Transcript ToK Essay - Mr Field's Chemistry Class

ToK Essays
Writing about knowledge issues
What are knowledge Issues?

IB Definition:


‘Knowledge issues are questions that directly refer to our
understanding of the world, ourselves and others, in connection with
the acquisition, search for, production, shaping and acceptance of
knowledge.’
In simple terms, questions that:

Question what we believe, our reasons for believing it and
whether these are good reasons
For example:

Of the four ways of knowing: Emotion, Language, Reason and Sense
Perception, which do you think are more reliable and which are less
reliable? Illustrate your answer with examples from at least two areas of
knowledge.
Knowledge Issue
Why It’s a Knowledge Issue
What are the characteristics of reliable The issue of reliability is related to
knowledge?
whether our reason for belief is a good
one
What role does a WoK play in
knowledge acquisition within a given
subject?
It looks at the differences in the way
knowledge is generated in different
subjects.
Does the reliability of WoK vary in
different contexts?
It questions whether the standards for
knowledge are different in different
subjects
Characteristics of a Good Knowledge Issue:

Open question

Asks explicitly about knowledge

Uses concepts from ToK (specific ways of knowing/areas
of knowledge etc)

Is precise in terms of the relationship between the ToK
concepts mentioned
Some More Examples

Questions not about what we know but how we know it
Not a Knowledge Issue
Knowledge Issue
Is Gangnam Style a good piece of music?
What roles do reason and emotion play in
determining the quality of a piece of music?
Is the death penalty wrong?
Should emotion play a role in deciding the
morality of the death penalty?
What is the solution to the ongoing financial
crisis in the West?
Do the varying views of economists as to how
to solve the financial crisis undermine the
claims of economics to be a science?
Is ‘string theory’ the theory of everything?
Does the lack of experimental evidence mean
string theory is not science?
Which account of the Rape of Nanking is
correct: the Chinese or the Japanese?
Given the existence of conflicting accounts,
how should you determine historical truth?
TASK

For each knowledge issue, see if it meets the criteria mentioned on the previous page.

Try to develop your own knowledge issues and see if they meet these criteria.
Some fall-back knowledge issues

What role does ‘x’ play in ‘y’?

How does ‘x’ affect the certainty of ‘y’?

To what extent does ‘x’ apply to ‘y’?

What is the value of ‘x’ (to ‘y’)?

Is there a difference between ‘x’ and ‘y’?
Task:

In groups of 4 (ish)




Select one of the essay titles from the exam paper that no one
in the group has done
Try to identify some of the knowledge issues that need to be
addressed
These must be written down as this will help to clarify and
shape them
Attempt another question if you finish early
Writing about knowledge issues

Stay focussed on answering the knowledge issue (do not let
yourself get side tracked)

Describe the issue then explore it…this means talk about
the implications, look at how it applies in different situations.

Apply the idea in relation to your experience as a learner

Bring in relevant examples, some from your own learning

Give (and justify) your own opinion
Key lessons from examiner’s report

Spend considerable time thinking about and unpacking the question

Bring in knowledge issues naturally – don’t just say ‘my knowledge issues are….’

Focus discussing ways of knowing within the context of an area of knowledge

Choose concrete, real examples rather than complicated abstract ones

Make sure you answer the question

Avoid cliches…. ‘maths is totally based on reason’ etc

Avoid bald assertions (make qualified claims)

Use any definitions you give
Example: Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative
thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge.
Structuring the Essay

Your essay must be structured in such as way as you
make sure you answer the whole question

You should structure your essay in such a way as it helps
you to analyse.

Use your knowledge issues to help provide some
structure
For example:
Introduction
Introduction
What is reliability
What is reliability
Emotion in X
Emotion in Y
Comparison
Language in
X
Language in Y
Comparison
Reason in X
Reason in Y
Comparison
Sense
Perception in
X
Sense
Perception in
Y
Comparison
Conclusion

Emotion
in X
Language
in X
Sense
Reason in
Perceptio
X
n in X
Emotion
in Y
Language
in Y
Sense
Reason in
Perceptio
Y
n in Y
Comparison
Conclusion
In this case ‘X’ and ‘Y’ would be the two areas of knowledge I was
looking at. It can be useful to choose ones that you think will clash
in some way or provide interesting/instructive comparisons.
Task:

For whichever title(s) you chose previously


Draw out structure that would help you to answer
it (doesn’t have to be a table, could be a mind-map
etc – visual generally better)
Try to flesh-out some of the points you might try
to make
How did you do?

Grade boundaries are as follows:
What would this mean in terms of bonus
points?