IB Diploma Program

The extended essay is a research paper of up to 4,000 words that allows students to investigate a topic of interest to them. They become familiar with the independent research and writing skills expected at the university level.

The Extended Essay (EE) is introduced in spring of the first year (grade 11) and should be completed in December of the second year. Students choose their own advisors and topics and follow a timeline of due dates. Four seminars are conducted to present information, provide assistance and work time in order to complete the EE.

Examples of past Extended Essays include:

Economics: Market Structure of the Bread and Pastry Shops in Sitges
Question: What market structures best characterize the bread and pastry specialty shops in Sitges, Catalunya?

History: The Influence of Anti-Semitic Propaganda in Nazi Germany: A Case Study
Question: To what extent did the newspaper Der Sturmer contribute to the rise of anti-Semitism between 1935 and 1938 in Nazi Germany?

Politics:  Fall From Grace
Question: What were the factors that led to the Egyptian revolution against Mohamed Morsi in 2013?

English: The Bell Jar
Question: In The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, how does the author reveal protagonist Esther Greenwood's depression through narrator's voice and to what extent does this mirror Plath's depressed state of mind in the last years of her life?

Biology: Factors affecting the reproduction of Angelfish

Question: What are the effects of community fish and environment on the reproductive behaviour of Pterophyllum scalare?

Visual Arts: Architecture
Question: With the upcoming problem of global warming, how does Green Architecture fit in Barcelona?

Students are expected to be involved in a variety of activities related to Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) in order to meet the learning outcomes established by the IB CAS program. Past student CAS projects have included:

• Local collaboration with hospitals, schools, elder homes and businesses
• Global collaboration with medical missions (Peru), Habitat for Humanity (El Salvador, India, Nepal, Portugal), Economic Sustainability (Botswana)
• Sports tournaments (volleyball, basketball, soccer cross country), both local and international
• Talent shows, Yearbook, Event organization and many more.

IBDP students must take Theory of Knowledge (TOK), which allows them to reflect on how they learn, and how knowledge is acquired. This class supports all the other classes as it develops students’ ability to think critically in the context of their other subjects.