IB Guide:
An extended essay (EE) in business management gives students an opportunity to carry out in-depth research in an area of personal interest relating to business management.
The EE gives students an opportunity to develop research skills by:
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reviewing business theories, concepts and principles
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critically analysing their use and application in the business world and their resultant impact on business activity.
The EE requires the application of business management theories, tools and techniques to produce a coherent and structured analytical essay that effectively addresses the research question.
Psychology
Helpful websites for Psychology EE Students:
Psychology Magazine - From their about page: “Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favorite subject: Ourselves. On this site, we have gathered a group of renowned psychologists, academics, psychiatrists and writers to contribute their thoughts and ideas on what makes us tick. We’re a live stream of what’s happening in ‘psychology today’.”
American Psychological Association - From Their website: APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members.
Psych Central - From their about page: “Psych Central is the Internet’s largest and oldest independent mental health social network. Since 1995, our award-winning website has been run by mental health professionals offering reliable, trusted information and over 250 support groups to consumers.”
Neuroskeptic from Discover Magazine - From their website: “Neuroskeptic is a British neuroscientist who takes a skeptical look at his own field, and beyond. His blog offers a look at the latest developments in neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology through a critical lens.”
Scientific American Mind - From Wikipedia: “Scientific American Mind is a bimonthly American popular science magazine concentrating on psychology, neuroscience, and related fields. By analyzing and revealing new thinking in the cognitive sciences, the magazine tries to focus on the biggest breakthroughs in these fields.”
Pacific Standard - From their Facebook page: “Pacific Standard is the award-winning magazine for affluent and influential readers interested in working toward forward-looking changes to private behavior and public policy. By combining research that matters with ambitious narrative and investigative reporting, Pacific Standard tells stories across print and digital platforms about society’s biggest problems, both established and emerging, and the people attempting to solve them.”
Science of Us - From their Facebook page: “Science of Us is a smart but playful window into the latest science on human behavior, with the goal of enlightening, entertaining and providing useful information that can be applied to everyday life. The site’s daily mix of columns, news stories, and visual features will translate research from psychology, sociology, genetics, and other fields for a general audience.”
Research Digest - From their about page: “We digest at least one new psychology study every weekday. Published by the British Psychological Society since 2005, this blog aims to demonstrate that psychological science is fascinating and useful while also casting a critical eye over its methods.”
Psyblog - From their about page: “This website is about scientific research into how the mind works. The studies I cover have been published in reputable academic journals in many different areas of psychology.”
Mind Hacks - From WikiPedia: “Mind Hacks is an ongoing psychology and neuroscience blog that publishes daily news and commentary on mind and brain issues. It won a Scientific American Science and Technology Web Award in 2005 and was listed as a Top 30 science blog by The Times in 2010.”
National Institute of Mental Health News Page - From their about page: “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).”
The Association for Psychological Science News Page - From their about page: “The Association for Psychological Science (previously the American Psychological Society) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of scientific psychology and its representation at the national and international level.”
The Public Library of Science's Mind and Brain Blog - From Wikipedia: “PLOS (for Public Library of Science) is a nonprofit open access scientific publishing project aimed at creating a library of open access journals and other scientific literature under an open content license.”
Geography
Helpful Websites for Geography EE Students:
DK Online World Desk Reference Online World Desk Reference explores topics in physical and human geography for every country in the world, and practices critical-thinking skills—brought to you through an exclusive partnership between DK and Prentice Hall. It's free to register and you will be given a password when you enter your name and email.
FactMontster Countries of the World - Geography · Maps · Flag · History · Current ruler · Area · Population · Capital · Largest cities · Languages · Ethnicity/race · Religion · Literacy rate · Economy · Government
World InfoZone - "with its international perspective for education, WIZ is an invaluable, interactive resource for schools and colleges." World InfoZone (WIZ) has been acknowledged by many international juries.
CIA World Factbook - The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.
Country Studies from the US Library Of Congress - Contains the electronic versions of 80 books previously published in hard copy as part of the Country Studies Series by the Federal Research Division. Intended for a general audience, books in the series present a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of select countries throughout the world. Most books in the series deal with a single foreign country, but a few cover several countries or a geographic region. The series includes several books on countries that no longer exist in their original configuration—such as Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Sudan, and Yugoslavia. These books remain in the series because they continue to offer valuable historical information and perspective. In some cases, studies on successor states are also part of the series.
Geography - Offers an online exploration to various places in the world, provides details of the areas.
National Geographic Database
Group 4: Sciences
Extended Essays written in one of the Group 4 disciplines must be undertaken thoughtfully.
Overview for Group 4 EE's:
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Must take the form of a research paper involving a hypothesis , model, or critical analysis. Remember the scientific method.
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Must demonstrate argumentation, comparison, or the extraction of relevant information or data
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A correctly formatted and executed lab report could meet this criteria.
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Must have an emphasis on a specific branch of science—Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
The purpose SHOULD NOT BE to inform the reader about a specific topic, nor should it be a summary of the latest discoveries in the specific branch of science.
You should be personally involved with the subject matter and not simply an informant.
While not mandatory, performing an experiment will help to ensure your involvement.
Research Approaches
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Data-Based: location and extraction of raw or processed data, not collected directly by the student, which is then further defined and analyzed.
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Experimental: design and implementation of an experiment, then personal collection and analysis of the data.
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Theoretical (numerical): development of a quantitative or semi-quantitative description of some physical phenomenon, exercise of the model, predictions about its behavior and limitations.
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Survey: formulation of a cohesive, ordered, analytical and supported (qualitative and quantitative) discussion of the topic.
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Combination: a mixture of these approaches
