EE in Math or English?

[KyleAdams]

I am coming to the point when I need to choose a topic for my EE. I am torn between whether to do math or English. I thought about doing my EE in English on Harry Potter, but I am not sure how I would incorporate research into that. I am also thinking of doing an EE in math about something along the lines of the Golden Ratio or something about mathematics in music.

Does anyone have any sample topics I may be able to use and where I could take those? I am open to doing either, though I think an EE on the Golden Ratio or Music and math sounds a bit more interesting to me right now.

[JoeG]

I would be careful about an EE in math. I would only advise that if you're really good at maths, and know your topic very well. I too wanted do an EE on Math, but even if you write about the history of math, you still have to show a significant amount of mathematical working.

For the topic on Harry Potter, it is definitely a topic you can accomplish, but alot of people use Harry Potter for a topic, so unless you pick something out of the ordinary about it, it may seem a bit unoriginal.

I'm not trying to be mean lol, I'm just trying to offer some constructive criticism on your topic.

http://www.tedbursa.k12.tr/ib/

This web page offers multiple EE's in Mathematics, English, and other topics.

Edited September 29, 2010 by JoeGuff

[laryxle]

EE's in English are probably the easiest you can do and if you enjoy English then they aren't really stressful at all. EE's in Maths, however, are very difficult. I would recommend you do it in English, but I don't know if Harry Potter is a great area to choose, one of the hardest things about an English EE is finding an original topic and Harry Potter has been done a lot.

[dessskris]

Firstly I'd like you to browse through the EE forum and read those threads which ask about doing EE in Math (including my thread ). They give you a lot of advices and comments about Math EE. Most people would say that it's hard, but if you know a good RQ, why not? I also want to do Math but don't know a good topic yet and don't have any good idea in mind while you do. So why not?! If you have known what to write, what would be the conclusion, how you're gonna try to answer the RQ, that's PERFECT. Do it. I personally find literature boring. You can talk about the plot or setting or whatever but yeah as @laryxle said, it's been done a lot so you may want to consider other books. Talk to your english&math teachers as well as the IB coordinator. It should help.

[KyleAdams]

Thanks for the replies. The problem I am having in a math EE is coming up with a good RQ. I am good enough at math to do the paper(100% on all IA's; outstanding math student at my school all three years) I just can't come up with a topic or a math problem that needs to be solved. I did my TOK presentation on the Golden Ratio and I found it to be very interesting. Since I know that it is a mathematical ratio I thought it might make a good subject for a math EE, but I don't know what a good RQ would be for the golden ratio, or what proofs I could do about it.

Also in English, I was dead set on Harry Potter, but I am finding out that it isn't necessarily a great topic to write an EE on. My ideas for topics on it were Allusions to Mythology and a comparison of HP and the Odyssey and their use of the traditional heroic quest (I also debated this topic with LOTR). Those are the only two topics that I really can think of a way to incorporate research into. If I use symbolism or something when writing an English EE on any topic I don't see how I could implement research into the paper. Allusions I know I could use research because I'd have to research the allusions. The heroic quest topic I would have to research what exactly is a heroic quest in literature and such.

Also, I read a few of the "50 Excellent Extended Essays" that were in English and Math. I read the Weeds one for math and the Feminism in LOTR one for English. I didn't really think that much research was used in the English example, yet it is "excellent." It didn't seem like much research was used in the math one either, but it is also "excellent."

I just don't really know what to do. I like math more than English, I just don't where to get started on it...Not that I know how to get started in English, I just have a better idea.

[KyleAdams]

Does anybody have an idea of where I could start in either math or English?

[dessskris]

oooh same problem with me!!!

I want to do math too but I have no idea of any good topic

start googling. talking to your supervisors-to-be and EE coordinator

or talk to your seniors who did their EEs in math or english. that should help too

or adapt a topic from somebody who scored an A? and change a little bit lar. doing it in history might be easier, a lot more option of topics

[Charizard]

I'd recommend doing an EE in English - I have friends who are doing either one and the English kids are definitely having a better time! When you do an EE in English, you basically write a long commentary on one or two books, which is nothing you haven't done before! Even if you get stuck with your analysis or come up short, your supervisor can always give you hints to help you along. Math, on the other hand, requires you to take on a difficult mathematical conjecture and prove it on your own. I'm pretty sure that Math supervisors have to be more strict about what they tell their students, because the same problem has been solved before and the student needs to come to it on his own!

Because of the broader nature of literary analysis, it's possible to come up with a unique topic that hasn't been explored in great detail, and so your teacher can give you more support. Or so it seems from the experiences of my friends.

[KyleAdams]

Unfortunately I don't have any senior papers to look at because nobody has done a math EE in 2 years, and there are only two that I know of since our program started.

I think once I got started I would be fine, but just finding an RQ is the issue. It's really an issue in both English and Math. I don't know what books to use since my teacher doesn't really want me to use Harry Potter. I wanted to do allusions to mythology only in the Harry Potter books and not compare it with anything else but I was told by my supervisor not to do that.

[Mahuta ♥]

I would be very reluctant to an EE on Maths.. I was told it's very risky to even score a C.

I know very well that doing an EE on a language is pretty much the easiest way to score the bonus points, especially doing it on an A2 language.

I would strongly recommend that you don't do it on Maths, you really need those 3 points, do not risk losing them.

[dessskris]

Good, everybody is discouraging him to do Math. Let me ask you something first. What is your most favorited subject? Which one do you like better, Math or Literature? And what do you want to study in the future? If you want to study something related to Math, do Math EE. It might benefit you. Maybe you can show them your WONDERFUL essay to apply. Or whatever but I'd say that if you are positive that you can do it, why not? I also like the overgrown weed essay, it's wonderful. Once you get a good topic, you would do well, I tell you.

Some recommendations that my Math teacher told me before: Do not pick a too sophisticated topic because they will be suspicious that you get help. Pick a topic which is applicable to real life, like helpful for the community or yeah. The motive of the essay must be real, not abstract.

There are some more but I cannot remember. Those are the important ones. And FYI the word limit is not so important in Math EE and so that is good for someone who is not good in English (like me. maybe not you, though)

My senior did her EE about snowflakes. You know, the shape with the branches or whatever. However she scored a B because the motive is not so essential in real life. Like yeah she found the conjecture of the number of branch then what? Is it useful for the community? No right..

Another one talked about pi an got an A.

Another one talked about soccer but I can't remember about what. Maybe the angle you must kick the ball at or yeah idk.

I myself am still looking for a topic for Math. Maybe will find one soon but who knows? Google has always been a good place to look for information. Anyway I know something nice. The mathematical proof of God's existence. If you can do, do it. There are some books about it but I don't know what you need to do to prove it. It might be hard, though.

[KyleAdams]

Math is my best and favorite subject, and English is not my worst but not my best. I like math and would really rather do my EE in math, but like I said before I am just at a loss for what topics I could use. Do I need to use a special topic or something and prove it or do I just need to analyze a set of data and make a model that can predict future data?

Also, are you being sarcastic about a mathematical proof of God's existence? Do you mean the Golden Ratio I had mentioned before? Please tell me more about this topic.

[JoeG]

Well, just as an idea for the Golden Ratio, you can see if the ratio is prevalent in certain systems, and if it is or isn't, then find systems similar and not similar to it and see what is. For example Fibonacci's Sequence, how the GR is used in product design, or how the GR is expressed in bee's. You could also do your EE in another topic, such as Art or Psychology-be very careful with psychology and see how the Golden Ratio relates to those fields.

I also have an interest in the Golden Ratio, and even considered doing my EE in it. I realized I was horrible in math, and decided to go with a topic in history that I was really interested in.

Good Luck.

[KyleAdams]

Yeah that makes sense. I don't know anything about art or psychology though because I took music as my group 6 and history as my social science. I wanted to do something with the golden ratio that uses proofs of it or something mathematical, because that's what I am good at. I just can't think of anything! I have racked my brain for days and have come up with nothing...

[dessskris]

Sarcastic?? Hahaha why sarcastic? sorry if it sounded like a sarcasm but I didn't mean to be sarcastic. I also don't really know much about it but Mr Google could always help.

Let me tell you something, I just talked to my Math teacher today. We discussed about a book about Math but she said all the chapters that I think I can do for EE are non applicable to real life. The motives are all abstract. And I pointed something out randomly just because there was an image on that page (I actually thought of doing this for my EE last year) and my Math teacher said that it was interesting and it should be applicable in real life. Then I googled it about its application, and found something interesting. I have got a topic. But sorry I can't tell you what it is xP yes I am so stingy! LOL

So my suggestion would be: GOOGLE IT! If you don't have anything in mind, search for math extended essays. Since you are interested in the golden ratio, search for golden ratio application. Or something like that lar. You know what I mean right.. Just start researching and feel free to contact your Math teacher.

[Axel2011]

Well if you have no where to go with Harry Potter you have to think of something to analyze. Compare harry potter to something else, a story, point in history, bible. anything. Look at harry potter as a metaphor, or look at how it ties in with history. I think if you wrote EE on how Voldemort and Hitler are similar, and how the death eaters are like the nazi party might be good if you can analyze the personality of voldemort and hitler and their actions as leaders are similar. Something like that.

For mine I'm doing Harry Potter Vs Twilight. How the forshadowing in Harry Potter leads the reader smoothly through the book and makes it like a puzzle compared to the static use of foreshadowing in Twilight.

[KyleAdams]

Would an EE over how Voldemort is like Hitler and Death Eaters like the Nazis work for an English EE, or would that be more of a history EE? I think that'd be a really interesting topic and I know lots of things I could reference about that.

[JoeG]

Definitely an English EE.