Knowledge Issues

Three examples of Knowledge Issues that could be addressed in this title: ◦ To what extent do our senses give us the truth? ◦ To what extent do reason, emotion and language

(and other factors) affect our sense perception? ◦ What is the scope, and what are the limits of

sensory information in different areas of knowledge?

When should we trust our senses to give us truth?

Three examples of Knowledge Issues that could be addressed in this title: ◦ To what extent can reason operate in isolation

from other ways of knowing? ◦ What is the relationship between “reasoning” and

“truth”? ◦ In what ways and to what extent can reasoning

operate in different areas of knowledge?

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of reason as a way of knowing

Aspects of knowledge◦ Acquisition◦ Production◦ Shaping◦ Classification◦ Status◦ Acceptance◦ Rejection

Terms of ToK vocabulary:◦ Areas of Knowledge◦ Ways of Knowing◦ Linking Questions

Belief Certainty Culture Evidence Experience Explanation Interpretation Intuition Justification Truth Values

Knowledge Issues are Issues about Knowledge – hmmmm…

In General◦ Open-ended questions◦ Have more than one

possible answer◦ Have more than one

perspective◦ Explicitly about

knowledge itself

Levels of Knowledge Issues◦ Poor

For a presentation, may be adequate to satisfy the criterion of KI

◦ Intermediate◦ Good

Necessary for higher achievement on written assessment (and helps with presentation as well)

Knowledge Issues are Issues about Knowledge – hmmmm…

Level Descriptor Example

Good

An open-ended question

What is it about a scientific explanation that makes it

convincing or unconvincing?

Explicitly about knowledge

Couched in terms of ToK vocabulary and concepts

Precise in terms of relationships between concepts

Intermediate

May be:How can we decide if

acupuncture works or not?An open-ended question

Explicitly about knowledge

Poor

May be:

Does acupuncture work?A closed question

Implicitly about knowledge

Not a Knowledge Issue

May be:

Traditional medicine

A statement or a description of a situation

A closed question

A subject-specific topic or question rather than about knowledge itself

Real-life situation

This could be the real-life situation for the presentation or an example in the essay

My uncle went to an acupuncturist

The KI Scale

How do religious people come to their beliefs?

Rearrange these

How can reason be used to justify religious beliefs?

Physics and God

Article on science and religion

Are religious beliefs reasonable?

How do religious people come to their beliefs?

Rearranged How can reason be used to justify religious beliefs?

Physics and God

Article on science and religion

Are religious beliefs reasonable?

Why do optical illusions happen?

Rearrange these

What can we learn from optical illusions?

What, if anything, do optical illusions tell us about sense perception and truth?Optical illusions

An optical illusion

Why do optical illusions happen?

Rearranged

What can we learn from optical illusions?

What, if anything, do optical illusions tell us about sense perception and truth?

Optical illusions

An optical illusion

How can we know if capital punishment is right or wrong?

Rearrange these

A book: The Execution of Saddam Hussein

The execution of Saddam HusseinCapital punishment:

why should or shouldn’t we adopt it?

What role should intuition play in justifying capital punishment?

How can we know if capital punishment is right or wrong?

Rearranged

A book: The Execution of Saddam Hussein

The execution of Saddam Hussein

Capital punishment: why should or shouldn’t we adopt it?

What role should intuition play in justifying capital punishment?

A new government policy

Rearrange these

Stopping teenagers smoking

To what extent can human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions?

Will predictions on teenage smoking turn out to be correct?

How can we use models to predict social behaviour?

A new government policy

Rearranged

Stopping teenagers smoking

To what extent can human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions?

Will predictions on teenage smoking turn out to be correct?

How can we use models to predict social behaviour?

Level

Example

Good

Intermediate

Should we believe paranormal claims?

PoorDoes the paranormal

exist?Is swine flu likely to

kill millions?

Not a Knowle

dge Issue

What is the sixth sense?

What do we mean by an epidemic?

Wearing jeans in school

Real-life situatio

nA film on haunting A news report on a

new swine fluAn interview with Miss

Anne

Level Descriptor Example

Good

An open-ended question

What is it about a scientific explanation that makes it

convincing or unconvincing?

Explicitly about knowledge

Couched in terms of ToK vocabulary and concepts

Precise in terms of relationships between concepts

Intermediate

May be:How can we decide if

acupuncture works or not?An open-ended question

Explicitly about knowledge

Poor

May be:

Does acupuncture work?A closed question

Implicitly about knowledge

Not a Knowledge Issue

May be:

Traditional medicine

A statement or a description of a situation

A closed question

A subject-specific topic or question rather than about knowledge itself

Real-life situation

This could be the real-life situation for the presentation or an example in the essay

My uncle went to an acupuncturist

The KI Scale

Level

Example

Good

Intermediate

Should we believe paranormal claims?

PoorDoes the paranormal

exist?Is swine flu likely to

kill millions?

Not a Knowle

dge Issue

What is the sixth sense?

What do we mean by an epidemic?

Wearing jeans in school

Real-life situatio

nA film on haunting A news report on a

new swine fluAn interview with Miss

Anne

We often have to assume some facts are true to continue thinking. How does this hinder or enable the process of knowing?

To what extent does the media affect our perception of certain world issues, and  can we trust it?

Are the news saying the truth about the Swine Flu?

To what extent does reason influence ourbelief on paranormal cliams.

To what extend can reason justify the presence of paranormal stuff?

Is Miss Anne right about thinking that we shouldn't wear uniforms?How useful are uniforms?

To what extent do emotions affect our trust on medicin?

why do we trust medicine?

To what extent does Miss Anne's reason/ authority influence our behavior in school torwards wearing jeans?

Why should we wear jeans in school?

Is it mandetory to wear jeans in school?

To what extent is individuality important as a way of developing  self-perception in  high-schoolers?      

Level

Example

Good

Intermediate

Poor

Not a Knowle

dge Issue

Real-life situatio

n

Will chocolate help your bad mood?

Does chocolate taste good?

Eating chocolate

Can social medias change our behavior? 

Does our capacity to learn change as we grow older?

You notice details you didn’t before.

What are social medias?

Revising a childhood book.

Social medias and mass behavior 

Why should we trust scientific trust of chocolate helping bad mood?

Are the social networks to blame for or behavior? 

To what extend does the social medias change our interpretation of reality, and does it change our behavior?

Is what we learn at any point in time certain, if we are likely to change our minds and interpret things differently as we gain more experience?What is the relationship of maturing senses and perceptions of truth and knowledge?

Can you prove through emotion and sense perception the changes that chocolate has or doesn’t have in you?

When should we trust our senses to give us truth?

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of reason as a way of knowing

◦ To what extent can reason operate in isolation from other ways of knowing?

◦ What is the relationship between “reasoning” and “truth”? ◦ In what ways and to what extent can reasoning operate in

different areas of knowledge?

◦ To what extent do our senses give us the truth? ◦ To what extent do reason, emotion and language

(and other factors) affect our sense perception? ◦ What is the scope, and what are the limits of

sensory information in different areas of knowledge?

Knowledge Issue

Assumptions

Main Points

Counterclaims Explored

Justified Argument or Example

Perspectives Explored

Examples

Relevant

Explored

Links

To KI

WoKs & AoKs

Implications

Essay Key Concepts

Knowledge Issue Main Points

◦ Statements being made These are your paragraphs

Examples◦ Relevant and Effective

Different Perspectives◦ Another view on your topic or concept raised

Links◦ Between KI, WoKs, and AoKs

Counterclaims◦ An argument against a statement you are trying to justify

Implications◦ What does your argument imply?

Underlying Assumptions◦ What are you assuming?

Key Concepts

Knowledge Issue◦ To what extent do our

senses give us the truth? Assumptions

◦ That truth is a belief that is justified.

Main Points◦ Senses bring us

knowledge about the world.

◦ Limited senses limit our knowledge

◦ Senses can give us faulty knowledge

◦ I can share my experience with others

Knowledge Issue To what extent can reason

operate in isolation from other ways of knowing?

Main Points◦ Emotion can not be

understood without reason.

◦ Sense perception can record data about the world around us, but reason evaluates, compares, and concludes.

◦ Language provides the medium to communicate but reason gives that communication meaning.

The pathway…

Knowledge Issue◦ To what extent do our

senses give us the truth? Assumptions

◦ That truth is a belief that is justified.

Main Points◦ Senses bring us

knowledge about the world.

◦ Limited senses limit our knowledge

◦ Senses can give us faulty knowledge

◦ I can share my experience with others

Knowledge Issue To what extent can reason

operate in isolation from other ways of knowing?

Main Points◦ Emotion can not be

understood without reason.

◦ Sense perception can record data about the world around us, but reason evaluates, compares, and concludes.

◦ Language provides the medium to communicate but reason gives that communication meaning.

The pathway…

Knowledge Issue

Assumptions

Main Points

Counterclaims Explored

Justified Argument or Example

Perspectives Explored

Examples

Relevant

Explored

Links

To KI

WoKs & AoKs

Implications

Essay Key Concepts