Name:

  TOK  Knowledge  Wheel   IB  TOK/Gov  

        TOK  Orientation     Ms.  Bauer    
 
 
TOK  Knowledge  Wheel  
 
Directions:  Read  the  following  brief  descriptions  of  each  of  the  eight  TOK  Areas  of  Knowledge  
(AOKs).  Think  about  which  AOKs  you  are  naturally  drawn  to  and  have  an  innate  interest  in.  Then,  fill  
in  your  TOK  knowledge  wheel  (on  the  back  of  this  page)  with  the  WOKs  that  you  most  frequently  
use  and  value  and  the  Areas  of  Knowledge  that  you  find  most  important  to  you  as  a  knower.  
 
Area  of  Knowledge  (AOK)   Description  
The  Natural  Sciences   The  natural  sciences  take  on  the  laws  of  nature  and  attempt  to  analyze  
the  natural  world  using  empirical  inquiry  and  observation.  Biology,  
physics,  and  chemistry  are  examples  of  natural  sciences  that  attempt  to  
make  sense  of  our  world  according  to  our  senses.  
 
The  Human  Sciences   The  human  sciences  examine  what  it  means  to  be  a  human  living  in  our  
natural  world;  human  behavior  is  the  central  realm  of  the  human  
sciences.  In  particular,  psychology,  economics,  political  science,  and  
anthropology  are  subjects  studied  in  this  AOK.  
 
Mathematics   A  discipline  founded  on  deductive  reasoning,  mathematics  is  the  quest  
to  solve  problems,  prove  theorems,  and  generate  universal  truth  based  
in  numbers.  Mathematics  is  also  used  to  create  statistical  models  to  
analyze  data  in  the  natural  and  human  sciences.  
 
History   History  is  the  study  of  the  past  and  the  impact  of  past  events  on  
contemporary  human  life.  Historians  consider  perspectives  and  
assumptions  as  they  attempt  to  construct  and  decipher  an  accurate  
picture  of  human  history.  
 
Ethics   Morality  is  the  central  topic  of  ethics;  this  area  of  knowledge  seeks  to  
explore  what  shapes  human  morality  and  how  we  make  decisions  
based  on  ethical  reasoning.  
 
 
The  Arts   The  arts  as  an  area  of  knowledge  examine  human  creativity  and  
expression,  including  the  visual,  literary,  and  performing  arts.  
Necessary  in  discussions  of  the  arts  is  culture,  another  topic  that  is  
central  to  the  field  of  the  arts.  
 
Indigenous  Knowledge   Each  culture  contains  local  knowledge,  and  the  AOK  of  indigenous  
Systems   knowledge  systems  seek  to  discover  the  nature  of  knowledge  within  a  
particular  cultural  context.  
 
 
Religious  Knowledge   Religious  knowledge  systems  attempt  to  uncover  the  meaning  of  life  
Systems   and  the  purpose  of  human  existence.  This  AOK  covers  many  beliefs  and  
religious  systems  with  a  holistic  approach.  
 
 
 
Name:   TOK  Knowledge  Wheel   IB  TOK/Gov  
        TOK  Orientation     Ms.  Bauer    
 
 
TOK  Knowledge  Wheel  

Areas  of  Knowledge  

Areaf  

Ways  of  Knowing  

YOU,    
the  Knower