TOK essay

[choyiny]

I am doing prescribed title number 1, and I was told that it was not necessary to include knowledge questions as it stated in the subject report that knowledge questions often distract candidates in answering the prescribed title. So, my question is are candidates obliged to make knowledge questions that are related to the title? Or could the title be directly addressed without raising any knowledge questions without being punished?

 

I am aware that the criteria says "a sustained focus on knowledge questions connected to the prescribed title and are well chosen for the Excellent band, however, would candidates be punished without asking any questions?

 

Thanks.

[Vioh]

I am doing prescribed title number 1, and I was told that it was not necessary to include knowledge questions as it stated in the subject report that knowledge questions often distract candidates in answering the prescribed title. So, my question is are candidates obliged to make knowledge questions that are related to the title? Or could the title be directly addressed without raising any knowledge questions without being punished?

 

I am aware that the criteria says "a sustained focus on knowledge questions connected to the prescribed title and are well chosen for the Excellent band, however, would candidates be punished without asking any questions?

 

Thanks.

 

The purpose of a knowledge question is not only to give the readers a sense of direction of where your essay is heading, but it is to also help you to come up with an appropriate knowledge claim in your essay. So knowledge questions are very important. However, in a way, the TOK title is a knowledge question by itself. For example, title 2 or title 3 (May 2016) are both formulated as knowledge questions (because question marks are put at the end of the titles). Thus people who are working with these 2 titles don't really have to create sub-knowledge questions in their essays (although they can, but they shouldn't because as you said, sub-knowledge questions would distract students from tackling the main knowledge question).

 

Now, title 1 is formulated a little differently, because it asks you to discuss a statement, rather than telling you specifically about the things that you must answer in your essay (or simply speaking, unlike title 2 or 3, title 1 doesn't have any question mark). So from the way I see it, title 1 is a very vague knowledge question. And because of that, I think you should come up with one (or several) knowledge questions in your essay, and make sure that these questions are closely related to the statement that the title asks you to discuss. An example of such a knowledge question can be:

"What are ways of knowing that are used within natural science, and how do they work together to create a reliable set scientific knowledge?"

Doesn't sound so natural, but it gives you the rough idea of what I mean. Anyway, good luck!

[choyiny]

Thanks for your detailed reply Vioh, however, I have some more questions. My approach to the essay is rather than using knowledge questions like your example above: "What are ways of knowing that are used within natural sciences and how do they work together to create a reliable set of scientific knowledge?", I rephrase it as a statement instead: "Reason and [blah blah blah] are used within natural sciences, and they work together in a [blah blah blah] way to create a reliable set of scientific knowledge", completely avoiding creating knowledge questions in my essay.

 

Would extracting knowledge questions from my content and adding them to my introduction be beneficial to guide the reader on what direction I am heading towards?

[Vioh]

Would extracting knowledge questions from my content and adding them to my introduction be beneficial to guide the reader on what direction I am heading towards?

 

Personally, I would say so. Of course, I'm not an examiner. But if I were to read your essay, I would certainly want you to specify some kinds of knowledge questions in your introduction, such that I know what to expect from your discussion in the essay body.