IB THEORY OF IB THEORY OF KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE

An OverviewAn Overview

TOK COURSETOK COURSE Student as the knowerStudent as the knower Encourages critical Encourages critical

thinking about thinking about knowledge itselfknowledge itself

Opportunity to step Opportunity to step back from the back from the relentless acquisition relentless acquisition of new knowledge of new knowledge

Encourages students Encourages students to share ideas with to share ideas with others others

Understanding of Understanding of knowledge as a knowledge as a human constructhuman construct

AIMSAIMS

Designed to enable students to:Designed to enable students to: develop a fascination with the richness of develop a fascination with the richness of

knowledge as a human endeavour, and an knowledge as a human endeavour, and an understanding of the empowerment that understanding of the empowerment that follows from reflecting upon it;follows from reflecting upon it;

develop an awareness of how knowledge is develop an awareness of how knowledge is constructed, critically examined, evaluated constructed, critically examined, evaluated and renewed by communities and individuals;and renewed by communities and individuals;

encourage students to reflect on their encourage students to reflect on their experiences as learner, in everyday life and experiences as learner, in everyday life and in the their studies, and to make connections in the their studies, and to make connections between academic disciplines and between between academic disciplines and between thoughts, feeling and actions;thoughts, feeling and actions;

AIMS (continued)AIMS (continued)

encourage an interest in the diversity encourage an interest in the diversity of ways of thinking and ways of living of ways of thinking and ways of living of individuals and communities, and of individuals and communities, and an awareness of personal and an awareness of personal and ideological assumptions, including ideological assumptions, including participants’ own;participants’ own;

encourage consideration of the encourage consideration of the responsibilities originating from the responsibilities originating from the relationship between knowledge, the relationship between knowledge, the community and the individual as community and the individual as citizen of the world.citizen of the world.

REQUIREMENTSREQUIREMENTS

100 hours over two years.100 hours over two years. IB Final Assessment in Year 12:IB Final Assessment in Year 12:

1.1. Oral PresentationOral Presentation on a on a contemporary issue chosen by the contemporary issue chosen by the student: internally marked – 20 student: internally marked – 20 marksmarks

2.2. EssayEssay chosen from an IB prescribed chosen from an IB prescribed list of questions: externally marked – list of questions: externally marked – 40 marks40 marks

WAYS OF KNOWINGWAYS OF KNOWING

Sense Sense perceptionperception

LanguageLanguage ReasonReason EmotionEmotion

SENSE PERCEPTIONSENSE PERCEPTION

Nature of sense Nature of sense perceptionperception

LimitationsLimitations Influence of Influence of

culture, language culture, language and beliefsand beliefs

Role in various Role in various areas of knowledge areas of knowledge

LANGUAGELANGUAGE Nature of languageNature of language Language and cultureLanguage and culture Language and thoughtLanguage and thought Language and Language and

knowledgeknowledge Language and areas Language and areas

of knowledgeof knowledge Does the language we Does the language we

use affect our use affect our understanding of the understanding of the world or the past?world or the past?

How important are How important are technical terms?technical terms?

REASONREASON

Nature of reasonNature of reason Reason and Reason and

knowledgeknowledge Does all Does all

knowledge knowledge require some kind require some kind of rational basis?of rational basis?

Strengths and Strengths and weaknesses of weaknesses of reasonreason

EMOTIONEMOTION

Nature of emotionNature of emotion Can we ever know Can we ever know

anything purely through anything purely through emotions?emotions?

How do emotions How do emotions interact with reason, interact with reason, sense perception an sense perception an language?language?

Emotion and knowledgeEmotion and knowledge Does the role of emotion Does the role of emotion

vary across the different vary across the different areas of knowledge?areas of knowledge?

AREAS OF KNOWLEDGEAREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

MathematicsMathematics Natural SciencesNatural Sciences Human SciencesHuman Sciences HistoryHistory The ArtsThe Arts EthicsEthics

MathematicsMathematics

Natural SciencesNatural Sciences

Human SciencesHuman Sciences

HistoryHistory

1.1. Nature of HistoryNature of History

2.2. Methods of Gaining Methods of Gaining KnowledgeKnowledge

3.3. History and History and Knowledge ClaimsKnowledge Claims

4.4. History and Values History and Values

The ArtsThe Arts

EthicsEthics

LINKING QUESTIONSLINKING QUESTIONS BeliefBelief CertaintyCertainty CultureCulture EvidenceEvidence ExperienceExperience ExplanationExplanation InterpretationInterpretation IntuitionIntuition TechnologyTechnology TruthTruth ValuesValues

KNOWLEDGE ISSUES, KNOWLEDGE ISSUES, KNOWERS AND KNOWINGKNOWERS AND KNOWING

Nature of knowingNature of knowing Knowledge communitiesKnowledge communities Knowers and sources of Knowers and sources of

knowledgeknowledge Justification of knowledge Justification of knowledge

claimsclaims

Real-Life Situation

Other Real-LifeSituation

Other Real-LifeSituation

Knowledge Issue(recognized)

Knowledge Issue(s)(developed)

extraction

progression

application

Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure

CLASS ACTIVITIESCLASS ACTIVITIES Class discussions, debates and Class discussions, debates and

seminarsseminars Student presentations and group Student presentations and group

activitiesactivities Reading feature articles, texts, plays, Reading feature articles, texts, plays,

novels and biographynovels and biography Guest speakersGuest speakers VideosVideos Role playRole play Reflective writing and the Reflective writing and the

maintenance of an on-going journalmaintenance of an on-going journal Written exercises and essaysWritten exercises and essays

TINTERN TOK CAMPTINTERN TOK CAMP Compulsory three day camp at the Compulsory three day camp at the

commencement of Term 1 each year.commencement of Term 1 each year. Aims :Aims :1.1. Provide for Year 11 students a Provide for Year 11 students a

general introduction to TOK;general introduction to TOK;2.2. Complete a variety of sessions on a Complete a variety of sessions on a

TOK Area of Knowledge;TOK Area of Knowledge;3.3. Focus Year 12 students on the Focus Year 12 students on the

assessment requirements;assessment requirements;4.4. Promote close working relationships Promote close working relationships

between all IB students.between all IB students.