Theory of Knowledge

What is TOK?

Theory of Knowledge, or TOK as it is commonly called, is a required IB course for all Juniors and Seniors in the Programme at Choctaw, and across the globe.

TOK at Work in the Classroom

TOK allows students to explore the questions “How,” “Why,” and “To what extent” they know what they know.  To be clear, TOK is not about what students know, but whether what they know is contestable.  It calls for students to explore the scope of, the diversity of perspectives on, the methods and tools used to investigate, and the ethics surrounding various topics.  TOK also asks students to consider who they are as Knowers and how, as Knowers, they might defend their beliefs and opinions.  Many topics are broached in the TOK classroom, but the TOK teacher will ensure that all topics fall under at least one of the following categories.

• Knowledge and the Knower (Core Theme)

• Natural Sciences (Area of Knowledge)

• Human Sciences (Area of Knowledge)

• History (Area of Knowledge)

• The Arts (Area of Knowledge)

• Mathematics (Area of Knowledge)

• Knowledge and Politics (Optional Theme)

• Knowledge and Technology (Optional Theme)

• Knowledge and Language (Optional Theme)

• Knowledge and Indigenous Societies (Optional Theme)

• Knowledge and Religion (Optional Theme)

TOK is not a stand-alone course.  All IB teachers, especially those at the Diploma level are expected to integrate TOK concepts into their coursework, thereby challenging IB students to explain how they know what they know in all areas of study.

TOK Assessment

Juniors in TOK will complete a 950-word Exhibition in which they will defend answers to a prompt of their choosing.  Their answers are based on real-world objects of their choosing.  The objects are pictured with their written responses.  Juniors will choose from thirty-five (35) prompts provided by the IB.  Once the written portion is completed, the Juniors will be expected to “exhibit” their Exhibitions; making their Exhibitions public could take various forms and could happen in various settings.  Sample prompts are included below.

• Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?

• On what grounds might we doubt a claim?

Seniors in TOK will complete a 1600-word Essay in which they will defend answers to a prescribed title (prompt) of their choosing.  Seniors will choose from six (6) prescribed titles provided by the IB.  Sample titles from previous years are included below.

• Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

• To what extent do you agree with the claim that “there’s a world of difference between truth and facts” (Maya Angelou)? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.