The ToK Presentation

1. The ToK Presentation

2. The ToK Presentation as a form of Assessment 1 What is the Presentation designed to do? How to go about doing the Presentation How is the Presentation Assessed? 2 3

3. 1. What is the Presentation Designed to do? Consider the history of teaching / learning: • Oral conversation as a form of discourse is considerably older than writing – • Confucius, Buddha, Plato, Homer – bards • Some teachers and pupils “feel” more comfortable talking and listening than reading and writing things down • Why do scientists dislike writing essays so much, yet enjoy the opportunity to engage in intellectual discussion? • Why is the concept of an “academic paper” only of a written essay that is read out loud?

4. 1. What is the Presentation Designed to do? • The ToK Presentation is an opportunity for you to talk about a knowledge issue that is related closely to a real life situation that has personal relevance to you as the centre of your learning profile. • The IB ToK Guide states that: The emphasis in the TOK presentation is on demonstrating an understanding of knowledge at work in the world. This means that it is your chance to show that the sort of questions you have been asking in ToK can be asked of situations in the real world.

5. 1. What is the Presentation Designed to do? In your Presentation, you should: a) Link clearly a real life situation/event with a Knowledge Issue b) Outline the real life situation / event briefly c) Explore the Knowledge Issue that comes from it in a general way and in terms of The Ways of Knowing – Perception, Language, Reason, Emotion The Areas of Knowledge – Arts, History, Mathematics, Human Science, Natural Science, Ethics d) Relate back to the original real life situation/event AND other real life situations / events

6. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? D: CONNECTIONS A: Identification of Knowledge Issue C: Knower’s Perspective B: TREATMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ISSUE 10 minutes per person and 4 Criteria:

7. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion A: A: Identification of Knowledge Issue What you need to do: • Did the presentation identify a relevant knowledge issue involved, implicit or embedded in a real-life situation? 1. Find a real life situation that has personal relevance • 2. Extract from it a knowledge issue • 3. Show clearly how the knowledge issue and the situation are related

8. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? What the criteria say: Criterion A: Identifying the Knowledge Issue

9. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion B: B: treatment of Knowledge Issues What you need to do: • Did the Presentation show a good understanding of knowledge issues, in the context of the real-life situation? Show that you understand the knowledge issue – and any other knowledge issues that arise during your exploration and development. • Show clear progression in your thinking and logical approach ..cont’d

10. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion B: B: treatment of Knowledge Issues What you need to do: • Did the Presentation show a good understanding of knowledge issues, in the context of the real-life situation? Ideas to explore are: • the influence of a knower’s attributes on their interpretation of a situation • The role of relevant WoKs in creating knowledge about the situation • The methods used by different AoKs in handling the situation

11. What the criteria say: Criterion B: Treatment of the Knowledge Issues 2. How is the Presentation Assessed?

12. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion C: C:Knower’s Perspective What you need to do: Did the Presentation, particularly in the use of arguments and examples, show an individual approach and demonstrate the significance of the topic? Show, through your mastery of the material you present, how the topic is significant to you as a knower. • Think ahead and demonstrate ownership of the topic. • ..cont’d

13. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion C: C: Knower’s Perspective What you need to do: Did the Presentation, particularly in the use of arguments and examples, show an individual approach and demonstrate the significance of the topic? Construct your arguments from your own reflections NOT those of others • Choose examples from your own experiences wherever possible • Demonstrate why your audience should care

14. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? What the criteria say: Criterion C: Knower’s Perspective

15. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Use the Ways of Knowing and Areas of Knowledge to explore other perspectives. What you need to do: Criterion D: Connections • Did the Presentation give a balanced account of how the topic could be approached from different perspectives? • Did the Presentation show how the positions taken on the various knowledge issues would have implications in related areas? • Consider their wider implications and how this might lead to alternative approaches in other real life situations. • Quality not quantity. • …cont’d

16. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? Criterion D: C: connections What you need to do: Did the Presentation give a balanced account of how the topic could be approached from different perspectives? Did the Presentation show how the positions taken on the various knowledge issues would have implications in related areas? Suggestions are: Look for different approaches to the KI not to the interpretation of the real life situation • Consider whether different WoKs and AoKs lead to different approaches • Try not to turn your presentation into a debate • Show wider implications by linking to other real life situations

17. 2. How is the Presentation Assessed? What the criteria say: Criterion D: Connections

18. 3. How to go about doing the Presentation Structure:

19. Other Real-Life Situation Real-Life Situation Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com Other Real-Life Situation application extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized) Knowledge Issue(s) (developed) progression

20. Example: Real Life Situation Knowledge Issue I watched “Les Miserables” at the theatre. In the play, Jean Valjean steals a loaf of bread to feed his family – he is pursued constantly by Javert for his crime. ?

21. REAL LIFE SITUATION In “Les Miserables”, Valjean steals some bread and is pursued by Javert for his crime Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com KNOWLEDGE ISSUE How do we know when a punishment is appropriate?

22. REAL LIFE SITUATION In “Les Miserables”, Valjean steals some bread and is pursued by Javert for his crime Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com My friend is a lawyer and has a list of what punishments are deemed appropriate How do different cultures punish? Crime = punishment ? KNOWLEDGE ISSUE How do we know when a punishment is appropriate? Can crime be justified? What is the purpose of punishment?

23. REAL LIFE SITUATION In “Les Miserables”, Valjean steals some bread and is pursued by Javert for his crime Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com My friend is a lawyer and has a list of what punishments are deemed appropriate How do different cultures punish? Crime = punishment ? The conflict between emotion and reason in deciding Ethical and humanitarian perspectives KNOWLEDGE ISSUE How do we know when a punishment is appropriate? Can crime be justified? The need for law and order Factors contributing to the crime The influence of language What is the purpose of punishment?

24. The Mayor of Casterbridge UAE 24 REAL LIFE SITUATION In “Les Miserables”, Valjean steals some bread and is pursued by Javert for his crime Zimbabwe Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com Lord of the Flies USA 007 Other “literary” examples My friend is a lawyer and has a list of what punishments are deemed appropriate International concerns? Political crimes How do different cultures punish? Crime = punishment ? The conflict between emotion and reason in deciding Ethical and humanitarian perspectives KNOWLEDGE ISSUE How do we know when a punishment is appropriate? Can crime be justified? The need for law and order Factors contributing to the crime The influence of language What is the purpose of punishment?

25. Another Example: Real Life Situation Knowledge Issue The S.E. Asian Tsunami Disaster, Christmas 2004. ?

26. REAL LIFE SITUATION The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the location of its epicentre Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com KNOWLEDGE ISSUE To what extent does prediction test the validity of a scientific theory? KEY: Extraction

27. REAL LIFE SITUATION The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the location of its epicentre Geology: tectonic theory as an explanation for continental drift Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com Predictions generated by standard tectonic theory Explanatory power, predictions from patterns Strengths KNOWLEDGE ISSUE To what extent does prediction test the validity of a scientific theory? KEY: Extraction Development Application back General nature of scientific theory

28. REAL LIFE SITUATION The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the location of its epicentre Geology: tectonic theory as an explanation for continental drift Application of, and responses to, these difficulties in the context of the tsunami Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com Predictions generated by standard tectonic theory Explanatory power, predictions from patterns Observer effects Strengths Problems Problems of induction and generalization KNOWLEDGE ISSUE To what extent does prediction test the validity of a scientific theory? Confounding variables, complexity of interactions Amenability to experimentation, historical versus experimental data Difficulties with measurement, specifying Initial conditions KEY: Extraction Development Application back General nature of scientific theory

29. Chemistry: valence shell electron pair repulsion theory REAL LIFE SITUATION The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the location of its epicentre Chemistry: Mendeleev and periodicity Application of, and responses to, these difficulties in the context of the tsunami Geology: tectonic theory as an explanation for continental drift Your picture caption can go here. Picture from PresenterMedia.com Economics: the Phillips curve Other real-life situations (natural sciences and human sciences) Predictions generated by standard tectonic theory Biology: evolution by natural selection: homology, palaeontology, artificial selection, etc. Explanatory power, predictions from patterns Observer effects Strengths Problems Problems of induction and generalization KNOWLEDGE ISSUE To what extent does prediction test the validity of a scientific theory? Confounding variables, complexity of interactions Amenability to experimentation, historical versus experimental data Difficulties with measurement, specifying Initial conditions KEY: Extraction Development Application back Application onward General nature of scientific theory

30. …often they may take topics that were already treated in other courses. One of the suggestions IB has… What sort of topics have you looked at in other classes?

31. LANGUAGE A How do we know a person is a man or woman? Caster Semenya David J. Phillip/Associated Press Updated Aug. 26, 2009 Caster Semenya is a world champion runner from South Africa who is at the center of an international dispute over whether she has too many male characteristics to compete as a woman. Ms. Semenya, a muscular, husky-voiced 18-year-old, won the gold medal in the women's 800 meters at the world track and field championships in Berlin in August 2009. The victory came on the same day that the

32. Read the article(s). Fill out the IB Presentation graphic organizer individually, as best you can. When you are done, compare yours to the others sitting at your table.

34. Let’s look them over and discuss.

36. Bonding and attachment of Australian Aboriginal children ‘Sorry’ apology to Stolen Generations On February 13th, 2008, Aboriginal people across all Australia were deeply moved and in tears: The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, had finally apologized to the Stolen Generations and said ‘sorry’. Read how the media saw the ‘Sorry’ apology, check out polls and what Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people said about how they received the apology.

37. One In A Billion: A boy's life, a medical mystery    Nicholas Volker is a little boy with a rare, devastating disease. In a desperate bid to save his life, Wisconsin doctors must decide: Is it time to push medicine's frontier?

38. THE END The ToK Presentation