Environmental systems and societies (ESS - Old) Exemplars

About Environmental systems and societies (ESS - Old) Coursework Exemplars

The Coursework Exemplars section gives IB students (both SL and HL) access to real, high-quality samples of IB Environmental systems and societies (ESS - Old) Internal Assessments (IA) and Extended Essays (EE). Each exemplar is carefully selected to model top-scoring work, aligned with IB assessment rubrics and showcasing what examiners expect at different achievement levels.

On this page, you'll find full-length exemplars annotated with examiner commentary, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and specific rubric-based insights. These samples demonstrate how ideas are structured, arguments developed, and criteria met to achieve high marks.

Every exemplar is enriched with Jojo AI

About Environmental systems and societies (ESS - Old) Coursework Exemplars

How does people from different income group’s level of awareness, in terms of knowledge, attitude and practices, on the HFC emissions from the refrigerants in air conditioner through improper disposal on global warming in Kelana Jaya?

How does the distance from agricultural deforestation edges (0m, 10m, 20m, 30m, 40m) at El Chino, Peru, influence potassium levels in the soil of the adjacent Amazon Rainforest?

How does age group in Petaling Jaya, Selangor influence the level of awareness, in terms of knowledge and practice, on the disposal of batteries to reduce E-waste in order to prevent groundwater pollution?

What is the optimal proportion of dead organic matter to soil that maximises the growth of cress?

To what extent are people aware that single-use plastic consumption contributes to water pollution in Klang Valley?

To what extent does people in urban area which is Georgetown and rural area which is Kubang Semang is aware that mismanage of food can lead to global warming?

To what extent do varying levels of education affect a person's Environmental Value Systems (EVS) and their perceptions and behaviors towards sustainability?

How has climate change and the rise of global temperatures affected the number of wildfires across Australia.

How does the use of organic and chemical fertilisers impact soil Ph and Nitrate levels of Fenugreek seeds?

The impact of the educational system on people's waste management habits

How does the presence of solid waste disposal sites in the Kachok area of Kisumu City, Kenya, affect human health as measured by the increase in the prevalence of respiratory disorders (asthma and pneumonia) among the residents from 2014 - 2024?

To what extent has the changes in the water quality measured in terms of pH, BOD, DO and Conductivity in Sabarmati River affected its suitability for aquatic life from 2012 to 2021?

TO WHAT EXTENT DOES RATE OF DEFORESTATION AFFECT THE CHANGES IN ANNUAL SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA FROM 2005 TO 2020?

To what extent have wildfires in california increased PM2.5 levels, contributing to a rise in current asthma rates from 2000 to 2020?

How effective are the strategies employed by 3 fashion brands in reducing unsustainable resource use, and what are the measurable environmental outcomes of these efforts?

To what extent does GDP growth correlate with carbon emissions in Norway, Finland, Denmark, Poland and Germany ,and how does renewable energy consumption in these countries influence this relationship?

How does gender shape individual environmental values and responses to climate change within my school?

To what extend does country of residence affect perception of climate change and action towards reduction of environmental impact?

How does different household incomes of individuals in Klang influence their awareness of photovoltaic systems (PV) in reducing air pollution?

Investigating how the nightlife centre in Santos impacts the water quality in the nearby Tagus River Estuary

How does age influence climate change awareness and environmental actions among Mauritians aged 15 to 74 as measured by environmental knowledge, self-reported awareness, concern, and participation in climate action?

What is the effect of CO2 emissions from vehicles on the abundance of species (Leucophyllum frutescens and Conocarpus erectus) next to the roads in high (Juffair) and low-traffic areas (Bu Quwah)?

To what extent does the pH of the soil in an unmanaged ecosystem in Bangkok, Thailand affect the abundance of ground invertebrates?

How does intensive farming of grazing donkey impact soil compaction and therefore the likelihood of flooding?

To what extent does age influence climate related behaviours of individuals in an international school community in the Elche region?

To what extent does household income level influence differences in electricity consumption behaviors in Surabaya, Indonesia?

The effect of different fertilization levels with biodegradable kitchen waste coded 20 01 08 on the germination and growth of Balconi Red cherry tomatoes.

To what extent do different levels of cigarette tobacco affect soil pH and ammonium levels in spinach, basil, and grass over one month?

To what extent does traffic density (vehicles/min) impact the air quality (ppm) in Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi City?

To what extent does the distance from the shores of Kisumu City affect the quality of water in Lake Victoria by affecting the pH levels (measured using a pH meter) of the lake water at 0 km, 15 km, 32 km,60 km, 77 km,91 km and 113 km (±5km) as a result of increased industrial activity in the city?

To what extent does pesticide concentration (Provanto Insecticide) impact radish (Raphanus Sativus) yields?

How Has The Concentration of PM2.5 Particles From 2004 to 2022 Influenced The Annual Mean Temperature in Jakarta

What impact does gender have on the water aspect of the ecological footprint (EF) of a mixed-boarding secondary school located in the suburban area of Nairobi, Kenya?

To what extent are GDP per capita and Total Fertility Rates correlated?

To what extent does air pollution from traffic impact lichen growth in Wales?

How does increased acidity (6.0 pH, 5.5 pH, 5.0 pH, 4.5 pH, 4.0 pH) affect the germination (sprout length) of radish seeds (Raphanus sativus) as an environmental stressor?

To what extent the awareness of female and male students of Kolej MARA Banting towards consumption of plant-based milk having less impact on soil erosion compared to animal-based milk?

How does a country's Human Development Index (HDI) correlate with the Availability, Affordability, Quality, and Sustainability as measured by the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), within a set of 113 countries?

To what extent does land use (forest - residential - motorway) in different areas in Espoo impact the concentration (mg/L) of nitrates (NO3-) and nitrites (NO2-) of the Kavllinoja, Gräsanoja, and Myllyoja streams in Espoo?

To what extent do CO₂ emissions affect the average temperature in India and Brazil from 1980 to 2020?

To what extent does the water temperature (°C) correlate with the dissolved oxygen content (in mg/L) in a model of the Gulf of Mexico?

To what extent does freshwater pH affect the germination rate and sprout length of radish seeds?

To what extent does the daily concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter (measured at 8:00a.m and 15:30 p.m) correlate with the severity of reported respiratory symptoms among DP students at SNA school in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, over a 4-week period

Effect of salinity on germination of Phaseolus vulgaris

How does beach exposure affect the abundance of Barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) in Dale, Wales?

What impact does human maintenance (maintained versus unmaintained areas) have on insect biodiversity measured by Simpson's Diversity Index, as assessed by the use of pitfall traps on my school's sports field and adjacent forested area in Nairobi, Kenya?

To what extent is gender correlated with the carbon footprint of students in a secondary international school in Hong Kong?

An investigation of the effectiveness of different urban heat mitigation strategies in reducing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect: A comparative study of Paris, France, and Tokyo, Japan.