KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS EXAMPLES

Both the presentation and the essay focus on the relationship between knowledge questions and real-life situations. TOK presentation: start above the line with a real-life situation. Identify the underlying knowledge question (below the line). Explore using the language of TOK. Translate conclusion back into real-life terms. TOK essay: The prescribed titles are expressed in TOK language; they sit below the line. Need to identify knowledge questions and give examples (above the line). Explore using the tools of TOK. A general conclusion will be in TOK language below the line.

EXAMPLES RLS: Arabic to be made mandatory in all Israeli school KQ: To what extent does language shape thought and behaviour? RLS: The Wikileaks disclosures about Western governments’ foreign policy KQ: Who should decide about the amount of knowledge accessible to the general population? RLS: Monsanto and genetically engineered food KQ: Who should decide on the part played by natural science in our lives? RLS: President Obama allowing a Muslim community centre to be built near Ground Zero KQ: Should there be a limit to multicultural tolerance? RLS: Joshua Bell busking in New York City KQ: To what extent does context inform the way we interact with the arts? RLS: The Manila tourist bus hijacking KQ: Has the news become entertainment and what are the implications of this?

RLS: Saddam Hussein's execution. Poor KQ: Was it right for Saddam Hussein to be executed? Intermediate KQ: Can capital punishment ever be justified? Good KQ: What role can intuition play in determining someone's guilt and subsequent punishment?

RLS: Megawati's mother brought home some pens from work, and offered them to her to use in school. Megawati is wondering whether this is stealing. Poor KQs: Was it ethical for Megawati's mother to take the pens from her work? Is it ethical to use supplies provided by your work for non-business purposes? Intermediate KQ: To what extent is it ethical to use materials provided by your work for non-business purposes? To what extent is it ethical for one use materials provided by their employer outside of work? Good KQ How do people establish what is right or wrong? To what extent is truth dependent upon the individual? To what extent can one expect morality to be shared among people? To what extent is dishonesty a global epidemic? To what extent can we distinguish between right and wrong?

RLS: Ann's mother is a doctor in the hospital RLS: Ann's mother is a doctor in the hospital. Sang's father is a homeopath. They are arguing about whether homeopathy is effective or not. Not a KQ: How has medicine changed over the past 300 years? Poor KQ: How reliable are documents on Homeopathy? Intermediate KQ: Are the beliefs of homeopathy devotees reasonable? Is faith or reason more important when deciding on what medical options to pursue? Good KQ: To what extent should reason be prioritized over faith when assessing claims of effectiveness in scientific endeavour?