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The Twelve Concepts of
Theory of Knowledge
May 15, 2026
Before we begin this week, I just want to apologize for not getting my newsletter out last week. My normal rhythms were thrown off as I travelled to Durham, North Carolina to watch my son graduate from Duke University. What an incredible experience!
If any of you have watched your own children graduate from university, you know what I'm talking about when I say it was an emotional experience. The joy and excitement and pride (and a bunch of other emotions) of watching your own kid launching into life is huge deal. At least it was for me, and I loved every minute of it. And apart from being the coolest 22 year-old in the world, he's going into teaching next year too. He'll be teaching 7th grade Science at a public magnet school in Raleigh, North Carolina. I'm so excited for him!
This week is part six of our eight-part series where we are breaking down what we see as the Eight Essential Elements of the Theory of Knowledge course so that non-Theory of Knowledge teachers can feel fully informed about how to integrate Theory of Knowledge into our classroom, as the IB explicitly expects.
If you have missed the previous parts of this series, you can catch up here.
The Twelve Concepts
This week, we are going to take a look at The Twelve Concepts and we will try to make it short and sweet. While there is definitely a lot that can be discussed related to the Twelve Concepts, let’s leave most of that for the Theory of Knowledge classroom teachers.
Our goal here is to shed some light on the purpose of these concepts and how they are incredibly helpful when “dealing” with knowledge that we teach in all of our IB classrooms.
While the Theory of Knowledge guide does not provide a deep explanation about the Twelve Concepts, the best way to think of them is as an entry point for any discussion about knowledge.
Remember from before that Knowledge Questions have three specific features:
They are about knowledge (not subject-specific). They are contestable (so nuances should be considered). And also they draw on TOK concepts.
Aha! There we go. So, what are they? And what does this mean?
The simplest way of approaching these twelve concepts is to regard them as a magnificent doorway to ideas that will lead to deeper ideas, and ultimately to the formulation of great discussions about knowledge.
As the guide states: “The TOK curriculum centres around the exploration of knowledge questions. Knowledge questions are crucial to effective TOK discussions as they help to make sure that students are focusing on questions about knowledge itself and about how we know things. Knowledge questions help students to move beyond subject-specific questions or specific real-life situations into the realm of TOK.”
The last sentence of this statement is absolutely crucial – it is what makes Theory of Knowledge such a unique course.
TOK teachers are not subject-specific teachers nor should they be experts of all subjects.
TOK is not only about examining news articles, personal experiences and particular life situations – it must extend to high-order thinking, meaning analysis and evaluation.
The Twelve Concepts facilitates this.
In order to bridge your IB course with TOK, you may start by looking at the graphic above and make connections there!
Anything and everything pertinent to knowledge can be anchored to one of these concepts. If you are a TOK teacher be sure to guide your students to the use of these concepts in discussions and their writing…and, lo and behold, things will get interesting.
Lastly, it is important to say that there is no recipe or manual as to how these concepts should be embedded in TOK, so don’t be afraid to explore them freely.
Can one or two of these be included in your class discussion?
How could these concepts mean different things across subject areas?
Or, just for kicks, go around the wheel and make connections between them in relation to a specific knowledge question.
Just know that if you are investigating, examining, questioning or simply probing these concepts, you are making headway to a great TOK-like discussion in your IB classroom.
Closing Thoughts...
We hope this look at The Twelve Concepts helped demystify what can sometimes feel abstract and made it feel more concrete and usable in your classroom.
If you are preparing to teach Theory of Knowledge next year, or are simply curious about how to integrate it more intentionally into your subject, we would love to have you join us in July for our Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop on the 23rd and 24th. It's looking to be quite a big crowd, so thanks to those of you who have already signed up.
In two weeks in part seven of the series, we will focus on The Exhibition and what it asks of both students and teachers.
Be good out there and see you next week.
Brad and Sofia
Upcoming Workshops and Opportunities...
If your school would like a tailored training on the updated Extended Essay guidelines, we’d love to help—onsite at your campus or live online—just send me an email at [email protected] and we’ll work together to make it happen.
Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop - July 23rd & 24th, 2026 - Designed for teachers new to Theory of Knowledge, this two-day training co-taught by Brad Cartwright and Sofía Elizalde offers a clear, practical roadmap for teaching TOK with confidence. Together, we will explore the core components of the IB Diploma Programme, the purpose and structure of the TOK course, key assessment criteria, the TOK Exhibition, the TOK Essay, and classroom strategies that support thoughtful discussion, meaningful reflection, and strong student writing.
IB Economics New Teacher Training - July 25th & 26th, 2026 - Designed specifically for teachers new to IB Economics, this two-day teacher training program will give you a practical roadmap to begin your IB Economics teaching career feeling confident, prepared, and calm.
Brad Cartwright
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