The diploma programme core
The DP core is a part of what makes the IB Diploma Programme unique. The three elements of the DP core, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) are requirements for earning an IB diploma, and throughout the world, wherever students are members of the Diploma Programme, they are completing these three requirements. Below you can read a bit about each part of the core and what makes them unique and valuable. |
Theory of Knowledge
What is Theory of Knowledge?
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is designed to develop a coherent approach to learning that transcends and unifies the academic areas and encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives. Theory of knowledge encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself and aims to help students make sense of their experiences. Its core content focuses on such questions as:
TOK activities and discussions aim to help students discover and express their views on knowledge issues. The course encourages students to share ideas with others and to listen and learn from what others think. In this process students' thinking and their understanding of knowledge as a human construction are shaped, enriched and deepened. Connections are made between knowledge encountered in different Diploma Programme subjects, in CAS experience and in extended essay research.
At the core of TOK are knowledge questions. These questions help us shape the way we think about the content of our courses in tangible and constructive ways. Some examples are:
How is Theory of Knowledge Assessed?
Theory of Knowledge is assessed by the IBO in the following two ways:
The Paper
Students write a 1,600 word paper that addresses a prescribed title the student chooses from a selection offered by the IBO. Past titles include:
The Exhibition
Students will create an exhibition of three objects that connect to one of the 35 “IA prompts” provided by the IBO. Students must select just one IA prompt on which to base their exhibition, and all three objects will be linked to the same IA prompt. The exhibition will include three objects, or images of objects, and an accompanying written commentary on each object.
Example prompts include:
The Exhibition is an internally assessed exercise. That means the TOK teacher will grade the students' work according to an IBO-provided rubric. The teacher will submit the grades to the IBO and then send in requested samples of the student work for moderation.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is designed to develop a coherent approach to learning that transcends and unifies the academic areas and encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives. Theory of knowledge encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself and aims to help students make sense of their experiences. Its core content focuses on such questions as:
- How do we know what we claim to know?
- What is the value and what are the limitations of what we claim to know?
- How does human interaction impact our knowledge claims?
TOK activities and discussions aim to help students discover and express their views on knowledge issues. The course encourages students to share ideas with others and to listen and learn from what others think. In this process students' thinking and their understanding of knowledge as a human construction are shaped, enriched and deepened. Connections are made between knowledge encountered in different Diploma Programme subjects, in CAS experience and in extended essay research.
At the core of TOK are knowledge questions. These questions help us shape the way we think about the content of our courses in tangible and constructive ways. Some examples are:
- How can we gauge the extent to which a history is told from a particular cultural or national perspective?
- Do what extent can art convey the intent of the artist?
- If mathematics is an intellectual human construct, why is it so good at describing the world?
- If science is a discipline of certainty, how can scientific knowledge change over time?
How is Theory of Knowledge Assessed?
Theory of Knowledge is assessed by the IBO in the following two ways:
The Paper
Students write a 1,600 word paper that addresses a prescribed title the student chooses from a selection offered by the IBO. Past titles include:
- “One way to assure the health of a discipline is to nurture contrasting perspectives.” Discuss this claim.
- Do good explanations have to be true?
- “Robust knowledge requires both consensus and disagreement.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
- Should key events in the historical development of areas of knowledge always be judged by the standards of their time?
- “Humans are pattern-seeking animals and we are adept at finding patterns whether they exist or not” (adapted from Michael Shermer). Discuss knowledge questions raised by this idea in two areas of knowledge
The Exhibition
Students will create an exhibition of three objects that connect to one of the 35 “IA prompts” provided by the IBO. Students must select just one IA prompt on which to base their exhibition, and all three objects will be linked to the same IA prompt. The exhibition will include three objects, or images of objects, and an accompanying written commentary on each object.
Example prompts include:
- Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?
- What counts as good evidence for a claim?
- Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
- How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
- Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?
The Exhibition is an internally assessed exercise. That means the TOK teacher will grade the students' work according to an IBO-provided rubric. The teacher will submit the grades to the IBO and then send in requested samples of the student work for moderation.
Extended Essay
The Extended Essay (EE) offers the opportunity for IB students to investigate a topic of special interest from one of the student's six DP subjects, and acquaints them with the independent research and writing skills expected at university. The extended essay is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity, resulting in a 4,000 word research presentation.
Recent studies conducted by major universities demonstrate different ways the extended essay process impacts high school students and how that translates into success at the university level. The studies compare the progress and views of former IB Diploma students with their non-IB counterparts, including former AP students in the United States, former A-level students in Britain. The results suggested a few critical themes:
Once students have determined the subject and topic of their intended research, they are assigned a supervisor and meet with that supervisor several times over the next year. Those meetings are pre-scheduled and the process is structured to support the students as they research and write their papers. Examples of previous MHS EE research questions include:
Recent studies conducted by major universities demonstrate different ways the extended essay process impacts high school students and how that translates into success at the university level. The studies compare the progress and views of former IB Diploma students with their non-IB counterparts, including former AP students in the United States, former A-level students in Britain. The results suggested a few critical themes:
- former IB Diploma students had higher ratings regarding their views of learning and inquiry
- the process of writing the extended essay improved their organization, reading, writing and reasoning skills
- the process of writing an extended essay taught students a great deal in terms of being critical and independent thinkers
- former IB Diploma students felt more prepared than their AP counterparts for college-level coursework that research.
Once students have determined the subject and topic of their intended research, they are assigned a supervisor and meet with that supervisor several times over the next year. Those meetings are pre-scheduled and the process is structured to support the students as they research and write their papers. Examples of previous MHS EE research questions include:
- To what extent did the Argentine dictatorship of 1976-1983 affect Argentine folklore music? (History)
- To what extent does weather affect the kick of a soccer ball in terms of position,velocity and acceleration? (Math)
- What are the characteristics of the synthwave genre as shown by the works ''Resonance” and ''Sunshower?' (Music)
- To what extent is the United States aiding to the impending problem of malnutrition in Sierra Leone? (World Studies)
- How does the concentration of saltwater affect its latent heat of vaporization in order to make a claim on proper human hydration? (Physics)
- To what extent does climate change and human interference have an impact on the health of coral reefs? (Environmental Science)
- To what extent has MAC and MDC hash functions shaped the development of Cryptocurrencies? (Computer Science)
creativity, activity, service
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) encourages students to be involved in activities as individuals and as part of a team that take place in local, national and international contexts. Creativity, activity, service enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development as well as their social and civic development, through experiential learning, lending an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the IB Diploma Programme. It should be both challenging and enjoyable - a personal journey of self-discovery that recognizes each student's individual starting point.
- Creativity - arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking
- Activity - physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the IB Diploma Programme
- Service - an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.