Myth: Every subject requires a different kind of essay. Fact: Although there are some surface differences in approach, all IB subjects, the Extended Essay, and Theory of Knowledge demand some fundamental qualities in a good essay: • a demonstrated understanding of the issue under discussion• a demonstrated skill in analytical thinking in the form learned in the particular subject• a well organized and clearly written presentation of the ideas, with control of overall argument • honesty in not plagiarizing, and often a formalization of this principle in following accepted practice of footnotes and bibliography. Gaining control of essay writing in any one part of your IB helps in all other parts.
SIX STEPS TO WRITING A GOOD TOK ESSAY:
A STUDENT GUIDE
STEP 1:
SELECT A TITLE FROM THE IB LIST. ... These instructions tell you exactly what you are expected to do in your essay.
Remember to centre your essay on problems of knowledge and, where appropriate, refer to other parts of your IB programme and to experiences as a knower. ... Your essay must be between 1200 and 1600 words in length.
Last, read over the criteria according to which your essay will be marked. Pay attention to the description of the top mark in each category in order to set your goals for an appropriate essay. ...
Think of the essay as a kind of game – perhaps basketball or soccer in which you have to show your skills. ... The audience will recognize a good game or performance and give you applause – if you do it well. ... KNOWLEDGE ISSUE(S) (10 points)Is/are the problems of knowledge implied by the prescribed title recognized and understood, and prominently maintained throughout the essay? ... BREADTH AND LINKS (5 points)Does the essay reflect an awareness of different Ways of Knowing and different Areas of Knowledge, and of how they may be linked? ... STRUCTURE, CLARITY, AND LOGICAL COHERENCE (5 pts) Is the essay structured, clear and logically coherent? If the essay is of fewer than 1200 words or exceeds 1600 words in length, zero will be awarded for this criterion. ... EXAMPLES (5 points)Is the essay well supported by appropriate examples drawn from a variety of sources? ... Remember, though, that the ToK essay is not a research paper. ... ” If you find ideas at all interesting or like to reflect on what beliefs or knowledge your life experience and education have given you, you will probably find this stage of the essay personally stimulating. Moreover, you will be given credit in your essay for pulling together the relevant ideas in a way which reflects your own thinking and draws illustrations of ideas not only from public facts and explanations but also from your own life experience. ...
Now comes probably the greatest struggle of the essay – to move from scribbled notes of intertangled ideas to a plan for an essay which lays out (one, two, three! ... ) already knowing how to write an essay. ... or to organize ideas for an essay. ...
As you put your ideas into related groups and shuffle them into order, you should identify your THESIS – that is, the central point which you want to make in your essay. ... Make sure that every subsection of your essay develops this core idea in some way, including considering counter-arguments to it. ...
There are many possible ways of structuring ideas in an essay, depending on the topic. ... The only thing essential is that the sequence of ideas as you move from subsection to subsection in the body of your essay must develop your thesis, which in turn must respond to the set title.
The Well-Organized Essay at a Glance (Thesis-First Pattern)
Introduction: The overall goal is to make clear what your topic is and establish the central argument (thesis) of your essay. ...
IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW THE ARGUMENT OF YOUR ESSAY QUICKLY SIMPLY BY READING YOUR THESIS AND TOPIC SENTENCES.
In order to decide on an overall strategy for argument it might be useful to consider the following two major patterns of essay development. ... Each subsection of the body of the essay then supports and develops the thesis. ... Each subsection of the body of the essay then treats aspects of the question or possible answers to it, usually in order of climax with the most persuasive at the end. The thesis then emerges firmly at the end of the essay as the conclusion of the argument. ...
STEP 5
WRITE THE ESSAY.
By now you have done extensive thinking and planning – but you still have no essay! The actual writing, though, is only a small part of a good essay. ... Your essay must be between 1200 and 1600 words in length, so control the degree to which you expand on an idea as you go. Doing so is not easy, but it is easier than trying to readjust a whole essay at the end. ...
• Do not, however, pad out your essay with definitions of terms which are not particularly ambiguous.
• Do not drop into your essay lumps of definition which are not clearly linked your argument and are ignored thereafter.
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