Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Objective: to give students a grounding in key TOK approaches and concepts in preparation for beginning the IB
course in Y12. It also aims to encourage them to reflect on their construction of knowledge in their school and
personal lives.
Knowledge Claim – ‘We all make knowledge claims, every time we claim to know something. There are many
different types, for example, they may be specific or general, concrete or abstract, explicit or implicit.’
Sprod, Tim, and Antonia Melvin. IB Prepared - Theory of Knowledge. Cardiff: IBO, 2010. Print
Knowledge issue – ‘A knowledge issue is an inquiry that arises from wondering about the status of one of our
knowledge claims. It often arises from a question that could start with “How can we know…?”
Sprod, Tim, and Antonia Melvin. IB Prepared - Theory of Knowledge. Cardiff: IBO, 2010. Print
Real life situation – a situation from the real world where we can examine knowledge claims.
Key questions
To what extent can we create a specific definition of knowledge that will accurately describe what it is in all
situations, all the time? Will this definition distinguish it from other things such as belief?
Objective: to assess the students’ initial understanding of what knowledge is, and how it is constructed and
justified.
Assessment
TOK provocation video Guiding question: what is Watch video and take notes relevant
knowledge? to guiding question
Show video: pause at key points to Participate in class discussion
ask questions and lead discussion. Students may break off into groups
Facilitate discussion about key at various points to engage in
points. discussion of questions the teacher
feels require more time to reflect
upon
Design a diagram to show how we as Show students basic diagram Discuss in groups how we gain
individuals gain knowledge. What is the origin of knowledge? knowledge
How does it reach us as individuals? Design diagrams individually
Objective: to enhance the students’ understanding of the processes by which they gather or create knowledge they
use on a day to day basis.
http://shades.playsleuth.com/ Quickly create a character (or use Try to solve the crime. Keep track of
Tom Own Knowles, password: who they think the murderer is at
It is likely that students will use TOKSTC for more difficult cases) and each point, with reasons.
various faculties and techniques, have the class play an investigation
which might include: (tutorial is fine) together. Keep track of what
faculties/abilities/processes/techniqu
Sense perception – examining the Teacher takes suggestions as to es they use.
scene actions from students. Students need
Hypotheses – theories as to the to give very specific instructions
criminal which they test (look in the pot etc.). Make sure
Deduction student instructions relate use real
Questioning world language. E.g. ‘Look at the pot’
Intuition (hunches) is ok. ‘Hover the mouse over the
Inference plank’ is not.
Cross-referencing
What faculties or abilities do you use
to gain knowledge about the
situation.
Transcribe
faculties/techniques/processes on
board
Objectives:
Example:
Implicit Explicit
There is The
no molecul
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some
It is ancient
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ge
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epiphany is a
and feeling
inspiratio of joy
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e from
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every
culture
Introduction to Knowledge Issues Introduce knowledge issues (detailed on same page
as knowledge claims)
memory is unreliable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=il0u2s_WGXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAXm0dIuyug
2mins to 7 mins
Continue watching the noetic science Work with students to support their analysis of the Students select 3
video, identifying knowledge issues knowledge claims and their justification. important knowledge
and their justifications, explanations claims from the
and evidence. video, noting the
justification.
Alternatively, watch one of the videos
on memory which also contain many They should then
knowledge claims. analyse the claims,
identifying the
justification or
evidence for the
claims and
establishing the ways
of knowing upon
which these
justifications depend.
Finally, students
should identify how (if
at all) they might
address these
ambiguities.