IB Literature HL-2 and Theory of Knowledge Course Syllabus
Teacher: Gala Reece, Room 95
Contact Information: 864-355-5753, greece@greenville.k12.sc.us
Course Description:
This is the second year of Literature as part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and combines a literature course with Theory of Knowledge. This encourages students to explore the interplay between literature and knowledge, enhancing their analytical and critical thinking skills while preparing them for the IB assessments.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Analyze and evaluate literary texts from various genres and cultures.
Understand the relationship between literature and knowledge.
Develop strong analytical and argumentative writing skills.
Engage critically with various forms of media and their representation of knowledge.
Required Materials:
Textbooks:
"The IB English A Literature Course Companion" and “The Theory of Knowledge Guide”
Selected textual excerpts (to be provided in class)
Supplies:
Notebook or binder
Writing utensils
Chromebook
Combined Course Outline:
The course will cover the following topics over the school year (both semesters):
Literary Analysis: Techniques and methods for analyzing texts.
Comparative Literature: Exploring themes across different literary works.
Theory of Knowledge: Understanding the nature of knowledge and its relationship with literature.
Extended Essays: Guidance on writing a research essay for the IB program.
TOK Exhibition: A student-crafted presentation of three exhibits that demonstrate development of theory of knowledge, exploring the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing.
Theory of Knowledge Overview:
from the Diploma Programme Subject Brief for TOK at www.ibo.org/en/dp
The theory of knowledge (TOK) course plays a special role in the DP (IB Diploma Program) by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature, scope and limitations of knowledge and the process of knowing. In this way, the main focus of TOK is not on students acquiring new knowledge but on helping students to reflect on, and put into perspective, what they already know. TOK underpins and helps to unite the subjects that students encounter in the rest of their DP studies. It engages students in explicit reflection on how knowledge is arrived at in different disciplines and areas of knowledge, on what these areas have in common and the differences between them.
The aims of the TOK course are:
• to encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to
recognize the value of asking that question
• to expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible answers
• to equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them
to encounter novel and complex situations
• to encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect critically on
their own beliefs and assumptions
• to engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop inter-
cultural understanding
• to encourage students to make connections between academic disciplines by exploring
underlying concepts and by identifying similarities and differences in the methods of inquiry
used in different areas of knowledge
• to prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical concerns
relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of knowledge.
Core theme: Knowledge and the knower
This theme provides an opportunity for students to reflect on themselves as knowers and
thinkers, and on the different communities of knowers to which we belong.
Optional themes
Students are required to study two optional themes from the following five options.
• Knowledge and technology
• Knowledge and language
• Knowledge and politics
• Knowledge and religion
• Knowledge and indigenous societies
Areas of knowledge
Students are required to study the following five areas of knowledge.
• History
• The human sciences
• The natural sciences
• The arts
• Mathematics
TOK Assessment Model
Students are required to complete two assessment tasks for TOK.
• Theory of knowledge exhibition (33%)
Students are required to create an exhibition of three objects with accompanying commentaries
that explores how TOK manifests in the world around us. This component is internally assessed by
the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.
• Theory of knowledge essay on a prescribed title (67%)
Students are required to write an essay in response to one of the six prescribed titles that are issued
by the IB for each examination session. As an external assessment component, it is marked by IB
examiners.