TOK Presentation Prep Tips
SSIS/Jackson
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Familiarize yourself with the assessment criteria: for example,
you must always keep your focus on knowledge issues and should
choose a contemporary problem or real-life issue. The rubric is
attached to moodle.
Choose a concrete topic which interests you and find the TOK in it.
Use this opportunity to do something you’ll enjoy! Don’t just
choose the death penalty because you saw a book on it in the library. Your presentation will
come across better if you choose something that’s personally meaningful: SSIS, recent events in
the news, cartoons, books and films, blogs you follow, etc. You can start with an everyday story
and go on to draw out TOK issues.
You should be exploring an issue: this means, present different points of view, even if they
contradict each other, even if you disagree with them. You can try to reconcile them or explain
why they are incompatible. Avoid the “so there are different points of view all of which are
equally valid” relativist approach. Don’t be afraid to give your own opinion. You’re welcome to
point out the problems with your opinion, but be honest!
Cover the facts/background information quickly and get to the abstract TOK principles. There
are no marks for dissemination of information. The focus of the presentation must be analysis,
not description.
Once you’ve drawn out the abstract TOK principles, you should try to see what the
implications of these principles are, and maybe use them to reflect on the validity of the
principles. For example, if you’re considering the argument for the death penalty which states
that murderers lose the right to life, the principle seems to be “an eye for an eye.” But you can
then ask “What do we do with a thief? Or a rapist?” The answers may or may not lead to a
reformulation of the principle.
Communicate the structure of your presentation. It may be clear to you, but be sure you let
the audience know. Have a poster board or projected document with main points in bullet form.
Use powerpoint or prezi or glogster if you can use it well (i.e. sparingly).
State explicitly the knowledge issues you’re looking at. This will help you retain clarity and
make it easier for an examiner to give you high marks in criterion A. If you have a visual, list the
KIs there.
Use a short video clip, graphs, photos, newspaper cutting or some other prop, if it’s
appropriate. This will make your presentation more interesting.
In your conclusion, try to summarize (briefly) what you’ve said, and try to end with a forwardlooking view. Maybe a summary of the main principles you’ve identified or issues which
haven’t yet been answered. Don’t just restate your arguments, be sure to conclude the
presentation. Avoid, “Well, that’s about it.” Or simply saying, “Any questions?”
Rodgers, Brandon (Atlanta International School). TOK Workshop Booklet. Rice University IB Workshops,
February 2010.
But then I discovered nearly the same thing here:
http://www.adastranet.net/forum/48/alchin48.htm written by Nicholas Alchin for adastranet.net published by the IBO.