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You will need to clone the following Kialo discussions and share them with students:

• How to plan a TOK essay on Kialo: Do we need custodians of knowledge? (Step 1)
• How to plan a TOK essay on Kialo: Do we need custodians of knowledge? (Step 2 and 3)

There is a TOK Essay Checklist attached at the bottom of the page for you to reference.

Share your clone of the Kialo discussion How to plan a TOK essay on Kialo Edu: Do we need custodians of knowledge? (Step 1) or display it on the screen.

• Guide students through the claims, examining how they present an argument in favor of custodians of artistic knowledge.
• Show students how linked sources are collated in the Sources sidebar for easy reference when writing the essay.
• Share the finished version of TOK Essay Extract 1 (attached below) of this section of the essay with students and ask them to compare it to the Kialo essay plan.
  • This includes the essay introduction for reference.
  • Clarify with students that the purpose of the lesson is to focus on constructing arguments, rather than the essay introduction.
    

Use these questions about the Kialo discussion to guide students’ comparisons:

• Where is the prescribed title displayed?
• What information is presented in the thesis?
• How does the claim structure support building a clear and coherent argument?
• How have examples been used to support points?

Share the TOK essay assessment instrument with students (TOK Guide 2022, p. 48).

• Examine the criteria for “Excellent 9–10.”
• Ask students whether they would award the first section of the essay a 9–10 grade.
• Discuss that it doesn’t yet show “clear awareness and evaluation of different points of view.”

Explain that we now need to evaluate an alternative viewpoint. 

• Show students the next section (TOK Essay Extract 2, attached below) of the sample essay on the Vienna Secession, which evaluates a different point of view.
  

Guide students’ comprehension with these questions:

• Who is the custodian in this example?
• How did they aim to protect and monitor Viennese artistic knowledge at the time?
• How did notable artists react?
• How does this demonstrate the potential negative impact of custodians of art?
• What were the actual consequences of the Kunstlerhaus’s actions?

Once students are familiar with the topic, discuss how Extract 2 of the essay provides a counterargument to the claim:  In the arts, custodians of knowledge traditionally serve an important role in preserving and providing art for the masses.

• Ask students to identify the main counterargument e.g., In artistic communities, institutions that act as custodians for artistic knowledge can be seen as restrictive.
• Model how to add this to the discussion as a con. You can use your cloned discussion from step 1.
• Guide students to add further pros and cons to build the counterargument, based on the essay.
• Encourage students to link claims to sources as appropriate.

A completed example can be found here.

For this section, divide students into groups and provide them with their own copy of How to plan a TOK essay on Kialo Edu: Do we need custodians of knowledge? (Step 2 and 3).

• You may wish to use Small Group Mode. 

Ask students to identify what else needs to be added to the essay in order to achieve a 9–10 grade.

• Discuss that it currently only refers to one area of knowledge.
• Explain to students that they will now research arguments on custodians of knowledge in the natural sciences.
  • Divide students into groups and provide them with time to conduct their research.
  • Then, they should add an argument and counterargument on the natural sciences to their own copy of the discussion.
  • This should start directly underneath the thesis, forming a new branch of the discussion.
  • Encourage students to link claims to sources as appropriate.

You can use Grading and Feedback to guide/assess students’ contributions in real-time or after the session.

Explain to students that the final important part of their TOK essay is the conclusion.

• The conclusion should tie all the arguments together and provide a definitive response to the prescribed title.

Share the success criteria for an effective conclusion with students:

• Demonstrate critical thinking in explaining what you’ve learnt.
• Evaluate the main arguments in response to the prescribed title. 
• Explain the implications of your response. 
• Refer to any unresolved questions or limitations.

Working in the same groups, students should review the claims in their Kialo discussions to write a short conclusion that responds to the prescribed title.