Extended Essay Geography

Own original research Spatial emphasis Applies geographical theory & methodology Uses recent geographical sources: books,

newspapers, magazines, interviews, census data, maps, aerial/satellite photos, diagrams, models etc.

Local scale; an area familiar and accessible Collect high-quality data from primary and

secondary sources

What is a Geography EE?

Question: ‘How has the fall of communism changed the population structure of the Czech republic and what will be the social and economic effects of this?’

Approach: population statistics, birth rates, death rates etc. for age cohorts collected from before and after 1989. Trends established and projected up to 2030, with own population pyramids. Differences before and after are noted, and consequences are evaluated.

Example 1

Question: ‘What temperature variations occurred in Vienna during the 20th century and can these be linked to variations in solar energy output?’

Approach: Temperature records used to establish trends, variations from mean are calculated to identify warming/cooling periods. These then correlated with annual sunspot totals (solar output), to explain periodic variations in temperature.

Example 2

Topic: ‘An investigation into the degree to which Hamburg can be considered a sustainable community’.

Approach: area surveys and questionnaires within each of the 7 districts of Hamburg, including: environmental quality, house quality, car and pedestrian counts etc. comparison to the ‘Egan Wheel’ model of sustainability.

Example 3