IB Highlights: Heavy Metals & Lava Flows
An SGS senior has used the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme to explore a topic of particular interest to him -- heavy metal contamination.
EE highlight: Senior John DeForest chose to write his extended essay on a topic in Chemistry, a subject he is passionate about. His EE question is: How is the rate of diffusion of iron through hydrated sediments affected by the presence and properties of solid layers? His advisor, SGS chemistry/biology teacher Ian Townley, and partners at Kaiser Aluminum are helping him. What inspired John to pick this topic? “I read an article in a local online newspaper about heavy metal contamination in nearby Lake Coeur d' Alene -- scientists were concerned about rising fertilizer runoff into the lake and surrounding tributaries causing heavy metals from decades of mine tailings to release from their resting place in the sediment. Nowhere in the article did it mention just how fertilizer was causing the heavy metals to leach out, and I was intrigued by this. Thus began a long process of digging through the literature, calling local tribes and researchers, and connecting with local manufacturing companies to find answers."
"I discovered that it was more of a biological process than a chemical one," John says. "Bacteria eat the iron that stores the heavy metals, releasing them into the sediment and water column. I reassessed with my advisor and decided that the release process was too complex in both scope and equipment, so I turned to a different factor that affects heavy metal release. Layers of ash from the Mt. St. Helens eruption appear to have blocked the movement of heavy metals complexed in the iron (which would prevent them moving to areas with bacteria). So I am designing an experiment to discern the chemical and physical properties of sediment layers that block this process.”
Once again, we love to see how the process of choosing a topic comes to be and evolves with research. We cannot wait to read this full EE in January.
CAS Project Highlight: Five graduates from the DP program, in places spread all over the world, reflect on the values and benefits of CAS in this article: https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2019/11/01/cas-service-benefits/
CAS Experiences Highlights: CAS experiences for all of our Upper School students (in the US and in China) this week included participating in the mentor program, making videos for Lower School students, raking leaves for the Ronald McDonald House, making cards for the police and sheriffs, cleaning up a yard for a cancer patient, creating flyers, skiing, adopted family Christmas shopping, taking a CPR, BLS and First Aid class, curating a cheese board, tutoring,
IB Question of the Week: Why is it important to choose an extended essay topic that a student is passionate about?
DP graduate Stephanie Stan, from Bloomfield Hills High School, offers her advice on how to make the extended essay transform from just an assignment to a project that expands upon your own knowledge of a topic. See her article here: https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2018/05/02/extended-essay-topic/
IB Overview: The Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and the Extended Essay (EE). Please refer to our IB webpage and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning for detailed IB information.