Example-to-Claim Mapping in 5 Minutes
Map the Example
Before you write a TOK paragraph, spend five minutes mapping the example to the claim. This saves time because it tells you whether the paragraph has a real argument or only a nice example.
Find the Knowledge Point
Minute one: write the example in one neutral sentence. No analysis yet. Just the case. If you need five sentences to explain the basic case, you may need to narrow it.
Write the Claim
Minute two: write the knowledge issue. Use TOK vocabulary, but be specific. Not just 'bias', but 'how data selection shapes what appears objective'. Not just 'perspective', but 'how different historical questions make different sources significant'.
Test the Connection
Minute three: write the claim. Use the sentence starter: 'This example suggests that...' The claim should be about knowledge, not the subject. If your sentence starts to sound like a lesson from biology, economics, or history, rewrite it.
Keep the Limit
Minute four: write the mechanism. Use 'because'. This example supports the claim because what happened? Because a method filtered evidence? Because a model simplified reality? Because interpretation depended on context? Because authority affected trust?
Minute five: write the limit. What does the example not prove? Where might the claim be weaker? What would a different AOK do differently? This prevents overclaiming and creates nuance.
When the five minutes are done, read the map out loud: example, knowledge issue, claim, mechanism, limit. If it flows, you can draft. If it feels forced, do not ignore that feeling. Either the example does not fit the claim, or the claim needs to change.
This map is not extra work. It is the paragraph's skeleton. Without it, students often write a long example summary and then attach a TOK phrase at the end. With it, the paragraph has direction before the writing starts.