Introduction

This guide provides 101 actionable prompts for educators and students to use with generative AI tools. The goal is to enhance the teaching and learning experience of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Extended Essay (EE). These prompts are designed to align with the latest IB EE curriculum and assessment criteria.

How to Use This Guide:

1. Select a Prompt: Choose a prompt that matches your specific need.
2. Add Context: Replace bracketed information (e.g., [Your Subject]) with your specific details.
3. Refine the Output: Use the AI-generated response as a starting point. Always critically evaluate and adapt the content to fit your unique requirements.

Section 1: Educator Prompts

Planning

1. Curriculum Overview: “Generate a one-page overview of the IB Extended Essay requirements, focusing on the key assessment criteria and the timeline for a two-year IB Diploma Programme.”
2. Subject-Specific Guidance: “Create a summary of the key requirements and recommendations for an Extended Essay in [Your Subject].”
3. Lesson Plan Series: “Develop a series of 5 lesson plans for introducing the Extended Essay to Grade 11 students. The lessons should cover topic selection, research questions, and the importance of the reflection process.”
4. Sample Timelines: “Generate three different sample timelines for completing the Extended Essay, catering to students with different working styles (e.g., early starters, steady workers, and those who need more structure).”
5. Finding a Supervisor: “Create a guide for students on how to choose and approach a potential Extended Essay supervisor.”
6. Developing Research Questions: “Design a workshop activity to help students move from a broad topic of interest to a focused, arguable, and researchable question in [Your Subject].”
7. Ethical Guidelines: “Provide a summary of the ethical considerations for conducting research in [Your Subject] and create a student-friendly checklist.”
8. Introduction to Academic Honesty: “Generate a presentation for students on academic honesty in the context of the Extended Essay, including examples of plagiarism and how to avoid it.”
9. Resource Evaluation: “Create a worksheet to guide students in evaluating the reliability and credibility of online and offline sources for their EE research.”
10. Parent Information: “Draft an email to parents explaining the Extended Essay process, its importance in the IB Diploma, and how they can best support their child.”

Delivery

1. Reflection Prompts: “Generate a list of 10 thought-provoking prompts for the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) to encourage deep and meaningful reflection.”
2. Structuring the Essay: “Provide a detailed outline for a standard Extended Essay in [Your Subject], including suggested word counts for each section.”
3. Writing an Introduction: “Create a mini-lesson on how to write a compelling introduction for an Extended Essay, with examples from high-scoring essays in [Your Subject].”
4. Developing an Argument: “Design a classroom activity that teaches students how to develop a coherent and well-supported argument throughout their essay.”
5. Integrating Sources: “Generate a guide on how to effectively integrate evidence from sources into an essay, including examples of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.”
6. Citation Workshop: “Create a presentation on how to use [Citation Style, e.g., MLA, APA] for in-text citations and the bibliography.”
7. Writing a Conclusion: “Provide a checklist for students to use when writing the conclusion of their Extended Essay, ensuring it synthesizes the argument and addresses the research question.”
8. The Viva Voce: “Develop a set of guiding questions for the viva voce (concluding interview) to help students reflect on their research journey.”
9. Differentiated Instruction: “Suggest three strategies for differentiating instruction for students with varying levels of research and writing skills in the EE process.”
10. Common Mistakes: “Create a list of the 10 most common mistakes students make in their Extended Essays and how to avoid them.”

Assessment

1. Understanding the Criteria: “Break down the IB Extended Essay assessment criteria into a student-friendly rubric with clear descriptors for each level of achievement.”
2. Marking Practice: “Generate a sample Extended Essay introduction in [Your Subject] and provide a marked version with comments based on the IB assessment criteria.”
3. Feedback Strategies: “Provide a list of effective feedback strategies for supervisors to use when commenting on student drafts, focusing on constructive and forward-looking advice.”
4. RPPF Assessment: “Create a guide for supervisors on how to assess the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) as part of the overall EE grade.”
5. Predicting Grades: “Develop a checklist for supervisors to use when predicting Extended Essay grades, aligning with the IB’s grade descriptors.”
6. Quiz Creation: “Generate a 10-question multiple-choice quiz to test students’ understanding of the Extended Essay assessment criteria.”
7. Peer Assessment: “Create a peer assessment form for students to use when reviewing each other’s draft essays, with questions aligned to the official rubric.”
8. Exemplar Analysis: “Provide a framework for analyzing high-scoring exemplar essays, helping students to identify the qualities of excellent work.”
9. Self-Assessment Checklist: “Generate a self-assessment checklist for students to use before submitting their final essay, covering all key requirements.”
10. Viva Voce Rubric: “Create a simple rubric for assessing the viva voce, focusing on the student’s engagement and reflection.”

Enrichment

1. Interdisciplinary Connections: “Suggest three potential interdisciplinary Extended Essay topics that connect [Your Subject] with [Another Subject].”
2. Beyond the EE: “Create a short presentation on how the skills developed in the Extended Essay (research, writing, critical thinking) are valuable for university and future careers.”
3. Guest Speaker Ideas: “Generate a list of potential guest speakers (e.g., university librarians, researchers, academics) who could talk to students about advanced research skills.”
4. Research Competitions: “Provide a list of national or international research competitions that students could enter with their Extended Essay work.”
5. Publishing Opportunities: “Suggest some student-focused academic journals or platforms where high-achieving students might consider publishing a version of their EE.”
6. Advanced Research Methods: “Create an introductory guide to [Advanced Research Method, e.g., statistical analysis, archival research] for students who want to go beyond the basics.”
7. Digital Tools: “Generate a list of 10 useful digital tools for research, citation management, and writing that can support the EE process.”
8. Creative Formats: “Brainstorm three creative ways students could present their EE research to a wider audience, such as a poster presentation, a short documentary, or a website.”
9. Connecting with Experts: “Provide a template for an email that students can use to professionally contact an expert in their field of research for advice or information.”
10. Building a Research Portfolio: “Create a guide for students on how to build a research portfolio throughout their IB Diploma, with the Extended Essay as the centerpiece.”
11. Debate Topics: “Generate 5 debatable topics related to the research process that can be used for a classroom discussion (e.g., ‘Is Google Scholar a good enough database for the EE?’).”
12. Case Study Creation: “Create a fictional case study of a student struggling with their EE and ask students to brainstorm solutions and advice.”
13. Future-Proofing Skills: “Explain how the EE’s emphasis on independent inquiry prepares students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.”
14. EE Showcase: “Generate a plan for an ‘EE Showcase’ event where students can present their research to the school community.”
15. Mentoring Program: “Outline a peer-mentoring program where Grade 12 students who have completed their EE can support Grade 11 students.”
16. World Studies EE: “Create an introductory guide to the World Studies Extended Essay, explaining its interdisciplinary nature and requirements.”
17. Language and Literature EE: “Provide a list of potential research areas for a Language and Literature EE in [Language].”
18. Sciences EE: “Design a template for a lab-based Science EE, including sections for methodology, data collection, and analysis.”
19. Arts EE: “Generate a list of 5 exciting research questions for an EE in the Visual Arts or Theatre.”
20. Humanities EE: “Provide a guide on how to use primary and secondary sources effectively in a History or Global Politics EE.”

Section 2: Student Prompts

Understanding

1. Explain the EE: “Explain the IB Extended Essay to me like I’m 15. What is it, and why is it important?”
2. My Subject’s EE: “What are the specific requirements for an Extended Essay in [Your Subject]? Give me 5 key things to remember.”
3. Topic Brainstorm: “I’m interested in [Broad Topic]. Can you help me brainstorm 5 potential EE research questions in [Your Subject] related to this topic?”
4. Good vs. Bad Questions: “Show me an example of a weak research question and a strong research question in [Your Subject], and explain the difference.”
5. The Role of My Supervisor: “What is the role of an EE supervisor, and how can I make the most of my meetings with them?”
6. What is the RPPF?: “Explain the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF). What should I write in it, and how is it assessed?”
7. Academic Honesty: “Explain academic honesty in simple terms. What are the most important things I need to do to avoid plagiarism?”
8. The Assessment Criteria: “Break down the EE assessment criteria for me. What are the examiners looking for in each criterion?”
9. Finding Sources: “Where can I find reliable academic sources for my EE in [Your Subject]? Suggest 3 databases or journals to start with.”
10. Creating a Timeline: “Help me create a personalized timeline for my Extended Essay. I need to submit it by [Date]. Break it down into manageable weekly tasks.”

Practicing

1. Refining My Question: “My current research question is: [Your Question]. Can you help me make it more focused and arguable?”
2. Annotated Bibliography: “Explain what an annotated bibliography is and show me an example of an entry for a book and a journal article in [Citation Style].”
3. Thesis Statement: “Help me write a strong, clear thesis statement for my essay. My research question is: [Your Question].”
4. Outline My Essay: “Create a detailed outline for my Extended Essay on [Your Topic]. My research question is [Your Question] and my thesis is [Your Thesis].”
5. Introduction Feedback: “Here’s my draft introduction: [Paste Introduction]. Can you give me feedback on it based on the EE criteria?”
6. Argument Check: “Does this paragraph have a clear argument? [Paste Paragraph]. How can I improve it?”
7. Source Integration: “Here’s a quote I want to use: [Paste Quote]. Can you show me how to integrate it into a sentence using paraphrasing?”
8. Citation Help: “How do I cite a [Source Type, e.g., website, video] in [Citation Style]?”
9. Conclusion Practice: “Help me write a concluding paragraph that summarizes my key findings and answers my research question: [Your Question].”
10. Word Count Reduction: “This section is too long: [Paste Text]. Can you help me reduce the word count while keeping the main ideas?”

Revising

1. Clarity Check: “Can you review this paragraph for clarity and conciseness? [Paste Paragraph].”
2. Formal Tone: “Help me make my writing sound more academic and formal. Here’s a sentence I wrote: [Paste Sentence].”
3. Transition Words: “Give me a list of transition words and phrases to improve the flow between my paragraphs.”
4. Grammar and Proofreading: “Please proofread this text for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors: [Paste Text].”
5. Checklist Before Submission: “Create a final checklist for me to review before I submit my Extended Essay.”
6. Formatting Guide: “Provide a simple guide on how to format my Extended Essay (font, spacing, page numbers, etc.) according to standard academic conventions.”
7. Abstract Writing: “Help me write a concise and informative abstract of no more than 300 words for my essay on [Your Topic].”
8. Feedback Analysis: “My supervisor gave me this feedback: [Paste Feedback]. Can you help me understand what it means and create an action plan to address it?”
9. Plagiarism Check: “Explain how I can use an online plagiarism checker effectively and what I should do if it flags something in my essay.”
10. Final Read-Through: “Act as an examiner and give me three ‘big picture’ suggestions for improving this essay draft: [Paste a section of your essay].”

Preparing for Assessment

1. Viva Voce Prep: “I have my viva voce soon. Can you act as my supervisor and ask me 5 likely questions about my research process and findings?”
2. Explaining My Argument: “Help me summarize my entire argument in three clear and concise sentences.”
3. My Biggest Challenge: “How can I talk about the biggest challenge I faced in my research during my viva voce in a reflective and positive way?”
4. What I Learned: “Help me articulate what I learned from doing the Extended Essay, beyond the content of my topic.”
5. Self-Assessment: “Let’s review my essay against the assessment criteria. For Criterion A (Focus and Method), what grade do you think I would get and why? Here is my research question and introduction: [Paste Text].”
6. Grade Descriptors: “Explain the difference between a ‘C’ grade and a ‘B’ grade for the Extended Essay.”
7. RPPF Final Review: “Here are my three reflections for the RPPF: [Paste Reflections]. Can you give me feedback on their depth and substance?”
8. Anticipating Questions: “What are some difficult questions an examiner might have about my research on [Your Topic]?”
9. Confidence Booster: “Give me 3 positive affirmations to help me feel confident before my viva voce.”
10. Post-EE Reflection: “Now that I’ve finished, help me write a short personal reflection on the entire Extended Essay journey.”
11. Flashcard Creation: “Create 10 flashcards for me on the key concepts and theories related to my EE on [Your Topic].”
12. Practice Quiz: “Generate a 5-question short-answer quiz on my research topic to test my knowledge.”
13. Study Plan: “Create a one-week study plan to help me prepare for my viva voce.”
14. Elevator Pitch: “Help me create a 30-second ‘elevator pitch’ of my Extended Essay.”
15. Key Terminology: “List and define the 10 most important keywords or technical terms in my essay.”
16. Counterarguments: “What are the main counterarguments to my thesis, and how can I briefly address them?”
17. Visual Aid: “Suggest one visual aid (like a chart or graph) that could have strengthened my essay’s argument.”
18. Research Limitations: “Help me identify and articulate the limitations of my research in a way that shows critical awareness.”
19. Future Research: “What are some potential avenues for future research that build on my EE findings?”
20. Final Title: “Brainstorm 5 engaging and academic titles for my Extended Essay on [Your Topic].”

Section 3: Bonus Universal Prompt

1. The ‘What If’ Prompt: “Imagine you are a university professor in [Field of Study] who has just read my Extended Essay on [Your Topic]. Write a short, encouraging email to me, suggesting a ‘what if’ scenario that pushes my research in a new, unexpected, and creative direction. What is one wild, interdisciplinary connection you can make to my topic that I haven’t considered?”