Rate Your TOK Example from 1 to 5
Level 1: Too Vague
If you want a fast way to judge your TOK example, rate it from one to five. The number is not about how impressive the example sounds. It is about how much analytical work the example can do.
Level 2: Mostly Descriptive
A level one example is just a topic. For example: 'AI', 'the pandemic', 'history', or 'art'. There is no exact case, no knowledge issue, and no claim. You cannot write a strong TOK paragraph from level one.
Level 3: Usable but Thin
A level two example has a case but no TOK angle. You might say, 'facial recognition systems have made mistakes'. That is more specific, but it still needs a knowledge issue. Is the issue evidence, classification, bias, model design, public trust, or ethical use?
Level 4: Analytical
A level three example has a TOK angle but weak claim support. You can see a knowledge issue, but you cannot yet explain what the example proves. This is the most common student level. The example feels relevant, but the paragraph becomes descriptive.
Level 5: Essay-Ready
A level four example supports a clear claim. You can say what the example suggests about knowledge, and you can connect it to an AOK. This is usable. To improve it, add a limitation or counterpoint.
A level five example supports a claim and creates nuance. It helps you discuss both what the claim explains and where it has limits. It has an exact case, a knowledge issue, an AOK fit, and a role in the paragraph.
Here is the quick test. Ask: what is the case, what is the knowledge issue, what claim does it support, and what is the limit? If you can answer all four, you are close to level five. If you can answer only the first one, you are at level two.
Do not panic if your example is a three. That means it has potential. Repair it by adding specificity, clarifying the knowledge issue, and writing one possible claim. The score is not a judgment of you. It is a map for what to fix next.
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