Module 4: ETHICS
Knowledge questions:
Should the pursuit of knowledge in these themes/areas of knowledge be subject to ethical constraints?
What responsibilities rest on the knower as a result of their knowledge in these themes/areas of knowledge?
How can we know when we should act on what we know?
Do established values change in the face of new knowledge?
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TASK : You'll be really starting to focus on bringing your unit plan to life in the OneNote digital workbook. The brief explanation of the task for module 4 as you continue to work on it is to find a knowledge question, or research and decide on something that would be considered 'new knowledge', or a breaking discovery or research, in your subject and create a mind map that would explain your understanding. This should be relevant to the unit or topic(s) your already exploring in your notebook, and once you're finished the mindmap, you'll include it as a page in your Notebook. (see the previous Notebook examples that are shared in your discussion forums)
Think about your subject, and more specifically the unit/topic you're working on. Have any established values in that area of knowledge changed, and what are/could be the ethical implications of this ? Maybe try and use a tool that you haven't tried before ! There is no 'right or wrong' in this task, we are learning to think critically, and make that thinking visible. You can be as creative as you wish ! *You are absolutely permitted to do this task by hand and take a photo if you wish. Using a virtual platform is only a suggestion that can help develop students' media and tech literacy skills as model the same with your exploration of Microsoft OneNote. Here are some examples of online platforms that might interest you :
Stormboard
Popplet
Mindmeister
Coggle
The IB loves their mindmaps ! And why wouldn't they ? They are fantastic tools to make thinking visible, to organize and synthesize information, and to gather ideas. As the IB revises curriculum documents, they are beginning to include mindmapping examples from each subject (if that shows you just how much value they place on them !).
As you're working on your mindmaps this module, I just wanted to draw your attention to student examples that are contained within SOME of your guides, those being the newer/revised programmes.
For example, if you go to the web version of the Mathematics guide, (for the link to work, you'll have to log into MyIB first, or just head over there and visit the page or follow along with the screenshots below) there is a link to student samples.
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Should the pursuit of knowledge be subject to ethical constraints ? Do established values change in the face of new knowledge ?
As we've talked about before, a core component of the DP is thinking about how, and why, we know what we know - what it means to know rather than new knowledge itself. Theory of Knowledge, or TOK, is part of explicit planning in our course outlines, units and lessons. The exploration of knowledge questions and asking ourselves how we know what we know in our subject groups is essential in pushing the boundaries of authentic learning in our classrooms. As you continue to work on your workbooks from module 3, you'll be thinking of how you can explicitly add a TOK connection into your unit/topic planning.
There are many companies that publish excellent DP resources with tangible examples of TOK integrated in lessons, and there's a fairly good chance you'll have the opportunity to use them (either a virtual textbook such as Kognity, or print resources), one of them being Pearson.
I thought it would be a good idea to show you what a lesson plan that was created to address the very question above. There's no need to give this much information in your course outline, they are only looking for a brief outline of a lesson, however I did think it was a great way for you to see an example of what integrating TOK questions into your course could look like.
You'll find a PDF example from an arts course HERE.
On the Pearson website, you can also find examples from other subjects relating to other knowledge questions, HERE.
Seeing as this module's task is to identify new 'knowledge' in your subject/area, I thought it would be important for me to model it for you by using an example other than the arts (which is my primary teaching subject). Since I also teach SL Psychology, I thought this could be an interesting exercise for me.
Let me just say that in DP Year 1, the first question I ask relates to ethics - Does true evil exist ? I think this particular lesson connects to that.
According to a 2021 Finnish Study, in neurospychology, MRIs can be used to measure the density in areas of the brain involved in cognitive control and emotional regulation in order to explain certain characteristics of psychopathy. Previously, psychometric inventory tests such as the Levenson Self-Report, HARE, TriPM and ICU were used to establish psychopathy/psychopathic tendencies (behavioural assessments). These inventory tests have immense power, especially in the criminal justice system and any discussion of true neurological imaging to 'diagnose psychopathy' (which isn't a true diagnosis according to the DSM) was taken with a grain of salt.
Let's take a look at a 2013, so much older, article that reveals ethical concerns that have arisen from past approaches.
'Fallon apparently began his investigation in earnest after learning that his family tree contained a number of murderers, including the infamous Lizzie Borden. He then sought evidence to confirm his belief that he inherited a psychopathic profile.
What’s wrong with doing that? As Francis Bacon put it nearly 400 years ago, “The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion…draws all things else to support and agree with it.” If we only seek to confirm rather than falsify our beliefs then we will find that we are always right – or at least it will seem that way. This confirmation bias is one of the most powerful traps in reasoning because we all like to be right, and we prefer to be consistent. By consistently interpreting weak evidence in favour of his beliefs, Fallon’s investigation is a case study in bias.
Understanding the neuroscience of psychopathy is a fascinating and important branch of psychiatry. But as in all sciences, real advances require a self-critical mindset and a strict adherence to the scientific method. As scientists seeking publicity, it can be tempting to forget these rules and exploit logical fallacies that we think others won’t notice.
Many psychologists believe that psychopaths are so devoid of normal human emotion, so cold and remorseless and impulsive, that they are bound, almost by their very nature, to do harm and violence.
So new knowledge - the use of MRIs to establish biological reasoning, and possibly diagnoses, of personality disorders - is great. As a non-exact science, psychology requires constant reflection and advancement in terms of cognitive, behavioural, socio-cultural and biological approaches to understanding. Here's an ethical concern - who are those participants on which this new technology will be used ? If you read the research, criminal offenders, as well as patients in psychiatric hospitals. Questions we would look at during this lesson - are all of these subjects willing participants ? Are they able to consent to the use of this technology in order to participate ? ' Studying prisoners is difficult, but provides critical information about the neurobiology of violence and aggression.' How is the sampling being conducted, and what biases are included in this sampling ? If we are looking for psychopathy in criminal offenders, are we biased towards finding what we want or expect to find ?
'In November 2009, Robert Dixon took a test to determine whether he was a psychopath.
After 26 years in prison, he was due for a parole hearing. In California, before a "lifer" like Dixon appears before the parole board, a state psychologist must first evaluate whether he poses a risk of further violence if released. To do that, the psychologist administers a test — the PCL-R, or Psychopathy Checklist-Revised — designed to measure whether that inmate is a psychopath.
This test has incredible power in the American criminal justice system. It's used to make decisions such as what kind of sentence a criminal gets and whether an inmate is released on parole. It has even been used to help decide whether someone should be put to death.'
Ethically, I think it's obvious that we could make the connection between new technology, bias and the question of life or death in a situation such as this. Is this technology accurate ? How do we know ? Students, by this time, have already explored the psychometric tests and most have understood that everyone falls somewhere on a spectrum of psychopathic behaviour.
Ethically, we also know that racialized peoples are proportionally VERY overrepresented in the criminal and penal systems. In the US, we're talking about an overrepresentation of Blacks, and in the US, Indigenous peoples. How can this new technology be used in a criminal system which we know is systemically racist in order to decide punishment ? We would also explore how Critical Race Theory and this new technology could interect. (and by this I mean the actual academic field of critical race theory, not the vague definition - or lack of definition - that is currently taking over US discourse).
Articles we could look at :
Critical Race Theory and Criminal Justice
Critical race theory as theoretical framework and analysis tool for population health research
Let me be clear on this as well, we have a lot of liberty in the Ontario education system. I've explored many topics which would be banned or considered sensitive in certain contexts (eg. I could never even integrate this were I teacher in Texas). Not only would the exploration of this TOK question cover requirements in psychology, introduce students to academic research and help develop critical thinking skills, but it also supports anti-racist education. (if you'd like to learn more about what critical race theory (CRT) actually is, I encourage you to read about Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw who is one of the leaders in academic and law-based research). If you have access to CNN, W. Kamau Bell also explored this on recent episodes of United Shades of America)
More on United Shades of America
Reference :
Lauri Nummenmaa, Lasse Lukkarinen, Lihua Sun, Vesa Putkinen, Kerttu Seppälä, Tomi Karjalainen, Henry K Karlsson, Matthew Hudson, Niina Venetjoki, Marja Salomaa, Päivi Rautio, Jussi Hirvonen, Hannu Lauerma, Jari Tiihonen. Brain Basis of Psychopathy in Criminal Offenders and General Population. Cerebral Cortex, 2021; DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab072
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How I organized what this should look like, because it is truly a slew of ideas and just trying to organize fluency of the IB Curriculum/Framework. To clarify my goal through this workflow or general flowchart in regards to planning the lesson plan, Creating a workflow chart for lesson planning in an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Language A: Language and Literature course involves integrating several key components such as Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills, concepts, the learner profile, Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) connections, Theory of Knowledge (TOK) connections, areas of exploration, and the aims of the course. Below is a textual outline of the workflow chart which I have used to visualize or draw as a flowchart.
Feel free to adapt this accordingly,
1. Begin with Course Aims,
-Identify specific aims of the IBDP Language A course.
-Consider criterion relating to the various external assessments (Knowledge, understanding and interpretation; Analysis and evaluation; Focus and organization; Language).
2. Define Areas of Exploration
-Choose the relevant area(s) of exploration (Intertexuality; Time and Space; Readers, Writers and Texts).
-Prepare guiding questions for students.
3. Incorporate Key Concepts
-Identify core concepts of Language A (e.g., representation, perspective).
-Align lesson objectives (teacheer created) with these concepts to facilitate deeper understanding.
4.Integrate Approaches to Learning (ATL) Skills
-Select appropriate ATL skills (e.g., communication, research, self-management).
-Determine how these skills will be taught and assessed in the lesson. (specifically in the lesson rationale)
5. Utilize the Learner Profile
-Identify attributes of the IB Learner Profile to foster (e.g., Thinkers, Communicators).
-Design activities that promote student development in these areas.
6. Create Connections to Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
-Formulate connections to TOK concepts (e.g., knowledge claims, perspectives).
-Include opportunities for students to reflect on how language influences understanding.
7. Plan for CAS Connections
-Integrate opportunities for students to connect their learning to Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS).
-Design assignments that may involve community projects or creative expression related to the unit.
8. Develop Assessments and Feedback Mechanisms
-Plan formative and summative assessments.
-Ensure assessments align with the learned concepts and skills.
-Prepare feedback strategies to guide student improvement.
9. Design Learning Activities
-Create diverse activities (e.g., discussions, presentations, creative projects).
-Ensure activities cater to different learning styles and encourage student agency.
When putting it together,
-Use boxes for each step and connect them with arrows to indicate the flow of the lesson planning process.
-Highlight key components (like ATL, TOK, CAS) with different colors.
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Through this previously introduced workflow I also found that I really needed a starting point for what my learning goals should look like, here is what I came up with in regards to designing the learning goals for a lesson,
1. Identify Big Idea
🔹 Align with IB guide components (e.g., concepts, areas of exploration, global issues).
🔹 Define criterion of learning objectives (skills: analysis, knowledge, language, etc.).
🔹 Connect to TOK or CAS where applicable.
2. Select Text(s) or Media to focus learning around
🔹 Choose a literary text, non-literary text, or multimodal source to mention
🔹 Ensure relevance to theme, context, or authorial intent.
🔹 Consider how the text engages with different perspectives.
3. Plan Inquiry-Based Learning Activities (HOTS)
🔹 Develop guiding questions that compliment what you want students to do (e.g., How does language shape meaning?)
🔹 Design analytical tasks that are going be reflected on in the goals (text annotations, comparative analysis, debates).
🔹 Include use of HOTS if using interactive elements e.g. group work, multimedia exploration, Socratic seminars).
Your lesson should develop specific student skills aligned with IB assessment objectives,
IB Assessment Objective and Lesson Focus Example:
1. Analyze text and context
Examine how historical context influences meaning in a speech or novel
2. Understand authorial choices
Explore how a writer’s use of satire critiques political power
3. Communicate a coherent response
Develop a structured textual analysis using relevant terminology
4. Compare and evaluate perspectives
Compare different media representations of the same event
Connect to Global Issues (For IO and Critical Thinking)
Choose a global issue relevant to the text:
Power and privilege – Language in propaganda and media
Culture and identity – Code-switching and multilingualism
Technology and communication – The influence of social media on language
Example: If teaching George Orwell’s 1984 → Lesson objective:
"Students will analyze how Orwell critiques power through language and draw connections to contemporary media bias."
Sample Lesson Objective and Breakdown for IBDP Language A: Language and Literature
Text Choice: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Lesson Objective:
"Students will analyze how Atwood uses language and narrative perspective to critique power structures, linking the novel to contemporary debates on gender and control."
Step 1: Align with IB Syllabus Components
-Area of Exploration: Time and Space (Examining how historical and political contexts shape meaning)
Key Concepts: Power, Identity, and Representation
Global Issue: Gender and Power in Society
Step 2: Frame Inquiry Questions (OPTIONAL)
✅ How does Atwood use language to control meaning and manipulate the reader’s perspective?
✅ How does The Handmaid’s Tale reflect real-world power structures, both historically and today?
✅ In what ways do narrative choices (first-person limited perspective, flashbacks) shape our understanding of oppression?
Step 3: Identify Learning Activities
🔹 Close Reading & Annotation
-Students annotate key passages focusing on diction, repetition, and figurative language (e.g., the phrase "Blessed be the fruit.")
-Discussion: How does language control thought in Gilead?
🔹 Comparative Analysis
-Compare excerpts from The Handmaid’s Tale with real-world examples of political rhetoric or media censorship.
-How does Atwood mirror historical regimes?
🔹 Creative Response
-Rewrite a scene from the Commander’s or Serena Joy’s perspective → How does perspective shift power and bias?
Step 4: Identify Assessment Connections
✅ Paper 1 (Textual Analysis):
-Students practice analyzing an unseen dystopian text, applying techniques learned from The Handmaid’s Tale.
✅ Paper 2 (Literary Essay):
-Discuss how Atwood’s novel critiques patriarchy and authoritarianism in comparison to another dystopian work (e.g., 1984).
✅ Individual Oral (IO):
-Link The Handmaid’s Tale to a real-world issue, such as gender laws, reproductive rights, or media control.
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My end product (digitally prepared)
Mind Map Task:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGiWhB_cq8/5XAnCdohkUZbNfwY_pKfwg/edit
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGiWrNws74/r2cA7LBG9eTK2BIjd7mX9w/edit
See attached notes by instructor Laurie Crawford with regards to the completion of the above mindmaps provided, (March, 2025)
Overall Feedback
Carmelo, this is absolutely amazing ! You know, I've taught many DP subjects and when we first try and absorb a new curriculum, it's difficult to figure out at first how to organize ourselves - we're used to focusing first on content but here we're reflecting on concepts and contexts and integrating TOK...in a subject where the content is clear, it can be quite a feat to rewire our brains in terms of what we know we are already exploring, but then changing the way we are planning it. This planning is much better than even many experienced teachers and it's clear you've taken the time to really go through the guide, learn the information, put the pieces together in your head and then transfer them into a fantastic resource that should serve as a model for other students that have the opportunity to look at it. I really appreciate all of your hard work, not only on this large task but also throughout the course.
I found myself so enthralled in your content, I actually learned a lot. I would love to take part in these lessons, and again, I think you did a wonderful job at approaching it in a way that shows your interest, and in how it would make sense to you in your classroom.
I hope you understand that the immense amount of time and energy you must have put into completing this task will be very beneficial to you as you continue on with the IBEC courses. Most of what you included can be reinvested in tasks on assessment, teaching and learning strategies, reflective practices, etc that you'll have to do anyhow so it can really be a great tool for you that should make your life much easier as you move forward ! "
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Going further, I have been long since, working on how to create an effective and well documented lesson-plan,
Lesson Plan Breakdown for A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
Lesson Objective:
"Students will analyze how Kincaid uses language, tone, and narrative voice to critique colonialism and tourism, linking the text to contemporary global discussions on power, identity, and cultural exploitation."
Step 1: Align with IB Syllabus Components
-Area of Exploration: Readers, Writers, and Texts (How texts shape and challenge perspectives)
-Key Concepts: Power, Identity, and Perspective
-Global Issue: Colonial Legacies and Economic Inequality
Step 2: Frame Inquiry Questions
✅ How does Kincaid use the second-person narrative to challenge the reader’s perspective?
✅ In what ways does A Small Place expose the lingering effects of colonialism in Antigua?
✅ How does Kincaid’s critique of tourism serve as a broader critique of global inequality?
Step 3: Learning Activities
🔹 Close Reading & Annotation
-Students annotate key passages, focusing on tone, repetition, and direct address (e.g., "You see yourself as a nice person. But you are an ugly thing.").
-Discussion: How does Kincaid position the reader in the role of the privileged outsider?
🔹 Comparative Analysis
-Compare A Small Place with colonial travel literature or modern travel advertisements.
-How does Kincaid subvert traditional representations of the Caribbean?
🔹 Creative Response
-Rewrite a passage from the perspective of a tourist or local Antiguan citizen.
-How does perspective shape the portrayal of place and identity?
Step 4: Assessment Connections
✅ Paper 1 (Textual Analysis):
-Students analyze an unseen travel essay or tourist brochure, applying Kincaid’s critique of tourism and power.
✅ Paper 2 (Literary Essay):
-Compare Kincaid’s A Small Place with another postcolonial text (e.g., Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things).
✅ Individual Oral (IO):
-Link A Small Place to a real-world issue, such as neo-colonialism, economic dependence, or cultural representation in media.
This next portion emphasizes specific skills students will employ in the lesson,
Detailed Activity Plan for Paper 1 Practice Using A Small Place
Focus Skill: Textual Analysis (Paper 1)
Objective:
"Students will analyze how Kincaid’s use of second-person narration, tone, and rhetorical devices shapes meaning and critiques colonialism and tourism."
1️⃣ Pre-Reading Activity: Building Context (10-15 min)
🔹 Discussion Prompt: What are your perceptions of the Caribbean as a tourist destination?
🔹 Activity:
-Show contrasting images:
-A luxurious resort in Antigua
-A street in Antigua affected by poverty
-Ask: How do media representations shape our understanding of a place?
🔹 Mini-Lecture (5 min)
-Briefly introduce postcolonialism and Kincaid’s background.
-Explain how tourism can reinforce economic and cultural inequalities.
2️⃣ Close Reading & Annotation (20-25 min)
🔹 Text Excerpt: First two paragraphs of A Small Place (where Kincaid directly addresses the reader).
🔹 Guided Annotation Focus:
✅ Narrative Voice: How does second-person narration position the reader?
✅ Tone: How does Kincaid balance sarcasm, anger, and irony?
✅ Diction: Identify loaded words and their connotations (e.g., “ugly thing”).
🔹 Pair Work:
-In pairs, students highlight and annotate one rhetorical device.
-Each pair explains how their chosen device contributes to Kincaid’s critique.
3️⃣ Analytical Writing Exercise (30 min)
🔹 Prompt: How does Kincaid use language to challenge the reader’s assumptions about Antigua?
🔹 Scaffolding Steps:
1.Thesis Writing: Provide a model thesis statement and have students refine it.
2.Evidence Selection: Students choose two key quotes and explain their significance.
3.Mini-Paragraph Writing:
-Topic Sentence
-Embedded Quote
-Analysis (How does it affect the reader?)
🔹 Peer Review:
-Swap responses and give feedback using two stars and a wish (two strengths, one improvement).
4️⃣ Reflection & Real-World Connections (10-15 min)
🔹 Discussion:
✅ How does Kincaid’s critique apply to modern tourism and global inequalities?
✅ Are there similar critiques of tourism in your country or other media?
🔹 Exit Ticket:
-One sentence: What is one new perspective you gained from this lesson?
Assessment & Next Steps
📌 Formative:
-Quick feedback on mini-paragraphs (focus on argument clarity and textual support).
-Reflection responses to gauge personal engagement with the text.
📌 Summative (Paper 1 Practice):
-Next lesson: Full Paper 1 timed practice using another passage from A Small Place or an unseen non-literary text for comparison.
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