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.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to TOK Essay Titles

The speaker, a teacher of mathematics, chemistry, and TOK essay, introduces their upcoming series of videos dedicated to breaking down TOK essay titles for May 2025. They share their experience in teaching TOK essay and the success of their students, who have achieved high scores in the past two years since the curriculum update. The speaker emphasizes the importance of discussing both 'yes' and 'no' perspectives on the essay titles and provides guidance on how to approach the prescribed titles, focusing on the keywords and the need for reasoning with examples. They also mention specific examples such as the Holocaust, climate change, and the discovery of America to illustrate the points.

05:02

🌿 Deconstructing Prescribed Title Two: Rebuilding Knowledge

The speaker discusses the second prescribed title, which questions the fragility of knowledge in the Arts and another area of knowledge. They emphasize the need to focus on the word 'fragile' and to provide examples that illustrate how knowledge can be rebuilt or reinterpreted. The speaker suggests using examples from the Arts, such as the interpretation of the Mona Lisa's smile, and from history, like the collapse of the Mayan civilization. They also caution against using contemporary political examples, such as statements from public figures, which may not align with the academic nature of the TOK essay.

10:04

🌱 Reconciling Knowledge Pursuit with Finite Resources

The third prescribed title is about reconciling the relentless pursuit of knowledge with the finite resources available. The speaker predicts this title will be popular among students and advises on how to approach it. They stress the importance of discussing the possibility of reconciliation and providing methods to achieve it. The focus words are 'reconcile,' 'relentless pursuit,' and 'finite resources.' The speaker suggests discussing the benefits of pursuing knowledge within resource constraints and proposing ways to reconcile the two. Examples include adopting green labs in Natural Science and cost-benefit analysis in economics.

15:04

🛠️ Tools of Knowledge and Their Impact on Knowledge Improvement

The fourth prescribed title discusses whether the ever-improving tools in an area of knowledge always result in improved knowledge. The speaker points out that the word 'always' is key and must be addressed in the essay. They suggest discussing both the affirmative and negative perspectives, using two areas of knowledge, such as Natural Science and Art. Examples provided include CRISPR gene technology and the development of digital tools in graphic design and planning.

20:05

🔍 Models in Science: Useful Despite Their Limitations

The fifth prescribed title, attributed to George Box, questions the usefulness of models despite their inaccuracies. The speaker explains that the phrase 'all models are wrong' acknowledges the limitations of models but also their utility. They advise discussing this with reference to mathematics and another area of knowledge, such as Natural Science. Examples include linear models in statistics, chaos theory, atomic models, and pharmacokinetics models.

🌟 The Impact of Acquiring Knowledge on Our Sense of Wonder

The sixth and final prescribed title explores the idea that acquiring knowledge might destroy our sense of wonder. The speaker finds this title challenging but intriguing. They emphasize discussing the process of acquiring knowledge and its potential to diminish curiosity or wonder. The speaker plans to provide a dedicated video for this title and suggests examples from astronomy, biology, music, and art to illustrate the points made in the essay.

📢 Conclusion and Upcoming Videos

In conclusion, the speaker reminds the audience about the upcoming dedicated videos for each prescribed title and encourages viewers to like and subscribe for more content. They express enthusiasm for the series and provide a light-hearted sign-off with music and applause.

Keywords

💡TOK Essay

The TOK Essay is a key component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, requiring students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know. In the video, the teacher discusses strategies for approaching TOK essay topics, emphasizing the importance of considering both 'yes' and 'no' perspectives and providing reasoning backed by examples.

💡Ethical Obligation

Ethical obligation refers to the moral duty or responsibility one has to act in a certain way, especially in the context of professional conduct. The video discusses how historians and human scientists have an ethical obligation to consider all evidence, including contradictory evidence, which is central to the first prescribed title of the TOK essay.

💡Contradicting Evidence

Contradicting evidence is information or data that conflicts with established theories or conclusions. The video script uses this term in the context of the ethical obligation of historians and human scientists to not ignore such evidence, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive and unbiased approach to knowledge gathering.

💡Holocaust Denial

Holocaust denial refers to the act of denying the genocide of millions of Jews during World War II. The video uses this as an example to illustrate how historians have an ethical obligation to confront and refute such denials by acknowledging all available evidence, tying it to the discussion of ethical obligations in the context of TOK essays.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a significant global issue resulting from the increase in greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The video mentions climate change as an example where human scientists must acknowledge and address contradictory evidence, showing its relevance to the ethical obligations discussed in the TOK essay.

💡Reconciliation

Reconciliation in the context of the video refers to the process of finding a balance or resolution between two opposing factors, such as the relentless drive to pursue knowledge and the finite resources available. This concept is central to the third prescribed title of the TOK essay, where students are asked to discuss how this balance might be achieved.

💡Finite Resources

Finite resources are those that are limited in quantity and cannot be endlessly consumed or replenished. The video discusses how the pursuit of knowledge must be reconciled with the finite resources we have, such as funding, time, and materials, which is a key theme in the TOK essay prescribed title.

💡Degenerate Art

Degenerate Art was a term used by the Nazi regime to describe modern art that they considered to be inappropriate or offensive. The video uses this as an example in the discussion of how knowledge in the arts can be rebuilt or reinterpreted, which is relevant to the second prescribed title of the TOK essay.

💡Mona Lisa Smile

The Mona Lisa Smile refers to the enigmatic smile of the subject in Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting. The video mentions how the interpretation of this smile has varied over time, illustrating how knowledge in the arts can change and be fragile, tying into the discussion of the second prescribed title of the TOK essay.

💡Wonder

Wonder, in the context of the video, refers to a sense of awe or curiosity about the world and its mysteries. The sixth prescribed title of the TOK essay asks students to discuss whether the acquisition of knowledge destroys this sense of wonder, prompting a reflection on the impact of learning on our innate curiosity.

Highlights

The speaker plans to post dedicated videos for each TOK essay title.

The speaker's background in teaching mathematics and chemistry aids in teaching TOK essay effectively.

Most of the speaker's students scored 7s in TOK over the past two years.

For the first prescribed title, the focus words are 'ethical obligation' and 'contradictory evidence'.

Historians and human scientists should confront and refute Holocaust denial by acknowledging all available evidence.

Examples for the first title include Holocaust denial, climate change, and the discovery of the Americas.

The second prescribed title discusses the fragility of rebuilt knowledge in Arts and another area of knowledge.

Art examples should focus on how knowledge has been changed or interpreted differently, not physical destruction.

Degenerate art in Nazi Germany is a suggested example for the second title.

The third prescribed title explores reconciling the relentless drive for knowledge with finite resources.

The focus words for the third title are 'reconcile', 'relentless pursuit', 'knowledge', and 'finite resources'.

Examples for the third title include adopting green labs in Natural Science and cost-benefit analysis in Economics.

The fourth prescribed title questions if improved tools always result in improved knowledge.

The focus of the fourth title is on the word 'always' and the impact of improving tools on knowledge.

Examples for the fourth title include CRISPR gene technology and the development of digital tools in Natural Science.

The fifth prescribed title, attributed to George Box, discusses the usefulness of models despite their inaccuracies.

The fifth title requires discussing the application of models in Mathematics and another area of knowledge.

Linear models in Statistics and chaos theory in Natural Science are suggested examples for the fifth title.

The sixth and final prescribed title debates whether acquiring knowledge destroys our sense of wonder.

The focus words for the sixth title are 'acquiring knowledge' and 'destroying sense of wonder'.

Examples for the sixth title include advancements in Astronomy, Biology, and the emotional depths in Music.

The speaker will upload dedicated videos for each prescribed title in the coming weeks.

Transcripts

okay so let's try to break down the Tok

essay prescribed title May

2025 and incoming weeks I'm going to

post a dedicated videos for each topics

okay uh I've been teaching mathematics

and chemistry and you guys must be

thinking you're the stamp teacher why

you talking about Tok at this point

right but I've been also teaching Tok

essay and maybe because of my background

I was able to help my students more

efficient ly and that is reason why I

want to share my tips and guide with you

guys okay so just for your information

most of my students got ambs in past two

years uh since Tok curriculum has been

updated so I'm pretty sure my tips and

guides are effective okay okay so

prescribe title number one do historians

and human scientists have an ethical

obligation to follow the directive to

not ignore contract

evidence discuss with a reference to

history and human science so there are

two Focus word with this title they

are ethical obligation and

contradictory evidence uh this is a

typical yes and no question so you have

to find yes and no perspective but you

know in my opinion never say just yes

because of this example yet no because

of of this example you have to reason

with your example so you're like sharing

yeah you want to say yes this is example

that can support my answer yes but

because of these reasons okay same thing

no be because of this reasion or this

example and because of my

reasons for this example okay so

something like that so don't forget I'm

going to unload a specific videos

dedicated for each title in coming weeks

right let's go back to the title okay so

because it says that do historians and

human scientists have an ethical

obligation to follow the directive to

not ignore contradictory evidence right

so here the ethical obligation that they

are talking about here is not about your

individual opinion right this is about

uh the whole fi

of the historians and human scientist

okay so you need to think about what is

the ethical obligation of the historians

and what are the ethical obligation of

the human scientists and then think

about the examples that where this

historians and human scientists followed

the directive to not ignore the

contradictory evidence right and then

because it says the discuss with Le to

history and the human science you can

only talk about AOK history AOK human

science so let's briefly talk about the

examples so examples are I said like

Holocaust n religionism climate change

environmental history the Turkish cppy

study and the discover Discovery of the

American and Indigenous populations okay

so some of you might be thinking but

some of the teachers like maybe my

teachers they never talk about the

Holocaust or World War II

like in my opinion you can talk about it

like you can discuss the Holocaust in

your to essay how however you need to

reason it really well because you're

competing maybe a few hundred other

students discussing about the Holocaust

right so you choose this example if you

can listen it well okay so uh the first

example Holocaust denial and revisionism

right so you know there are some people

who denies the Holocaust right so

because of that historians have to go

back and then the like you know

historians and human scientists have uh

uh because of that like you know because

in the face of the Holocaust Deni so

what historians and human scientists

have done is like they because they have

an ethical obligation to confront and

refute these claims by presenting and

acknowledging all abailable evidence

right so they did talked about it and

same thing with the climate change and

environment history and Turkish SL

history discovery of the Americans and

Indigenous population I'm going to talk

more about these examples with my a

video that is dedicated for this topic

only okay and some of you might be

thinking like thinking about like you

know Donal Trump Mr President discussed

global warming is expensive huls in his

Twitter but and then thinking about how

people responded to it like and use it

as example that's not a good example to

use okay because this title talks about

the history and human science right you

have to discuss this topic with the

history example that actually

happened discussed officially and have a

primary sources

okay okay then let's talk about the

prescribed title number two is our must

reild knowledge more fragile than it

assumed to be discussing with the

reference the Arts and the and one other

area of knowledge so Focus word with

this title is rebuild knowledge and then

assume okay and then may be fragile but

you need to focus on the Fragile the we

have to discuss this topic with the

reference the art and then one other

area of knowledge and

probably with this one other area

knowledge you will choose history

because there will be a lot of examples

to discuss it with right and then with

the art part the reason why I'm saying

art and history is uh with

art I mean let's talk about art right

the art is the a that I actually chosen

it for you right uh with the art you're

not talking about the how the

picture is destroyed right is you're

talking about how

knowledge has been changed and then like

maybe how it was like interpreted

interpreted differently that's what you

need to discuss with this art part and

same thing with the history all right so

uh this is another fun yes and no

perspective title and just I said before

you never never just going to say yes

because of this example no because of

this example right you're going to

always say yes because of this example

and this is how is uh interpreted by me

and then this is my reasoning to support

my answer that's how you're going to say

right so examples that you can use with

the title this title is first thing is

degenerate art in Nazi Germany okay

again another word word to example yes I

know like you know some of you some of

your teachers and might be saying like

don't use word word to is too common

among your peers but if you can't my

opinion is if you can talk about it well

you definitely should use it because if

you know that example very well that

means you will reason it very well too

right so that means that can lead to a

high score right so for example here

first example here I'm saying they

degenerate art in na Germany so the

reason why I'm saying is like during the

Nazi uh reason Modern Art especially

that of you know abang movement

was labeled as a degenerate and it was

banded and it was like destroyed or they

removed from the public P so that can be

a good art uh example and then Holocaust

denial can be an history example you

know I say that use history as your

other T I mean other a right because

that's like that's where you can find

the most of the example for this title

and then another thing that you can

discuss is the collapse of the Asian

civilization like a Mayas like in

history okay interpretation of the monaa

Lisa smile you know monaa smile has been

interpreted quite differently throughout

the history so it can be good example in

art and then destruction of the culture

Heritage side okay that can be another

example for art so you know destruction

of the culture uh Heritage s I'm not

just talking about you know people just

going there and then you know like write

something on the historical like

constructions or the sites like I'm

talking about you know uh cases where

you know like talibans uh destroying

such like such thing as like B man

Buddha right in

2001 that can be a good example for the

art okay um the reason why the Taliban

destroy that uh B ban Buddha is due to

the religion

right so that can be a good art example

I'm going to talk more about these

examples in my uh upcoming video for

this title

okay then title prescrip title number

three how can we reconcile the rentless

drive to pursue knowledge with the fite

resources we have available so uh we had

how can we

reconcile topic or the title in 2024

okay I think you know like honestly

quite a lot of my students chose how can

you reconcile title in 2024 and they did

well okay so this topic prescribe title

number three will

be uh very popular I think this year

again and then you know will be uh

chosen by many students uh but I'm not

saying that you should not do this

question right you should do this

question if you like this question and

then

um what you need to remember is because

it says that how can we

reconcile because of that what you need

to discuss with this prescribed tit is

uh like you know canot reconcile you

need to focus on this uh we cannot

reconcile or we can reconcile

some and then reconcile fully that's

what you need to

uh discuss with this title and also you

need to discuss the method to do it okay

that's the most important part okay so

how can we reconcile the rentless drive

to person knowledge with the finite

resources we have available so the focus

word in this case are reconcile rentless

Pursuit knowledge andite resources

that's what you need to remember in your

essay okay and we need to discuss it

with the reference to the Natural

Science and one other are area of the

knowledge right so to this question you

know this is not a yes or no question as

I discussed it before you need to

address this like why might be good to

personal with definite resources and

discuss it the benefits then discuss way

of reconciling the rentless drive so I'm

going to talk more about this in my

dedicated video but you know this is

what you need to remember with this

title this is not yes or no question

this is uh this is addressing question

you need to talk about why might be a

good to person knowledge with the fin

resources and discuss the benefit and

discuss way of reconciling the rentless

drive or you need to talk about why not

might be a good personality with the

resources and then discuss the benefit

and discuss way of reconciling the

rental drive right so let's talk about

this with my next video and the examples

that you can use is the such thing as

like you adopting green labs in

initiative in Natural Science Focus on

urgent Global challenges just natural

science uh cost benefit analysis in

economy in human science yes it's we

have to we're going to use economies as

a you know examples from the economies

because that's what you know right some

of you might be taking economics already

in your school okay uh so it's good to

use economy as a you know your human

science example because you can maybe

ask your econ teacher more about it

right and then write about it more with

a more better reasoning so that's reason

why I'm saying use economies then large

scale research collaboration or like you

know development of the co9 vaccines so

co9 vaccine is not just natural science

it also falls into the human science you

know development means that there's CA

right okay so prescribed title number

four this is very interesting title IB

is doing their own thing again okay with

this title so to the ever improving

tools of an area of knowledge always

result in improved knowledge so the IB

gave you the answer already you know

they say that always that means you need

to discuss this title around the always

part okay so it's asking do the ever

improving tools on area of knowledge

always result in improved knowledge so

you're going to

say no it's not always or yes it is

always and then you're going to use two

areas of knowledge right so you need to

say okay so ever improving tools always

result in improved knowledge ever

improving tools not always result in

improved knowledge okay that's what you

need to discuss so means this is another

yes and no perspective so just like I

have said before you never never never

never going to just say yes because of

this example no because of this example

you're going to say yes here's my

example because of these reasons no here

are my example because of these regions

okay and examples that you can use here

is the crib gen technology this is

natural science right uh and then

development of the digital tools such as

graphic design software and dig digital

planning platforms this is another

Natural Science you remember in my first

video I have said that this title is

more for the St people right and then

number three R rules of the transition

skills and a density concerns in art so

this

is from the AOK of art right so maybe

with this topic you can use natural

science and art as your AOC case Okay

okay then let's talk about the prescrib

title number five you know personally I

love this title you know if you're doing

HMS or if you're St person you also

going to love this title okay so to what

extent do you you agree with the claim

all models are wrong but some are useful

attributed to the Georgie box Georgie

box me Professor box you know like he's

a statistic professor and he's quite

famous for saying this uh phrases okay

and then we have to discuss it with the

reference to mathematics and one other a

of the one other area of the knowledge

so we have to discuss with the reference

to mathematics and one other area of the

knowledge do you know why we have to

discuss that with the mathematics

because this place is from

statistic right so that's is why they

want us to discuss with the mathematics

and we can use quite a lot of the

statistic models as example for this

title okay so let's talk about a little

bit more about this like praise right so

George box you know he is famous for

writing an accidental statian okay is

it's it's going to be boring if you're

not math person but it's quite fun okay

so with you know with this phrase the

first part all mod

wrong is a common apparis in statistic

okay so the aism acknowledge that

statistical models always for short of

the complexities of the reality but can

still be used this is the something that

you need to remember when you're

thinking about the examples right uh and

the aism originally refer just to

statistical models but now sometimes use

for the scientific models too that means

you can on top of your mathematics right

your AOK

one you can

use natural

signs as your AOK to okay because now

this aerm all models are wrong is

actually used in some models of the some

scientific models right so that's what

you need to remember so examples that

you can use are the linear models in

statistic right and then chaos theory

and the more more models of the atom in

Natural Science and then parac kinetics

models in natural science uh this is

like going to be a very good example I

think also the Minar models in statistic

okay then let's talk about title number

six the last title

okay that's acquiring knowledge destroy

our sense of wonder like when I first

saw this title this going to be the

hardest

one to discuss right so the focus word

with this title is are acquiring and

destroying so we have to talk about

acquiring knowledge so when you get

smarter it's going to destroy our sense

of curiosity sense of wonder that's what

you need to discuss the discuss with the

prescribed title number six okay and we

need to discuss it with the reference to

two areas of knowledge I'm going to

upload don't forget I'm going to upload

a dedicated video for this prescrib

title okay but let's talk briefly about

this title first so this is another F

yes and no perspective title but never

never never never say just yes because

of this example no because of this

example right you want to say yes this

is my example and because of these

reasons and no this is my example and

because of this example and we going to

present your reasoning don't forget that

reasoning is the most important part of

your essay to score higher

points and examples that you can use

with this title are like astronomy and

the cosmos in the Natural Science and

biology and complexity of the life

music and emotional depths and the over

iniz art these are the examples that you

can use for this title okay so that's it

for the my breakdown videos and don't

forget I'm going to post the dedicated

videos for each title next week so uh if

you like my videos please like the

videos and subscribe to my channel bye

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[Applause]

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