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Harare International School |
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2005-2006 |
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ONLINE BROCHURE FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
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EXTENDED ESSAY
The Extended Essay is a requirement for all
International Baccalaureate students.
The Extended Essay
is defined as an in-depth study of a limited topic within a subject.
Its purpose is to provide candidates with an opportunity to engage in
independent research at an introductory level. Emphasis is placed on
the process of engaging personal research, on the communication of ideas
and information in a logical and coherent manner, and on the overall
presentation of the Extended Essay.
Choice of Subject
Students may choose from Literature, a Foreign Language, Economics, History, Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Music, Theatre Arts, or Visual
Arts/Design.
In choosing a subject an essential consideration is
the personal interest of the candidate. Students are strongly recommend
to choose a subject for their Extended Essay that they are already
studying as an IB Certificate subject, unless there is a strong need to
add more breadth to the Diploma. For the sciences, students are strongly
recommended to try an essay that is lab-research based.
The topic chosen should be limited in scope to
allow the candidate to analyze the topic in depth. The choice of topic
should present the candidate with the opportunity to collect or generate
information and/or data for analysis and evaluation. Candidates are not
expected to contribute to knowledge within a subject but are advised to
identify a research question that can be explored within the constraints
of time and other resources available to them. The upper limit for
Extended Essays is 4,000 words (minimum of 3,500).
Detailed general and subject-specific regulations
for the extended essay can be found here.
Regulations
1.
Every International Baccalaureate candidate must
submit an Extended Essay.
2.
Each candidate must be supervised by a teacher at
the school with appropriate qualifications and/or experience in the
subject chosen by the candidate.
3.
Extended Essays submitted in Language (Language
B) or Literature (Language A) must be written in that language. Extended
Essays in all other subjects must be written in English, French or
Spanish.
4.
The same piece of work cannot be submitted to
meet the requirements of both the Extended Essay and another assessment
component of a subject contributing to the diploma.
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
The Theory of
Knowledge (TOK) program is central to the educational philosophy of
the International Baccalaureate. It challenges students and their
teachers to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of
knowledge, and to consider the role that knowledge plays in a global
society. It encourages students to become aware of themselves as
thinkers, to become aware of the complexity of knowledge, and to
recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected
world.
As a thoughtful and
purposeful enquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different
kinds of knowledge, the TOK program is composed almost entirely of
questions. The most central of these questions is, ‘How do I, or how do
we, know that a given assertion is true, or a given judgment is well
grounded?’ Assertions or judgments of this sort are termed ‘knowledge
claims’, while the difficulties that arise in addressing these questions
are the broad areas known as ‘problems of knowledge’. The program
entails the application of this central question to many different, yet
interrelated, topics.
Questions are the
very essence of TOK, both ageless questions on which thinkers have been
reflecting for centuries and new ones, often challenging accepted
belief, which are posed by contemporary life. These questions centre on
the following areas of knowledge and will certainly involve some of the
following lines of enquiry:
Knowers and Sources of Knowledge
How is knowledge
gained? What are the sources?
To what extent
might these vary according to age, education or cultural background?
Language
Is it possible
to think without language? How does language extend, direct, or even
limit thinking?
What is the role
of language in creating and reinforcing social distinctions, such as
class, ethnicity and gender?
Emotion
Can there be a
‘correct’ or ‘appropriate’ emotional response?
Mathematics
It is reasonable
to claim that mathematics is effective in accounting for the workings of
physical world?
Human Sciences
What are the
implications of Mario Puzo’s claim that ‘If our brains were simple, we
would be too simple to understand them’?
Natural Sciences
How does the
social context of scientific work affect the methods and findings of
science?
The Arts
How are value
judgments in the arts justified?
How is ‘good
art’ recognized or decided on?
Students are
assessed on an essay of 1200-1600 words, which is written as course-work
and externally-assessed, and an oral presentation, which is internally
assessed.
Contents:
PAGE 1 IB BROCHURE
INTRODUCTION
PAGE 2 IB INTERNAL
CALENDAR 2005-2006
PAGE 3 CONTACT
INFORMATION
PAGE 4 GUIDANCE ON
CHOICE OF SUBJECTS
PAGE 5 Languages in
Groups 1 and 2
PAGE 6 Social
Sciences
PAGE 7 Natural
Sciences
PAGE 8 Mathematics
PAGE 9 Arts and
Electives
PAGE 10 Extended
Essay and Theory of Knowledge
PAGE 11 Creativity,
Action, and service
PAGE 12 Download CAS forms
and guide
PAGE 13 SOME USEFUL LINKS
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