TOK ESSAY EDITED dp 1guide for ibdp.pptx

Tok essay

1. The TOK essay- 1600 WORDS OBJECTIVES: Understand the essay requirements W rite an Essay that scores an A

2. W hat have you heard TOK essay is all about?

3. You have only one job and one job only To produce a sustained arguments(perspectives ) about the title eand these perspectives are linked effectively to the nature of knowledge. A nd are effectively supported by specific examples T herefore, Y o ur essay driving question is : Does the student provide a clear , coherent and critical essay on the prescribed title?are there different arguments( perpectives), are they supported by real life examples ? A re those examples implications evaluated? Activity1: in a mind map, explain the meaning of the underlined words

4. W hat do those terms mean? Clear means I am able to understand what you are saying because you have kept your language clear. Coherent- this is about unity or flow of ideas, the arguments need to flow smoothly and I can tell where you are coming from easily. Use of transitional words help a lot to ensure the reader follows step by step. Critical- This asks you to critique and to evaluate strengths and weakeness of various perspectives. Your own critical thinking is visible.

5. To be critical , the secret is To ensure you are addressing the implications of you ’re the examples you give) Use the words such as this implies that, this has an implication to , this infers that, this insunuates that, the implication for this is. Use the words if … then grammatical structure( eg if we accept this particular method in the scientific view…. Then what that implies is….)

6. What exactly does it mean with “ implications” Think of “ this is the claim and the this is the example” what now? S o what? W ho cares? So what did this mean for the time or what does it mean for future? H ow does this affect what? etc

7. W e have said that the tok essay focuses on the nature of knowledge This means that , the essay is not about subject specific , but you draw examples from the subjcets you study in class as well as your own personal experinces. Activity 2: Write as may phrases as possible that explain what we mean by nature of knowledge F oexample when exploring nature of knowledge we consider T he scope of knowledge M ethods of producing knowledge K nowledge reliability C ontinue from here

8. Aspects of nature of knowledge W hat does nature of knowledge mean? type of knowledge W ays of knowing S ources of knowledge V alidity of knowledge R ealiability and applicabilty or usability of knowledge S tructure of knowledge S keptism( doubts) about knowledge T ransimitabilty of knowledge S ocial and cultural aspects of knowledge L imits of knowledge R esponsibility in use and transimision of knowl e dge Change and development of knowledge J ustification and evidence of knowledge D issemination of knowledge I nterpretation of knowledge etc

9. Myths and misconceptions TOK essay is about providing arguments and contrary arguments that refute the 1st argument C orrection: T he essay is about exploring different perspectives/ POV from any given 2 areas of knowledge and looking at the different areas of knowledge may differ in perspectives or have similar perspectives about a given knowledge. Forexample: 2 areas of knowledge may have different points of view, but it is not a must that the POV are disagreeing eg Behavioural pyschologists may look at a persons behaviour when are financially struggling in this way and economist phychologist look at the persons behaviour in a different manner. But all of them are explaining the same concept – Human behaviour. S o your work is not to provide a claim and offer a counter claim( contradictory point), but rather look at the different perspectives and evaluate these perspectives( critique )

10. Miccoception 4: We compare and contrast areas of knowledge eg history and art subjects C orrection : we compare and contast perspectives and pov within areas of knowledge and critique , challenge, look at the strengths, weaknessness, look at the implications of these perspectives M isconception : I only explore the perspectives of others C orrection: with the rise of Chat gpt, your own personal experiences will make your work even more authentic, remember these experiences need evaluation too!.

11. Misconception 2 : you are supposed to diasprove one side of the equation correction you are not expected to come up with a stand per se. No you are looking at perspectives of different areas of knowledge including yours and evaluating them not like take a stand! Misconception 3: Only within the different areas of knowledge are ther different points of view correction: even within the same area of knowledge, you can find different perspective!

12. W riting the essay When writing the essay we ask ourselves this main question What nature of knowledge does this question relate to?

13. Let’s look at this essay question- in a mind map To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to human sciences

14. Providing specific examples To score highly in this essay, it is important you provide examples that you are familiar with. This makes it easy for you to critique those examples and be able to support the perspectives you have provided. You will get this examples from your subject specific. Avoid High end exampes you do now understand. Keep it simple and convincing.

15. TOK ESSAY IS DISCUSIVE Meaning it’s argumentative in nature. You look explore how a knowledge question can have different perspectives. Different AREAS OF KNOWLEGDE MAY HAVE THE SAME PERSPECTIVES ABOUT A CLAIM OR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE SAME CLAIM. It is your work now to look for these claims, and REAL -LIFE SITUATIONS world examples to support the claims

16. The essay structure I ntroduction P aragraphs conclusion

17. Writing the introduction You need a hook- something intresting and must be connected to the title Explain the key words in your own terms Mention the assumptions the Prescribed title( you do not have to answer these assumptions- you do so in the conclusion Explain the scope of your essay- this happens in the thesis statement- ( mention some claims you will be exploring)

18. H ow should claims look like? Claims should be second order claims ie the claims that question the nature of knowledge W hat does nature of knowledge mean? type of knowledge W ays of knowing S ources of knowledge V alidity of knowledge R ealiability and applicabilty or usability of knowledge S tructure of knowledge S keptism( doubts) about knowledge T ransimitabilty of knowledge S ocial and cultural aspects of knowledge L imits of knowledge R esponsibility in use and transimision of knowl e dge Change and development of knowledge J ustification and evidence of knowledge D issemination of knowledge I nterpretation of knowledge etc

19. D o we need custodians of knowledge Custodians of knowledge could be the producers of knowlegdge, libraians, archivists, historians and histographers, indegienous communities, academic institutions eg universities, scientific research insittutions, those who store, share , manage preserve etc knowledge. W e may need we may not need. ( discuss) 1. C laims for why we may need ( paragraph 2 (1AOK), Paragraph 3( 2 AOK) R eal world situations ( examples) So? What are the implications of the RLE? Possible theory to back up your arguments ●Link to the PT 2. counter claims ( para 3( 1AOK) para 4( 2AOK) R eal world situations ( examples) So? What are the implications of the RLE? Possible theory to back up your arguments ●Link to the PT 3. C laims and counter claims for why we may not need ( repeat the above)

20. ? How do you come up with C laims and counter claims? Think of the nature of knowledge the title could be exploring. Is it dealing with knowledge acquizition , production, dissemination? Limits?etc Think about second order claims and counter claims you can make Hint- to create second order claims and counter claims ensure you use the TOK terminology eg bias, relativity, subjectivity and the 12 concepts eg values, beliefs..

21. L et us try an example D o we need custodians of knowledge? T his question ask high order knowledge questions like - do custodian help in justifying the validity of knowledge? H.O claim: custodians help in justifying the validity of knowledge H. O. Q- Is having custodians of knowledge risking fallacious conclusions due to bias? H.O C ounter claim: Custodians may give fallacious conclusions due to bias.

22. Deconstructing a 10/10 essay Introduction: Activity: read the introduction provided, - How does the introduction set the student up for success? Write a bout 5 things that introduction has.

23. A good introduction like this has: Has a hook- something intresting related to the title ( relevant) Demonstrates understanding of the question- interpret the question in your own words- here you may decide to define the key words if you want to ( remember, you can even define the key words at theend of the essay)- personal voice( I pronoun) Discussing the reason behind choosing the prompt- implications of the prompt Outlining the AOKs chosen for the prompt (room for improvement :The student could have explained why he chose those two AOKs and how they can promote the contrast and comparisons he intends to discuss in an additional sentence. 5. T hesis statement-student always outlines what he intends to discuss in the main body of the essay.

24. A good paragraph has: 1. Second order perspectives)( claims and and challenging perpectives ( counter claims) Hint- to create second order claims and counter claims ensure you use the TOK terminology eg bias, relativity, subjectivity and the 12 concepts eg values, beliefs..

25. N othing is more exciting than fresh ideas,so why are some aok so clow to adapt them? D iscuss with reference to Natural science and any other AOK Claim: Cultural and Ethical Considerations Impact the Adaptation of Fresh Ideas in Natural Science Cultural and ethical considerations within the scientific community and society at large can impact the pace of adaptation of fresh ideas in natural science. Ideas that challenge existing cultural norms, ethical standards, or deeply ingrained belief systems may face resistance and a slower rate of acceptance. This is because fresh ideas can be perceived as disruptive or controversial, leading to delays in their adoption.( give a real-life situation – example) then evaluate the implication of this example(perspective) ask so what? any theory to support this?( paragraph incomplete) Counterclaim: Knowledge Quality in natural science is enhanced by cultural an d ethical scrutiny . On the flip side, the scrutiny of fresh ideas in natural science driven by cultural and ethical considerations serves as a necessary filter that ensures the integrity and appropriateness of new knowledge. This scrutiny can prevent the hasty acceptance of ideas that may have unintended consequences or ethical implications. It helps maintain the ethical responsibility of scientists and promotes the incorporation of fresh ideas that align with broader societal values and ethical standards, leading to more responsible and useful knowledge.( give a real-life situation – example) then evaluate the implication of this example(perspective)– ask so what?- refer to the above slides for implications any theory to support this? ( paragraph incomplete) What do you think? Your own voice N ew perspective regarding the influence of culture and ethical considerations

26. L ets try ours To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to human sciences what claims and counter claims can you generate here? remember they must be about nature of knowledge G enerate only 2 perspectives( claims) and 2 counterclaims( another perspective)