sweetnsimple786

Writing a TOK Essay
Tones of people freak out over the TOK essay when they see the topics. I know I did. It took me a lot of investigation, tips, and going to talk to my professor to figure out the process. In the end, my teacher gave me the best advice, which I have given bellow. It helped amazingly.

• Where do I start?
  
• What do I write?
  
• How many paragraphs should I have?
  
• How many examples should I have?
  
• What about counter-arguments?
  
• Can I use outside sources?
  
• How do I define terms? Do I even need to define them?

All of these are common questions asked by TOK students. I have given the information bellow that I find most important for writing a solid, well-rounded, critical and organized essay. If anyone would like to add in advice or information, or give me suggestions of advice and information to add into this document, feel free, and I will get right on it.
How to Remember the Assessment Criteria
Keep in mind the Assessment Criteria when writing your TOK essay. Use it as a checklist throughout your writing process.

• Does your essay contain each criteria, A, B, C and D?

A. Understanding knowledge issues

• You essay is focused on knowledge issues
  
• You have made links and comparisons
  
• You have only relevant information
  
• Your understanding of the prescribed topic is sophisticated

B. Knower’s perspective

• Your thinking and reasoning is independent
  
• You demonstrate self-awareness
  
• You mention different perspectives about specific issues
  
• Your examples are varied, well-explained and relevant

C. Analysis of knowledge issues

• Your writing style and organization demonstrates insight and depth
  
• Your main points have been justified
  
• You essay contains both arguments and counter-arguments
  
• Your essay clarifies assumptions and implications mentioned

D. Organisation of ideas

• The essay is well-structured
  
• The key concepts are explained
  
• Your facts mentioned are accurate
  
• Your essay contains a Reference Page

Remembering the each criteria throughout the writing process may be difficult; therefore, another method of keeping the basics in your mind while writing is by using the "4 Cs" explained below:

• CONTENT (criterion A)- incorporation of Knowledge Issues
  
• CREATIVITY (criterion B)- incorporation of Personal Thought
  
• CRITICAL THINKING (criterion C)- incorporation of arguments and counter-arguments
  
• CLARITY (criterion D)- well-structured essay

Choosing a Question from the Prescribed Titles and Brainstorming
When choosing a question for your essay from the IBO Prescribed Titles, make sure the question you choose can fulfill the following:

You understand the question

• If you don't understand the question, than don't try to figure out what it means. Just don't choose that question! Choose something easier! You should be clear about what the question means, what knowledge issues it raises and what is and is not relevant to it.

You are interested in the question

• How can you write about something you are not interested in? You will encounter many difficulties and also become very bored. Remember, one goal in writing an essay it to keep it interesting for the reader!

You have something to say about the question

• Can you come up with knowledge issues, possible examples and explanations for the question? You need to display confidence in your essay, if you cannot identify it's features, you cannot display that confidence. Try not to choose a question that covers a topic you did not study in your TOK class.

Now it is time to Brainstorm your ideas:

• Read exemplar essays
  
• Keep in mind the TOK diagram (if you have trouble remembering it, print it out and have it in front of you at all times)
  
• Keep in mind the Assessment Criteria or the "4 Cs"
  
• Jot down ideas that come to mind when thinking about the question
  
• Compare and contrast the ideas, than get rid of unimportant ideas.
  
• Think about how your ideas are related to each other
  
• Create a mind map to visualize your ideas, and connect them
  
• Start giving your main ideas sub-points
  
• Don't start writing by using a textbook with information. The essay is all about your ideas, and your reflection on the question.

Writing and Organizing the Essay
Now that you have brainstormed your ideas and have a good idea about what you want to write. Begin writing.

Structure:

• Introduction
  
• Body Paragraphs
  
• Conclusion

Introduction

• Tell the reader what you are going to do in the body paragraphs of your essay
  
• There are three steps to a solid introduction:
  
  • have an attention grabber at the beginning of the introduction to hold the reader's attention
    
  • explain what you understand by the question
    
  • outline how you will approach the question and undertake the issues
• In order to explain yourself, you should:
  
  • write the question you are undertaking in your own words
    
  • explain key terms/give definitions for key terms (in order to avoid ambiguity throughout your essay)
    
  • state why the question is important
• impose your own limits on the question (you can never cover everything, so choose the main fields you wish to work work with)

Thesis Statement

• the fundamental claim you are making in your essay
  
• write a rough Thesis Statement before you start writing
  
• your Thesis Statement will most likely need to be changed a the end of your writing

Paragraphs

• Purpose of the paragraphs (i.e. the body) of your essay- break down, and set apart major new points in your arguments
  
• Organization of the paragraphs of your essay- a group of arguments and evidence that have to do specifically with the point of the main argument being discussed in that specific paragraph
  
• How long should each paragraph be and how should they be or set-up?
  
  • Make sure your paragraphs don't have any irrelevant information
    
  • Major points will, obviously, be longer paragraphs; meanwhile, minor points will be shorter, possibly only 4-5 sentences
    
  • Transition smoothly from paragraph to paragraph (i.e. from point to point). Use appropriate transition words and concluding sentences in your paragraphs to achieve this smooth transition
    
  • Since it is a long essay, you may want to occasionally recap on what you have written, as to not lose the reader in many points, examples and information.

Conclusion

• Wrap up your essay; do not end abruptly.
  
• Do not briefly restate what you have already said in your body paragraphs
  
• Formulate a new way to state your major insight/argument
  
• Mention unresolved issues
  
• Have a striking concluding sentence, giving the reader a positive view on your essays argument.

Style

• Clarity
  
• Economy
  
• Precision

Clarity- make sure the reader can understand what you are saying. Do not feel the need to use complicated words, which would brake the flow of your essay.
Economy- make your essay flow, but also eliminate irrelevant adjectives and other words that are unnecessary and take up your limited word count
Precision

• avoid clarifying too many words; people will get overwhelmed by definitions
  
• make sure to use language that is correct. Some words have subtle differences, others sometimes are inadequately used

Key Features that Should Appear in Your Essay
Content- Key Question: could your essay have been written by someone who has never taken a TOK class? If yes, than you have a problem: there is not enough TOK content (vocabulary, arguments, areas of knowledge, issues of knowledge, etc.)

• display TOK-type critical thinking abilities
  
• the central question: How do you know
  
• tell about the subject, not just facts
  
• compare and contrast difference sources, knowledge issues and areas of knowledge

Personal Thought- Key Question: does the accumulation of your examples and personal thoughts to justify your arguments give your essay a distinctive voice? If your essay sounds bland and boring, you have a problem: go back, be creative and thoughtful.

Demonstrate your personal thoughts through:

• specific positions you take and the points you make for the positions
  
• your well-organize, structured essay
  
• your comparisons
  
• your choice of examples
  
• your use of language
  
• your awareness of bias

Definitions- Key Question: Does your essay begin with explanations/definitions of possible contested concepts you will be utilizing throughout your essay? If someone was to highlight the definitions in your essay, would they be in the introduction, before the reflection?

• Define the contested concepts
  
• Definitions should be at the beginning of the essay, and a reflection should end the essay
  
• Explain why the definition is important and what hangs on it.
  
• You may need to refine your definitions after you finish writing your essay.
  
• Steps for a good definition:
  
  • look into typical examples
    
  • find common characteristics
    
  • test the concept

Arguments- Key Question: Are your arguments a connected series of statements? Do your arguments gives premises to support your claim (your conclusion paragraph)

• "Therefore" test- put therefore in front of your statements, and the series makes sense, then it is an argument.

Evidence- Key Question: Do you have examples for your arguments that give your reader a typical, real-lie event to identify with?

• As a rough guide, you should give supporting evidence if what you are saying is:
  
  • central to your argument
    
  • disputable or surprising.
• The more that hangs on an assertion and the more disputable it is, the more evidence you should give in support of it.
  
• Approach your sources critically:
  
  • Who says?
    
  • Do they have the relevant expertise?
    
  • Are they trustworthy?
    
  • Do they have a vested interest?
    
  • What’s the evidence?
    
  • How plausible is it?
    
  • Do they show both sides?
    
  • Do they use emotive language? Do other experts agree?

Counter-arguments- Key Question: Did you give substantial counter-arguments and refute them successfully?

• Pretend like your essay is a dialogue: someone is trying to contradict your argument, and you are refuting them
  
• Once you have given a counter-argument, you will need to decide how it affects your original argument. There are two main types of response you can make:
  
  • Refutation- reject the counter-argument, proving its mistakes, unlikeliness or unimportance
    
  • Concession- You allow that there is some truth in the counter-argument and qualify your original argument to take account of it.

Sound Reasoning- Key Question: Go through your essay and identify all of the arguments. Have they been properly justified?

• To have a well-justified argument, be careful for:
  
  • Hasty generalization- generalizing from insufficient
    
  • Black-and-white thinking- fallacy of going from one extreme to the other.
    
  • Inconsistency- Check the overall consistency of your essay and ensure that your various points do not contradict one another.

Depth- taking your analysis to an upper level; giving the essay weight
Think about 5 main factors:

• Depth of dialogue try to not go back-and-forth between arguments and counter-arguments, and think of a response to the counter-argument and a counter-response to that. Think about: the quality as well as the quantity of such exchanges, at what point to bring them to a close.
  
• Weight of evidence The more supporting evidence you can give for your arguments the more conviction they will be.
  
• Relevant distinctions Introducing relevant distinctions will add subtlety and finesse to your argument.
  
• Key implications By exploring the implications of your argument, you show that you are thinking around the issue. Ask yourself what follows from the point you are considering.
  
• Background assumptions What assumptions am I making? Be willing to question them. Try not to confuse what is cultural and what is natural

Breadth

• make connections
  
• consider both similarities and differences
  
• consider different perspectives
  
• think beyond your own assumptions
  
• bring in hidden assumptions in your own thinking

Examples

• use varied and effective examples
  
  • Keep in mind when giving examples:
    
  • Hypothetical examples
    
  • Clichéd examples
    
  • Representative examples
    
  • Varied examples
    
  • Brevity of examples
    
  • Examples vs statistics- use both if you want

Quotations
According to the IBO definition, plagiarism is ‘the representation of the ideas or work of another person as the candidate’s own’. You will not be awarded your IB Diploma if it is discovered that you plagiarized your essay. To avoid plagiarism, the IBO says that: ‘Candidates must always ensure that they acknowledge fully and in detail the words and/or ideas of another person.’ Be sure to, therefore, reference (give credit) to any quotations written in your essay.

http://www.boston.co...boys_bias_suit/

Quote

That kid is such a whiner. "I'm failing classes because the system is designed to favour girls. The teachers like them more than me". Maybe if he'd just listen in class and not mess around, he'd get somewhere. His GPA is 2.88; no wonder he wants to change the system. He obviously wants to get into college, but changing the system so it suits him isn't fair. In my school, throughout all the grades, it can definitely be said that the guys are the ones who get lower grades in every class because they like to mess around, crack jokes and ignore the teacher in lessons. That's not true for all schools, but my school seems to attract those that have poor academic standards. If you get low grades, accept it and work on improving them. Don't blame them on others and try to sue the school for giving you the grades you deserve for putting in no effort.

And the father of that boy "says that teachers must change their attitudes toward boys and look past boys' poor work habits or rule-breaking to find ways to encourage them academically." Look past rule-breaking? So basically, give a free pass to people to start fights, skip class and still give them the same grades as girls? And how is looking past poor work habits a good thing for the future? If you don't learn to work hard in high school, you'll fail in college as well as in a job.

wikinerd, on Jun 17, 2009 - 13:20, said:

I thought your argument was that boys are disadvantaged by lectures and the style of teaching? In which case I was pointing out that lectures don't = understanding and that it is understanding which is important, because that's ultimately what will hit the high grades and what gets tested in exams. So the ability to understand is obviously there, but I was asking if you could think of an alternative to lectures in an attempt to teach understanding. In my opinion/experience there is no alternative to lectures.

By mentioning that it is understanding which is important and that lectures don't magically give you understanding of something (most people gain that through reviewing) I meant to point out that the issue does not lie with the teaching. If it lies anywhere, I would suspect it would be attitude toward learning. If you don't take the time to revise and go over things, you're not going to do as well as somebody who does, and there's no teaching method which can save any person, male or female, who doesn't go over stuff and understand it properly. It's just a fact that you're more likely to have a studious girl than a studious guy.

If you've not started IB yet then it is possible you've never sat proper external exams before (especially if 30% of what you've done is internal!) and in that case maybe there is an issue with your particular establishment. Examiners don't have a gender bias, though, and most people have sat official externals for important exams prior to the IB. Examiners, after all, have no clue who you are. These statistics are for University, not before it.

And seriously, relax a bit! This is a discussion, not a death match. No need to be aggressive, snarky or patronising. I feel for you that your posts are being negged, I don't think they should be, I have to presume it's because people disagree with either what you're saying or how you're saying it-- but it's not a reason to get heated with responses. I know the difference between a fact and a stereotype, and I'm happy to credit you with understanding, too! O:

That psychology article on how girls get lower marks in college contradicts with the article I originally posted, but that's because my article was based on a study of universities in the UK, and yours is on colleges in the US. In general, I would have to say that educational standards in universities are lower in the States. The first year of college there is a general studies one, and is used to make sure that every one is on the same level in terms of English, Maths and other subjects. Basically another year of high school. In the UK, you specialize as soon as you start, and you only take modules which are relevant to your degree. So it's not really any surprise to me that girls get lower marks on that side of the Atlantic.

Speaking of discrimination in schools (that anti-discrimination law that was passed mentioned in that psychology journal article), there is big-time discrimination against girls' sports teams in high schools. http://www.las-elc.o...304-sports.html . Other articles have focused on instances where the school budget is cut, and it's the girls teams that are cut, not the guys. In some places people obviously think sport is more important for guys than girls. Maybe if they gave more money to girls' sports budgets, they wouldn't have so many teen pregnancies or other problems with girls.

So your point is that teachers favouritise female pupils because of the way they behave, so they get taught better? Ultimately the things which are assessed, insofar as I am aware, are examinations and coursework, both of which have an element of external assessment. So at the end of the day, even if boys are less likely to cover their work in glitter and jazz it up to make it look special (I must say, I only know a couple of girls who do this sort of thing!!), it ought to add up the same, as there are no glitter marks on the mark scheme.

Being honest, I think this very much depends on where you are. All-boys schools seem to manage okay! Questioning the teacher's ability is, besides not necessarily being a gender-specific thing (particularly if you do have rubbish teachers ) not a grade-destroying thing. Nor is not paying attention in lectures if you can understand the material afterwards. If the understanding is there, it's all equal, and classroom favouritism shouldn't reflect in grades. Unless you suggest boys are fundamentally incapable of learning until they're older, it's difficult to see where the problem is. There are tonnes of smart guys because they understand what's going on, and ultimately that's how everything is solved, whether you pay attention in lectures or not. I can't think of a different teaching style to help with understanding in that respect besides self-teaching-- which is what both genders do. All in all, I don't see a significant bias within the education system and the way of teaching itself which might lead to the significant under-performance of a gender! I mean, how would you propose guys should be taught to favour them? Just to illustrate where you feel the difference lies.

Not seriously, no Possibly as a sort of distracting thought experiment when I'm feeling really down and fed up, but that's more of a curiosity than genuine consideration. I don't see how offing myself would have any kind of effect at all. At least if you're alive things can get better, even if they're crap as they stand! Death is an end, whereas even the most rubbishy parts of life are actualities. Killing yourself to find something better is like trying to make a better film by destroying your video camera.

To be honest it really saddens me that anybody should be at that point in their life. Although I have different feelings when it comes to issues of euthanasia and terminal illnesses, straight-up suicide is in my opinion evidence of nothing more than a society which has significantly failed one of its members.

A lot of these academic suicides come from backgrounds where academia has been distorted to be the be-all and end-all. They do it because they're emotionally distressed and all over the place -- either somebody else or they themselves have pushed them to a breaking point and they're in last resort mode. Suicide is always the outcome of a distortion of feelings and it's the responsibility of everybody else to help keep whichever people are suffering with a sense of perspective. To be the person piling on all that pressure is to be in some large measure responsible for what happens.

I know somebody who committed suicide recently and it's none of the things I'm sure people imagine when they do it, although I hope that somehow those who take their own lives do find some kind of peace. However overall it seems to me that it solves nothing except for to hurt the people who get left behind. Parents lose their children, children their siblings and friends lose their friends.

That you're a ****. And I agree with fratdude...you'de make a gay porno.

fratdude007, on Sep 07, 2010 - 10:17, said:

Totally agree with fratdude...making a film is pathetic...get a friggin life and do something productive..

better banging chicks than filming ****s. ooo internal rhyme beat that biatch.

tenaciousdan, on Sep 07, 2010 - 10:05, said:

by the sounds of your display-name "tenaciousdan" seems like your making some sort of gay pornographic short film.

Hey and what do you think of the Paper 3? I could not finish it and felt I did terrible!I got a 5 at the end and had predicted 7!

soadquake981, on May 22, 2010 - 18:28, said:

The question didn't ask for a trophic name, it asked for the trophic level. It was the 4th trophic level, or tertiary consumer. Either should be an acceptable answer.

You can view all the Files we have for those subjects and the syllabi just by browsing the Files section, as Sweetnsimple said. You can also look at the Links section to find some useful ones.

To find links like the ones she Googled... use Google!

Yeah, I use Anvir Free which is better since it is free, considering the name, and also because It gives you all control over your computer, like an advanced task manager. I think I can handle myself

Also since I don't really see any problems with people having pc trouble in this thread, please don't spontaneous advertise if you can help it. thank you.

found them:

http://www.sevenoaks...daries 2010.pdf