Writing A TOK Essay 1 
Writing a TOK Essay
It is important that you examine what the question is asking of you to do this you must understand each part of the question Thus one of the first stages of writing a TOK essay is to “unpack the title.”
Complete the table below regarding your essay question:
Unpacking the Essay Title:
Question title: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Essay Type: What is the essay asking you to do?
Key words and phrases:
Contestable concepts:
Ambiguous terms:
Action terms:
Assumptions in the title:
Rephrase the title in your words to check your understanding:
Identify the knowledge question:
Which AoK and/or WoK and/or facts about knower(s) will you consider?
How will you examine the implications of the knowledge question(s) and challenge the assumptions in the question?
Analyse and argue: provide effective counterclaims, counter-arguments and counter-examples to support them. What different perspectives will you consider?
What conclusion does all the above mean you come to?
Examining the Assessment Criteria
Assessment Criterion
Ideas to address this criterion
(Examine page 18-20 of TOK: approach your assessment the IB way to assist you).
Criterion A: assesses to what extent your essay shows that you understand the knowledge questions(s) directly related to the essay title.
Criterion B: is all about your knower’s perspective, which is central to your whole understanding of TOK and certainly important in your essay.
Criterion C: looks at the quality of your analysis of knowledge questions. Analysis goes beyond merely stating or describing the knowledge questions. You need to explore them with a high degree of depth, detail and insight.
Criterion D: assess
It is important that you examine what the question is asking of you to do this you must understand each part of the question Thus one of the first stages of writing a TOK essay is to “unpack the title.”
Complete the table below regarding your essay question:
Unpacking the Essay Title:
Question title: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Essay Type: What is the essay asking you to do?
Key words and phrases:
Contestable concepts:
Ambiguous terms:
Action terms:
Assumptions in the title:
Rephrase the title in your words to check your understanding:
Identify the knowledge question:
Which AoK and/or WoK and/or facts about knower(s) will you consider?
How will you examine the implications of the knowledge question(s) and challenge the assumptions in the question?
Analyse and argue: provide effective counterclaims, counter-arguments and counter-examples to support them. What different perspectives will you consider?
What conclusion does all the above mean you come to?
Examining the Assessment Criteria
Assessment Criterion
Ideas to address this criterion
(Examine page 18-20 of TOK: approach your assessment the IB way to assist you).
Criterion A: assesses to what extent your essay shows that you understand the knowledge questions(s) directly related to the essay title.
Criterion B: is all about your knower’s perspective, which is central to your whole understanding of TOK and certainly important in your essay.
Criterion C: looks at the quality of your analysis of knowledge questions. Analysis goes beyond merely stating or describing the knowledge questions. You need to explore them with a high degree of depth, detail and insight.
Criterion D: assess
Bibliography: Ensure that you have in-texted referenced where appropriate in your essay and you provide a bibliography in the correct format.