Essential Understanding

Subject teachers can include TOK thinking in their subjects by helping students explore the scope of that subject.

This element focuses on exploring the nature and scope of the different themes and areas of knowledge. It explores how each theme/area of knowledge fits within the totality of human knowledge, and also considers the nature of the problems that each theme/area of knowledge faces and tries to address.

Examples of knowledge questions:

• What motivates the pursuit of knowledge in these themes/areas of knowledge?
• What practical problems can be solved through the application of knowledge from these themes/areas of knowledge?
• What are the key current open/unanswered questions in these themes/areas of knowledge?
• What makes this theme/area of knowledge important?

What is the scope of your subject?

Identify what the scope is of your subject:

You can either discuss it verbally or type it in this document.

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Identifying the Value of your subject

NASA is sending a mission to Mars with a goal of populating it with interstellar emigrants from Earth. A group of astronauts, engineers, food specialists, and others who can provide the infrastructure has been selected, but there is one seat left on the spacecraft. The seat is going to go to a representative of one of the IB subjects in order to preserve knowledge which is deemed essential to the well-being of society.

Prepare an argument as to why your subject is the most valuable one and must be preserved.

Write a statement which is not more than four minutes in length

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Activities to explore the scope

Use the template given below to describe an activity you can do to explore the scope of your subject in the classroom.

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Using Scope to make connection with TOK

• Discuss how useful the knowledge of your subject is.
• Discuss how "true" the knowledge of your subject is.
• Discuss what "the point"/importance of your subject is.
• Discuss “What are the boundaries of your Discipline?”
• What are possible overlaps between your subject and another discipline?
• What is the biggest unanswered question in your subject area?

Your subject and TOK Curriculum

• Check the curriculum section of the TOK Guide
• Does your subject fit neatly in one of the AOK or Themes?
• Read the knowledge questions from the Scope section
• Look at your Yearly Plan/Course Outline
• In your personal reflection identify where you can use these questions while teaching your subject content.

Activities for Scope

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