Choosing and Processing a Good

ToK Essay Title

Where to find ToK materials

Materials are located on the Eastside ToK website

Eastside High School Home Page

Review ToK vocabulary sheet especially

Key things to remember about the essay assessment …

• It is by far the more important as it represents 2/3rds of the ToK grade• It must be at least 1200 and no more than 1600 words, double-spaced using 12

font• You must use the topic EXACTLY AS GIVEN: you cannot alter its wording or intent in

any way. It is the KNOWLEDGE QUESTION you create and the analysis that follows which makes this essay uniquely yours.

• The key is to develop a meaningful, relevant KNOWLEDGE QUESTION (KQ) that can be derived from the chosen topic. The KQ must then be linked to REAL LIFE SITUATIONS (at least two), and examined using appropriate WAYS OF KNOWING and AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE which demonstrate your ability to comprehend and analyze the complexity of the knowledge issues posed. You should not use more than two or three each of these and they should provide different approaches and understandings of the knowledge issues. (Recall all knowledge questions are open-ended and do not offer easy conclusive answers.)

• It is appropriate to offer your definition of concepts that appear in the topic statement but generally does not apply to well-known ToK concepts. For example, it is not valuable to define “sense perception” or “reason” or “arts” or “validity”. On the other hand, for the topic “None of us is as smart as all of us”, it would be appropriate to give a definition of SMART.

All ToK assessments are about KNOWLEDGE!!

The topic will be about one or more of these significant knowledge issues:

• What is the definition of knowledge and are there “gatekeepers” limiting those definitions and interests

• How is knowledge transmitted – consider modalities, the existence of gatekeepers controlling transmission, the degree to which various knowers participate in the exchange

• How is knowledge processed – what ways of knowing are involved?

Guided Practice

None of us is as smart as all of us (Eric Schmidt). Discuss the extent to which

you agree with this claim with reference to personal and shared

knowledge.

None of us is as smart as all of us (Eric Schmidt). Discuss the extent to which you agree with this claim with reference to personal and shared knowledge.

BREAK DOWN THE STATEMENT:

Is there a Knowledge CLAIM being made by the topic? (That is not always the case.) Yes. The claim is that shared knowledge provides for a higher level of “smartness”. Smartness is a term that requires defining. NOTE: while Schmidt is the author of the quote, a ToK essay does NOT require you to do any research on him or use any of his works.What is the topic asking you to do? Examine connections and contrasts between personal and shared knowledge and reach a conclusion about the claim that shared knowledge offers higher levels of “smartness.”There are lots of ways to approach the analysis of this topic, and before choosing how you will analyze it, it is advisable to spend time thinking about a few possibilities. Then choose the one you feel will best allow you to express your ToK skills.Are there specific WoKs and AoKs mentioned in the topic? Not in this case. That means you can decide which WoKs and AoKs you will use in your analysis.

Create a general KNOWLEDGE QUESTION derived from the topic: “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Here are some examples. Note that for every KQ given below, the KQ is: open-ended, framed in ToK terms, NOT specific to a single subject area, applicable to numerous real life situations and deals with one or more major concerns about the nature of knowledge.

Under what circumstances does a community of knowers lead to more or less reliable knowledge than an individual knower?What qualities are possessed by a knower who is considered to be “smart”?To what extent does specialization limit or facilitate the construction or acquisition of knowledge?Is personal knowledge merely a subset of shared knowledge?What is the relative importance of personal and shared knowledge in different areas of knowledge?Are there circumstances in which an individual can know more than a community?Does the particular way of knowing used to acquire and process knowledge change the relationship between personal and shared knowledge?

Keys to writing a successful essay …

• Choose a title that allows you to best demonstrate how you/we understand the nature and meaning of knowledge: what defines it, how it is produced, how it is transmitted, how it is justified, the extent to which we can accept it, etc.

• Create a KNOWLEDGE QUESTION with these descriptors:it is open-ended, i.e., has multiple answersit focuses on knowledge rather than subject-area contentit incorporates ToK concepts and words: e.g., areas and/or ways

of knowing; belief; truth; evidence; certainty; justification;

claim, counter-claim; truth, values; interpretation; bias;reliability; validity; culture…

it allows for relevant and meaningful connections betweenthe concepts used (WoKs, AoKs, etc.)

• It must connect to real-life examples that are not hypothetical nor trivial

Levels of knowledge questions

Apply the criteria just introduced as you assess each of these possible knowledge questions :

KNOWLEDGE ISSUE: Understanding medical practices and decisions

• What are traditional medicine practices?• Does acupuncture work?• How can we decide whether acupuncture works or not?• What types and certainty of evidence serves to justify

medical decisions?• Is scientific knowledge more powerful and truthful than that

derived from indigenous practices?

Returning to our example (Schmidt / shared knowledge) …

Example of the introductory ToK essay paragraph …

There are scholars like Eric Schmidt who claim that shared knowledge generates a level of smartness that is superior to that created by personal knowledge. This is a rather broad claim that deserves analysis. This paper will address the following knowledge question that stems from Schmidt’s argument: What is the relative importance of personal and shared knowledge within different areas of knowledge? For purposes of clarity, “smartness” will be understood as not only knowledge content and claims that are made about reality, but also the degree and efficiency by which knowledge is acquired and processed by knowers.

Two areas of knowledge will be used in this analysis: the Natural Sciences, and the Arts. These areas are sufficiently different in their scope, interests and ways by which they process knowledge as to allow us to investigate our question. It is my contention that the construction and value of personal and shared knowledge do vary between differing areas of knowledge. In this particular comparison, the extent to which shared knowledge produces a collective “smartness” is stronger in the Natural Sciences than in the case of the Arts.

The yellow statements are the essay’s THESIS. The rest of the essay needs to explore and provide evidence and claims in support of the thesis.

The best essays …

• Are about factors and conditions that shape our willingness to accept or reject information as knowledge

• Do not make absolutist statements• Do not address all possible knowledge factors and real-life

examples because of the word limit• Make certain that what is discussed is relevant, meaningful,

focused on the knowledge question and is NOT trivial, over-generalized, or hypothetical

• Spends far less time on real-life connections and more on discussing knowledge issues

• Uses ToK vocabulary in appropriate ways• States a position, that is, there is a clear thesis• Identifies relevant Areas and Ways of Knowing• Considers implications of knowledge claims and means by which

knowledge is derived within an AoK

Brainstorm! Multiple times!

• Use sticky notes to generate, record and categorize ideas

• Categories should include: personal knowledge, shared knowledge, AoKs, WoKs, knowledge issues, knowledge terms, claims and counter-claims

• Also real-life situations that stem from the overall knowledge question

Structure of the cover page

Turn in:** 2 copies of essay** checklist (see next slide)

Create a digital version of essay and ToK Planning sheet to upload later to IB

FORMAT for the Theory of Knowledge Cover Page:

at top and centered

TYPE OUT THE ENTIRE ToK PRESCRIBED TITLE.(word count) ** note must be between 1200-1600

towards right Your name (first, last)Dr. SchmidtCandidate no. 000262-XXXXMay 2016 sessionEastside High School

FORMAT for the rest of the ToK essay:

First page: at top is the prescribed title completely typed out and exactly as written by IB.Skip some lines, then have your introduction followed by the body of essay. Do NOT number this first page

2nd page onward: place in upper right-hand corner the page number

Make sure that in your introductory paragraph(s), you identify: the main knowledge question you have derived from the topic; a thesis statement that answers the question. You should also identify any areas of knowledge and/or ways of knowing you will be using in your analysis. The rest of the essay is supporting evidence and discussion of the KQ and thesis. Your conclusion should relate back to your thesis.

Candidates must NOT use headers or footers to add their name, session number or school name/logo to each page of their TOK essay.

Include a works cited page as needed but do NOT count it nor your cover page as part of the word count. A Works Cited is NOT required.

Make any revisions to your essay following the suggestions of your teachers.

TURN IN TWO COPIES of your essay. If the essay is solid, you will not need any more revisions. If it is weak, we will return your essay with suggestions. A final essay due date will be determined in early January.

Complete the IB ToK “Planning and progress form” and save as a digital file for uploading later to IB.

You must turn this is with one of your copies submitted

Theory of Knowledge Checklist

Before you turn in your ToK essay, please check off the following and sign at the bottom. Turn in this sheet stapled to one of the copies of your essay.

___ Did you choose ONE and only one of the six ToK topics offered for this exam session?

___ Is your title exactly as it was presented from the IB list?

___ Did you run the spellchecker?

___ Did you make sure that the essay falls between the required 1200 and 1600 words?

___ Did you use 12 point font, a standard font style, double-spacing and appropriate margins?

___ Did you read aloud to proof for grammar (verb tense agreement, run-on sentences, subject-verb agreements, etc.), repeated words, awkward constructions?

___ Do you have a clear thesis in your introduction?

___ Does your title page contain: Your title and under it, the word count; your name, my name (Dr. Schmidt), Eastside High School, your session (May plus year)?

___ Did you number each page?

___ If you used sources, did you both properly cite them within the body of the essay and also include a Works Cited page following a standard format?

___ Do you have TWO copies of your essay, one of which will be kept in your IB folder?

___ Do you have a USB key with your essay on it and clearly identified as such? (Final ONLY)

HONOR STATEMENT: As a scholar and a person of integrity, I affirm that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment. The work is authentic, meaning the ideas and words it contains are entirely mine unless indicated, in which case I have cited works used and created a Works Cited page.

SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________

Printed Name _______________________________________________________

ROUGH DRAFT of Essay due October 23rd

FINAL COPY will be collected in JANUARY

Examine ToK Planning Sheet

Examine Action Plan due September 23rd

1. CHOOSE A TOPIC YOU THINK YOU’D LIKE TO ATTEMPT (next slide)

2. CREATE A SMALL GROUP (4-5) OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALSO SELECTED THAT TOPIC

3. CREATE TWO OR MORE KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE DERIVED FROM THAT TOPIC

4. SHARE IDEAS AND CHECK TO SEE IF THEY MEET THE CRITERIA OF A STRONG KNOWLEDGE QUESTION

5. IF TIME: CONSIDER AoKs, WoKs, RLSs