A news article is a perfectly acceptable object for a TOK exhibition. Read the article below and see how it could fit some of the TOK exhibition prompts.

Text: “Italy to ban mammoth cruise ships from Venice as of Aug. 1”

“Declaring Venice’s waterways a “national monument,” Italy is banning mammoth cruise liners from sailing into the lagoon city, which risked being declared an imperiled world heritage site by the United Nations later this month.”

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/italy-ban-mammoth-cruise-ships-venice-aug-78823148

16. Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?

Assuming that some of the cruise ship passengers would like to visit Venice to gain knowledge about its history, architecture, art, etc, then it could be argued that the knowledge should not be sought because of the damage done to the city.

17. Why do we seek knowledge?

Different types of people visit Venice to gain different kinds of knowledge for different reasons. Consider why cruise ships passenger are visiting Venice and what specific knowledge they are seeking.

18. Are some things unknowable?

This prompt is not a great fit for this particular “object” – the news article. There are a large number of prompts and an infinite number of objects; there is no reason for a student to pick a prompt and an object that don’t fit.

19. What counts as a good justification for a claim?

The idea that cruise ships and their passengers have a negative effect on the city of Venice is a claim being made by city officials and others (e.g. UNESCO officials). Look at their justification (e.g. evidence) for this claim and what qualifies it as a “good” justification.

20. What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?

A person who has visited Venice has a different kind of knowledge than someone who has studied it but has never been there. Some people, however, might view their own personal experience as resulting in deeper knowledge