Syllabus+TOK

Syllabus TOK

IB Theory of Knowledge Syllabus 2011-2012 INSTRUCTORS: Ms. Khawaja: Subah.khawaja@eu.dodea.edu Ms.Wells : Janet.Wells@eu.dodea.edu

IS THE TRUTH REALLY OUT THERE? The TOK course, a flagship element in the Diploma Program, encourages critical thinking. It is a two-year course mandatory for all diploma students and open only to them. Its core content is questions like these: What counts as knowledge? What are its limits? Am I justified in claiming to know what I know?

Students entering the Diploma Program typically have 16 years of experience and more than 10 years of formal education behind them. They accumulated a vast amount of knowledge, beliefs, and opinions from academic disciplines and their lives outside the classroom. In TOK they have the opportunity to step back from this relentless acquisition of new knowledge, in order to consider knowledge issues. (IB TOK Subject Guide p. 3)

Students will explore the Ways of Knowing, the Areas of Knowledge, Knowledge Issues and the connections between their own knowledge and experiences and the learning process. Students will complete 2 IB assessments – an essay on a prescribed topic and a presentation that explores a knowledge issue – in addition to classroom assignments.

The course will include discussion and support of student Extended Essays. In the Spring, we will consider topics, discuss methods, and begin work.

The Ways of Knowing Emotion – Is an action morally justifiable if it feels right? Reason – Does all knowledge require some kind of rational basis? Language – Is it possible to think without language? Sense Perception – What role does what we expect to see, or are used to seeing, play in what we observe?

The Areas of Knowledge Natural Sciences Should scientists be held morally responsible for the applications of their discoveries? Human Sciences Is it reasonable to think that human behavior can be studied scientifically? History If truth is difficult to prove in history, does it follow that all versions are equally acceptable? The Arts Are the arts a kind of knowledge, or are they a means of expressing knowledge? Mathematics Can mathematics be characterized as a universal language? Ethics Does ambiguity in ethics make it “weak knowledge”?

Knowledge Issues Bias What do we gain, and what do we lose when we name something? Limitation What did Frank Zappa mean when he said, “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture?” Uncertainty If knowledge claims cannot be rationally defended, should they be renounced?

Part 1 External Assessment – (40 points) Essay on a prescribed title (1,200-1,600 words) Each student must submit an essay on any one of the ten titles prescribed by the IBO for each examination session (graduation year). The titles ask open-ended question about knowledge and are open-ended the nature. It is not a research paper. Rather, essays should express the conclusions reached by the student through a sustained consideration of knowledge issues.

Part 2 Internal Assessment – (20 points) The presentation (approximately 10 minutes per student) The TOK presentation requires students to identify and explore the knowledge issues raised by a substantive real-live situation that is of interest to them. A good presentation will demonstrate the student’s ability to link knowledge issues to Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing.

IB ToK Assessment Policy ToK IB assessments will be graded using IB band descriptors: A – Work of an excellent standard B – Work of a good standard C – Work of a satisfactory standard D - Work of a mediocre standard E – Work of an elementary standard (failing condition)

Essay on Prescribed Topic will be graded on the following criteria: Understanding Knowledge Issues 10 points Knower’s Perspective 10 points Quality of Analysis 10 points Organization of Ideas 10 points

Presentation will be graded on the following criteria: Identification of Knowledge Issue 5 points Treatment of Knowledge Issues 5 points Knower’s Perspective 5 points Connections 5 points

Students will earn between 0 and 3 points toward the IB Diploma with their combined score of ToK + Extended Essay. Students who score an E on both will NOT earn the diploma. Students who fail to submit either ToK Assessment (External or Internal) OR the Extended Essay will NOT earn the Diploma.

Academic Honesty Students will be required to sign a written declaration when submitting the essay to confirm that it is their own work. They will also use TurnItIn.com. This acts as a safeguard against plagiarism and ensures that the project is the authentic, personal work of the student. Plagiarism may result in failing the class and forfeiture of the IB Diploma.

Classroom Grading Policy Classroom grades are calculated on a point system based on the following approximations: Homework / Classwork / Journal 15 – 30 points Quizzes 50 points Presentations 50 points Essays 100 points

Classroom Policies All students are expected to: complete all work on time and assume responsibility for their own success; pay attention in class; take notes; participate in discussions and focus on the subject being discussed; listen to each other and be respectful.

Texts Richard van de Lagemaat, Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma. Additional resources throughout.