Introduction to the TOK Exhibition
Please proceed through the stations below in chronological order
Watch the following video
2. Review the project by the British Museum and the BBC that inspired the Exhibition.
The TOK Exhibition (which replaces the TOK Presentation) was inspired by the British Museum's "A history of thew world in 100 objects."
Explore the website a little:
What are three objects in the collection that you find interesting? How could they be connected to TOK Themes?
Use the TOK exhibition assessment instrument (rubric) to grade one of the object narratives.
First, for practice, grade the "Following the Fuji cult" narrative as a class. Use the rubric found on your summative assessment task.
3. Read this description of the Exhibition from the TOK Guide.
From the TOK GUide:
The TOK exhibition explores how TOK manifests in the world around us. For this reason it is strongly recommended that students base their exhibition on one of the TOK themes (either the core theme or one of the optional themes).
The TOK exhibition is an internal assessment component—it is marked by the teacher and is externally moderated by the IB. Internal assessment is an integral part of all DP courses. It enables students to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge, and to pursue their personal interests. For this task:
Students are required to create an exhibition of three objects that connect to one of the 35 “IA prompts” provided in the “IA prompts” section of the TOK Guide (see below).
Students must select just one IA prompt on which to base their exhibition, and all three objects must be linked to the same IA prompt.
Students are required to create an exhibition comprising three objects, or images of objects, and an accompanying written commentary on each object.
4. Watch the video below from (at least) 37:30 to 47:00.
Deep dive: The video above provides useful perspectives on structuring the Exhibition and the "suggestion" to do so through TOK Themes.
Particularly useful section: 37:30-47:00.
5. Review the infographic and answer the questions below it.
Image retrieved from Western Academy of Beijing
The infographic above suggests a structure for the TOK Exhibition Commentary.
What suggested elements are IB requirements and what elements are good local recommendations?
6. Review the samples below in preparation for a "table read" you will conduct as a team exercise.
Assessed Student work Samples
English Language Samples
tok_exhibition_H_en.pdftok_exhibition_J_en.pdftok_exhibition_F_en.pdftok_exhibition_A_en.pdf
Chinese Language Samples
tok_exhibition_H_Trad.pdftok_exhibition_J_Trad.pdftok_exhibition_F_Trad.pdftok_exhibition_A_Trad.pdf
7. Watch the video, review the Exhibition prompts, and start narrowing down to your final choice.
We don't endorse all of the advice in the above video, but it does provide an example of making a critical choice of prompt.
What does the narrator get right? What advice seems trustworthy and what seems less so?
TOK Exhibition Prompts--English
1. What counts as knowledge?
2. Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?
3. What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?
4. On what grounds might we doubt a claim?
5. What counts as good evidence for a claim?
6. How does the way that we organize or classify knowledge affect what we know?
7. What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?
8. To what extent is certainty attainable?
9. Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
10. What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?
11. Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
12. Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?
13. How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
14. Does some knowledge belong only to particular communities of knowers?
15. What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge?
16. Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?
17. Why do we seek knowledge?
18. Are some things unknowable?
19. What counts as a good justification for a claim?
20. What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
21. What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
22. What role do experts play in influencing our consumption or acquisition of knowledge?
23. How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
24. How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?
25. How can we distinguish between knowledge, belief and opinion?
26. Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with other knowers?
27. Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?
28. To what extent is objectivity possible in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
29. Who owns knowledge?
30. What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world?
31. How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
32. What makes a good explanation?
33. How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?
34. In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?
35. In what ways do values affect the production of knowledge?
TOK Exhibition Prompts--Chinese
1. 什麼可以被算作知識？
2. 某些類型的知識是否比其它類型的知識更有用？
3. 知識的哪些特徵對其可靠性有影響？
4. 根據什麼我們可以懷疑一個論斷？
5. 什麼可以作為一個論斷的有效證據？
6. 我們對知識進行組織或分類的方式會怎樣影響我們知道什麼？
7. 擁有或沒有知識意味著什麼？
8. 在何種程度上確定性是可以達到的？
9. 相對其它類型的知識而言，詮釋某些類型的知識的開放程度是否較低？
10. 傳播和/或交流知識要面對哪些挑戰？
11. 新知識能否改變既定的價值觀或信念？
12. 在產生知識的過程中，偏見不可避免嗎？
13. 我們怎樣才能知道當前的知識是過去知識的改進？
14. 有些知識只屬於某些特殊的認識者群體嗎？
15. 在尋求知識方面有哪些限制？
16. 出於倫理方面的禁忌，有些知識不應被尋求嗎？
17. 我們為什麼要尋求知識？
18. 有些事物是不可知的嗎？
19. 什麼可以作為證明一種論斷正確的有效證據？
20. 親身經驗和知識之間的關係是什麼？
21. 知識與文化之間的關係是什麼？
22. 專家在影響我們對知識的接受或獲取方面起到什麼作用？
23. 材料工具在產生或獲取知識中有多麼重要？
24. 展示知識的背景可能會怎樣影響它是被接受還是被拒絕？
25. 我們怎樣區分知識、信念和見解？
26. 我們的知識有賴於我們與其他認識者的互動嗎？
27. 所有知識都賦予掌握它的人倫理責任嗎？
28. 在產生或獲取知識的過程中，客觀性在何種程度上可能達到？
29. 誰擁有知識？
30. 在產生關於世界的知識的過程中，想像力發揮什麼作用？
31. 我們怎樣判斷證據何時足夠了？
32. 什麼可以構成好的解釋？
33. 目前的知識是怎樣與時俱進形成的？
34. 我們的價值觀以何種方式影響我們獲取知識？
35. 我們的價值觀以何種方式影響知識的產生？