The IB Extended Essay (EE) provides students an opportunity to learn how to write a college level research paper on a topic of their choice with help and guidance from their TOK teacher and a faculty mentor/advisor.  

At Central, we have integrated the extended essay into our IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class. In 11th grade, we lead the junior TOK students through a process every week that lets them explore the guidelines of the project, narrow down a topic area, and develop a contestable research question. They are then paired with a faculty mentor/advisor who helps them think about the process of writing the paper during a series of “reflection sessions” that the student documents over the course of the project. We encourage students to spend time over the summer finishing up their research so that in the fall they can concentrate on writing their first draft. The draft is due at the end of first quarter in 12th grade, with the final version of the paper (and final reflection session) completed before we leave for winter break. 

The extended essay has no downside for students: so long as they submit a paper that meets the basic requirements for their particular subject area, they will receive credit from IB. If they do well on the essay, they can receive “bonus” points toward their full Diploma total. Aside from formative assessment points we assign in TOK to help motivate students to stay on track, their EE does not affect any of their grades at Central. I always try to emphasize to students that the EE is simply an opportunity to learn how to write a research paper. It can sometimes feel stressful when they are trying to make progress on the paper, but figuring out how to manage a large project like this in high school will make their lives much less stressful when they get to college. 

A few topics our students have explored in their extended essays over the past few years include:

• The effects of Transit Oriented Development on gentrification in the Rondo neighborhood

• Assessing the adequacy of Immanuel Kant's arguments about the morality of punishment

• The relationship between hip hop and movements for social justice in the era of Black Lives Matter

• The influence of Raymond Carver on Haruki Murakami's short stories

• Whether the sinking of the Lusitania caused the US to enter World War I

• F. Scott Fitzgerald's use of water imagery in The Great Gatsby

• Whether physical therapy is more effective at reducing pain than pharmaceuticals with sports injuries