Grade 12 IB Diploma students raise awareness about Theory of Knowledge through exhibition

Our Grade 12 IB Diploma students created a bit of a buzz recently with their Theory of Knowledge (ToK) exhibition near the canteen. Secondary school students thronged to their exhibits on their chosen topics and to draw their attention, our final year students had brought their marketing A-game by setting up interactive activities and even dressing up as a dinosaur!

Our Head of Humanities and Theory of Knowledge Coordinator, Ms Sophia Fujino, threw more light on the exhibition.

What is the aim of the ToK exhibition?

The Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course in the IB Diploma Programme essentially has two assessments. One is an essay where the title is prescribed six months before the submission deadline set by IB. The other is the exhibition where Grade 12 IB DP students write a 900 word write-up regarding three objects to answer their chosen question prompts.

At the same time, the IB has used the ToK exhibition for schools to raise awareness about the course in their school community. This year, we organised the physical exhibition with the objective that Secondary students enjoy the exhibition so that they form a positive impression of ToK and remember it. It also acted as a platform for ToK students to share their work and the effort that they have put into their thoughts.

How did students select their topics?

Some students selected their topics after careful thought and linked these to their interest. Some started off with their objects and their thinking stemmed from that, while others used the 12 ToK concepts to think through their objects.

What was the academic rigour and attributes of the IB Learner Profile that they exhibited while working through the process?

The beautiful part of the ToK is that students tend to come in with little or no knowledge of how to critically look at something as abstract as knowledge. However, over time, they build this critical thinking skill to form depth in their discussions and writing. While doing this, they also develop the other IB Profile attributes such as becoming Inquirers, Communicators and Open-Minded.

What more will the DP students be working on in their final year?

Now that we have wrapped-up the physical write-up and exhibition, the students will soon start their journey on the essay where they will look at prescribed titles and communicate their responses through a 1600 word essay.

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