Extended Essays Submitted: Newman Students Explore What's Important to Them and Get a Head Start for College
Community Spotlights
Just before leaving for Spring Break, IB DP seniors were tasked with uploading their Extended Essays (EE). This was the simple part, the culmination of hard work spanning their junior and senior years at Newman. The Extended Essay is a deeply engaging, key aspect of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and totally aligned with Newman's valuing of student-driven pursuits.
From the IBO Website: "The extended essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
"One component of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, the extended essay is mandatory for all students.
"Read about the extended essay in greater detail.
You can also read about how the IB sets deadlines for the extended essay, find examples of extended essay titles from previous DP students and learn about the world studies extended essay."
As an example from this year's class, we have a student who "wanted to do something fashion related [and for whom] Vogue has always been interesting" so she crafted her project, anchored in the history tract, around the effect of Vogue magazine on a second wave of Feminism from 1960–1970.
Another example from this year's class is a student who is interested in set theory—the study of one of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics: collections (sets) of objects. This student knew he wanted to learn more about this subject of interest and found "the toughest part of the process [to be] deciding on what topic [he] wanted to write on, and, specifically, what research question [he] would use."
While grappling with defining the actual research question is a challenging part of the EE process for many, it is also the mechanism that ensures personal and individualized student engagement; it invites students to take a deep and analytical dive into a topic that interests them. They must ask themselves many questions like: What aspects of this passion, interest, or topic holds my attention and why? How are my questions about this "thing" relevant to the world? Which disciplinary lens is best suited for me to explore more about this interest of mine?
Other topics that Newman students grappled with and/or ultimately chose to write about this year include:
- How is the motif of addiction used in “Channel Orange” to demonstrate human nature and social class?
- To what extent will Amazon’s Climate Pledge reduce carbon emissions?
- To what extent do antioxidants found in Camellia sinensis (matcha),Curcuma longa(Tumeric) and Syzygium aromaticum (clove) increase catalase activity in infants with Acatalesmia?
- In Joseph Heller’s The Catch-22, how does the satirical portrayal of bureaucracy and war offer insight into the human condition? (WIP)
- To what extent does Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" serve as a critique of societal norms and governmental control?
- To what extent does streaming services impact the demand for music sales for artists in the United States?
- How does “blue light” exposure affect the enzyme activity of NMNAT2.
In addition to the value of being student-directed, the Extended Essay provides students with the challenge of writing a long or "extended" essay—the depth and length of which is not routinely experienced by US high school students. In tackling the Extended Essay, our students learn how to craft and revise a research question, how to do extensive research, how to structure an argument, how to pace an extended project, how to incorporate feedback into their final draft, how to reflect on their own learning, and how to represent this learning and research to others (many students will find that their EE process primes them for college interviews and gives them content for some college applications' short answers). Finally, all of these skills, honed through this EE process, give our students a major leg up for college!
Newman provides opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds to pursue serious studies in a welcoming and supportive environment where self and community are paramount.
