Theory of Knowledge (TOK) activities

Science and Technology Studies (STS) offers a series of classroom activities for teachers in the International Baccalaureate programme to support the Theory of Knowledge curriculum.

UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) offers a series of classroom activities for teachers in the International Baccalaureate programme to support the Theory of Knowledge curriculum. Teachers should contact us for more information, or to suggest a related unit. The "Theory of Knowledge" curriculum is excellent preparation for degreee-level study in the areas of our expertise, and we welcome opportunities to interact with teachers and students who are keen on the subject. 

Classroom Activity: Can Robots and Elephants Make Art?

45 minutes. Live visit by tutor via online connection.

Human artists face growing competition. On the one hand, artificial intelligence is pervading every aspect of our lives. Human artists also are using algorithms more and more in their creative practice. On the other hand, the more we explore the minds of animals, the more we find creativity and innovation. Does this mean robots and elephants can create art? In this session we consider specific examples. We seek a better undertaking of what makes human special and what we share with our animal and machine companions. (Teachers can choose whether they want to talk about robots or elephants.)

Classroom Activity: Where's The Head?

45 minutes. Live visit by tutor via online connection.

Description: When we finally meet intelligent life from another planet, we’ll need to think quickly. Before we figure out how to communicate, first we must figure out which way is up. Where is the being’s head? What are its senses? What part of their body will we talk with? What part will we need to avoid? Turns out, we’ve been here before: from deciphering dinosaurs to untangling creatures from the deep oceans. Biologists have lots of tools for figuring this out. In this session, we talk about the history of some of those tools, and we put them to work to explore both the underlying theory of knowledge (what methods they use) and the their final results (what answers they create).

Other Classroom Activities Offered by STS tutors

Each session follows a basic 45-minute plan. The approximate structure for each session:

  • 10 min mini-lecture live from the tutor
  • 10 minute small group project
  • 10 minute whole-class discussion comparing results
  • 5 minute presentation about degrees offered by STS supporting IB programme
  • 10 minutes for introduction and conclusion work by the teacher

Some sessions will ask the classroom teacher to download and print handout material for use in small group projects.

1. What does Art have to do with Science?

In an age of interdisciplinary collaborations, the idea that art and science should be working side by side is pitched as ‘cutting edge’. But what does art really have to do with science? In this session, we explore the long history of the collaborations between artists and scientists. We investigate different - sometimes conflicting - forms of collaboration between these two domains. We use history as a framework to think critically about the value we give to art-and-science projects. The future of interdisciplinarity may be best constructed with an eye to the past.

2. Theory or Theories of Knowledge? Diversity and Pluralism in Science

Authority often comes at the price of exclusion or subjugation. This is true in science as much as anywhere else. In this session we use historical and philosophical sources to explore what science might become it if was carried out from the perspective of underrepresented groups and if their voices and contributions were taken seriously.

3. Can Robots and Elephants Make Art?

Human artists face growing competition. On the one hand, artificial intelligence is pervading every aspect of our lives. Human artists also are using algorithms more and more in their creative practice. On the other hand, the more we explore the minds of animals, the more we find creativity and innovation. Does this mean robots and elephants can create art? In this session we consider specific examples. We seek a better undertaking of what makes human special and what we share with our animal and machine companions. (Teachers can choose whether they want to talk about robots or elephants.)

4. Where’s The Head?

When we finally meet intelligent life from another planet, we’ll need to think quickly. Before we figure out how to communicate, first we must figure out which way is up. Where is the being’s head? What are its senses? What part of their body will we talk with? What part will we need to avoid? Turns out, we’ve been here before: from deciphering dinosaurs to untangling creatures from the deep oceans. Biologists have lots of tools for figuring this out. In this session, we talk about the history of some of those tools, and we put them to work to explore both the underlying theory of knowledge (what methods they use) and the their final results (what answers they create).

5. Everyone Knows a Smile

Charles Darwin was obsessed with smiles and other facial expressions. He wrote a whole book about them, and they were key to his evidence for human ancestry from animals. In this session, we examine Darwin’s use of expression as evidence. We also examine recent efforts to extend his analysis. Do all humans smile? If so, why? What can we conclude from this about the origin of our species?

6. The Logic in Darwin’s Famous Origin of Species

Darwin’s (1859) On the Origin of Species is one of the most famous books in science. It is a clever piece of writing because it uses (at least) three quite different styles of argument. In this session, we untangle the book’s theory of knowledge to follow Darwin’s approach and unlock the reasons for Darwin’s success. We also apply what we learn from this case, to a fresh example.

STS Tutors

 

Dr Chiara Ambrosio is Associate Professor in History and Philosophy of Science. She is an expert on the relationship between science and art, the philosophical idea of “pragmatism,” and general issues in philosophy of science. <ucl.ac.uk/sts/ambrosio>

Professor Joe Cain is Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology. He is an expert in the history of natural history and palaeontology, Darwinism, and the legacy of eugenics. <ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain>