TOK: Knowledge and Language FULL UNIT

This fully resourced unit on Knowledge and Language is designed for the IB Diploma Programme Theory of Knowledge course under the current specification. It provides a coherent and carefully structured sequence of lessons that move students beyond discussion-based TOK and into precise, analytical, assessment-ready thinking.

The unit explores how language shapes, limits, organises and legitimises knowledge. Students examine whether language is necessary for knowledge, how ambiguity and classification influence interpretation, how euphemism alters ethical visibility, and how framing and anchoring affect judgement even when facts remain constant. The sequence culminates in careful analysis of how authority and credibility are constructed through language in real-world objects.

Each lesson includes clear objectives aligned to the TOK core theme, structured written tasks suitable for mixed-ability and EAL-heavy cohorts, and Exhibition-focused activities that develop claim, evidence and limitation reasoning. Students practise evaluating sample commentaries, identifying linguistic mechanisms such as euphemism, emotional framing, classification and anchoring, and explaining how these mechanisms influence interpretation and acceptance of knowledge claims.

This unit is particularly well suited to international schools with multilingual cohorts. Academic language is developed alongside epistemic understanding, ensuring that students are not only able to discuss ideas but also articulate them with clarity and precision. Tasks are carefully sequenced to move learners from identification to explanation and evaluation, reducing superficial responses and strengthening analytical depth.

Rather than relying on unstructured discussion, the unit builds confidence through guided practice and deliberate scaffolded writing. It prepares students for the TOK Exhibition while also strengthening critical engagement with knowledge claims across the wider Diploma Programme.

This resource includes nine fully structured lessons, accompanying student documents, Exhibition-aligned writing tasks, examiner-style evaluation practice and adaptable activities for differentiation.

A comprehensive, academically rigorous and classroom-ready unit designed to raise standards while remaining accessible and practical.