May 2015 ToK Essay Prompts

Hey ToKers,

Welcome back to LBHS! As some of you have heard by now the ToK Essay “Prescribed Title” have been released, and I’m pleased to report that the prompts are fantastic! They are very accessible and relevant to our course of study together. A couple of quick reminders: the ToK essay is a requirement for diploma candidates only, and I believe the final draft will be due in late January.

The essay does need to be verified by your ToK teacher, however. And given that I am not teaching ToK this year with you, I’m not sure how this will be addressed. By the way, I have your final essay graded. I prefer to meet with you as a group when I hand them back.

Thanks so much, and here are your  May 2015 Prescribed Titles.

These resources are meant to support your development of the ToK essay.

ToK Essay Planning Template: essay_template_en

how to write a ToK essay cambridge

ToK Helper

Effective Citing and Referencing

Flipboard Magazine Articles

Instructions to candidates
Your theory of knowledge essay for examination must be submitted to your teacher for authentication. It must be written on one of the six titles (questions) provided overleaf. You may choose any title, but are recommended to consult with your teacher. Your essay will be marked
according to the assessment criteria published in the Theory of Knowledge guide. The focus of your essays should be on knowledge questions. Where appropriate, refer to other parts of your IB programme and to your experiences as a knower. Always justify your statements and provide relevant examples to illustrate your arguments. Pay attention to the implications of your arguments, and remember to consider what can be said against them. If you use external sources, cite them according to a recognized convention.

Note that statements in quotations in these titles are not necessarily authentic: they present a real point of view but may not be direct quotes. It is appropriate to analyse them but it is unnecessary, even unwise, to spend time on researching a context for them.

Examiners mark essays against the title as set. Respond to the title exactly as given; do not alter it in any way. Your essay must have a maximum of 1600 words, it must be double spaced and typed in size 12  font.

Kind Regards,

Mr. Coey

May 2014 ToK Prescribed Titles

Dear Diploma Candidates,

The May 2014 ToK titles have been released. I suggest working on your ToK essay soon before you have all of your time consumed.

ToK Prescribed Titles May 2014

Check with Ms. Bell about the due dates. For my part, I can read and comment on one draft of your paper, so I suggest you workshop this paper prior to sending it to me.  Remember, ‘the map is not the territory!’

Kind Regards,

Mr. Coey

ToK 2013 Essay Schedule

As we’ve discussed, IB has recently decided to delay providing essay “prompts” until September 1st. The essay you write this year will not be sent to IB, but will still count as half of your semester grade in this class. The process we go through will be invaluable for those of you who are continuing in the IB Diploma process and whom will be required to write an essay in the fall. Those of you not in going for a Diploma will not have to write a second essay.

 

Here is the schedule for our TOK “practice” essay:

 

Week of May 13th:

 

Monday:

 

Review schedule

 

Review “”IB Theory of Knowledge Essay Writing Guide” (here is a another link to it)

 

Review “Six Steps to a Really Good Theory of Knowledge Essay” and Six steps to writing a good TOK essay:A Student Guide.

Review “Writing a ToK Essay by Van de Lagemaat”

Write a total of twelve things you learn that might assist you write your essay.

 

Tuesday:

 

Review the potential essay “titles” that can be found here. You should pick two, just in case we review sample essays responding to one of them.(NOTE: Diploma Candidates can only choose from the ones in May, 2013 — those are the same choices being offered to Mr. Ferlazzo’s class. Non-Diploma candidates can pick any one other than the prompts used by the student sample essays below)

 

May, 2013

 

2013

 

2012

 

2011-12

 

2010-11

 

2009 – 10

 

2006-07

 

Wednesday:

 

First, here are two potential outlines for you to use to prepare your essay. Please pick the one that looks the best and print it out (you may also print out both if you would like).

 

TOK ESSAY OUTLINE NUMBER ONE

 

TOK ESSAY OUTLINE NUMBER TWO

 

You must use one of these forms to guide the outline to both your practice essay and your final essay. You do not necessarily have to actually fill out the form, but you must use it as a guide. Your practice essay outline will be due two weeks from the day we complete the introduction to the essay unit.

 

Second, look at this Planning Sheet and, if you decide it can be helpful, please print it out.

 

Third, look at these four TOK essays written by former students. Write down five things you notice about each.

 

Essay 1

 

Essay 2

 

Essay 3

 

Essay 4

 

Also note:

 

* How many Ways of Knowing are discussed and what were they?

 

* How many Areas of Knowledge are discussed and what were they?

 

* How many explicit textbook connections did you find and what were they?

 

* How many personal examples were used and what were they?

 

* How many non-personal examples were used and what were they?

 

* How many “stories” were used and what were they?

 

Thursday:

 

Go to this TOK blog and download and print-out Six steps to a ToK essay 2. Review it.

 

Review this preparation sheet. Write down what you think are the five most important points and why you think they’re important.

 

Friday:

 

This will be a “catch-up” day if we are running behind schedule.

 

Week of May 20th:

 

Your outline is due on Friday of this week.

 

Monday:

 

We will review A, B, and C essays, including one titled ““Are reason and emotion equally necessary in justifying moral decisions?”

 

What differences do you notice between the A, B, and C essays; What can you apply to your own essay?

 

Tuesday:

 

Work on outline

 

Wednesday:

 

TOK research as described previously.

 

Thursday:

 

Work on outline

 

Friday:

 

Essay outline is due. Review these notes from last year prior to turning in your outline.

 

Week of May 27th

 

The first draft of your essay is due on Monday of this week. You will have all week to work on it. Email it to me.

 

 

 

Your final version is due on June 3rd. Email it to me.