Group+4

Information for EEs on **Biology** or **Chemistry** can be found on this page.

**Biology SL**
Some topics that have been chosen by Biology students for EEs:
 * The effects of acid deposition on plants.
 * Ecological conditions suitable for the growth of carnivorous plants, as shown by //Nepenthes gymnaphora// on Mount Salak, Bogor, Indonesia.
 * The behaviour patterns of hermit crabs.
 * Determining the presence or absence of pollutants through the number and diversity of phytoplankton.
 * An Emerging Epidemic of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetesin American Children
 * Natural Origins of Ebola
 * What Is the Role of Neuroplasticity in the Process for Personal and Physical Change?
 * The Affects of Aspartame on Child Brain Development
 * Supplementation vs. Natural Sources of Vitamin A for Pregnant Women with Vitamin A Deficiency in Developing Countries
 * How Did the Many Perceptions of Our Soul and Spirit in the Ancient and Medieval Times Lead to the Discovery of the Brain
 * A Study of Asthma and The Medications to Control It
 * How methamphetamine abuse relates to dopamine l evels found in the brain of a living organism and how t he level of dopamine in a methamphetamine addict could correlate to the abuser developing Parkinson's disease.
 * The defining line in human coloring: Deciphering the public myth from the scientific fact in the United States
 * The Study of Americans' Health Habits and Their Links to Heart Disease in the United States
 * The antioxidant properties of green tea: the effectiveness of green tea in protecting yeast cells from iron and hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative damage

EE Rubric for Biology that will help you [|EE Bio rubric.pdf]

__ Preparation tips __
· You have to come up with the topic yourself. · Do a practical-based essay. · Collect your own data rather than use data collected by someone else. · Carefully read both the general criteria and the subject specific criteria (if you don’t have these make sure you get them). · To succeed, you need: 1. a realistic procedure 2. a journal or log of your work 3. error/data analyses – really look at your work and recognise problems and limitations. · Suggest further experiments. · Look at examples of good Biology extended essays.

__ Examiners’ tips __
· Your topic should be //narrow// and give rise to a //straightforward// research question which leads to one //clear// hypothesis. You must make sure that your subject is focused enough that it can be dealt with effectively in the relatively small word limit of the essay. · The research question needs to be positioned prominently at the beginning of the essay. · Explain or justify your research approach. · Do not present new data or information in your conclusion. · Your conclusion(s) should only be based on data provided in the body of the essay. · Number your pages. · Use a footnote whenever you make a direct quote or refer to another published source. DO NOT PLAGIARISE!!! · Practical based essays score more highly on subject specific criteria than research based essays. In fact, literature research essays are unsuitable for science Extended Essays: you will be limited to a ‘D’. · Try to show evidence of a personal approach to the methods you choose and to how you apply them. · Critically evaluate your method thoroughly and carefully. Few candidates do this and it is one sure way of losing marks if you don’t. · The abstract is best written after the essay is completed. It should be a synopsis of what is in the essay. · Be careful about web-based sources of information. These are not always reliable. Include them in your bibliography. · Make a word count. And yes, the examiner does check it! · Use a clear size 12 font. You want to make the essay easy to read.

__ And finally… __
· Keep your supervisor informed of your progress, make appointments with them and be there on time, and do follow their advice.

Taken from [|www.pathways.ac.in/science/bioee.doc]

KFG: Extended Essays A school’s extended essay examples []

Resources: **What are scientific journal articles and how do I find them?**