The relevance of Chemistry lessons to Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
- IB Chemistry Clinic
- Jul 9, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 22, 2024
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Learning about IB Chemistry does not restrict you to the concepts which are relevant to your IB exams – students are expected to incorporate these ideas into their Theory of Knowledge essay. The relevance of Chemistry to TOK can be explored by asking the relevance of Chemistry content to the real world. To supplement their learning, students cannot only rely on their Chemistry syllabus – they must read widely and source examples from outside.
Here are some examples students may find relevant:
Relevance to an international context
When students write their TOK essay, they need to bear in mind the history of Chemistry. To put these topics in a historical setting can illuminate the culture and understanding of the topic. It would be good if students could link Chemistry to other subjects – interdisciplinary studies are always good to have and shows that the student has taken a holistic approach. For example, the link between Chemistry and Economics could be a good topic to explore.
Nature of Science
When we explore the nature of Science, we need to think about the underlying assumptions of the ideas we have and the nature of what we are studying. When writing the TOK essay, students need to use references and examples in your essay to support arguments you make. These arguments can be taken from any of your subjects, including Chemistry. Trying to enjoy Chemistry as a subject can stimulate your interest in not only preparing for your exams, but also for writing your coursework assignments such as your IAs and TOK essays.
Real-world context
Students should try to study Chemistry holistically – they should relate the things they study to a real-world context. When students answer data-response questions, they should have a good understanding of Chemistry. The IB encourages students to draw links to other IB subjects – students should try to be creative as to what they can link to other subjects they are studying. In real life, there are many examples of how things relate to one another. Students can explore these real life situations in their TOK essays in a creative manner.
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As the name suggests, the IB Chemistry Clinic does not only fix a student’s grades - it helps students with critical components of the IB Programme, namely the Internal Assessment (IA) which is worth at least 20% of a student’s grade and their Extended Essay (EE) in Chemistry. The IA and EE are a non-negotiable part of the Chemistry curriculum - without them, students will not be able to graduate with an IB Diploma. However, there are many difficulties associated with conducting experiments for the IA and EE - many replications are required and the standard for the final deliverable - the research report - is high. Students need to undertake statistical testing and present their final results coherently and concisely.
Although the IB school provides mentors for the EE and teachers at school can guide students through their IA, attention to each student is often limited in a classroom setting and many students are left to figure things out by themselves. This results in difficulty completing internal deadlines on time, especially when a student needs to juggle all their 6 subjects and the additional components of the IB, along with their CCAs and other commitments.
The IB Chemistry Clinic is here to answer all your questions - whether it is about content knowledge or fixing errors in your experimental setup as you undertake your IA journey, our skilled tutors with a strong background in Chemistry research and 30 years of experience teaching Chemistry are here to help!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to study for IB Chemistry?
Firstly, knowing the syllabus for IB Chemistry (either HL or SL) will help the student revise. Next, try practising with past year IB papers to get used to the exam format. If there are questions students do not know how to answer, they can revise the concepts regarding the question to help them answer them or clarify with a tutor or teacher.
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