Extended Essay (Group 1)

1. Elements of Structure Extended Essay (Group 1)

2. Introduction #1 • Hook: Grab the reader’s attention! • An intriguing example • A provocative quotation (with a lead-in) • A general statement or observation • A vivid and concise anecdote • A surprising fact The hook should lead into an explanation about why you chose your RESEARCH QUESTION, which must be explicitly stated in your introduction!

3. Introduction #2 • Background: Be succinct! • Literature (Category 1 &2): • summarize key elements of the text that are essential to answering your question • explain the key themes that are explored • explain any secondary sources that have aided your investigation • Studies in Language (Category 3): • summarize existing knowledge on the subject • explain key elements of the cultural context • explain any secondary sources that have aided your investigation The background is not for “padding-out” your essay. Use your background information to establish context for the reader and to explain why your research question is worthy of investigation.

4. Introduction Exercise A key component of the IB Assessment Criterion B is that you explain why you chose your research question. • In pairs, read your research question to each other: • Tell your partner the key information you, as a reader, would need as background information in order to understand the significance of their research question • Brainstorm ideas for the best way to “hook” the reader Consider writing your introduction after the body so you can tailor it to your actual analysis. Many writers find they discover what they want to say as they write!

5. Structuring The Body • Average Paragraph Length = 250 words • 4000/250 = 16 paragraphs • Introduction = 1-2, Body =10-14, Conclusion =1 • Body = 3 0r 4 key aspects, each 3-4 paragraphs long Literature: How does Golding use imagery, symbolism, and characterization in Lord of the Flies to comment on the nature of man? • Imagery (Animal, Sexual, Light/Dark) • Symbolism (Conch, Fire, Glasses, Spears) • Characterization (Piggy, Jack, Ralph, Simon) = 11 body paragraphs Studies in Language: How do proponents and opponents of the Philippines Reproductive Health Bill, Number 5043, use language and images to support their claims? • Proponent Publications (Blogs, Newspaper Articles, Flyers, Bumper-stickers, Videos, Tweets) – X6 • Opponent Publications (Same as above) – X6 = 12 body paragraphs Each essay will have its own unique structure, and any given research question can be explored in several ways and still be effective. You will need to discuss how to order the aspects with your advisor, but transitions must be fluid so each paragraph leads smoothly into the next.

6. Body Paragraphs • Claim, Evidence, Warrant (Point, Evidence, Explanation) • Most paragraphs are more nuanced than this! Consider the following paragraph structure: • Topic Sentence (The claim, or point) • Establish context for first piece of evidence • who says it, before what key event / after what key event / in response to whom, etc. • Quotation (Incorporated so it flows nicely with your words!) • Analysis of the key diction in the quotation and explanation of the significance • Connection to an earlier part of the text (or event) • Establish context for next piece of evidence • Transition to a second supporting quote • Quotation (Incorporated so it flows nicely with your words!) • Analysis of the key imagery in the second quotation • Qualifying the argument in light of the second quotation • Connection to a later part of the text (or event) • Concluding sentence that highlights key aspects of the argument that leads into the next body paragraph.

7. Body Exercise • Work in pairs to order these sentences into a coherent paragraph. Create your own transitions, but don’t change the wording of any of the sentences. • All the boys, except perhaps Simon, become savage because of their fear of the beast. • The narrator explains that the fire “crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly” (Golding 44), hinting at the savage, predatory nature the boys are unleashing in themselves. • The animal imagery used throughout the book highlights the boys’ descent into savagery. • When the boys kill Simon, the narrator explains “there were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). • When Simon is in the “little cabin” (Golding 47) created by foliage in the undergrowth, the narrator’s tone is less ominous and Simon seems more in harmony with nature than the other boys.

8. Example Body Paragraph The animal imagery used throughout the book highlights the boys’ descent into savagery.This is seen very early on when the boys start a fire they can not control. The narrator explains that the fire “crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly” (Golding 44), hinting at the savage, predatory nature the boys are unleashing in themselves. However, Simon, and perhaps Piggy, are not nearly as savage as some of the other boys. In fact,while the other boys are sleeping, Simon fearlessly explores the island. When Simon is in the “little cabin” (Golding 47) created by foliage in the undergrowth, the narrator’s tone is less ominous and Simon seems more in harmony with nature than the other boys. After his vision, Simon fearlessly heads up the mountain and learns the truth about the supposed beast. When he tries to explain it to the boys, they are already so full of fear that they respond instinctually to his surprise appearance. When the boys kill Simon, the narrator explains “there were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). Now the imagery is synechdohic in nature, reducing the boys to mere predatory adaptations for killing. It seems all the boys, except perhaps Simon, become savage because of their fear of the beast, highlighting the connection between fear of the unknown and the reliance on instinct over reason during trying times. (242 words) Notice that keeping the parts about Simon are DIFFICULT. However, they add nuance to the argument and allow for a more sophisticated examination of the themes that are illuminated through Golding’s use of animal imagery.

9. Transitions between paragraphs Green = Aspect Being Analyzed Blue = Key idea used to transition Red = transitional word Literature Example: …The animal imagery not only reinforces the dehumanization of the natives, but also undermines the facade of colonial superiority. The narrator’s questioning of the colonists’ aura of superiority is subtle at first, but as the novel progresses the allusions to Christ begin to more overtly undermine the westerners’ unjustified hegemony… Studies in Language Example: …Appeals to emotion are overt in this “pro-life” advertisement; the stark imagery and melancholy music imply that the intention is to subvert the audience’s reason regarding a complex topic in order to simplify the issue. Similarly, the “pro-choice” blog “Why Pro-life is a Contradiction in Terms”, by Ashley Nowell, shows that appeals to emotion can be used by the opposition as well, though the purpose isn’t so much to demonize the “pro-life” advocates, and the arguments are more nuanced and balanced.

10. The Body – IB Criteria Criterion C: Investigation • Literature • “Views of critics are used to support the student’s own argument” • “The data gathered is principally the evidence the student finds in the primary text(s).” • Studies in Language • “Secondary sources will be used to provide a framework for critical analysis of primary texts, eliciting how language, culture, and context impact on the construction of meaning” Criterion D: Knowledge and Understanding • Literature • “The use of secondary sources is not an essential requirement: this may be helpful in the case of classic texts, enabling discussion to start at a higher level…” • Studies in Language • “Students should move between analysis of the linguistic features of a primary text or texts and the social and cultural circumstances. • “Students should demonstrate an awareness of meaning as a constructed and often contested entity” Criterion E: Reasoned Argument • Literature • Avoid plot summary! • Studies in Language • Avoid “straightforward description or narration”! Criterion F: Application of analytical and evaluative skills • Literature and Studies in Language • “Second-hand interpretations that are derived solely from secondary sources will lose marks” • Avoid purely descriptive essays that merely list examples of literary motifs, or linguistic techniques.

11. The Conclusion IB Criterion H: Conclusion • IB requires you to “present a new synthesis in light of the discussion” • IB says DO NOT repeat material from the introduction!! • Some things to consider in the conclusion: • Literature – Review key themes, explore the message, consider how successful the text was as a piece of literature (as a record of human experience, perhaps). • Studies in Language– Review key themes, explore the impact on the various stakeholders, reconsider the various social and cultural contexts. The Extended Essay Outline Template is only a guide; each essay will have its own unique structure. Good luck!