TOK PRESENTATION

There are five different mark-bands that your presentation could fall into, but we will focus on the highest one, earning you 9-10 out of 10. You need to: 1. Base your presentation on a clearly articulated knowledge question 2. Ensure that your KQ is closely related to a real-life situation 3. Explore your KQ in the context of your real-life situation 4. Use convincing arguments 5. Consider different perspectives 6. Demonstrate the significance of your main real life situation 7. Include other real life situations, and their implications Key criteria terms characterizing a presentation in the top mark band include: Sophisticated Discerning Insightful Compelling Lucid

Choosing the right Real-Life Situation (RLS) INTEREST. If you’re not ‘compelled’ by your RLS, your audience will almost certainly not be either. SUBSTANTIVE, meaning that it needs to be one that is important or significant. It should lead on naturally to a knowledge question. The presentation should not rely on just one real life situation: you should also be referring to others as you explore your main knowledge question. You should use them to explore different perspectives (including your own), and also demonstrate how your main RLS has parallels to other similar cases (and in so doing, measure its significance and implications).

Do we need to know about the artist in order to understand the art? Identifying and developing a relevant Knowledge Question (KQ) Knowledge questions are key to your presentation. Base your presentation on a clearly articulated knowledge question Ensure that your KQ is closely related to a real-life situation Explore your KQ in the context of your real-life situation A ‘knowledge question’ is exactly that – a ‘question (or issue) about knowledge’. Ex. Australian art collector, David Walsh, who has recently exhibited a collection of paintings without saying who created them, what their titles are, or grouping them into a logical order. Using the WOKs and AOKs, what KQs can we identify? Do we need to know about the artist in order to understand the art? When we say an ‘open question’, we mean a question that doesn’t have an obvious and well- defined answer, and which can be approached from different perspectives and opinions Does emotion alone allow us to understand art?

How many knowledge questions should I ask in my presentation? As you explore your main knowledge question, as the IB “it is likely that other related knowledge questions will be identified and will play a part in taking the argument forward.” How important is cultural context when judging art? Have our impressions of what constitutes ‘good art’ changed over time? What is the role of imagination in understanding art?

Personal knowledge and shared (outside) knowledge Justifying your ideas Personal knowledge and shared (outside) knowledge The best sort of evidence to support your points in TOK comes from real life. It comes in two forms: Personal knowledge. This is knowledge you have experienced or created first hand yourself, such as events you have been a part of, things you have witnessed, emotions you have felt, and learning experiences you have built up. Shared knowledge. This is knowledge that comes from second hand experiences, gained from a variety of sources, such as news reports (TV, printed news, etc.), documentary films, books, the internet, and so on. Your TOK presentation should also refer to examples of your own personal knowledge, particularly (but not exclusively) learning experiences you have had during your IB Diploma course.

Evidence To Avoid Hypothetical examples (they are not valid within TOK, because they tend to lead on to generalizations, without proving assertions.) Unless you can put a date and a place on the example you are using, it is hypothetical. • If, however, you can say when it happened, and where (and also to whom) it is a real life example, and is valid (as long as it’s credible) in a TOK presentation. • Real life examples are more difficult to use, because they require research, and need to be referenced (unless you’re the source), but you will be rewarded for doing so in the presentation. • Hypothetical examples, on the other hand, do nothing to advance your arguments and discussion points.

Evidence To Avoid Anecdotal examples Stories about relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends are shaky at best; tales involving sport and parties and alcohol are similarly unconvincing and tiresome. Anecdotal examples are often hazy in terms of place, time, and detail Anecdotal examples are also ones that you use your memory along to draw on, and do not necessitate any further research or thought. Be precise about what you’re saying, and as much as possible, and try to fix your experiences with a place and date to make them more convincing.

Be original! Evidence To Avoid Clichéd examples Your TOK presentation needs to be original and compelling, and show that you have taken an individual approach, rather than just “repeating commonplace cases or sources.” Most common TOK presentations, and should be avoided if at all possible: Citing Hitler and the Nazis as the archetypal example of a society gone wrong Using the heliocentric versus geocentric theories as an example of a paradigm shift Drawing on Darwin’s theory of evolution to show how science progresses Stating that Columbus proved that the earth wasn’t flat (this isn’t true anyway!), and using it as another paradigm shift Using 1 + 1 as an example of a flawless mathematical axiom Be original!

Perspectives and Significance How should I view my topic from different perspectives? TOK places massive importance on considering different perspectives. By ‘perspective’, IB doesn’t merely mean a different opinion, they mean something more fundamental. This could include the following: Gender Geographical location Religion/philosophical position Historical era Language Cultural tradition Educational system

Fitting your KQs into your presentation Presentation structure Introduction and outline of main RLS Identification & exploration of KQ Consideration of other real life situations and secondary KQs Viewing the topic via other perspectives Assessment of the significance of the main RLS Summing up and directly addressing the main KQ/RLS