Theory of Knowledge 2020-22

Theory of Knowledge EXHIBITION

THE WAY AHEAD

 DATES and INTERNAL DEADLINES

Monday 22nd March 2021 – Brainstormed TOK Exhibition ideas (for

feedback and discussion)
Monday 12nd April 2021 – TOK Exhibition proposals (definitive)

Monday 3rd May 2021 – TOK Exhibition File Draft

Monday 14th June 2021 - TOK Exhibition Final File Draft 
Monday 21st June 2021 - TOK Exhibition CdA 
For example….
 « BODY WORLDS does not only focus on
conveying anatomical knowledge. The
exhibition aims to inspire visitors to live
consciously, to pay more attention to their
health, to recognize their physical potential
and limitations, and to reflect on what it means

🍁 to be human. »

https://bodyworlds.com/exhibitions/human/
accessed 29 April 2020
 Introductory thought provocation…..
If YOU had to choose an object for inclusion in the school’s ‘museum’ which
represents HOW knowledge is constructed, acquired, validated and
disseminated in your « favourite » IB subject, what would that object be, and
why?

10 minutes max. – then 2 minute report back per

person

- WHAT IB SUBJECT?
- WHAT OBJECT?
- WHY THAT OBJECT?
« A History of the World in 100 Objects »
The Inspiration Behind the ToK Exhibition
“The rules of the game for ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’ …. were
simple…100 objects that…would try to address as many aspects of human
experience as proved practicable, and to tell us about whole societies...The objects
would… (be)…snapshots of the world through objects at that particular date.”
(p.19)

“The exhibition tries to tell a history of the world … by deciphering the messages
which objects communicate across time” (p.22)

MacGregor, Neil. “A History of the World in 100 Objects.”

(Harmondsworth; Penguin)
● “Writing is one of humanity’s later achievements, and until fairly recently even many literate societies
recorded their concerns and aspirations not only in writing but in things.” (pp.24-5)

● “It is…the victors who write the history, especially when only the victors know how to write. Those
who are on the losing side…often have only their things to tell their stories. The Caribbean Taino, the
Australian Aboriginals, the African people of Benin and the Incas, … a history told through things gives
them back a voice.” (pp.25-6)

● “A history of the world told through objects …(is) more equitable than one based solely on texts. It
allows many different peoples to speak, ….A history through objects, however, can never itself be

fully balanced because it depends entirely on what happens to survive.” (pp.31-2)

 How does this connect to the ToK
Exhibition?

IA prompt 21: What is the relationship between

knowledge and culture?

IA prompt 14: Does some knowledge belong only to

particular communities of knowers?

(The 12th century 7-headed Naga. Angkor

Archeological Park, Cambodia)
 The Exhibition, and the Core and Optional
Themes

“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).” (Guide p.39)
 The optional themes

The 5 optional themes “all have a significant impact on the world today and play a key role
in shaping people’s perspectives and identities.” (ToK Guide, p.5).
Teachers select 2 optional themes from a choice of 5:
knowledge knowledge
and and
knowledge indigenous
technology and politics societies

knowledge
knowledge
and and religion
language
 The Core Theme: Knowledge & The Knower

The ‘independent’ nature of the Core Theme allows It allows us to consider a variety of Ways of Knowing:
students to reflect on themselves as individual reason, emotion, intuition, etc.
knowers, thus it is more personal…but also encourages
them to realise that we are all (also) part of an
epistemic community, “standing on the shoulders of It is intended to serve as an opportunity for students to

giants,” etc. reflect on themselves as knowers and thinkers, and is

designed to have strong (implicit) links to the IB
Learner Profile and the aims of the DP core.
It concretises and personalizes the idea of
perspectives, values, etc., rather than leaving these
concepts in the abstract.
The Structure of the Exhibition
The TOK Guide provides a list of suggestions for Exhibition formats, from the ‘easiest’. :

« A class of TOK students could hold an exhibition within one of their regular TOK classes. »

…to the slightly more demanding…

"A class of TOK students could host an exhibition for younger students in the school. »

…to the more ‘promotional’…

« A school could host a TOK exhibition for parents and other members of the school community, » or

« a combined event celebrating the PYP exhibition, MYP personal project and the TOK exhibition. »

….to the format de notres jours….

« Students could display their TOK exhibitions in a “virtual exhibition” (by using an online virtual gallery
space) »
 What Is Expected?
What ‘Counts’ as an ‘Object’?
«Students begin their exhibition by selecting one IA prompt and three objects, or images of objects, that
show how this question manifests in the world around us.» (Guide p.40). But….

What constitutes an « object »?

«The objects may be digital…students could include a photograph of an object, such as a historical treaty,
where it would not be practical/possible for them to exhibit the physical object.* Students may also use
digital objects such as a tweet by a political leader. However, they must be specific objects that have a
specific real-world context—objects that exist in a particular time and place (including virtual spaces).»
(Guide, p.42)**
 What Does NOT ‘Count’ as an ‘Object’?

● Objects should not be ‘symbolic’ (the ● Wherever possible, you might emphasize
Guide offers the following: «For example, the importance of PHYSICAL
a discussion and photograph of a objects/artefacts, rather than electronic
student’s baby brother is an example of ones, given the difficulty in adequately
an object that has a specific real-world specifying the «specific real-world
context, whereas a generic image of “a context».
baby” from an internet image search is
not.» p.42)
● Objects should not be tailor-made
specifically for the ToK Exhibition
 What Is Expected?
The Written Commentary and the IA Prompts
The students must provide “a typed commentary on each object that identifies each
object and its specific real-world context, justifies each object’s inclusion in the exhibition
and links to the IA prompt (maximum 950 words)” (Guide p.40)*

Students may also choose to spend some of the 950 words offering a summative ‘tying-
together’ of the three objects as a collection, instead of equally dividing the commentary
between each of the 3 objects.

These prompts, in the form of knowledge questions,

● Are provided in the Guide
● Will not change during the lifetime of the Guide
● Demonstrate how ToK ‘manifests itself in the real-world’
● More than one student in a single class may choose the same prompt
 THE OFFICIAL IA PROMPTS
• What counts as knowledge?
• Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?
• What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?
• On what grounds might we doubt a claim?
• What counts as good evidence for a claim?
• How does the way that we organize or classify knowledge affect what we know?
• What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?
• To what extent is certainty attainable?
• Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
• What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?
• Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
• Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?
• How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
• Does some knowledge belong only to particular communities of knowers?
• What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge?
• Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?
• Why do we seek knowledge?
• Are some things unknowable?
 THE OFFICIAL IA PROMPTS
● What counts as a good justification for a claim?
● What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
● What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
● What role do experts play in influencing our consumption or acquisition of knowledge?
● How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
● How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?
● How can we distinguish between knowledge, belief and opinion?
● Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with other knowers?
● Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?
● To what extent is objectivity possible in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
● Who owns knowledge?
● What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world?
● How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
● What makes a good explanation?
● How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?
● In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?
● In what ways do values affect the production of knowledge?
Assessment of the ToK Exhibition
The assessment of the Exhibition is guided by
the question
“Does the exhibition successfully show how TOK
manifests in the world around us?”
The “Excellent” (9 or 10 out of 10) category
features the following assessment criteria
“There is a strong justification of the particular
contribution that each individual object makes
to the exhibition.”
and features
« Explicit references to the selected IA prompt. »
 Concluding Remarks on The ToK Exhibition

Increased visibility for Having to choose ‘objects’ makes

ToK in schools ToK feel more ‘relevant’ and ‘real’

Basing the Exhibition on one theme

helps focus, but may lead to a narrow
final product

It’s individual – on the minus side, no more

groupwork. On the plus side…no more
groupwork..
 NEXT WEEK in TOK

mini-EXHIBITION No. 2
For our class on March 1st

Choose one of the IB prescribed PROMPTS and bring a

personal artefact Exhibit from home to show, and talk about
in relation to your chosen PROMPT.
You will write up to 50 words of text, to present to me.

ManageBac description of the lesson task will appear soon.