TOK Essay May 2025 BREAKDOWN & TIPS

Summary

This video script outlines a teacher's approach to guiding students through the IB TOK essay, focusing on the ethical obligations of historians and human scientists to consider contradictory evidence. The teacher, with a background in mathematics and chemistry, shares effective strategies that have helped students score well. The script discusses various essay titles, emphasizing the importance of reasoning beyond a simple 'yes' or 'no' and providing examples from history, human sciences, and other areas of knowledge. The teacher promises to release dedicated videos for each essay title, encouraging students to engage with the material and improve their essay writing skills.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is a teacher of mathematics, chemistry, and TOK essay, aiming to share effective tips and guides for TOK essay writing.
• 📚 The speaker's students have achieved high marks in TOK essays, indicating the effectiveness of the teaching methods.
• 📝 The first prescribed title discusses the ethical obligation of historians and human scientists to not ignore contradictory evidence.
• 🔍 The speaker emphasizes the importance of providing both 'yes' and 'no' perspectives with supporting examples and reasoning.
• 🌐 Examples for the first title include Holocaust denial, climate change, and the discovery of the Americas, highlighting the need for evidence-based discussion.
• 🎨 The second prescribed title explores the fragility of rebuilt knowledge, with a focus on Arts and another area of knowledge, suggesting the interpretation and change of knowledge over time.
• 🌱 The third title addresses the reconciliation of the relentless pursuit of knowledge with finite resources, encouraging a discussion on the feasibility and methods of such reconciliation.
• 🔬 The fourth title questions if the ever-improving tools in an area of knowledge always result in improved knowledge, prompting a debate on the reliability of advancements.
• ⚖️ The fifth title, attributed to George Box, challenges the validity of models, suggesting that while all models are wrong, some are useful, which is to be discussed with reference to Mathematics and another area of knowledge.
• 🌟 The sixth and final title ponders whether the acquisition of knowledge destroys our sense of wonder, inviting a discussion on the impact of knowledge on curiosity and awe.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to provide a breakdown and guidance on the prescribed titles for the TOK (Theory of Knowledge) essay in May 2025, offering tips and examples to help students approach each topic effectively.

Why does the teacher mention their background in mathematics and chemistry?

The teacher mentions their background in mathematics and chemistry to establish credibility and explain why they are qualified to teach TOK essay, despite it not being directly related to those subjects.

What is the significance of the teacher's claim that most of their students got 'A' grades in the past two years?

The teacher's claim signifies the effectiveness of their teaching methods and the relevance of their tips and guides for the TOK essay, as they have been successful in helping students achieve high grades.

What are the two focus words in the first prescribed title and what do they imply?

The two focus words in the first prescribed title are 'ethical obligation' and 'contradictory evidence'. They imply the need to discuss whether historians and human scientists have a moral responsibility to consider evidence that contradicts their views.

Why does the teacher advise against simply stating 'yes' or 'no' to the essay questions?

The teacher advises against simply stating 'yes' or 'no' because the essay requires a nuanced discussion that includes both perspectives and reasoning, which is essential for a high-scoring TOK essay.

What examples does the teacher suggest for the first prescribed title?

The teacher suggests examples such as Holocaust denial, climate change, environmental history, Turkish history, and the discovery of the Americas and Indigenous populations for the first prescribed title.

What is the second prescribed title discussed in the script?

The second prescribed title is 'Our knowledge must be more fragile than it is assumed to be', which requires discussing the fragility of knowledge with references to the Arts and one other area of knowledge.

What is the significance of the phrase 'all models are wrong but some are useful' in the context of the fifth prescribed title?

The phrase 'all models are wrong but some are useful', attributed to George Box, is significant because it highlights the limitations of models in representing reality while acknowledging their utility. This is central to the fifth prescribed title's discussion on the reliability of models in knowledge acquisition.

How does the teacher suggest approaching the third prescribed title about reconciling the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with finite resources?

The teacher suggests approaching the third prescribed title by discussing whether the relentless drive to pursue knowledge can be reconciled with finite resources, focusing on the methods and benefits of such reconciliation, with references to Natural Science and one other area of knowledge.

What is the main challenge the teacher anticipates for the sixth prescribed title?

The teacher anticipates that the main challenge for the sixth prescribed title, which discusses whether acquiring knowledge destroys our sense of wonder, will be to balance the discussion between the acquisition of knowledge and its impact on curiosity and wonder.

Why is reasoning considered the most important part of the essay according to the teacher?

Reasoning is considered the most important part of the essay because it demonstrates the student's ability to critically analyze and support their arguments with logic and examples, which is key to scoring higher points.