Theory of Knowledge Course -TOK
Mrs. Surian
2014-2015
WELCOME TO THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME AND TO
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE!!!!!
Congratulations on embarking on a 2 year journey toward the IB Diploma at Hauppauge
High School. I am excited to be a part of this journey as your Theory of Knowledge
instructor.
The IB Diploma Programme TOK course is organized to generate thoughtful and
purposeful questioning that leads to deeper understanding of the interpretative nature of
knowledge. It transcends and links academic subject areas (those of the IB Circle,) thus
demonstrating interdisciplinary application of knowledge.
What makes TOK unique is that YOU are at the centre as a “knower.” We will examine
how you think, and why you think. That being said, we must always remember that
knowledge is a human construct, and thus can be shaped, enriched and deepened.
TOK will meet every other day during your junior and senior year. This will allow you
to digest concepts and topics of discussion more comprehensively.
Success in TOK is calculated using both internal and external assessments. The internal
assessment is in the form of an in-class presentation whereby you will identify and
discuss a real-life knowledge issue/question, during your junior year. The external
assessment is in the form of a TOK Essay to be electronically submitted during your
senior year.
As one of the core requirements of the IB Diploma Programme students must
demonstrate success in TOK in order to earn the diploma.
Upon your arrival to class in September, please bring the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A 1 inch binder
A 3-hole hole punch
A writing implement, preferably a blue or black pen
A flash drive for projects/presentations (any size is fine)
An open mind that is respectful of others
**Your first assignment follows this letter. It will count as your first class formal
assessment (test) grade. We will be discussing what you have written during class.
Feel free to contact me at suriand@hauppauge.k12.ny.us.
I look forward to meeting you in September. Enjoy your venture into the world of IB!!!!!
Fondly,
Mrs. Surian
Name ___________________________
Theory of Knowledge- YR 1
Mrs. Surian
IB Diploma First Assignment
Theory of Knowledge YR 1
As we venture into the realm of “thinking how we think,” take some time this
Summer to expand your mind.
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The assignment is due on September 12.
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The written assignment will count as an in-class assignment (test) grade for
Quarter 1.
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Be prepared to discuss your experience(s) in a Socratic seminar setting (class
discussion circle.)
ASSIGNMENT:
Choose one of the following activities and be prepared to respond to this experience in a
TYPED RESPONSE.
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See a documentary
See a foreign film
Read a nonfiction piece of literature (List of suggested titles is provided below.)
Visit a museum
Attend a cultural event—lecture, musical performance, political event, folk festival, etc.
React to your experience by doing the following three tasks:
1. Generate and record three thoughtful questions stimulated by your experience. Try to
come up with questions relating to how the experience expanded your awareness. (For
example, if you visit a museum on modern art, you could ask: How did this experience
expand my understanding of what art is? Or if you see a documentary global warming:
How did this film expand my awareness of “green solutions” to current environmental
issues?)
continued
2. Examine the IB Circle (Located below.) Which area(s) of the circle do you feel
corresponds to your experience(s)? Discuss your reasoning.
Note: Very often you will find that an activity pertains to more than one area of the IB
circle. If the diagram is confusing to you, do not be alarmed. One of the first things we
do in TOK is to clarify the circle and discuss how its parts play an integral role in your
learning as an IB student.
3. Respond to #1 & #2 in a 500-word typed reflection (250 each section)
-double spaced, 12 point font
4. (Optional)-If you can, bring in something tangible from your experience (brochure,
ticket stub, photograph etc.) If you read a nonfiction book, print a copy of the front cover
or if you are able, bring the book itself.
Have fun and enjoy your experience(s)
THE IB CIRCLE
*LIST OF SUGGESTED NONFICTION TITLES
(you may use books that are not included on this list as well.)
Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children by Tom Farrey
Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods by Jeffrey M. Smith
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande
The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization by Thomas Friedman
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21 st Century by Thomas Friedman
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Creating Mental Illness by Allan V. Horwitz
The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs
Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine’s Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why we Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
Movie Wars: How Hollywood and the Media Limit What Movies We Can See by Jonathan Rosenbaum
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning a Secular Age by Hubert Dreyfus and
Sean Dorrance Kelly
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam
Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid by Samantha Nutt
The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future
(Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30) by Mark Bauerlein
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise a Moral Child by Robert Coles
The Case Against Perfection by Michael Sandel
Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab by Christine Montross
Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen
Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods by Jeffrey M. Smith
American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food and What We Can Do About It
by Jonathan Bloom
How to Be Black by Baratunde Thurston
Generation Me by Jean Twenge
Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality by Elias Aboujaoude
Code of the Streets: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City by Elijah Anderson
The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap by Alvin Rosenfeld
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons From the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age by Hubert Dreyfus
and Sean Dorrance Kelly
The Social Animal: the Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks
Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn
How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman
The Anatomy of Hope by Jerome Groopman
Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty by Roy F. Baumeister and Aaron Beck
About A Mountain by John D’Agata
Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us by Claude Steele
Delusions of Gender: How our Minds, Society and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cordelia Fine
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Exploiting College Athletes by Walter Byers and Charles Hammar
In the Flesh: The Cultural Politics of Body Modification by Veronica Pitts
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Simmons
In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong by Amin Maalouf
The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom by Evgeny Morozov
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammah Yunis
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin
In Defense of Food: an Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan