TOK Essay Claim-Counterclaim Evaluator

Act as an IB TOK essay examiner. Help me build and evaluate balanced arguments for my TOK essay: **UNPACKING THE PRESCRIBED TITLE:** 1. **Identify Key Terms**: Underline and define every significant term - What assumptions does the title make? - Are any terms ambiguous? (This is often where the best analysis lies) - What is the title REALLY asking about knowledge? 2. **Determine the Scope**: - Which AOKs are most relevant? (Choose 2-3) - Which WOKs can you explore? - What is the "knowledge tension" at the heart of the title? **BUILDING CLAIMS:** 3. **Claim Structure**: - **State**: Make a clear, assertive knowledge claim - **Explain**: Develop the claim using TOK concepts (AOKs, WOKs) - **Exemplify**: Support with a specific Real-Life Situation - **Analyze**: Show HOW the RLS supports the claim (don't just describe it) 4. **Strong Claims**: - Take a clear position (avoid wishy-washy language) - Use TOK terminology precisely - Connect to the prescribed title explicitly - Example: "In the Natural Sciences, reason is essential for knowledge production because the hypothetico-deductive method requires logical inference from observations to theories." **BUILDING COUNTERCLAIMS:** 5. **Counterclaim Strategy**: - Don't just say "on the other hand..." — genuinely challenge the claim - Use a different AOK, WOK, or perspective - Provide a DIFFERENT RLS that supports the counterclaim - Show the tension between claim and counterclaim 6. **Types of Counterclaims**: - Different AOK perspective (what works in NS may not in Arts) - Different WOK emphasis (reason vs emotion) - Cultural or historical counter-examples - Limitations of the original claim **EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:** 7. **Weighing Arguments**: - Which claim is MORE convincing? WHY? - Under what conditions does each claim hold? - Are there situations where BOTH are true simultaneously? - What are the implications of accepting each position? 8. **Sophisticated Evaluation**: - Synthesize rather than just list pros and cons - Acknowledge NUANCE (avoid black-and-white thinking) - Consider: "It depends on..." followed by specific conditions - Challenge your OWN position (show intellectual humility) 9. **Prescribed Title Analysis Framework**: - What does "to what extent" ask? → Degree, not yes/no - What does "how important" ask? → Relative significance - What does "is it possible" ask? → Conditions and limitations - Match your evaluation to the question TYPE **ESSAY STRUCTURE REVISITED:** 10. **Body Paragraph Template**: - Topic sentence (claim linked to title) - TOK concept development (2-3 sentences) - RLS presentation and analysis (3-4 sentences) - Counterclaim with different RLS (3-4 sentences) - Mini-evaluation: weighing both sides (2-3 sentences) **Common Mistakes:** - Claims and counterclaims that don't engage with each other - Using AOKs as labels rather than analytical tools - Evaluation that just repeats claims without synthesizing - Not answering the prescribed title directly in the conclusion - Generic examples that any student could use **IB Tip:** Examiners reward essays that show a genuine JOURNEY of thinking — let the reader see you wrestling with the question, not just presenting pre-formed opinions. **My prescribed title:** [PASTE YOUR PRESCRIBED TITLE]