The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition, Using Objects to See TOK!

On Thursday, April 27th last block and after school, the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition, an assessment for 11th-grade students in the TOK course, took place at AISG Science Park Campus for grade 10 students and later for parents and faculty. 

 According to Jeroen Masson, the organizer of the TOK exhibition, the Exhibition is for students to see the theory of knowledge in the world around them through sharing three objects.  

 These objects must have some personal significance to the student. The objects should be able to link to reality using the prompt the student chose. 

TOK is a course in the IBDP, it explores how knowledge is created, stored, and shared in humanity, specifically in your life. Through TOK, students think about perspectives and knowledge which can be helpful for other classes. 

TOK is a core subject, it is mandatory and has two major assessments over two years. The first assessment is taken in grade 11 as an exhibition while the second is taken in grade 12 as an individual essay. 

 According to Jeroen Masson, there are 35 prompts in which the students can choose one and write a text of about 900 words. Their text is with their objects when the students present their exhibition. 

 The students should be able to explain how these objects help them see the theory of knowledge in the world around them while focusing on values or beliefs.  

Here are why some of the students chose their prompts, how they felt during their exhibition, and some advice they have for next year’s students.  

“When I chose my prompt, I already knew what I was going to pick for my first object, which is 13 Reasons Why, the other two were harder to choose so I decided to pick one from my art album and the other from something in my room.” Casey L., a junior,   

Casey states, “When I was presenting my exhibition, I felt afraid for not practicing so much but I tried to look confident. For next year’s 11th graders, choose items that have personal significance to you because it meets the criteria but also make your TOK exhibition more interesting and stand out from others.”  

Another student, Ginger B., a junior, “I already knew which prompt and object, my passport, I wanted to use. For the other two, I had to think about what I was passionate about which is soccer, hence my second object my cleats, and taking care of my dog, a blanket that belongs to my dog.” 

 Ginger states, “When I was presenting my exhibition, I was nervous and fumbled over my words; however, after presenting in front of the first two people, I felt calmer and had an understanding of what to say, allowing myself to move away from my script. My advice for next year’s students is to choose a prompt and objects that you enjoy because personal interest will make this challenging assignment more enjoyable.”