Resources For Mr. Ferlazzo's TOK Class
Use this form to plan your “What If?” History project.
Create a short PowerPoint presentation and upload it to Authorstream. Post the link to your slideshare presentation in the comments section of this post.
Your presentation to the class must be five minutes or less.
See some examples here.
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 April 9th:
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.
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.
Wednesday:
First, please go to the sidebar of this blog under “Essay Links” and visit as many websites there as you can. Make a list of the six most important things you feel you’ve learned from them, and at least three questions you have (more are preferable).
Second, 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).
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.
Third, look at this Planning Sheet and, if you decide it can be helpful, please print it out.
Fourth, look at these two TOK essays written by former students. Write down five things you notice about each.
Also note:
* How many Ways of Knowledge 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 April 16th:
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:
Starting today, we will do the work described here every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the next three weeks. Every Thursday and Friday, we will prepare and teach lessons in small groups.
Wednesday:
TOK research as described previously.
Thursday:
Prepare TOK lesson
Friday:
Teach TOK lesson
Week of April 23rd
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — TOK research as described. Mr. Ferlazzo will not be here on Monday or Tuesday (remember, Tuesday is the field trip).
Thursday and Friday — lessons
Week of April 30th (State Tests will be this week, so this schedule might change)
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — TOK research as described.
Thursday and Friday — lessons
Week of May 7th (State Tests will be this week, so this schedule might change)
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — TOK research as described.
Thursday and Friday — lessons
NOTE: Your outline will be do this Friday, May 11th, even with state tests scheduled. Review these notes from last year prior to turning in your outline. Email them to me at mrferlazzo@aol.com
Week Of May 14th
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — Work on first draft. I will have comments back to you on your outlines, and have individual conferences, throughout the week.
Week Of May 21st
Monday — Work on first draft. I will not be in school this day.
Tuesday — San Francisco Field Trip
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday — Work on first draft
NOTE: Your first draft must be emailed to me by this Friday, May 25th. You must include this post as a checklist.
Week Of May 28th
Monday is a holiday. The rest of the week will be spent continuing to work on your essay. I will have comments back to you on your first drafts, and have individual meetings with each of you.
Week Of June 4th
Continue to work on final essay.
NOTE: Final essay is due Friday, June 8th.
Reminders about your oral presentation:
* Reduce amount of “academic gobbledygook.”
* If you use a quote, immediately follow it with putting it in your own words.
* Every real-life example, claim, counter claim, and discussion of linking questions MUST have a story/example connected to it. See the second half of The Best Digital Storytelling Resources to learn about how to tell stories and their importance. Your stories should be a mix of personal ones and ones you’ve learned from texts, movies, history, etc. IMPORTANT: When you tell the stories, be sure to connect them back to the knowledge issue!
* Don’t only expand on TOK textbook ideas and concepts — also provide explicit connections to what you have learned from textbook and class.
* Minimize sharing your opinion until the conclusion.
TOK Schedule for the rest of the year (subject to change):
One day per week you will prepare a TOK lesson in a small group.
One day per week you will teach a TOK lesson in a small group.
Three days each week you will work on either your Oral Presentation or your Essay.
This schedule will change when students are presenting their Oral Presentations.
The class will decide on a regular schedule — which days of the week we’ll prepare and teach lessons, and which days prepare for Oral Presentation or Essay.
JANUARY:
Friday, Jan. 13th — Deadline for TOK oral presentation groups to form and turn-in topic.
Friday, Jan. 20th — Deadline for draft outline of oral presentation to be turned-in. Should follow outline on class blog.
Friday, Jan. 27th — Deadline for draft PowerPoint presentation to be completed.
FEBRUARY
Wednesday, February 1st — Deadline for second version outline of oral presentation to be completed.
Friday, February 10th — Deadline final version of oral presentation outline to be completed.
Wednesday, February 15th — “Guinea Pig” oral presentation given & is publicly critiqued by teacher & class
Feb16th & 17th — Groups make changes based on critique
Monday, February 20th — Presentations Begin and are done through the week
February 27th through March 9th — Groups revise presentations
MARCH
Monday, March 12th — Second Presentations Begin and are done through the week.
Friday, March 16th — Class Celebration!
March 19th — Preparations for Essay Begin — This is a non negotiable date. We must begin Essay Prep at this time.
APRIL
First Week is vacation
Essay & CAS Check-in
MAY
Essay (Remember, we’ll also have two weeks of state testing this month & San Francisco Field Trip)
JUNE
Friday, June 8th Final Essay Due
Theory of knowledge prescribed titles (Note: these are not for us, but they will give you an idea of what to expect)
November 2012
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 below. 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. Remember to centre your essay on knowledge issues and, 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 have been spoken or written by an actual person. 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 be between 1200 and 1600 words in length.
1.Can we have beliefs or knowledge which are independent of our culture?
2.“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts” (Arthur Conan Doyle). Consider the extent to which this statement may be true in two or more areas of knowledge.
3.“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” (Albert Einstein) Do you agree?
4.What counts as knowledge in the arts? Discuss by comparing to one other area of knowledge.
5.“Habit is stronger than reason.” To what extent is this true in two areas of knowledge?
6.“The ultimate protection against research error and bias is supposed to come from the way scientists constantly re-test each other’s results.” To what extent would you agree with this claim in the natural sciences and the human sciences?
Imagine that you have never seen or heard of a report card.
Think about what kind of progress report would offer you the kind of information that would be helpful to your learning. What would it include?
Here are a few examples of what other people have created.
Draw it, and then provide the reasons behind your design. Justify it through the Ways of Knowing: Perception, Reason, Language and Emotion.
This is due on December 2nd.
Review these links on knowledge issues. Please takes notes and respond in the comments section:
1) What is a knowledge issue?
2) What are key ideas to remember when you are trying to write one?
3) Write two or three knowledge issues.
4) Which resource was the best in helping you understand knowledge issues?
Knowledge issues, knowers and knowing
Understanding Knowledge Issues
How do I formulate my own Knowledge Issues for a presentation?
Theory Of Knowledge Schedule 2011-12
Homework:
Read assigned chapters. For each one, write what you think are the three most important points and why you think they are important (two sentences for each one is sufficient), two short key quotes and at least a sentence explaining why you chose each one, and two questions you have. In addition, you must choose one “linking question” at the end of each chapter and write an “ABC” paragraph responding to it. “A” means answer the question; “B” means back it up with at least one piece of evidence from the chapter; “C” means make a connection — share a personal experience that supports your answer. Homework will be shared in class. Most of this will be done by January. After that time, “homework” will be primarily preparation for TOK Presentation & Essay. However, substantial class time will be made available for you to work on the presentation and essay.
Occasional assignments on TOK Class Blog (http://theoryofknowledge.edublogs.org/)
Group TOK Presentation – give it twice with the higher-grade counting. Each will be videotaped. Substantial time in class will be provided to prepare, but outside time will also be needed.
TOK Essay – At least one practice essay & one final essay where substantial time in class will be provided (assuming we can get access to computer lab), but outside time will also be needed.
This schedule is subject to change in consultation with the class.
SEPTEMBER:
• Introduction to TOK
• The Problem and Nature Of Knowledge, p. 3-40 (homework due 9/16)
• CAS Plan developed
• Knowledge Issues
• Perception p. 88 -105 (homework due 9/23) – also, do the assignment on the blog titled “Why Do People Believe What They See?” by the same date.
OCTOBER
• Language p. 47-79 (homework due September 30th)
• Reason and Logic p. 111-141 (homework due Oct. 7th)
• Emotions p. 145-169 (homework due Oct. 14th)
• Math p. 187-213 (homework due Oct. 21th)
• The Arts p.328- 356 (homework due Oct. 28th)
NOVEMBER:
• CAS Review
• History p. 300-322 (homework due Nov. 11th)
• Ethics p. 363-396 (homework due Nov. 18th)
DECEMBER:
• Natural Sciences p. 220-250 (homework due December 2nd)
• Human Sciences p. 256-288 (homework due December 9thth)
• TOK Presentation Planning – Decide on topic and group by December 12th. Assuming we can get access to the computer lab, you will one class period each week to work on it, plus two periods immediately prior to when presentations begin – a total of eight class periods. Your written plan will be due on January 13th , but I strongly recommend that you review a draft with me prior to December 16th – if not sooner.
You will make this presentation in late January and early February next semester, and then again shortly afterwards. The one with the higher grade will count. Presentations will be video-recorded.
JANUARY:
• Starting this month and going until the end of the school year, small groups will pick from a wide choice of materials for each Way of Knowing and Area of Knowledge. Each week, groups will prepare short lessons on the material they chose to present to the class – either to another small group or to the entire class. You will be provided a guideline, and creativity will be encouraged. You will have one class period to chose and prepare; there will be one-to-two class periods to present; and the remaining days each week will be spent on your TOK presentation or essay.
• Student-created lessons on perception during the week of January 6th
• Student-created lessons on language during the week of January 13th
• Prepare TOK Presentations
• Written TOK Presentation Plan due January 13th
• TOK Presentations begin on January 30th
• CAS Review
FEBRUARY:
• TOK Presentations during the first week of February
• Finish TOK presentations during the second week of February, groups decide if they are going to redo it and, if so, make preparations
• Student-created lessons on Reason and Logic during the week of February 13th
• Student -created lessons on Emotions during the week of February 20th
• Continue to revise presentations and present again during the third and fourth week of February
MARCH:
• TOK Essay Planning during the first two weeks of March. You must pick one of the ten options for your essay by March 16th
• Student-created lessons Math during the third week of March. Work on essay.
• Student-created lessons on The Arts during the fourth week of March. Work on essay
APRIL:
• Essay Outline due on March 30th. Draft is due April 27th. Final is due June 1st.
• Student-created lessons on History during the third week of April
• Student-created lessons on Ethics during the fourth week of April
• CAS Review
MAY:
• Student-created lessons on Natural Sciences during the first week of May
• Student-created lessons on Physical Sciences during second week of May
• Religion p. 404-431 (homework due May 18thth) — We may or may not do this unit depending on how the Essay is going.
• Final essay due on June 1st
Here are some models of PowerPoint Presentations:
The Boston Globe published an article you might find useful:
After looking through student outlines for the TOK Essay, here are some suggestions that might be helpful with common issues I saw (Please copy and paste this post in a Word Document and use it as a checklist when you submit your draft essay):
* In your thesis statement, rewrite the prompt in your own words and take a stand — what do you think and why?
* Be sure to define key words and concepts — what is knowledge? what is faith?
* The outline forms use paragraph boxes. However, don’t feel constrained by them. You do not have to follow it exactly — they are only a guide.
* Include information you have learned from the textbook and class handouts.
* Include personal stories.
* Be careful about making blanket statements — everything, always, etc.
* Be sure to include counter-claims.
* You do not have to have an answer for everything. If you have questions you are pondering, then say so.
* Periodically look back to the sample essays for reminders of things that worked and things that did not.
* Be explicit when you are talking about Ways of Knowing and Areas of Knowledge.
* Make sure everything you write is directly responding to the TOK prompt. If it says “consider CAS,” then discuss CAS. If it says “one more Area of Knowledge,” then discuss another Area of Knowledge in additions to one.
* You might find it useful to first think which Areas of Knowledge you are going to write about, then think of examples in those Areas that illustrate your points, and then consider which Ways of Knowing were used to learn those specific AOK examples.
* Don’t just give examples — tell stories.
In other Essay-related news:
May 13th will continue to be the deadline for the first draft of your TOK Essay. However, I’m moving the deadline for the final version from June 3rd to June 10th.
Here are some ideas for each of the Essay Prompts — they may, or may not, be helpful.
March 28th:
1) If you have not yet decided which TOK essay prompt you will choose, go to Theory of knowledge prescribed titles: November 2011 and May 2012 and review them again.
2) You will need to decide the best way for you to save and organize the research you do on the Web. I would like you to make that decision before the end of today. I am going to recommend one of two sites:
* Tizmos is very, very simple. Go to Tizmos and create an account. Be sure to open it on a new tab. You may choose to make it private or public, though I would recommend you make it private to guard against accidental plagiarism. This is an easy tool for you save the url addresses of any website you find that would be useful to your writing. Under “tag” you are given space to write notes.
* WebKlipper is also very simple, but, because it has more options than Tizmos (WebKlipper actually lets you make virtual post-it notes on webpages and allows highlighting), is a little more complicated.
If you don’t like either of those two sites, you can find more options here.
Every Friday, I will ask you to show me both the online notes you take and the notes you take on paper when we review the textbook and older hand-outs from earlier in the year.
3) Go to the “Perception” section on the sidebar of this blog, and take notes on anything you see or read that could be helpful to your essay.
4) Go to Mr. Ferlazzo’s TOK Delicious links and, on the right side, click on “perception.” Take notes on anything you see or read that you think could be helpful to your essay.
Though today may be a little hectic because you have to decide on your online bookmarking tool as well as your TOK essay prompt (if you haven’t already decided), our regular schedule for the next two weeks will look like this:
When we’re in the computer lab or have laptops:
* You will start by going to the sidebar to see the Ways Of Knowing or Areas Of Knowledge that we are focusing on that day and review those resources.
* Then you will go to Mr. Ferlazzo’s Delicious links for the same topic.
* Then, after twenty minutes (the time may vary — depending on how it goes, we may spend most of each period on only one topic and share at the end of class), you will share what you learned with someone who has chosen a different essay topic.
* Then we will repeat the same process with a different Way of Knowing or Area of Knowledge.
When we’re in the classroom:
* You will review your notes and hand-outs from the particular Way of Knowing or Area of Knowledge we’re reviewing that day.
* You will review that section of the textbook.
* You will share what you learned with a student writing on a different essay prompt.
* Repeat
TOK Essay Calendar
MARCH:
March 21st Review Essay Rubric and grade sample essays
March 28th Continue reviewing sample essays; Decide on Essay prompt by March 29th; review textbook chapters & class materials(include blog).Mr. Ferlazzo checks notes on Friday
APRIL
April 4th Continue to review textbook chapters & class materials. Mr. Ferlazzo check notes on Friday.
April 11th Begin class “lessons” again; essay outline due on April 15th – no exceptions!
April 18th Spring Break
April 25th Lessons continue – one day prep and one day to teach in small groups; outlines returned on April 25th; begin work on first draft. This is the routine we will continue for the rest of the year.
May 13th First draft of essay due
June 3rd Final essay due – no exceptions
