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IB TOK Presentation Guide (Updated 2023)

Unlock the secret to crafting a winning ToK presentation that wows your audience. Learn the must-know tips to nail your presentation and get top marks!

Table of content

What is a tok presentation, 5 key points for your ib tok presentation, basics for your presentation, slide 1 - title page, slide 2 - decontextualization , slide 3 - knowledge question , slide 4 - development (1) , slide 5 - development (2) , slide 6 - development (3) , slide 7 - conclusion , slide 8 - link back to the rls, example outline for a tok presentation, evidence can be, improve your presentation style.

What up? What up?

Welcome to this well-written article on Nail IB: your secret weapon for moving closer to a perfect score of 45. This article is the first step towards answering how to make a tok presentation. Before you answer this question, you must familiarise yourself with the fundamentals of the TOK presentation.

Remember, we at Nail IB prioritize your journey of becoming a thinking intellectual. This is done by understanding the fundamentals of the diploma, including  IB TOK presentation ,   TOK Essay ,  Extended Essay ,  Internal Assessment , and  CAS.  

Before you read this beautiful article, browse a quick video by Amanda Elise!

TOK presentation is quite similar to  TOK Essay . Both IB concepts emphasize your assessment of  critical thinking skills . A  TOK Essay  takes a more conceptual starting point inspired by the questions released by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. In contrast, an IB TOK presentation, in particular, helps an examiner evaluate your understanding of acquired knowledge based on a real-life situation. To learn the tips and hacks for your essay, click  here . If you wish to learn how to ace your presentation, continue reading!

TOK presentation requires the student to demonstrate a solid analysis of a real-life situation (RLS). This is done by choosing a question as a framework for examining the practical implementation of theoretical knowledge in everyday life. In essence, the question for your presentation should be inspired by a real-life situation.

So good so far?

Remember that a knowledge-based question is not the focus but a means for a critical discussion. It is but a way to explore real-life situations and the areas of knowledge connected with them. 

Okay, so here is a recap! You need to find a real-life situation. Then it would help if you thought about the areas of knowledge directly connected to the problem. Once you do that, you need to forge a question that enables you to connect the dots for the audience and walk them through your thinking process. This knowledge question will be the basis of your presentation as you attempt to develop different perspectives to answer the question. The scope of finding a real-life situation varies from a case in your local community or a broader international issue. 

• Planning Document
• TOK presentation topic 
• KQ & RLS ( Knowledge Question & Real Life Situation )
• Conclusion ( Creating a connection from the first slide to the last )
• Confidence ( Most important when it comes to presentations and sadly mostly neglected as well )

Once you have these 5 pillars set, nothing can stop you from achieving your TOK presentation.

Now let's shed some light on the basics to begin with. Presentations are integral to every course known as 'student kind.' Every other method that we do requires it. With IB, it is one of the two compulsory TOK assignments. The IB TOK presentation is meant to test your understanding of TOK concepts in relation to a real-life situation. 

TOK presentation is  done individually, in pairs, or in three groups.  An IB TOK presentation must be delivered in a language known to all class members. Each presenter must take approximately  10 minutes , roughly  30 minutes per group . After the presentation, discussion time should be scheduled. 

Moving ahead, the first question that comes to a student's mind is where to begin. Don't worry; that will be the first question I'll answer hereafter. 

You start with your planning document. This document will be your blueprint for building everything around your presentation and help you maintain your workflow and direction (in case you get lost in real-life situations, knowledge questions, claims, counterclaims, etc.).

Why is this easy?

•  You have done this before in your  TOK ESSAY,  i.e., applying your concepts in the development section. The idea is mostly the same except for the presenting part.
•  You are conceptually straightforward with your Knowledge questions, claims, and implementation in real-life situations (also covered by you in the essay).

I will break down what content must go on each slide alongside what you must address while explaining that slide to everyone. You can always make modifications based on your requirements. The structure will help you clarify yourself to the audience while maintaining the flow of your TOK presentation. 

• The title of your presentation.
• Your group members’ names.

What to address

Introduce a real-life situation (RLS). Please elaborate on your perception of the problem when you first encountered it. Emphasize  why  it is of significance to you.

• Talk about your initial thoughts about the RLS. It would help if you started transitioning from using 'layman' words to explaining everything using TOK terminology. This can be done using some key terms from the Areas of Knowledge associated with your RLS.

Explain a few things about the RLS and how we know them. For example, our senses may provide some insights, while our emotions offer others. To put it in TOK terms, you can analyze  the extent  to which these insights are valid/authentic. Address the limitations of your RLS and your interpretation of it. This will help you show your journey from the RLS to your Knowledge Question. 

• Talk about your Areas of Knowledge (AoKs) and Ways of Knowing (WoKs) that you will use to explore your Knowledge Question. Explain their connection to your Knowledge Question (KQ). 

What to address:  

Mention 2 Knowledge Questions that you considered and the one you are investigating. Explain how the Knowledge Question you have chosen will help explain the RLS. For each of your AOKs/WOKs, preview how they can help to answer your KQ. Explain any assumptions you’ve made about your KQ (if any). Dig deep into the  key terms  that need to be explained for us to understand your KQ.

• Briefly state your claim for the first AOK and the Ways through which you have decided to answer your KQ
• Support your claim through a piece of scientific evidence (a scientific theory).
• Briefly state your counterclaim (an opposing idea in the same AOK/WOK). For example, if you examine your situation through a philosophical point of view and your way of knowing is sensory, state that philosophy is mainly abstract science. Therefore your interpretation can be scrutinized in a very different way if examined through a scientific lens. Furthermore, you can challenge your way of knowing by stating that sensory means of acquiring knowledge can be deceptive as one relies on memory to recall how one felt at a particular point. 

Alright. Breathe! All of this can sound way over the top. I felt the same way when I first encountered TOK. But this is precisely how you are supposed to feel. So you are on the right track. Read on!

Explain your claim and how it is supported by evidence. Clarify how it would answer the KQ. Then do the same for your counterclaim and keep it by evidence. Ensure to clarify how your counterclaim could respond to the KQ differently than your claim did. Use your conclusion to connect the claim and counterclaim.

Repeat the steps mentioned on slide 4 using your second Area of Knowledge and Way of Knowing.

Repeat the steps mentioned on slide 4 using your third Area of Knowledge and Way of Knowing.

• Write down your conclusion.
• Write down a possible flaw in your conclusion.

Explain your conclusion and elaborate on how this conclusion is supported by the insights you’ve drawn along the way. Address the possible weakness or flaw in your decision. You can explain with an example of someone from a different perspective (another gender, age, time, or culture) who might disagree with this conclusion.

• Write 2 interesting ways that your conclusion applies to the RLS.
• Write down two other real-life situations (which are related). Please provide pictures of these two situations so they can be quickly understood. One should be personal to you (something one of you encountered), and another which is more of a shared experience.

Clarify how your conclusion applies to the RLS. Explain how this conclusion can help to explain the other 2 RLS you have on your previous slides.

Good Job! Your work here is done. Just leave this slide up on the screen and watch your professors go gaga on your excellent presentation. (You can thank us later ;))

As a suggestion, you should have your knowledge question written on the bottom as a footer. It helps the audience easily relate your various insights to the knowledge question.

Here are some links to TOK presentation examples:

• Click  here  to access the presentation on Decision Making.
• Click  here  to access the presentation on Language.

IB TOK presentation topic  

For referral purposes, you can look into some previously chosen TOK presentation topics from the links below to get going:

• Check out this  list  of knowledge questions by Larry Ferlazzo to get inspired. 
• The student room has a good conversion in choosing a good presentation topic. Make sure to give it a  read .
• Click  here  for some more similar topics

You must have noticed that  we use a Claim, Counterclaim, Mini-Conclusion structure as described in our  TOK Essay article .  We follow the claim, counterclaim, and mini-conclusion process for each of your developments (AOKs or WOKs) at least thrice. Here's an example of one of your developments:

-For example, your  claim  might be that emotion is reliable when trying to achieve new artistic knowledge, and you show this using some theory (evidence) you learned from your professor.

-Your  counterclaim  is a problem (a limitation) with your claim or an opposing idea from the same perspective. Emotion can sometimes lead to unreliable insights into the arts (i.e., art is open to many interpretations). You show this using (as evidence) an example from your own life experience or theory that accentuates the unreliability of human emotion.

-And then, in the  mini-conclusion,  you basically have to find a way to draw together the two opposing sides. You have to synthesize these two insights to arrive at a more insightful understanding. For instance, emotion can be both reliable and unreliable simultaneously, or there are situations where it's pretty hard to know whether feelings are helping or not (in terms of achieving reliable knowledge). So your MC (mini-conclusion) is that emotions are highly dependable, given that the individual can keep their personal biases away from the situation being experienced.

When you reach your significant conclusion, the key is to draw together and synthesize the insights from all your mini-conclusions. This shows an intellectual approach toward answering your KQ. It also makes your presentation more compelling.

• Examples from the course or from your research. For example, stories of actual scientific experiments or how society responded to a particular piece of art.
• Personal examples. Specific and realistic examples from your life experiences are influential in presentations as they are the most convincing

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while presenting

• Golden rule - practice makes perfect. As you present in front of an audience (your classmates and your teacher), you must make sure you can articulate your ideas effectively. Rehearse well for your final showdown. 
• Be clear and loud enough to be heard. A presentation's positive aspect is that it allows you to create many links since it is verbal. E.g., 'referring back to the first slide of the presentation.' 
• Creating notes to aid yourself in being well aware of what's next helps maintain your flow. This amps up your preparedness. However, you should avoid sticking to the notes too much.  Eye contact  is significant to make your audience feel addressed.
• Avoid cramming everything on the slides. Keep minimal content and avoid putting in full-blown long sentences. 
• If you are using images to display something, make sure they are not pixelated and are clearly visible to the audience.
• Ensure you stay within your time limit for the presentation.
• Stay calm about the questions at the end. The questions asked by your teacher are there to help you. If you've missed something in your presentation that is key to answering the knowledge issue, this is your opportunity to gain back marks. If you can't answer the question, make a statement or give an opinion. A classic way of avoiding questions is to make your own question, 'That's an excellent question, but I think the main issue here is….' But try to answer them because they are very likely to be beneficial. 
• The audience can ask questions too. Avoid planting a question in the audience as it is too obvious and often creates a wrong impression.
• Lastly, confidence is the key. It would help if you had faith in yourself and the amount of work you have put in. You deserve all of your trust and confidence for your hard work, so it reflects in your way of presenting and is communicated to the evaluator and the audience effectively. 

This article will be the foundation for understanding how to make a tok presentation. A critical key to success is self-confidence. An important key to confidence is preparation ~ Arthur Ashe .

If you are still struggling heaps with your TOK essay, feel free to subscribe to our  tok notes  bundles or get access to more than 500+ IBDP notes and past papers  here .

Nail IB is your virtual companion that helps you hustle through your diploma and provide you with the right resources at the right time. To know more about acing IB, click  here .

Before you go!

• You can also refer to my previous  TOK Essay article  to explain KQ, AOK, WOK, etc., in depth.

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Guide to the TOK Presentation

What’s covered:, what is the theory of knowledge (tok) presentation, how is the tok presentation scored, how to pick a tok presentation topic, how to structure your tok presentation.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB/IBDP) is a high school program offering courses in subjects, ranging from mathematics to Arabic. Students sign up for a holistic approach to learning including external examinations, internal assessments, research papers and community service hours. Students will have to do a bit of everything while completing IB’s core, including CAS, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and the extended essay (EE). Understanding how to excel in TOK will usually help students in their other aspects of student life. It’ll be important to be familiar with the basics of TOK as a subject before progressing into one of its components, the presentation. 

Quite similar to the TOK essay , the TOK presentation is an attempt to assess your critical thinking skills while conveying your opinions in a clear cut manner. While a TOK essay is more conceptual in its nature in tackling the focal point, the TOK presentation answers a knowledge question by making use of actual real life scenarios to display your understanding of TOK concepts .

The TOK presentation can be done individually, in pairs, or in a group of three. It’s usually delivered in front of your TOK classroom, making this an internal assessment that other students are watching and taking peer review notes on. Each presentation gets a max of 10 minutes per presenter, meaning if you have three people, you get 30 minutes. The actual presentation is followed by a discussion section where the presenter actively engages in a Q&A with the audience and the teacher.

A lot of students really struggle with where to start the presentation, but if you break it down by following a few steps it gets a lot more manageable:

1. Knowledge Question (KQ)

The knowledge question is the focus of your presentation. Upon being given a list of topics for the TOK presentation, keep in mind that the list of selections changes every examination set. So, once you pick a topic, you could create a KQ that analyzes this topic to a greater degree. An example of a knowledge question could be: “What is the role of faith in making ethical decisions.” This is a good knowledge question because it incorporates ways of knowing (WOKs) which are important to analyze in any TOK presentation.

2. Real Life Situation (RLS)

A RLS is supposed to be an example or situation that you can directly use as an expression of your KQ. Relating your RLS to numerous WOKs and areas of knowledge (AOKs) strengthens the arguments you make (the claims and counterclaims for your presentation) and earns you a chunk of your grade for the presentation. 

3. Planning out your presentation 

Creating an outline that details each slide, and even writing down how many minutes you spend on each section of your presentation is important, allowing you to allocate time and manage your presentation efficiently. Creating this outline can also help you feel more confident when your presentation day comes around too!

These three tips can serve as the founding basis for your presentation and will definitely help get you started on the right track!

The grade you get in IB includes the core (CAS, extended essay and TOK). And, 33% of your total IB TOK grade is dependent on your TOK presentation, which is usually graded externally, but recorded internally. What this means is, your actual presentation will be recorded by your teacher, and the recording with your slides will be sent to the IB board, who then assigns an external grader to assess it. The presentation is scored out of ten points, as well as the essay, and the following formula explains the grading schema:

(presentation score) + (essay score * 2) = overall score out of 30

To correlate a letter grade to your score out of 30, IB uses grade boundaries. These boundaries can change any year so checking in with your school for the most updated ones is best. Here is a past example of grade boundaries:

Upon receiving a letter grade you can calculate your grade for the core of IB, which includes the extended essay, CAS, and TOK. Passing the core is essential to earning your diploma in IB and the table below outlines this further: 

Your topic should be presented in the form of a knowledge question that isn’t easily answered with two-dimensional answers like “yes” and “no.” It should in its nature make both the presenter and the audience think deeper into multilevel ways of understanding knowledge as a concept. More often than not, a KQ will usually end up with people having more questions than ending up with a satisfying answer, and that’s exactly what IB wants from a presentation, a debatable and questioning idea. This is usually achieved with a KQ and RLS that work hand in hand, and successful students make sure to consistently link back to their solid topics throughout the presentation. An example of a good TOK presentation topic might look like this: To what extent does faith play a part in online shopping experiences?

In this case a related RLS could be:

Purchases of overpriced and highly coveted products with little to no inherent practical value.

Your topic should have an RLS that the audience can at least relate to, making it easier for them to stay on board for the duration of your presentation, but as well as stay engaged with what you’re talking about. Once you pick a great topic for the presentation, the rest of the planning and work actually falls in place a lot more steadily. 

Breaking the presentation down slide-by-slide is the best way to plan it out, and the following structure may help streamline the process of creating it from start to finish.

• Slide 2 – RLS and Context In this slide you introduce your RLS and provide all the required context and information to explain what your RLS is to the audience. Make sure to start using jargon specific to TOK. Introducing your WOKs and AOKs is a good idea in this slide, and relating it to your RLS should be how you wrap it up.
• Slide 3 – KQ and RLS Declare the KQ that you’ve decided upon and analyze the KQ by breaking it down into segments that can be further developed on. If the KQ contains or mentions a WOK or AOK, further contextualize that specific AOK or WOK for the audience. Explain any assumptions you’ve made on the basis of your KQ and RLS as well, before you continue to develop on them.

The most important tip for IB students when it comes to TOK is the most generic one: start as early as possible! IB is an ultra-holistic approach to schooling, so there’s a lot more than just TOK going on; students usually need to make time to study for internal and external assessments, CAS service hours, and even writing their extended essays. Starting TOK work as early as possible not only sets you up with more time to produce work of higher quality, but also allows you to allocate time for other tasks as well. 

Otherwise, you might find yourself feeling burnt out and unmotivated before actually submitting the essay, and maybe even prevent yourself from achieving that high score in IB that you wanted. So start early, and give yourself that easy extra advantage!

While your IB scores aren’t as important to college admissions as one might assume, showing proof that you’re taking rigorous classes and demonstrating hard work throughout your time as an IB student is more impactful. For better insight into how your chances of college admissions look, check out CollegeVine’s admissions calculator ! 

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TOK PPD And Script: What You Should Know Right Now

by  Antony W

September 5, 2022

It is easy to plan an IB Tok presentation in your mind from A-Z, but once you take the stage, fear and anxiety of doing the IB Tok Presentation before due time can destroy everything.

Although you may be conjecturing on how to start of my IB TOK presentation, the fact is, you will still be required to fill out the presentation planning document (PPD), write a PPT and write a script showing your flow of ideas.

The IB TOK PPD and Script helps with stage fear, but more importantly, they are a prerequisite to passing your IB theory of knowledge (TOK) assessment. 

The 500-word TOK presentation preparation document (PPD) is how the IBO knows that you actually gave a presentation on the chosen topic, even though they can still go ahead and request more documents. 

With that in mind, it is imperative that you fill the PPD appropriately and write an effective presentation script to help you along the way.

This article compiled by Help for Assessment IB Tok experts is a guide if you are stuck with any part of the TOK PPD or script, our experts can also write it for you from scratch through our  ToK Essay writing service at the best rates while ensuring 100% quality and confidentiality for you.

 In the meantime, we invite you to walk with us as we explore TOK presentation scripts and how to fill the presentation preparation document. We will cover:

• What is the TOK presentation
• How to fill the TOK PPD
• How to write a TOK presentation script
• The TOK PPD form

Understanding IB TOK Presentation PPD and Script

The Ib ToK presentation accounts for 33% of the total course points and is meant to test your understanding and application of particular concepts in real-life situations. 

The presentation comes after you have submitted the TOK essay. You can read all about the essay here .

Preparing your presentation starts with choosing a good TOK topic and knowledge question. 

You then choose a real-life situation (RLS) that concerns the knowledge question you have formulated and structure your presentation around it. 

The Presentation Preparation Document is an official IBO form that you are required to fill as evidence that you actually completed the presentation part of the assessment.

A presentation script is just that: a document containing the words and points you intend to put across in your presentation. It helps you organize your thoughts, inspire confidence, reduce distractions, and make the best of the 30 minutes or so you will be given.

You can organize this in the form of Powerpoint slides or just as a handwritten document with cues if you don’t want your presentation to sound too scripted.

How to Fill The TOK PPD

The presentation planning document (PPD) will be sent to the IBO to help moderate the grades issued.

It usually consists of 3 pages with a section for the student and the teacher. 

As you can see, filling the document is a pretty straightforward process.

It is broken down in sections covering the most important parts of the presentation:

• Your real-life situation
• Knowledge question
• The connection between them, arguments, and conclusions.

Note that there is a 500-word limit on the PPD, so you should keep your responses concise and to the point.

• Real-life situation - this is a situation that helps illustrate your TOK concept taken from a single event either in your own life, global events, or local news. The important thing is that it should be relevant to your TOK concept and embody the overall message that you want to pass across. Also, it must not be invented or hypothetical.
• Knowledge question - state your knowledge question in question form, as indicated. It should contain the word “knowledge” or “to know” and, although based on the RLS, express the concept being examined rather than the RLS itself. That means the question will also be generalized and open-ended. Some examples of KQ starters include “to what extent,” “what is the relationship between X and Y,” etc.
• Explain the connection between the TOK concept and the RLS - Show how your KQ rises from the facts of the RLS. What claims are being made, and what is the logical reasoning leading to these questions?
• Explain how you intend to develop the presentation - Include the main points and arguments you will use in your presentation. You can also include other questions, real-life scenarios, and supporting concepts to build up the presentation.
• State your conclusions and how their significance or benefits - Your conclusions are meant to show what you have learned about knowledge from the investigation of the KQ. Thus, it will not be just a general answer to your KQ but a broader application of the concept to real-life general usage.

The other two pages of the TOK PPD look like this:

You will need to submit the PPD to your instructor before the presentation, after which they can choose to forward it to IB. 

Understanding the IB TOK Presentation Script

Most students start off thinking of the script as a document they will be reading word-for-word, but in fact, it is a Powerpoint presentation that marks the major points and arguments with which you intend to convince your audience. 

Think of the script is a series of slides summarizing your presentation from the introduction paragraph  to the conclusions.

It includes major parts such as the knowledge question, real-life situation, and the various arguments.

When doing the presentation, you will be filling in the gaps left in your slides to make your presentation more compelling and memorable. 

There is no one way to create a TOK presentation script, but the following points to note will help to guide you along the way:

• Keep it short and simple. Limit each slide to only a few words, perhaps one sentence or two.
• Summarize each point. You will supply the supporting information, examples, and scenarios.
• Add compelling graphics and illustrations. People are visual creatures and are more likely to react favorably from what they see than what they hear.
• Use emotion and factual evidence in equal measure - In any argument, logos refers to the logic part, while pathos refers to the emotional part. While logical and factual evidence serves to prop it up, people react to emotion rather than facts.
• Use impactful words and graphic illustrations. Stick to verbs/action words instead of adjectives/descriptive words. People will react better to verbs.
• Remember that you’re selling - selling your point of view, your ideology, your own ideas. Be as convincing as possible.

It is also important to note that the content written on slides could also be drafted in the form word document. However, in most cases, scripts are marked through your instructor grading your oral presentation of the content in the slides or word doc.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK): Crafting an Outstanding Presentation

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program challenges students to critically examine the nature of knowledge and its implications across different areas of knowledge. An integral part of the assessment is the TOK presentation, where students have the opportunity to delve into a real-life situation and explore the knowledge questions it raises. Crafting an outstanding TOK presentation requires a combination of thoughtful planning, effective communication, and a deep understanding of TOK principles. In this guide, we'll explore key strategies to help you create a compelling and impactful TOK presentation.

 1. Understand the Assessment Criteria:

- clarity of purpose:.

  - Clearly articulate the real-life situation and its connection to knowledge questions.

- Knowledge Questions:

  - Develop focused and open-ended knowledge questions that arise from the real-life situation.

- Perspectives and Implications:

  - Explore multiple perspectives on the knowledge questions and consider their implications.

- Presentation Style:

  - Communicate ideas effectively, demonstrating good organization and clarity.

 2. Choose a Relevant Real-Life Situation:

- personal connection:.

  - Select a real-life situation that resonates with your personal experiences or interests. This connection will enhance your engagement and authenticity.

- Global Significance:

  - Consider the global relevance of the situation. TOK encourages exploration of diverse and globally significant issues.

 3. Develop Thoughtful Knowledge Questions:

- open-ended nature:.

  - Craft knowledge questions that are open-ended and encourage exploration. Avoid questions with straightforward answers.

- Relate to Areas of Knowledge:

  - Ensure your knowledge questions relate to specific areas of knowledge, acknowledging the interdisciplinary nature of TOK.

 4. Consider Multiple Perspectives:

- diverse viewpoints:.

  - Analyze the real-life situation from various perspectives, considering cultural, historical, and individual viewpoints.

- Counterarguments:

  - Anticipate counterarguments and address them in your presentation. This demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved.

 5. Organize Your Presentation Effectively:

- introduction:.

  - Clearly introduce the real-life situation, providing context and highlighting its significance.

- Development:

  - Systematically explore the knowledge questions, presenting evidence and arguments in a logical sequence.

- Conclusion:

  - Summarize the key findings, address counterarguments, and conclude with reflections on the implications of your exploration.

 6. Engage Your Audience:

- interactive elements:.

  - Incorporate interactive elements, such as questions, discussions, or thought experiments, to engage your audience actively.

- Visual Aids:

  - Use visuals effectively to enhance understanding. Diagrams, charts, and images can convey complex ideas succinctly.

 7. Practice and Refine:

- rehearsals:.

  - Practice your presentation multiple times to refine your delivery and ensure smooth transitions between key points.

- Feedback:

  - Seek feedback from teachers, peers, or mentors to gain valuable insights and make necessary improvements.

 8. Demonstrate Reflection:

- meta-cognition:.

  - Demonstrate meta-cognition by reflecting on your own thought processes, biases, and assumptions throughout the presentation.

- Self-Awareness:

  - Acknowledge the limitations of your exploration and express a willingness to adapt your views based on new insights.

 9. Link to TOK Concepts:

- linkages to ways of knowing:.

  - Explicitly connect your presentation to relevant Ways of Knowing (e.g., perception, reason, emotion) and Areas of Knowledge (e.g., sciences, arts, history).

- TOK Terminology:

  - Incorporate TOK terminology to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the course concepts.

 10. Stay within the Time Limit:

- effective time management:.

  - Practice delivering your presentation within the allocated time. Being concise while addressing all key points is crucial.

 Conclusion: Presenting Knowledge with Impact

Crafting an outstanding TOK presentation involves more than just conveying information; it requires a thoughtful exploration of knowledge questions, an engagement with multiple perspectives, and a clear demonstration of TOK principles. By choosing a relevant real-life situation, developing insightful knowledge questions, and organizing your presentation effectively, you can create a compelling narrative that captivates your audience. Remember that the goal is not only to showcase your understanding of the chosen situation but also to invite critical reflections and discussions. With careful preparation, practice, and a genuine passion for exploring the complexities of knowledge, your TOK presentation can leave a lasting impact on both your audience and your own intellectual development.

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20 TOK Presentation Ideas for your IB!

The TOK presentation is every IB student’s worst nightmare. Speaking for an extended period of time about ‘AoKs’ and ‘WoKs’ just isn’t ok. But fear not, some of Lanterna’s elite IB graduates have noted down 20 TOK Presentation Ideas that worked for them! Take a look at these previously successful combinations to help spark your own genius knowledge questions or figure out a great real life situation! Keep in mind that for a good topic and knowledge question you should choose a specific real-life situation but then ask a knowledge question that can be applicable to multiple other real life situations. 

NOTE: These topics are purely meant as inspiration and are not to be chosen blindly. Even though many of these topics led to high scores for some of our graduates in the past, it is important that you listen to the advice of your TOK teacher before choosing any TOK Presentation topic, as the presentation is internally assessed! Check out our TOK survival guide to read more about how your score is processed! 1. The Influence of Power on How We Treat Others Knowledge Question: To what extent does social hierarchy and power affect social relations? Real Life Situation: Bullying is prevalent in all social scenarios, no matter the age of the participants and has lasting impacts on the recipients

2. Changing Views on Gender and Sexuality Knowledge Question: To what extent does shared knowledge impact an individual’s response to ethical questions? Real Life Situation: In recent years the attitude towards gender and sexual diversity is changing at the fastest ever rate. 

3. The Ethics and Morality of Designer Babies Knowledge Question: To what extent should ethical considerations be taken into account when making scientific progress? Real Life Situation: Healthy babies have been born to provide stem cells for siblings with ‘serious non-heritable conditions’. 

4. Child Labour in India Knowledge Question: Can the pursuit of human rights be partially relinquished to promote economic growth? Real Life Situation: Child labour is legal in India in order to boost economic prosperity and to not punish large families.

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Get Your Tutor Today 6. The Validity of Religion as a Way of Knowing Knowledge Question: Does religion as a way of knowing carry less credibility than, for example, science as a way of knowing? Real Life Situation: The conflict between conservative religious camps and active scientists still exists today – is this justified?

7. Societal Expectations on Love Knowledge Question: How does shared knowledge affect an individual’s knowledge and choice with regards to love? Real Life Situation: Polygamy, in the US, is trending upwards in popularity and acceptance.

8. Is Greed Good? Knowledge Question: Can our individual knowledge benefit from an increased amount of selfishness or greed? Real Life Situation: Carl Icahn, the inspiration behind the 1987 movie “Wall Street” argued greed is important in economics – is this still true today?

9. Induction and Generalizations Knowledge Question: How much is our personal knowledge, actions, and choices based on generalizations and acceptance of shared knowledge? Real Life Situation : Racial profiling is still active and rampant in airports – why is this and what are the underlying causes?

10. Should Drugs Be Legalised? Knowledge Question: How can reason be used to justify the ethicality of choices or other perspectives? Real Life Situation: Portugal decriminalized many drugs in 2001 to positive effect – can the same be done worldwide with similar results? Feeling cool about TOK? Check out our 100 EE titles blog post! 11. Predicting the Ebola Outbreak Knowledge Question: Can we trust Maths more than other areas of knowledge? Real Life Situation : The use of mathematical models to anticipate and track disease functions

12. Causing Offence Knowledge Question: How do we define our moral code? Real Life Situation : A report that UK TV viewers get more irked by low-cut dresses than racist soaps

13. Tourism and Indigenous Tribes Knowledge Question: Are certain indigenous knowledge systems incompatible with monetary systems? Real Life Situation : Tribal tourism being accused of exploiting indigenous people

14. The Similarities Between Sex Workers and Athletes Knowledge Question: To what extent ethical norms formed by shared knowledge affect our perception of individuals and their livelihoods? Real Life Situation : A comparison of the similarities between an athlete and sex worker

15. The Case of the Bali 9 Knowledge Question: How do religious and indigenous knowledge systems affect the application of justice Real Life Situation : The case of the ‘Bali 9’ is controversial because Australians, who in their home country would never be exposed to a death penalty, were sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking

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16. Illegal Organ Trade Knowledge Question: To what extent can ‘money talk’ in outweighing morality? Real Life Situation :   The rise in sales of bodily parts

17. Do Names Shape Attitudes? Knowledge Question: Does language shape our perception of others? Real Life Situation : Research exists that a name can influence how a child performs in school and even their career opportunities

18. The Future of Meat-Eating Knowledge Question: To what extent do the development of new technologies affect the shared beliefs of a society? Real Life Situation : The development of artificial meat and its connection to vegetarianism.

19.  The Cost of Religion Knowledge Question: Do religious knowledge systems influence economic outcomes? Real Life Situation : Economic analysis has found that non-religious countries experience greater economic growth

20. Punishment by Birth Knowledge Question: To what extent do our religious or personal beliefs affect our perception of people? Real Life Situation : The decision that children of ISIS members would not be allowed to return to the UK

So there you have it, 20 top ideas to get your TOK brain whirring and TOK presentation started! If you need anymore more support regarding Theory of Knowledge, check out some of our other blog posts on it! And as always, if you’re struggling with any IB subject check out our online private tuition service!

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, help with tok presentation.

IB students, where you at? I'm struggling with my Theory of Knowledge presentation. What advice do you have, and how did you prepare for it? Any pointers would be much appreciated!

Hey there! I can definitely understand how the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) presentation can feel overwhelming. Here are some steps and tips to help you prepare and tackle it effectively:

1. Understanding the TOK prompt: Carefully read and analyze the TOK prompt, ensuring you completely grasp the main idea and any associated concepts. This prompt will be the foundation of your presentation, so you want to make sure you understand it completely.

2. Formulating a Knowledge Question: Come up with a clear and focused knowledge question (KQ) that is open-ended, allowing for in-depth exploration and discussion. The KQ should be directly linked to the TOK prompt and should invite different perspectives.

3. Real-Life Situation (RLS): Choose a relevant real-life situation (RLS) that demonstrates the application of your KQ in a concrete context. This applicability will make your presentation relatable and grounded. Be prepared to discuss the background of your RLS and its implications.

4. Claims and Counterclaims: Develop at least two solid claims related to your KQ, and back each claim with evidence or examples. Then, provide counterclaims that challenge your initial claims. Considering opposing views will show that you have conducted a balanced and genuinely critical evaluation of your KQ.

5. Connection to TOK Themes/Areas of Knowledge (AOKs): Make sure to keep the concepts and framework of TOK at the forefront of your presentation. Explicitly link your KQ, claims, and counterclaims to various AOKs, and discuss how different ways of knowing impact your arguments.

6. Practice Presentation Skills: Strong presentation skills can make a huge difference. Rehearse as much as possible and pay attention to your tone, pacing, and body language. Additionally, ensure your visuals (slide deck, props, etc.) complement your arguments without being a distraction.

7. Engage Your Audience: Think about posing thought-provoking questions or incorporating interactive elements into your presentation to encourage engagement from your audience. Being able to engage with your audience will demonstrate your mastery of the topic.

Remember, the key to success is often breaking the task into smaller, manageable steps like those above. Focus on understanding the prompt, formulating a strong KQ, and connecting your arguments back to the TOK concepts. And don't forget, if you get stuck at any point, your teacher and classmates are there to help you!

Best of luck!

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What Is a TOK Presentation? Structure, Rubric and Tips

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As an IB student, you have to conduct a theory of knowledge presentation as a required part of your program. TOK presentations allow you to demonstrate your analytical skills, which are very important. They allow you to work through real-life situations and then apply them. However, it is very common for students to find it challenging to work on TOK presentations.

In the current years 2023 and 2024 IB Diploma program, you will need to submit a TOK exhibition that currently appears in the IB curriculum. It also has a specific list of topics that you’ll need to select from. It is also called a TOK exhibition IA prompts as well as TOK essay topics are announced on yearly basis. You can find more information about TOK exhibition IA prompts in this article.

meanwhile, this IB TOK presentation guide can help you understand how you can work on such presentations and how that can help you further work on your analytical skills. Enjoy reading 😉

TOK Presentation Structure ✅

The TOK presentation usually has two main areas. These are the development section and the use of evidence section.

In the development section, you have to talk about the knowledge question, and you also have to shed light on the areas of knowledge and the ways of knowing .

You need to make claims and counterclaims in this section, where you apply your knowledge correctly. In the evidence section, you provide evidence for all the claims you have made in the section above.

If you need assistance with your IB TOK presentation , our company is here to help. Also, you can always order a TOK essay written from scratch from our service. Let’s continue with the article if you have a brave heart and are ready to do the PPT presentation on your own.

So, in total, there should be around ten slides, and each of these is listed and explained well:

Slide 1 – This is the title page where you must state your name and the presentation title. You can also talk about the real-life situation in this slide and how it has impacted you.

Slide 2 – You have to talk about all of the key terms in the title, and you also have to give your explanation of these.

Slide 3 – You have to state your knowledge question , and you also have to outline the areas of knowledge and the ways of knowing in this one.

Slides 4-6 – In these three slides, you have to talk about your claim, counterclaim, and the mini conclusion related to the argument that you have made.

Slide 7 – in this one, you give the final conclusion, and you can also provide an ending note that speaks about your own opinion in this case. You can also talk about any possible flaws that you feel existed here and how you feel those could have been dealt with in a better way.

Slide 8 – Here, you have to talk about your real-life situation and how it links to the final conclusion that you have made in the essay.

Slide 9 – Here, you have to give a bibliography. If there are any sources that you have made use of, you have to talk about all of those here. It is crucial to make sure that you reference them in line with the guidelines you have been given.

Tips for a Good TOK Presentation ✅

It is only normal for students to find it very challenging to work on TOK presentations . If you are in the same boat, you don’t need to worry. Here are a few tips that can help you make the best one.

Start on a good note

It is always advisable that you start off positively. How do you do that? You focus on a real-life situation that does interest you. When you do that, you will be able to explain it in a much better way as well. That way, you will also be able to keep your audience’s interest. Usually, others can see when you are too excited about something, and you wish to talk about it.

Choose the right knowledge question

You must choose the best knowledge question out there. The best knowledge question is the one that works best for you. You should be able to write on that without any issues. The question you choose should be based on the construction of knowledge and should be one that you can break into pieces.

To choose the right question, go through all of them and analyze which one you think works best for you. Then, pick one that you think you can defend. When you do that, things will start seeming a whole lot easier for you.

Make an outline

Many students make the mistake of starting off with their presentation right away. This is not the approach that you should be taking. You should first have an outline that helps you set the premise. You should know exactly what you are working on. When you do that, things will seem a lot easier for you, and you will be able to plan your presentation out first before you get to do it.

Offer something new

People are already bored of getting to find out about the same things over and over again. Your presentation should highlight something new. The idea should be to engage the audience as much as possible and keep their interest by offering them something new they did not have an idea about earlier. When you do that, they will look forward to what you are talking about.

Be confident when presenting

Many students find it hard to present in front of everyone. It can be challenging, but you need to do it with confidence. Once you have prepared the presentation, you need to make sure to present it with a lot of confidence. When you do that, things will seem much better. Others will also take you a lot more seriously when you present it that way. They will show much interest in what you are doing and will be there to actually listen to what you have to say.

Lao Tzu says, “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” So always try to be confident. Your confidence should show up in front of other people. They should be able to tell that you know what you are saying and have done your background research very well.

Research well

Anything that you do, you need to back it up with evidence. Similarly, for your TOK presentation, you must first conduct sound research. When that is done, you can support every argument you make. That can help you get done with things perfectly. Remember that you have to speak about this , so you need to defend every single point you make. That is something you can only do when you do your research well. If you’re making a claim, try to verify it through several sources first to be completely sure about what you are saying.

Practice your presentation

When you practice , you will master the art of presenting. It is only normal to have your heart beating faster when you try to present. You might find it very confusing, and you might not know how to go about it at all. But when you practice, you naturally get much better at it. You need to get comfortable with what you are presenting, and you need to practice to get better at it continuously.

Own your presentation

This means that you should know what you are talking about inside out. Your presentation should not be one that you are just doing for the heck of it, but the audience should be able to tell what exactly you are working on.

That is very crucial for you to be able to do justice to it. It seems like a very shabby piece if you just read what you have written on the slides. So try to own it. When you have researched well, you will know exactly what you have to talk about, making everything seem a lot put into place.

With these tips, you will surely be able to ace your presentation!

TOK Presentation Rubric ✅

When you prepare so much, you are looking to make it big. You want to make sure to score well , but for that, you need to make sure you know what you are talking about. You need to be very well aware of the presentation rubric to work according to what is expected of you to do a sound job.

There are basically five levels to this:

Level 0 – This means that you have not worked according to the standards given, or have not worked on one of the prescribed titles.

Level 1 – This is elementary, which means that you might have touched upon the real-life situation, but you have not given any reference, which means that you have not done the right analysis or connected it to the other things.

Level 2 – This is basic, which means that you have identified a real-life situation, but the explanation that you have given is not good enough and it does not connect or make sense at all.

Level 3 – This is satisfactory, which means that you have done a decent job, and that there is some connection identified. You might have also given some adequate arguments, but these aren’t the best ones out there.

Level 4 – This is a very good presentation which means that you have very well connected the real-life situation to the knowledge question and explore it with ample arguments as well. You have also taken into account different perspectives, and that is exactly what was required of you as well.

Level 5 – This is an excellent presentation where you have clearly connected the real-life situation to the knowledge question and have done a stellar job with presenting your argument. It also means that you have outdone yourself in the analysis part.

TOK Presentation FAQs ❓

Students usually have many questions about the TOK presentation. Here are a few frequently asked ones that can help clarify your understanding and help you further understand how this works.

1. What is a ‘good’ knowledge question?

A good knowledge question is one that is open-ended. This means that you can explore many different perspectives on it. A good knowledge question does not restrict you and allows you to delve into deep details, which is exactly what is needed of you to make an impact.

2. What is a TOK presentation outline?

Many students directly start off with the presentation without drafting an outline. This is the right approach to have. An outline is a roadmap of your presentation that allows you to chalk out an entire plan for your presentation. When you do that, you will be able to clearly understand where you are headed with your presentation. With greater clarity on this, you will be much more sorted, naturally increasing your chances of doing a decent job. Like an outline for a CUEGIS essay , TOK presentation outline helps you organize your thoughts in the best way possible, allowing you to make a sound argument.

3. How can you understand a TOK presentation rubric?

The rubric is very self-explanatory, where there are mainly five levels identified. However, if you want further clarity on it, you can understand it in three main parts- the formulation of the knowledge question, exploration of the questions, and outcomes of the analysis. When you break it down into these three parts, it will help you a lot, and you will be able to plan your presentation out very well.

4. What should I know about TOK oral presentation?

This is a mandatory part of your IB program, which allows students to share their thoughts on a specific topic. Unlike the TOK essay, this is something that you have to present, which means that your analytical skills are not the only skills that are being tested, but your presentation skills are being checked too. When you start off, you need to have an introduction that explains your real-life situation—then, building on that, you give your claims and counterclaim and then conclude accordingly.

Good luck with your TOK presentation

We hope that this guide has been handy and that you have been able to fully well understand what a TOK presentation is and how you can go about it in the best way.

Now it’s the exact right time to start working on it, my friend. Start earlier and do not miss the submission date 😉 Use the information provided in the article to complete your presentation accordingly.

Should you have some other tips, make sure to leave them in the comments section below.

Free topic suggestions

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Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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Real-Life Situation in IB TOK Essay | Choosing a RLS

One of the very important parts of the IB TOK essay is the real-life situation (also known as RLS). In this guide, you will learn about a real-life situation and how to choose one. This is a crucial part of a TOK essay, which means you must learn all about it before you start writing your essay!

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TOK Presentation Examples from IBlieve Grads

These are a collection of TOK presentations from IBlieve grads to give you an insight into how your presentation could look!

Disclaimer: Please do not copy any of the content on the post. Here is the IB’s Academic Honesty policy for reference.

Elena – Natural Sciences

Real Life Situation: How does sense perception and reasoning influence the development of knowledge in natural sciences?

Knowledge Question: The Flat Earth Theory: The theory that the Earth does not follow the conventional understanding of science that the Earth is globular in shape and rotates on an axis, instead conceptualizing the earth to be a plane or a disc.

Her experience : My TOK Presentation was in the form of a roleplay, wherein my partner and I acted as two students debating the issue of the Flat Earth Theory and having a TOK-esque discussion. Looking back, the setting of my presentation was somewhat monotonous and dialogue-heavy, but it met most of the criteria. The success of a TOK Presentation largely varies with your assessor (in my case, it was also my TOK teacher, though it was recorded for moderation), and he strongly hinted that doing a roleplay instead of a standard presentation could make us stand out. Doing a roleplay is definitely more ambiguous, but if you can incorporate the required components of a TOK presentation, then it can turn out well. We structured the discussion as if it were a normal TOK presentation (including the AOKs, WOKs, and TOK terminology), but inserted it as a dialogue to show how there can be different perspectives/developments in answering the KQ. Choosing an RLS that can be viewed through multiple perspectives is also key in being able to develop a cohesive argument. Feel free to be expressive in the presentation, but avoid going off track! 

Elena also wrote summaries of TOK, TOK Presentations, and the TOK essay! Find them here .

Aaryaa – Sense Perception

Real Life Situation: In 2015, a photo of a simple striped dress went viral on the internet and people all over the world were arguing about the colour of the dress. Some saw it as blue and black while others saw it as golden and white. In 2017, colour scientists revealed that the dress was blue and black. I always saw it as golden and white. The fact that I perceived a completely different colour was surprising and thus, I was curious to explore this RLS further and wanted to inquire the accuracy of the knowledge gained through sense-perception.

Knowledge Question: To what extent is the knowledge gained through sense-perception accurate?

My experience: For me, the best part of the TOK presentation process was deriving knowledge questions from the real-life situation. It was interesting to know how many different perspectives can be derived from a single RLS and that process also helped me annotate the TOK essay titles later on. In my opinion, each student should pay extra attention to this transitionary period between the RLS and the core of the presentation. Exploring the KQ may be the most important aspect of the presentation, but knowing how to form a knowledge question from any given situation helps you learn how to connect aspects from interconnected disciplines; this is a helpful skill to implement all throughout IB!

If I would have done something differently, I probably would have analyzed my KQ using a more interdisciplinary approach instead of just resorting to one AOK and one WOK for each claim. This would have made my presentation more relatable for people from a range of different backgrounds and thus it would have helped my conclusion fit better in any given context.

Imogen – History

Real Life Situation: A historian says society could collapse within a decade. He applies mathematical models to history, in order to predict the future.

Knowledge Question: To what extent can quantitative methods improve historical explanations?

My experience: I was applying to study History at the time, so I found it a great opportunity to explore knowledge questions within the subject. This helped with preparing for writing a personal statement and interviews. I found it useful to have a very clear structure for the presentation, with 3 premises, counter-claims, and intermediate conclusions. I had a final conclusion, and then explored the implications within 2 separate Areas of Knowledge. I think the most important bit of the presentation is having good structure and clarity. Also, have a close look at the top band of the mark-scheme to check you’re hitting the criteria!

Bianca – Memory

Real Life Situation: The Mandela Effect occurs when a vast number of people believe an event happened when it actually did not. A famous example of this, and our real-life situation, is a line from Star Wars. Darth Vader is credited with saying “Luke, I am your father.” even though the real line is “No, I am your father.”

Knowledge question: To what extent is collective memory more, or less, reliable than individual memory?

Outline (RPPF):

• Claim one: Collective memory is reliable as it is not impacted by emotions, but may lead to the spread of false knowledge
• Claim two: Individual memory may be reliable as it is not influenced by external forces, but internal forces (emotions) may lead to its distortion.
• Conclusion: Collective memory is more or less reliable depending on the situation.

My experience: I was in a group of 3 members and we made it to the 30-minute mark.  If I were to go through the presentation process again, I’d work in pairs.  Working in pairs allows you and your partner to bounce ideas off of each other whenever you are stuck in the process, and you can explain concepts to each other if you have any doubts!  I feel that 20 minutes is enough time to properly develop your presentation without running your ideas dry.  10 minutes (individual presentation) can lead to underdevelopment, while 30 minutes (3 group members) can seem eternal.  Be sure to follow the criteria closely and heed your assessor’s remarks!

Tiffany – Faith

Real Life Situation: The real-life situation that my group explored was the Jonestown Massacre which was a mass-murder suicide of California-Based Peoples Temple cult member at the behest of their leader Jim Jones. The death toll exceeds 900 people, making it one of the largest mass deaths in America.

Knowledge Question: How does faith affect our decision making in religious systems and history?

My experience: My group was initially confused as to what topic we should choose and ended up taking some time before we decided on one. Upon coming across the massacre, we were bewildered as to to how Jim Jones managed to convince 900 members to commit mass suicide within a short period of time, which eventually led us to question how faith in a religious system can affect someone’s decision-making to the extent that it could make someone take their own life and what role does it play in other major historical events. My personal advice would be to work on a topic that is interesting to you as that way, you would naturally come up with questions that would make your TOK presentation more in-depth and well thought out. However, don’t take too long to decide on a final topic as it takes time to break everything down and thoroughly explore each claim, especially with other IB tasks at hand. Aside from choosing a good topic, you also need to come up with a suitable KQ that can cover the topic well. Make sure to unpack your KQ, clarifying the WOKs, especially within the context of your topic. 

An essential point to remember is that it is extremely easy to go off tracks especially if you are presenting since one thing naturally leads to another question and thus, a whole other discussion. Make sure to structure your presentation well so that everything in the presentation wraps up well and practice presenting with your group-mates multiple times. 

You may also like…

• Elena’s overview of tok presentations
• Joseph’s advice on how to choose and explain real-life examples

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TOK ESSAY AND PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

There are only two IB assessments in TOK: the externally assessed essay and the internally assessed presentation. They are both focused on the in-depth investigation of Knowledge Questions. In practice though they are very different.

N ote: This writeup is aimed at students in the last cohort of the soon to be phased out older TOK curriculum (last assessment November 2021). Check the “NEW TOK CURRICULUM (FIRST ASSESSMENT 2022) for relevant information on the new curriculum.

The TOK essay

• Externally assessed (marked by the IB, not your TOK teacher).
• Students write one essay that is based on one of the six Prescribed Titles for the cohort.
• Maximum of 1600 words.
• Students must fill in and submit the TK/PPF form along with the essay. The form is not marked.

The TOK Presentation

• Internally assessed (marked by the teacher with marks moderated by the IB).
• One presentation is submitted to the IB per student.
• Can be done individually, in pairs, or in a group of three. All students in a group must receive the same score (see page 57 of the TOK Subject Guide).
• The presentation is about ten minutes for each student (i.e two students working together get 20 minutes in total).
• Students must fill in and submit the Presentation planning document (TK/PPD) .
• Teacher add their mark and comments to the TK/PPD form before it is submitted to the IB. This document is extremely important because the IB moderates the presentation marks based on this document.
• Some schools in each session may be required by the IB to record and submit presentations but this is fairly rare (see page 58 of the TOK Subject Guide). Schools may decide to record the presentations for their own internal purposes such as standardization.

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Viral TikTok video shows fisherman reel in small shark from Guadalupe River

Angler says bull shark was reeled in on the guadalupe river somewhere in texas.

David Ibañez , Web - Managing Editor

When you go fishing in the Guadalupe River, you probably hope to catch a trout, bass or catfish.

But a shark?

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That’s what a fisherman reeled in recently somewhere on the 250-mile river that flows to the Gulf of Mexico, according to a viral video on TikTok.

“Over here fishing on the Guadalupe and look what we got on, a shark, bro,” TikTok user @jonathanaguayo5 said while the fisherman was reeling in the rare catch. “It’s crazy.”

@jonathanaguayo5 Bullshark caught in the Guadalupe river in texas #fishing #texasfishing #guadaluperiver ♬ original sound - Bigjon69

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife , bull sharks are common off the coast of Texas, but unlike most sharks, they can live in fresh water and have been found “many miles upriver from the Gulf.”

While it hasn’t been confirmed where the shark was caught, some commenters say it was near Victoria.

The Guadalupe River is a magnet for tubers and swimmers, which promoted the City of New Braunfels to assure residents that the shark was probably not reeled in anywhere near the area. Still, city officials jumped on the popularity of the video with a funny post of their own.

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David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.

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Trump trial: Michael Cohen grilled on cross-examination about truthfulness, TikTok videos

Trump's former attorney was on the stand in Day 17 of Trump's hush money trial.

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

Top headlines:

• Cohen cross-examination gets off to a combative start
• 'I would not lie for President Trump any longer,' Cohen testifies
• Appellate Court denies Trump's challenge to gag order
• Cohen says Trump approved payment of $420K, paid monthly
• Jury hears secret recording of Trump discussing payment

What to know about the hush money case

READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case .

Defense hasn't decided if Trump will testify, per transcript

According to a transcript of the day's court proceedings released this evening, Donald Trump and his attorneys have not yet decided if the former president will testify at his trial.

The transcript included a private sidebar conference held this morning, during which Judge Juan Merchan asked defense lawyers about Trump's possible testimony.

"And do you have any indication whether your client is going to testify?" Merchan asked defense attorney Todd Blanche.

"No," Blanche replied.

"No determination yet?" Merchan asked.

"No," Blanche said.

The conversation happened outside of the earshot of reporters and members of the jury.

Trump says he had a 'very good day' in court

Speaking to reporters after exiting the courtroom, former President Trump was asked about today's testimony, as well as if he plans to testify during the trial.

"As you know, I'm under a gag order. So I can't really answer those very simple questions that you're asking," Trump said, referring to the order that prohibits him from making public comments about jurors, witnesses and lawyers in the case, but does not keep him from discussing the case itself.

"We'd love to not be in the gag order. I'm the Republican nominee for president. I'm leading in every poll, and I have a gag order."

Recapping his day in court, Trump said, "We had a very, I think, a very good day and important to see what's happening and you'll have to record it because I can't talk about it too much."

"We had a very good day. I think we're exposing the scam for what it is," he said.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Mike Pappano

Cohen leaves court without looking Trump's way

Michael Cohen, his testimony done for the day, left the courtroom without looking at Trump.

During a bench conference, defense attorney Todd Blanche said he wants to explore with the court and the opposing counsel the admissibility of a defense expert witness before deciding whether to call him.

The judge set a conference to take place Thursday at 4 p.m. ET, after the jury is excused slightly early for the day.

Asked about Thursday's timing for the remainder of his cross-examination of Cohen, Blanche told the judge, "If I finish, it's at the end of the day."

The rest of the parties then departed the courtroom.

Cohen says he wanted help reducing sentence

Michael Cohen told the jury that he wanted the Manhattan district attorney to publicly acknowledge his cooperation in this case to assist in his bid for a reduced sentence in his federal conviction on charges related to the Stormy Daniels hush money arrangement.

"You wanted the district attorney's office to publicly acknowledge that you were cooperating?" Blanche asked.

"I would say so, yes," Cohen said.

"You were trying to get your sentence ... lowered, right?" Blanche said.

"I was looking for a reduction in the home confinement portion," Cohen said.

However, the DA's office never publicly announced Cohen's cooperation.

"There was no letter or public announcement made about your cooperation," Blanche asked.

"That's correct," Cohen said.

Blanche asked Cohen if he had ever met DA Alvin Bragg in person.

"No sir," said Cohen.

Testimony subsequently concluded for the day, with Cohen's cross-examination scheduled to continue when court resumes on Thursday.

'Worst day of my life,' Cohen says of 2018 guilty plea

Michael Cohen told the jury about his 2018 guilty plea for campaign finance violations related to the Stormy Daniels payment, as well as other tax evasion charges.

"What was that day like for you?" prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.

"Worst day of my life," Cohen said.

The jury then saw the tweets that then-President Trump posted in August 2018 following Cohen's guilty pleas.

"If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of Michael Cohen!" one said.

"It caused a lot of angst, anxiety," Cohen said about the tweets.

Asked to describe his understanding of Trump's message, Cohen said, "Certainly displeasure. That I no longer was important to the fold."

Trump, at the defense table, leaned forward to read his own tweets as they appeared on the monitor.

Cohen told jurors that he reported to federal prison on May 6, 2019. He told the jury he was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

"I apologized to Congress, I apologized to the country, I apologized to my family" in congressional testimony in February 2019 before he reported to prison, because "the citizenry had a right to know in order to make a determination about the individual who was seeking the highest office in the land," he said.

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Cannes kicks off with Greta Gerwig’s jury and a Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep Updated 10 hours ago

CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with the unveiling of Greta Gerwig’s jury and the presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off  a potentially volatile 77th edition.

A 10-day stream of stars will soon begin flowing down Cannes’ famous red carpet beginning with the opening night film, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphaël Quenard. During the opening ceremony, Streep will be given her honorary Palme.

In the days to come, Cannes will premiere George Miller’s  “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,”  Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed  “Megalopolis”  and anticipated new movies from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and Kevin Costner.

But much of the drama surrounding this year’s  Cannes  has been off screen.

After French actor  Judith Godrèche earlier this year  accused two film directors of rape and sexual abuse when she was a teenager, the French film industry has been dealing with arguably its defining #MeToo moment. On Wednesday, Godrèche will premiere her short “Moi Aussi.”

Asked about #MeToo expanding in France, Gerwig told reporters in Cannes on Tuesday that it’s progress.

“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig said. “I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.”

Gerwig, coming off  the success of “Barbie,”  is president of the jury that will decide Cannes’ top award, the Palme d’Or. Thierry Fremaux on Monday praised her as “the ideal director” for Cannes, given her ability to work across arthouse and studio film and her interest in cinema history. And, Fremaux said, “We very much liked ‘Barbie.’”

Joining Gerwig on the jury is Lily Gladstone, star of  “Killers of the Flower Moon,”  French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.

“I thought I just got over my imposter syndrome last year,” said the Oscar-nominated Gladstone. “But I’ll start all over again.”

The jurors were asked how the many real-world concerns outside the festival might affect their deliberations. One film in competition, Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. And Labaki was asked if the war in Gaza might be on her mind.

“I truly believe that one of the tools to really change something in the situation we all live in right now, which is a situation I think is not that great, is really through art and through cinema,” said Labaki. “It may propose a more tolerant way of seeing things and seeing each other as human beings.”

Filmmakers, Favino said, play the important role of reminding the world of where it can find beauty.

“This is why I decided that I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being,” said Favino. “Because if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace.”

Other concerns are also swirling around this year’s Cannes. Festival workers, fed up with short-term contracts that leave them unqualified for unemployment benefits in between festivals, have threatened to strike.

On Monday, the Iranian filmmaker Mohammed Rasoulof, whose film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is premiering next week in competition in Cannes,  said he had fled Iran  after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging. The film is said to be a critical depiction of the Iranian regime.

As Cannes continues, though, many will be focused on the stars parading the festival’s famous red carpet. They’ll include Emma Stone, Anya Taylor-Joy, Demi Moore, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage and Barry Keoghan. At the closing ceremony on May 25, George Lucas is to receive an honorary Palme d’Or.

Regardless, the 77th Cannes will have a lot to live up to.  Last year’s festival,  widely celebrated for its robust lineup, produced three Oscar best picture nominees: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” To help rekindle last year’s spirit, Messi,  the canine star of “Anatomy of a Fall,”  is back in Cannes for a series of brief French TV spots.

A good Cannes will help France keep the global spotlight through the summer. The festival will be followed by the French Open, the Tour de France and  the summer Olympics in Paris.  On May 21 in Cannes, the Olympic flame will be carried up the steps to the festival’s hub, the Palais des Festivals.

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What is climate change mitigation and why is it urgent?

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• Climate change mitigation involves actions to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
• Mitigation efforts include transitioning to renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, adopting regenerative agricultural practices and protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.
• Effective mitigation requires a whole-of-society approach and structural transformations to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• International cooperation, for example through the Paris Agreement, is crucial in guiding and achieving global and national mitigation goals.
• Mitigation efforts face challenges such as the world's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels, the increased demand for new mineral resources and the difficulties in revamping our food systems.
• These challenges also offer opportunities to improve resilience and contribute to sustainable development.

What is climate change mitigation?

Climate change mitigation refers to any action taken by governments, businesses or people to reduce or prevent greenhouse gases, or to enhance carbon sinks that remove them from the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun in our planet’s atmosphere, keeping it warm. 

Since the industrial era began, human activities have led to the release of dangerous levels of greenhouse gases, causing global warming and climate change. However, despite unequivocal research about the impact of our activities on the planet’s climate and growing awareness of the severe danger climate change poses to our societies, greenhouse gas emissions keep rising. If we can slow down the rise in greenhouse gases, we can slow down the pace of climate change and avoid its worst consequences.

Reducing greenhouse gases can be achieved by:

• Shifting away from fossil fuels : Fossil fuels are the biggest source of greenhouse gases, so transitioning to modern renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power, and advancing sustainable modes of transportation, is crucial.
• Improving energy efficiency : Using less energy overall – in buildings, industries, public and private spaces, energy generation and transmission, and transportation – helps reduce emissions. This can be achieved by using thermal comfort standards, better insulation and energy efficient appliances, and by improving building design, energy transmission systems and vehicles.
• Changing agricultural practices : Certain farming methods release high amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which are potent greenhouse gases. Regenerative agricultural practices – including enhancing soil health, reducing livestock-related emissions, direct seeding techniques and using cover crops – support mitigation, improve resilience and decrease the cost burden on farmers.
• The sustainable management and conservation of forests : Forests act as carbon sinks , absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Measures to reduce deforestation and forest degradation are key for climate mitigation and generate multiple additional benefits such as biodiversity conservation and improved water cycles.
• Restoring and conserving critical ecosystems : In addition to forests, ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands, as well as coastal biomes such as mangrove forests, also contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, while supporting biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience.
• Creating a supportive environment : Investments, policies and regulations that encourage emission reductions, such as incentives, carbon pricing and limits on emissions from key sectors are crucial to driving climate change mitigation.

Photo: Stephane Bellerose/UNDP Mauritius

Photo: La Incre and Lizeth Jurado/PROAmazonia

What is the 1.5°C goal and why do we need to stick to it?

In 2015, 196 Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Paris adopted the Paris Agreement , a landmark international treaty, aimed at curbing global warming and addressing the effects of climate change. Its core ambition is to cap the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2°C above levels observed prior to the industrial era, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

The 1.5°C goal is extremely important, especially for vulnerable communities already experiencing severe climate change impacts. Limiting warming below 1.5°C will translate into less extreme weather events and sea level rise, less stress on food production and water access, less biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and a lower chance of irreversible climate consequences.

To limit global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5°C, it is imperative for the world to undertake significant mitigation action. This requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent before 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century.

What are the policy instruments that countries can use to drive mitigation?

Everyone has a role to play in climate change mitigation, from individuals adopting sustainable habits and advocating for change to governments implementing regulations, providing incentives and facilitating investments. The private sector, particularly those businesses and companies responsible for causing high emissions, should take a leading role in innovating, funding and driving climate change mitigation solutions. 

International collaboration and technology transfer is also crucial given the global nature and size of the challenge. As the main platform for international cooperation on climate action, the Paris Agreement has set forth a series of responsibilities and policy tools for its signatories. One of the primary instruments for achieving the goals of the treaty is Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) . These are the national climate pledges that each Party is required to develop and update every five years. NDCs articulate how each country will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resilience.   While NDCs include short- to medium-term targets, long-term low emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) are policy tools under the Paris Agreement through which countries must show how they plan to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. These strategies define a long-term vision that gives coherence and direction to shorter-term national climate targets.

Photo: Mucyo Serge/UNDP Rwanda

Photo: William Seal/UNDP Sudan

At the same time, the call for climate change mitigation has evolved into a call for reparative action, where high-income countries are urged to rectify past and ongoing contributions to the climate crisis. This approach reflects the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which advocates for climate justice, recognizing the unequal historical responsibility for the climate crisis, emphasizing that wealthier countries, having profited from high-emission activities, bear a greater obligation to lead in mitigating these impacts. This includes not only reducing their own emissions, but also supporting vulnerable countries in their transition to low-emission development pathways.

Another critical aspect is ensuring a just transition for workers and communities that depend on the fossil fuel industry and its many connected industries. This process must prioritize social equity and create alternative employment opportunities as part of the shift towards renewable energy and more sustainable practices.

For emerging economies, innovation and advancements in technology have now demonstrated that robust economic growth can be achieved with clean, sustainable energy sources. By integrating renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal power into their growth strategies, these economies can reduce their emissions, enhance energy security and create new economic opportunities and jobs. This shift not only contributes to global mitigation efforts but also sets a precedent for sustainable development.

What are some of the challenges slowing down climate change mitigation efforts?

Mitigating climate change is fraught with complexities, including the global economy's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels and the accompanying challenge of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. This reliance – and the vested interests that have a stake in maintaining it – presents a significant barrier to transitioning to sustainable energy sources.

The shift towards decarbonization and renewable energy is driving increased demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth metals. Since new mining projects can take up to 15 years to yield output, mineral supply chains could become a bottleneck for decarbonization efforts. In addition, these minerals are predominantly found in a few, mostly low-income countries, which could heighten supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions.

Furthermore, due to the significant demand for these minerals and the urgency of the energy transition, the scaled-up investment in the sector has the potential to exacerbate environmental degradation, economic and governance risks, and social inequalities, affecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers. Addressing these concerns necessitates implementing social and environmental safeguards, embracing circular economy principles, and establishing and enforcing responsible policies and regulations .

Agriculture is currently the largest driver of deforestation worldwide. A transformation in our food systems to reverse the impact that agriculture has on forests and biodiversity is undoubtedly a complex challenge. But it is also an important opportunity. The latest IPCC report highlights that adaptation and mitigation options related to land, water and food offer the greatest potential in responding to the climate crisis. Shifting to regenerative agricultural practices will not only ensure a healthy, fair and stable food supply for the world’s population, but also help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

Photo: UNDP India

Photo: Nino Zedginidze/UNDP Georgia

What are some examples of climate change mitigation?

In Mauritius , UNDP, with funding from the Green Climate Fund, has supported the government to install battery energy storage capacity that has enabled 50 MW of intermittent renewable energy to be connected to the grid, helping to avoid 81,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. 

In Indonesia , UNDP has been working with the government for over a decade to support sustainable palm oil production. In 2019, the country adopted a National Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil, which was collaboratively developed by government, industry and civil society representatives. The plan increased the adoption of practices to minimize the adverse social and environmental effects of palm oil production and to protect forests. Since 2015, 37 million tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided and 824,000 hectares of land with high conservation value have been protected.

In Moldova and Paraguay , UNDP has helped set up Green City Labs that are helping build more sustainable cities. This is achieved by implementing urban land use and mobility planning, prioritizing energy efficiency in residential buildings, introducing low-carbon public transport, implementing resource-efficient waste management, and switching to renewable energy sources. 

UNDP has supported the governments of Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Indonesia to implement results-based payments through the REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) framework. These include payments for environmental services and community forest management programmes that channel international climate finance resources to local actors on the ground, specifically forest communities and Indigenous Peoples. 

UNDP is also supporting small island developing states like the Comoros to invest in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure. Through the Africa Minigrids Program , solar minigrids will be installed in two priority communities, Grand Comore and Moheli, providing energy access through distributed renewable energy solutions to those hardest to reach.

And in South Africa , a UNDP initative to boost energy efficiency awareness among the general population and improve labelling standards has taken over commercial shopping malls.

What is UNDP’s role in supporting climate change mitigation?

UNDP aims to assist countries with their climate change mitigation efforts, guiding them towards sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. This support is in line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to affordable and clean energy (SDG7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13). Specifically, UNDP’s offer of support includes developing and improving legislation and policy, standards and regulations, capacity building, knowledge dissemination, and financial mobilization for countries to pilot and scale-up mitigation solutions such as renewable energy projects, energy efficiency initiatives and sustainable land-use practices. 

With financial support from the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, UNDP has an active portfolio of 94 climate change mitigation projects in 69 countries. These initiatives are not only aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also at contributing to sustainable and resilient development pathways.

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