The TOK exhibition has newly become one of the ToK assessment. However some are still confused about the process and how to get it over with. This writing will mainly focus on the Exhibition process and include some tips for our new syllabus IB students.
What is the TOK Exhibition?
TOK Exhibition is a part of the 2 assessments IB has included in the Theory of Knowledge course alongside the Essay. It contains 3 objects and 3 commentaries linked to the objects and the chosen ToK theme and prompt. Here is how the process basically goes:
- You have to select one of the 35 prompts that have been given by IB.
- According to the prompt you selected, 3 corresponding objects that answer the question must be chosen. These three objects will be the main focus of your essay. And the exciting part about these objects is that they do not have to be physical beings. They could be digital, a scene from a movie, a tweet, or anything that you reflect on and link to the prompt as well as the theme is acceptable!
- From the themes ‘‘Knowledge and the Knower, Knowledge, and Technology, Knowledge and Politics, Knowledge and Language, Knowledge and Religion, Knowledge and Indigenous Societies’’ you should pick one to guide your essay.
- The assessment should be 950 words at maximum. The total mark is 10 points, and it affects 33% of your grade.
How can you choose your objects wisely?
There are lots of unique ways to choose your objects. Since the objects should include your personal engagement and how to answer the prompt via linking it to the theme. It is a whole different story. What I recommend, regarding the object selection, is to study your theme, think about the prompt, and link it with your life. Researching for the object on the internet is not the wisest way to find objects that you can reflect on easily. If you struggle with object selection or think that your objects are not “effective” for your exhibition, the article written by one of our writers about “How to select effective objects for TOK exhibition?”. This article will help guide you through the object selection process. Do not forget that IB always looks for personal engagement and reflection when it comes to assessments. So be sure to put your personal engagement into your exhibition.
The Commentary
After the object selection process, I believe writing the commentary is one of the most difficult parts of the Exhibition. Selecting the theme becomes important while writing the commentary because the theme will help you to narrow down your commentary. From the explanation of the object to the linkage of the object. Primarily, you should be sure that you explained your objects crystal clear. After explaining them, you should share the way you come up with this object. As I mentioned above, how did you link this object with the prompt? Give the answer to that in your commentary. IB would like to see your personal engagement, especially on the TOK course. And do not forget to give your reason behind the object and why you think that this specific object is related to the prompt and the theme. Remember, you do not have to answer the question entirely. You should aim to show the examiner the linkage between the object and the prompt.
Last but not least, TOK Exhibition
Even though presenting your exhibition is not included in the grade and the weight of your grade (only the written text will be graded), it is an opportunity to use your knowledge outside of the classroom in a fun way. While some schools only exhibit it to their students, some schools turn it into an event and invite other schools as well. My school held an event where I had the opportunity to present my exhibition to other schools, form new friendships and meet with other IB students.
You may also like…
- Chloe’s overview on TOK’s areas on knowledge
- Maanyav’s explanation on the new M22 TOK curriculum