A Good ToK Essay:
Tips for writing.
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Looking at the scoring rubric.Command Terms.
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Prepping for the Essay:
Unpacking the prompts
The best place to begin writing your essay is to unpack each prompt. When I say "unpack" I mean you should do the following:
1. interpret the title (figure out what it's [really] asking...) ~ this means that your essay can't be superficial (it needs to address the question, and stick with the title) 2. define key terms and concepts ~ that does not mean dictionary definitions ~a ToK essay definition means that you offer your own interpretation of the concept (or the definition as it pertains to your response) 3. identify Knowledge Questions central to the prompt ~you need to formally address the KQ... that means you'll use a phrase like, "This leads to the knowledge question of..." 4. state a position--Do you agree? Do you disagree? Under what conditions would you agree? ~quite literally it's asking you to say, "I agree", "I disagree", "I agree with reservation", or "I disagree to an extent" 5. identify the Ways of Knowing which are most significant to the discussion ~sometimes the prompt suggests the WoK ~sometimes it will never suggest a WoK ~you'll need to throw at least two (but probably no more than three) into the mix 6. identify the Areas of Knowledge central to your response ~sometimes the prompt also suggests an AoK ~sometimes the prompt doesn't suggest an AoK ~the prompt will allude to or directly state how many AoK you need to use to answer the question, too many and you lose depth... not enough and you don't offer enough explanation 7. identify the significant claims and counterclaims ~develop a claim bawd on the KQ (this is done through reasoned argument) ~this is also where those real-world examples come into play ~in order to achieve highest marks you must have claims and counterclaims (so it's like an argumentative essay... sort of) |