TOK

IB DP course syllabus
2016 - 2017

School of Young Politicians Gymnasium 1306

Teacher: Eleanor Crossley / David Nugent

The IB Core is a two-year course focusing on the Theory of Knowledge course (ToK) but also including
embedded instruction and time on task for the Creativity, Activity, and Service component (CAS) and the
Extended Essay (EE). Titled simply “Theory of Knowledge” for simplicity’s sake, this course aims not only
to create opportunities for full IB Diploma students to hone strong thinking and communication skills, but
also to foster balanced open-mindedness and to help you become more active risk-takers. In other words, the
IB Core aims to develop the whole person, not just the student part of you.

Theory of Knowledge Course Overview

ToK is “a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than learning a
specific body of knowledge…. The course examines how we know what we claim to know. It does this by
encouraging students to analyze knowledge claims and explore knowledge questions.” (ToK Guide, 2015,
p. 8)

What TOK is not:

• It is not a philosophy class, though there will be times when we touch on how thinkers in the past
have explored knowledge questions. And certainly critical thinking is common to both philosophy
and TOK.

• It is not a debating society. My intent in the design of our inquiries is to explore questions and
examine multiple perspectives, not to try to prove ourselves right and others wrong.

• It is not a course without a curriculum.

ToK Curriculum

In a very real sense, the curriculum is you, the knower. In another sense, the curriculum can be understood to
consist of:

• An examination of knowledge itself, through the linked lenses of both personal knowledge and
shared knowledge

• EIGHT Ways of Knowing (language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith,
intuition, memory. We will touch on all of these to some extent. IB’s ToK Guide suggests that
“studying four of these eight in depth would be appropriate” (p. 8).

• EIGHT Areas of Knowledge (mathematics, natural sciences, human (social) sciences, the arts,
history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, indigenous knowledge systems. We will study six or
seven of these. IB suggests that “six would be appropriate” (p. 8).
Embedded CAS and EE

Throughout the ToK course we will make forays into both CAS and EE.

• CAS: This aspect of the Core is not a class – it’s your chance to delve into experiences and activities
of your own interest outside the classroom over 18 months of your “IB years.” IB provides
guidelines, but again, much of the decision-making here will be yours. You’ll receive instruction,
guidance, and resources periodically – as well as regular reflection and planning sessions during ToK.

• EE: This research project gives you the opportunity to dig deeply into a topic of your choice (within
certain parameters) and express specific ideas and findings about it. IB provides process suggestions
and assessment goals, and you’ll receive instruction on each step of the process in ToK. Like CAS,
however, much of this project will be completed outside of class so you can maximize your time on
it.

IB Core Assessments

Completion of all required elements of the Core – ToK, CAS, and EE – is mandatory to be eligible for
earning the full IB Diploma. Demonstrating mastery of the skills for each contributes points toward earning
the IB Diploma.

IB TOK Assessments

1. Essay on a prescribed title: One essay (1600-word maximum) on a prompt selected by the students
from a list of six prompts set by IB for each exam session. This is uploaded electronically by IB and marked
by an IB examiner. It is externally assessed and worth 67% of your overall grade for TOK.

2. Oral presentation: One approximately 10-minute presentation that explores a real-life/contemporary

situation from a Theory of Knowledge perspective. This is the internal assessment for the course – marked
by the instructor and moderated by IB by means of an electronically uploaded outline that is part of an
official presentation and marking document. The IA is worth 33% of your overall grade for TOK.

Level: DP1

Duration of Unit title - Covered topics in that unit Assessment

the unit component
(weeks)

4 weeks Introduction Essay from list of

questions on nature of
Knowledge claims and justifications knowledge
Personal and shared knowledge

Philosophical ideas about knowledge

Checks for truth

Consequences of belief

Different kinds of perspectives

 WOKs and AOKs

3 weeks WOK: Sense Perception Essay in response to

sense perception
Biology of the senses and relation to knowledge question
Theories about sense perception

Optical illusions and subjectivity of the senses

Selectivity

Development of sense perception

Writing skills: punctuation and grammar

4 weeks WOK: Language Essay in response to

question on language
Definition of language

Origins of language

Meaning

Language and personhood

Limitations of language

Language as manipulation

Language and thought

Writing skills: essay introductions

3 weeks WOK: Reason Essay in response to

question on reason
Definition of reason and how to reason well

Culture and reason

Different types of reasoning

Poor reasoning

Logical fallacies

Writing skills: transitions and paragraph structures

4 weeks WOK: Emotion Detailed essay plan on

emotion question
Emotion and art

Range of emotions

Cultural perspectives

Emotion and reason

 Emotion as problematic

Writing skills: essay planning

Mocks: mini-presentations

4 weeks AOK: Natural Sciences Group presentation on

a real-life situation
Presentations: Introduction to TOK presentations related to natural
Scope of natural sciences sciences

WOKs and natural sciences

Methodology

Scientific research

Historical development of natural sciences and impact on society

Ethics

Writing skills: syntax, sentence structure and academic writing

4 weeks AOK: Human Sciences Essay in response to

question on human
Presentations: sciences
Scope of human sciences

Anthropology – methodology and challenges

Economics – methodology and challenges

Psychology – methodology and challenges

Historical development of human sciences

Free will

Writing skills: common errors

3 weeks AOK: History Detailed essay plan on

history question
Scope of history

WOKs and history

Methodology

Historical research

Perspectives

Development of the discipline

3 weeks AOK: The Arts Detailed essay plan on

arts question
 What is art?

Responding to art

WOKs and art

Methodology

Perspectives

Development of the discipline and art criticism

3 weeks Presentations Group presentation on

topic of choice
Real-life situations

Structure

Examples

Delivery

Planning and resources

Level: DP2

Duration of Unit title - Covered topics in that unit Assessment

the unit component
(weeks)

4 weeks AOK: Ethics Presentation progress

check
Scope

Ethics and morality

Ethical instinct

Theoretical perspectives

Methodology

Historical development

Work on final presentations

4 weeks AOK: Religion Presentation progress

check
Knowledge claims and justifications

Exploring world religions

WOKs
 Religious perspectives

Historical development

Work on final presentations

1 week Presentations Final presentation

12 weeks Essay writing Essay on prescribed

title for external
Revision of specific topics assessment
Avoiding plagiarism
Research methods

Assessing example essays

Topic specific vocabulary

Collaborative responses to past questions

Introductions, developments and conclusions

Knowledge questions, claims and counterclaims

Class time devoted to work on essays