Essential Questions

  • I. How Do We Know What We Know?
  • II. What Are The Problems of Knowledge?
  • III. What is the role of Perception in attaining Knowledge?
  • IV. How does Language influence how he gain Knowledge?
  • V. How does our use of Reason help or hinder us as we attempt to gain knowledge?
  • VI. Is Emotion the best way to gain knowledge?

Obey: Andre the Giant Feed the People

Shepard FaireyInstitute of Contemporary Art
BostonMay 29, 2009

In your last blog for the year, please take a few moments and THOUGHTFULLY answer the following questions. One sentence answers are not acceptable.
Blog must be posted by June 1st.


1. What is your emotional response upon entering the exhibit? Please explain.

2. What is your emotional response upon leaving the exhibit? Please explain.

3. Does emotion interact with reason, sense, perception and language for you in this exhibit? If so, how?

4. Is this an American culture exhibit? How might someone from a non-Western country respond to this exhibit? Why?

5. Can one appreciate theatre, music and art using only the rational mind or must Emotion play a role? Explain.

Final Exam

There are two components to the Final Exam.

1) Presentation. Please refer to the Presentation Rubric on the right under "Alchin's..." Also consider Bird's advice. The rubric will be multiplied by 5 to get 100 points.

2) Research Skeleton. Please refer to the example and the rubric to the right. The rubric will be multiplied by 2 to get 100 points.

The Final exam will be worth 200 points.

Please be prepared to present the day of your exam. Inform me at least 24 hrs. before if you need technical/computer assistance. Your time limit will be 8 min. max!

A hard copy of your Research Skeleton should be handed in the day of the exam for full credit.

Extended Essay Homework

Be sure that you are keeping up with the EE Library HW Assignments. They must be submitted to the Librarians the following workshop to receive full credit. All assignments are listed to the right under Extended Essay.

What was/is due:
May 18-22: Workshop 4 - No HW due. Presentations in class.

May 15: Parent & Student Sign off sheet due

May 12-14: Workshop 3 - HW due May 18

May 5-7: Workshop 2- HW due May 11

May 6: Supervisor Registration Form due

April : Workshop 1- HW due May 1

ToK Essay

In a 3-5 page TYPED paper, please address the following question. Essays are due May 22.

I. Why are informal fallacies (i.e. Ad ignorantiam, Hasty Generalization, Circular Reasoning, Special pleading etc.) often plausible and convincing?
II. In regards to Enron, when, where and by whom were they formulated? Please be specific and cite the movie and the Gladwell reading (only if you want an A or a B).
III. Are there circumstances under which the use of informal fallacies can be justified? For example, in public advertising campaigns aimed at persuading us to donate money for good causes. Consider Gladwell's quote that "It's your fault as well." What are the implications of this? What would be the counterclaim?
IV. Have you ever used informal fallacies? In a paragraph, provide specific details on when this occured.

Opening paragraph, body, transitions and conclusion needed to receive highest mark on Organization section of rubric.
The essay will be graded on the ToK Essay Rubric found on this blog.

Enron #3

Please read the rest of the Gladwell article on Enron and answer the following questions. Your answers must be posted by May 8.

1. What does Gladwell mean when he says that, 'Puzzles are "transmitter-dependent"; they turn on what we are told. Mysteries are "receiver dependent"; they turn on the skills of the listener.'?
2. Why didn't Enron have to pay taxes on their S.P.E.'s? What would be Enron's defense? Can you name the Illogical Fallacy present?
3. Did Enron try to hide the fact that they weren't paying taxes?
4. Why does Gladwell claim that, 'Woodward and Bernstein would never have broken the Enron story.' Why don't you think anyone asked about Enron's financial statements? Is there a fallacy at work here?
5. Gladwell claims that, 'Mysteries require that we revisit our list of culprits and be willing to spread the blame a little more broadly. Because if you can't find the truth in a mystery—even a mystery shrouded in propaganda—it's not just the fault of the propagandist. It's your fault as well.' Do you agree with the implications of this statement?
6. What was the advice of the Cornell students to anyone who held Enron stock?

Visiting Seniors Reflection & EE Assignment

Please take a few moments to reflect on the visit by Seniors. What is the ONE PIECE OF ADVICE that you took away from their presentation? What can you do to follow that advice? What might keep you from following the advice? This Blog is due April 29th.

Also, remember that the Library has an assignment due May 1st. This must be completed ON TIME and will be a ToK grade. Late work will not be accepted. If you lost the sheet, please look directly under the Extended Essay heading on this blog.

Mr. Andre Reflection

Please take a moment to REFLECT on Mr. Andre's presentation in ToK. Did you learn something new? Did you enjoy his riddles? Why or why not? How do you think the Riddles about Monopoly and the Explorers relate to the story of Spider and Black Deer? This post must be completed by April 15.

Enron #2

Please answer the following questions from the Enron article. Answers must be posted to your blog by April 18.

1. How does a Special-Purpose Entity (S.P.E.) work? Why does the "partnership" giving money to your company make a big difference?
2. How did Enron pit "twists into the S.P.E. game?" What does it mean that Enron "didn't always put blue-chip assets into the partnerships"? What was problematic about Enron using its own executives to manage the S.P.E? What was Enron's guarantee?
3. How did the world come to learn of Enron's use of S.P.E.'s? Is Gladwell correct in claiming that this is another example of a mystery? Explain.
4. What is the difference between "scrounged up" and "downloaded?"
5. Why does Gladwell claim that "It scarcely would have helped investors if Enron had made all three million pages public."? Explain what Gladwell means when he says, "But here the rules seem different." Who is Andrew Fastow?
6. Why has he "Disclosure Paradigm" become an anachronism?
7. Why did treating the German secret weapon as a mystery prove to be more useful? Specifically, how did the "propaganda analysts" (the batty geniuses) use reason to uncover the Nazi V-1 Rocket?
8. How has diagnosing Prostate Cancer transformed from a puzzle to a mystery?
9. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, how has "the situation facing the intelligence community has turned upside down?"
10. How does Admiral Bobby R. Inman believe the U.S. should strengthen the U.S. intelligence system? Why was his answer seen as unusual?
11. Gladwell writes: In a post-Cold War world of "openly available information," Inman said, "what you need are observers with language ability, with understanding of the religions, cultures of the countries they're observing." Inman thought we needed fewer spies and more slightly batty geniuses.

Does this curriculum sound familiar?

Enron #1

Please click http://www.gladwell.com/2007/2007_01_08_a_secrets.html and read the first few pages of Malcolm Gladwell's Open Secrets. Then, answer the following questions. All answers must be posted to your blog by April 8.

1. How did Anne Beliveaux respond to Jeffrey Skilling's claim that he was "innocent of every one of these charges." What were the charges?
2. What was Daniel Petrocelli specifically asking Judge Lake to do? What was the response of the judge?
3. What is the difference between a Puzzle and a Mystery? Be as specific as possible! Please consider why Gladwell does not believe the difference to be "trivial."
4. What does Gladwell mean when he states: "Puzzles come to satisfying conclusions. Mysteries often don't."
5. Initially, what did most people think of the Enron scandal? Did they think it was a Mystery or a Puzzle? Why would it matter? What does Gladwell think?
6. Please explain Mark-to-Market Accounting.
7. Gladwell claims that: "When a company using mark-to-market accounting says it has made a profit of ten million dollars on revenues of a hundred million, then, it could mean one of two things..." Please explain the two possibilities. What did Wall Street Journal report Jonathan Weil's source want him to find out?
8. What is the connection between subprime loans and Mark-to-Market Accounting?
9. Why did Weil find Enron's financial statements "sobering?"
10. Why was James Chanos interested in Enron?
11. Who was Bethany McLean?
12. Why does Gladwell believe Watergate to be a classic puzzle?
13. Did Jonathan Weil have a Deep Throat?
14. Why was Weil concerned that the officials at Enron weren't concerned about who would win the 2000 election?
15. After considering how Weil got his information, why does Gladwell believe Enron to be a mystery?

Egyptograms

Please post your notes from the Egyptogram lessons. Also, please refelct on the Egyptogram experience. Did you enjoy the exercize? Why or why not? Be sure to comment on the Kpelle reasoning story in the Egptogram packet. Please publish this post by Friday, April 3.

Wild Child Assessment

Choose from the following possibilities for the Wild Child Assessment. The option chosen must be posted to your blog on March 27th. If not, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
You may work in groups (two people max). All group members will receive the same grade.


In all options, you MUST address the following TWO questions.

1. Why does Dr. Itard want Victor to speak? (you should consider the questions asked on Genie, p. 72) to get the the heart of this question.

2. How does Dr. Itard hope to teach Victor:
a) Perception
b) Language
c) Reason
d) Emotion

Please be specific by citing the film Wild Child, Genie and Abel in your response to these questions.

Option A:
Create a piece of artwork on your blog that addresses the questions.
*BOTH Questions must correspond to the art and be fully answered(40 pts)
*Must be evidence of planning and effort (10 pts)
*It must be creative and of high quality (50 pts)

Option B:
Re-write a popular song/poem with lyrics that answer the questions.
*BOTH Questions must correspond to song and be fully answered(30 pts)
*Must be evidence of planning and effort (10 pts)
*It must be creative and of high quality (30 pts)
*Song must be at least 20 lines, clean with correct spelling and grammar (30 pts)

Option C:
Create a Movie/Music Video that includes Victor and or Dr. Itard
*BOTH Questions must correspond to video and be fully answered(30 pts)
*Must be evidence of planning and effort (10 pts)
*It must be creative and of high quality (30 pts)
*Video must be at least 10 minutes and clean (30 pts)

Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.

Genie #2

Please read the rest of the Genie packet Chapters 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 & 14 and answer the following questions.

1. What was so significant about Chomsky's argument?
2. What do you make of Chomsky's bird argument on p. 36?
3. Do you agree with Chomsky's claim about the island at the end of Chapter 7? Please explain your answer.
4. In Chapter 10, why were Genie's observers pleased to see her hitting other children?
5. Describe how Genie's language was developing.
6. After reading Chapter 11, what are the primary differences between the reading and the film?
7. How did the film, Wild Child impact the symposium members? What is meant by: "all of us saw in the movie what we were prepared to see to confirm to our own biases."?
8. What do you think of Dr. Elkind's quote on p. 59? How do you feel about Dr. Freedman's suggestion on p. 59-61
9. Why was it important for Itard to teach Vistor to "imagine the needs of others (p. 73)"? Does CAS do this? Why or why not?
10. After reading Chapter 14, do you agree that Truffaut's film ending was too optimistic?

For full credit, please post these questions to your blog by March 22nd.

Language Essay Re-Write

This week's optional assignment consists of you re-writing your Language Essay. If you simply re-write the essay on your blog, I will add up to 4 extra credit points. If you wish to get up to 7 extra credit points, please re-write the essay on the blog, adding my comments from the graded rubric. If you do add, please put in red on the blog. For the full 10 extra credit points, rewrite the essay on the blog, add my comments, and then add anything from the Abel Questions that we discussed in class. For example, maybe address Inscrutability of Reference or Chomsky's Linguistic Competence in terms of sign language. For full credit, please post the essay by Wednesday, March 18th.

In Class EE Questions

In Class, get into 4 groups based on subject and please answer the following questions:

1. What components are missing?
2. What are the strengths of this paper?
3. What questions come to mind after reading this paper?
4. How might reading this paper help you plan for the Extended Essay?

This is not a graded assignment. There is no need to post the answers to your blog.

Genie

After your class has written the in-class essay, please read Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5 of Genie. I apologize for the disturbing content, but the material is essential for our future discussion of Language. Once you have read these chapters, please answer the following questions and post them to your blog. The answers are due March 4.

1. What was Psamtik's experiment? What did he hope to learn? Did he?
2. Rymer claims on pg. 5 that "while his experiment was flawed in fulfilling its declared intention...it embodied both the theological questions and the practical quandaries that still bedevil the discipline." Where did Abel hint at this same concept?
3. Why do Linguistics and Astronomy "constitute an unlikely sisterhood"?
4. Why was the Social Worker concerned about the young girl that came to her Welfare Office with her mother?
5. Consider the history of Linguistics outlined in Chapter 5. Please explain how the study of language grew from the religious to the biological and finally to the psychological.

Through Deaf Eyes & Abel In Class Essay

In a 45 min. in-class essay, please answer the following question:

Using the Documentary Through Deaf Eyes and Abel's Chapter 7, please answer: "To what extent do the use of Oralism and Sign Language impact the Deaf view of reality?

If you base each paragraph around the following questions, and you specifically mention the documentary and Abel, you should be well on your way to addressing the question:

A) How does The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis apply to Deaf Culture?
B) How did Oralism and Signing facilitate, extend, direct or limit thinking?
C) If the Deaf use the Oral method or Signing, is what they KNOW different in each language? Does each "language" provide a different framework of reality?
D) What role does Abel's explanation of Sense and reference play in how the Deaf might use Oralism or Signing to view reality. Consider Abel's quote" "Though meanings require words, they are not identical to words.” (p. 68) and that we use ‘linguistic symbols to organize experience” (p. 69)?
E) What are the implications of your claims? What would be a counter-claim?

Add an Opening Paragraph and a Conclusion and you'll be all set. As in the past, it is Open Note, but please don't write the essay before class. I would like everyone to write the essay by hand - no laptops please.

The essay will be given the following days:
Block B: Thursday 2/26
Block F: Thursday 2/26
Block E: Friday 2/27
Block G: Monday 3/2

You will be graded based on the ToK Essay Rubric.

I would love to see outlines and to assist you in preparation for this essay. Please see me.

Eyak Language

Please Listen to the NPR stories entitled: Eyak Language & The Sound of Vanishing Languages. How far should we go to preserve a dying language? In your answer, please consider the following questions:
a) What are the arguments on both sides of the debate in promoting a single language?
b) How far should we go to save a dying language? What are the financial and cultural implications?
c) After reading: Every Teacher is a Language Teacher, what do think of the I.B. supporting International Mother Language Day?

This journal must be posted on February 14 to receive full credit.

Earth vs. Eyeth

Please read Radicalism in Deaf in the Culture under Language Articles on my blog. Then, answer the following questions.
a) What is the primary argument of the students representing Deaf Culture?
b) Why would the Deaf Culture students value a President of Gallaudet who spends more time in Eyeth over Earth? Shouldn't a President of a college represent all students?
c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Deaf person spending too much time in either Eyeth or Earth?
d) What is your opinion of the fight at Galludet? Should Jane K. Fernandes be President of Gallaudet?

This journal must be posted by February 7 to receive full credit.

Abel Ch. 7

January 26

Please read Chapter 7 of Abel and answer the Study Questions on this blog.
Answers are due on your blog on February 2.

Presentation Reflection & Warspeak

Please reflect on the Presentations by your peers. In your opinion:
1. What did the class, as a whole, do well?
2. What does the class need to work on in regards to presentations.
3. What did you do well in preparation for and during your presentation?
4. What could you have done better?

Next, choose an article from CNN, Christian Science Monitor, Fox or even NPR and examine the piece in terms of Warspeak. Be sure to attach the link to your blog and be very specific in your analysis.
This post is due January 23rd.

ToK Exam Presentation

January 8-12

Your Midterm will be in the form of a presentation. Be prepared to present on the day of the exam. Please consult the Presentation requirements and suggestions on my blog.