TOK essay introduction
TOK essay introduction
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TOKVoortgezet speciaal onderwijsLeerroute 5
This lesson contains 21 slides, with text slides.
Items in this lesson
TOK essay introduction
Slide 1 - Slide
Top ten tips for a TOK essay
1 Know the assessment criteria: The TOK essay is fascinating in that once a set of questions comes out.
Any essay with those five key properties will do well.
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a) be focused on the question
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b) bring in contrasting areas of knowledge
(2 AOK)
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c) present clear arguments, and show evaluative balance, counter-arguments
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d) include evidence to support the arguments, which is specific, relevant and not clichéd
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e) demonstrate communication and quality of explanation that is convincing, and shows hints of insight
and understanding of the core concepts from the TOK course.
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Tip 2
Do not get bogged down in definitions: Of course it is important to immediately confront any key words in the
title, but do not list the dictionary definitions. Explain why they are important, not what the internet tells you
they mean.
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Tip 3
Do not just dump in knowledge words: One mistake many students make is to think of as many ‘TOK words’
as possible, and then just litter their essays with ‘knowledge, uncertainty, truth, authority, etc’ but never really
explain them or show understanding.
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Tip 4
Do not make grandiose, meaningless claims: Students will often begin essays with questions or, worse, sound
like they are scripting some terrible documentary: ‘The sea of knowledge has great depths, but also allows us to
navigate the surface.’ Pontificating does not sound insightful, and just suggests you are racing to the word count.
Slide 10 - Slide
Tip 5
Introductions are crucial: Make sure the introduction shows that students understand the question, and make
sure the conclusion shows that they have answered it. For a TOK essay, the introduction is absolutely vital.
For an examiner who is marking hundreds of varying approaches to the question, seeing an introduction that
is clear and focused correctly on the question, and which outlines how the question will be answered, will be well received.
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Tip 6
Counter-arguments/claims of equal strength: One area where students are consistently marked down is when
their counter-arguments/claims are of weaker quality, and consequently their essays lack balance. You could
ask students to take two highlighters, and to highlight the ‘for’ and ‘against’ of their essay. Only at this point
do they realise that they have inadvertently created an 80/20 split.
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Tip 7
Original examples impress examiners: TOK is everywhere; consequently, it is frustrating for examiners when
students recycle the same clichéd examples of Copernicus, Fleming, the trolley problem or any other common
example. Students who go the extra mile to find unique, compelling and relevant examples will be rewarded.
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Tip 8
Build an extended argument: TOK is not philosophy; nor is a TOK essay a philosophy essay, but it is closer in
style to a philosophy essay than anything else. Good philosophy essays are precise, concise and clear. Rather
than just presenting several loosely related points, they also provide a structured, extended argument that is
logical and balanced.
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Tip 9
Write with precision and clarity: TOK is all about communication, and it is essential that the essay is readable.
It should have a depth of insight, and a breadth of application. Many of the best essays have been 2,500 words for a first draft, and then cut down to a point where not a word is wasted. Since there is a danger of
a TOK essay floating off into empty abstractions, you should, where possible, try to be precise rather than vague. While you may need to qualify some of your assertions, if you are too vague and hedge qualifications around with too many caveats, you will end up not saying anything. Be particularly cautious with words like ‘clearly’, ‘proves’ and ‘all’, which are often misused or inadequately justified. Lastly, it should also be able to be understood by anyone. If it is not, it probably is not very good.
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Tip 10
A conclusion is more than a summary: This might be an explanation of exactly why you were unable to answer
the question, or what you would need to know in order to answer the question. Do not just repeat your
arguments. The final paragraph should ‘feel’ like a conclusion, and not leave the reader hanging in mid-air or
be a list of questions that you have not attempted to answer.
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How do you structure a TOK essay?
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Yes/no/maybe
This is the simplest way to structure a TOK essay, and is often the most accessible. Essentially,
your planning becomes an extended Venn diagram. You look for the clear arguments for and against, and
then finally you look for the middle ground. The balance of arguments is achieved, the structure is clear and
the criteria are hit.
Slide 18 - Slide
AOK vs AOK
Many TOK essays ask you to compare two AOKs, and this lends itself to a relatively easy structure whereby you outline your understanding of the question, answer it once in one AOK and then again in a contrasting AOK (e.g. maths vs history). The challenge is that this approach requires the student
to weave evaluation and perspectives throughout the essay, and explicitly within each AOK. If this aspect is missed, the essay can end up appearing unbalanced.
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Conceptually driven
The most challenging approach is a concept-driven one whereby students look to get to
the real heart of the question by selecting key concepts from it and deftly unpacking them through related
arguments. This approach is more likely to fit with the ‘discuss’ questions. It should only be attempted by
students who really ‘get’ TOK.
