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From First-Order Questions to Knowledge Questions

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About This MicroSim

This interactive MicroSim helps students differentiate between first-order disciplinary questions and second-order knowledge questions across multiple Areas of Knowledge.. It supports the learning objectives in Chapter: TOK Assessment and Synthesis.

How to Use

Use the interactive controls below the drawing area to explore the visualization. Hover over elements for additional information and click to see detailed descriptions.

Iframe Embed Code

You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/theory-of-knowledge/sims/question-levels/main.html"
        height="450px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Grade Level

9-12 (High School / IB TOK)

Duration

15-20 minutes

Prerequisites

  • Understanding of what an Area of Knowledge (AOK) is in the TOK framework
  • Familiarity with at least two AOKs (e.g., Natural Sciences and History)
  • Awareness that TOK asks questions about knowledge itself, not just subject content

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze the distinction between first-order knowledge questions (within a discipline) and second-order knowledge questions (about the discipline's methods, assumptions, and scope)

Activities

  1. Exploration (5 min): Use the AOK dropdown to select "Natural Sciences." Read the first-order questions shown (e.g., "What causes cancer?") and the corresponding second-order TOK questions (e.g., "How reliable is the scientific method for producing knowledge about disease?"). Notice how the layers differ — one asks for facts, the other asks about how we know those facts. Repeat with one additional AOK.
  2. Guided Practice (10 min): Select three different AOKs from the dropdown. For each, record one first-order question and the corresponding second-order question. Then, working with a partner, try writing your own second-order question for a first-order question not shown in the sim. Share with the class and discuss: What makes a question genuinely "second-order"?
  3. Assessment (5 min): Given the first-order question "Did the Roman Empire fall because of economic decline?", write a second-order TOK knowledge question that shifts the focus from the historical content to how we know about it. Explain in one sentence why your question qualifies as second-order.

Assessment

  • Correctly distinguishes between first-order and second-order questions for at least two AOKs
  • Generates an original second-order question that genuinely addresses knowledge production rather than content
  • Articulates why second-order questions are central to TOK inquiry

Quiz

Test your understanding with this review question.

1. Which of the following is a second-order (TOK) knowledge question?

  1. What is the chemical formula for photosynthesis?
  2. When did World War II end?
  3. To what extent can historical evidence provide certainty about past events?
  4. What percentage of the Amazon rainforest has been deforested?
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. This question asks about the nature and limits of historical knowledge itself — it is a question about knowledge (second-order), not a question within a discipline (first-order). Options A, B, and D are all first-order questions seeking factual answers within their respective disciplines.

Concept Tested: First-order vs. second-order knowledge questions

References

  1. International Baccalaureate Organization. Theory of Knowledge Guide. Cardiff: IBO, 2022.
  2. Woolman, M. Ways of Knowing: An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. IBID Press, 2006.