The Power of a Question: Exploring the IB Extended Essay

Explore how the IB Extended Essay at BISC South Loop challenges students to pursue their passions through independent research. From local environmental issues to global history and scientific inquiry, discover how this university-style project develops the curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence that prepare students for future success.

Student during morning hours at Chicago South Loop

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One of the aspects of our High School experience at BISC South Loop that I value most is the IB Extended Essay.

At its heart, the Extended Essay is a 4,000-word independent research project. More importantly, it gives students the opportunity to pursue a subject they are genuinely passionate about and experience the kind of academic independence expected at university.

What always strikes me is the incredible range of interests our students bring to the process. A snapshot of the research questions from our most recent graduating class gives a sense of both the breadth of subjects and the depth of thinking involved:

To what extent do Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Patrick Süskind's Perfume conform to the typical conventions of the Gothic genre?

To what extent did educational propaganda posters during Spain's Second Republic (1931–1939) transform social structures through the fight against illiteracy?

To what extent was the pursuit of sovereignty the primary motivation behind India's adoption of non-alignment during the early Cold War?

How has historical redlining influenced the sustainability of two parks in Chicago's South Loop?

To what extent was the protection of sovereignty and national interests prioritized in the responses of Germany and Hungary to the 2015 Syrian migration crisis?

To what extent does cognitive bias impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials?

To what extent does pollution in the Amazon River resulting from illegal mining affect Indigenous populations?

To what extent does the return loss of a monopole antenna change as operating frequency deviates from its resonant frequency?

To what extent do reactions between carbohydrates, amino acids and chlorogenic acids influence the acidity, color and flavor compounds of different coffee species and roasts?

To what extent is a square wave an appropriate model for the frequencies of sound produced by a clarinet?

How has Porter Robinson used classical compositional techniques to develop the unique style of "complextro"?

To what extent does Bruno Poet use lighting in Danny Boyle's 2011 production of Frankenstein to communicate tension, emotion, atmosphere and meaning?

How did the German Expressionist Art Movement influence the thematic and visual elements of early twentieth-century cinema?

Just reading through these questions is a reminder of how curious, thoughtful and ambitious our students are.

What makes the Extended Essay so special is that there is no single path through it. Students spend months reading, researching, questioning and refining their ideas. Along the way, they learn how to manage a substantial project, work through challenges, evaluate evidence and develop the confidence to form and defend their own conclusions.

These are skills that serve them exceptionally well when they move on to university. Former students often tell us that the transition to college feels less daunting because they have already experienced the demands of independent research and academic writing.

In many ways, the Extended Essay captures what is best about learning at BISC South Loop. Whether investigating the sustainability of parks a few blocks from our campus or exploring questions that span continents and centuries, our students are encouraged to follow their curiosity wherever it leads.

In a city with many excellent schools, the opportunity for every student to undertake this kind of sustained, university-style research remains a distinctive part of our High School program. The breadth of topics is impressive, but even more impressive is the dedication behind them.

Most of all, the Extended Essay is a reminder of what our students are capable of when given the freedom to pursue their passions. The curiosity, commitment and intellectual ambition reflected in these projects make me incredibly proud and showcase the very best of our High School community.

We look forward to hearing about where our current Year 13’s choose to go with their Essays.