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:

Required Materials:

Combined Course Outline:

The course will cover the following topics over the school year (both semesters):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.