CAS 2: Final Reflection - Spookapalooza

Spookapalooza – A Halloween Event

Spookapalooza, was a school Halloween fair/party organized by myself and 4 other IB students. The event was held on Wednesday October 27^th 2010, at the Island Academy Campus. It was open to children of all ages both from Island Academy and from other schools.
            The 5 of us put a lot of effort into organizing this event in only two weeks. I was constantly busy, making signs, creating games, baking cupcakes etc. I felt like we had so much to do in such little time and was a bit nervous we would not finish everything, but thankfully we did. It was a lot of fun decorating and getting ready, and it built up my excitement so much more. I enjoyed every part of organizing and getting ready but just couldn’t wait for the party to start.
              The party consisted of different activities for children to participate in such as: A Haunted House, Pin the Tail on the Cat, Bone Bowling, Spider Toss, Door to Door Trick or Treating and many more child friendly interactive games. As well all these games a Halloween movie was set up for everyone to watch. We all helped out on the night and I had a lot of fun, giving out candy to kids who were trick or treating.
            Children of all ages were able to interact with each other and play with each other throughout this evening. We were able to finally bring the secondary and primary school together on one evening to enjoy the Halloween holiday. As well as the 5 main organizers, many other Island Academy Secondary students helped setting up, running games and stalls and cleaning up. Parents helped to decorate, organize donations and promote the party. We were all extremely busy on the night and at times it got very hectic trying to organize kids, clean up, run events etc. By the end of the night I think we were all exhausted!
            We were very fortunate in receiving many donations of food, drinks, candy, baked goods and decorations. There was a BBQ ran by a parent and students, a Bake Sale, a Bar and lots of candy for all the kids to enjoy. Everyone was dressed in his or her Halloween costumes helping to celebrate and support the event. As well, as the students that came to the event the helpers were all dressed up as well. It was a bit last minute picking my costume so I decided to go as a gypsy and throw some things together, which was exciting.
            The night both began and ended on a good note and the turn out was better then expected. Everyone appeared to be having a great night and enjoying the wide variety of entertainment. There was lots of positive feedback and hopefully we have started a new tradition for the students of Island Academy to continue. 

CAS 2: Final Reflection - Spookapalooza

Spookapalooza – A Halloween Event

Spookapalooza, was a school Halloween fair/party organized by myself and 4 other IB students. The event was held on Wednesday October 27^th 2010, at the Island Academy Campus. It was open to children of all ages both from Island Academy and from other schools.
            The 5 of us put a lot of effort into organizing this event in only two weeks. I was constantly busy, making signs, creating games, baking cupcakes etc. I felt like we had so much to do in such little time and was a bit nervous we would not finish everything, but thankfully we did. It was a lot of fun decorating and getting ready, and it built up my excitement so much more. I enjoyed every part of organizing and getting ready but just couldn’t wait for the party to start.
              The party consisted of different activities for children to participate in such as: A Haunted House, Pin the Tail on the Cat, Bone Bowling, Spider Toss, Door to Door Trick or Treating and many more child friendly interactive games. As well all these games a Halloween movie was set up for everyone to watch. We all helped out on the night and I had a lot of fun, giving out candy to kids who were trick or treating.
            Children of all ages were able to interact with each other and play with each other throughout this evening. We were able to finally bring the secondary and primary school together on one evening to enjoy the Halloween holiday. As well as the 5 main organizers, many other Island Academy Secondary students helped setting up, running games and stalls and cleaning up. Parents helped to decorate, organize donations and promote the party. We were all extremely busy on the night and at times it got very hectic trying to organize kids, clean up, run events etc. By the end of the night I think we were all exhausted!
            We were very fortunate in receiving many donations of food, drinks, candy, baked goods and decorations. There was a BBQ ran by a parent and students, a Bake Sale, a Bar and lots of candy for all the kids to enjoy. Everyone was dressed in his or her Halloween costumes helping to celebrate and support the event. As well, as the students that came to the event the helpers were all dressed up as well. It was a bit last minute picking my costume so I decided to go as a gypsy and throw some things together, which was exciting.
            The night both began and ended on a good note and the turn out was better then expected. Everyone appeared to be having a great night and enjoying the wide variety of entertainment. There was lots of positive feedback and hopefully we have started a new tradition for the students of Island Academy to continue. 

TOK: Halloween

To many, halloween is known as a day in which everyone dresses up and participates in different games and activities, but what is halloween really about? Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st, that is also known as a festival of the dead and can be related to the Celtic holiday of Samhain. The word Samhain is an irish word for "Summers End" celebrating the end of the 'lighter half" of the year being the sunny summer days and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year being the cold winter nights.


 Costumes and masks became a part of this holiday as individuals believed it was necessary to disguise yourself as a harmful spirit, therefore avoiding the harm. Originally, Halloween costumes consisted of witches, monsters, ghosts etc. However, they have extended into a wider variety of princess's, celebrities, cartoon characters etc. The name later came about in the 16th century form the words "All Hallow Even" meaning the evening before All Hallows Day, this was later shortened to "Hallowe'en" and now "Halloween". The Colour scheme of halloween - Black and Orange came from the darkness of night, and the bright orange from bonfire flames, jack-o'-lanterns and autumn leaves. 


It is interesting when you take the time to research Halloween and its purpose. From my knowledge i would say that many individuals are unaware of the importance and purpose of this holiday. Until now, i never new the reason or history of Halloween and why it is celebrated. Due to your religion and what you believe, individuals may or may not feel it necessary to celebrate this holiday as it is the celebrating of the dead which to some is unnecessary or even frowned upon. In the TOK text book, faith and religion are a huge component of one and what makes them the person they are. Therefore this holiday can allow individuals to express their faith and religious beliefs towards whether or not they believe it is acceptable to celebrate. To some, their religion is their life and therefore they stand by it no matter what. Therefore, halloween would be an unacceptable holiday as it has no main reason other then celebrating the life of the dead. 

TOK: Now - Question #5 , Page 110, Chapter 4

Postscript One: 
This first postscript is actually very confusing and hard to understand. However, the way i understand God of the Gaps, is that God created the foundations and beginnings of life. We as humans are here to build up on his creations and make them better filling in his gaps. These philosophers, astrophysicists, and astronomers have figured out intelligent designs and creations to fill these gaps. Isaac Newton depicts the creation of the sun and solar system in his work Principia. These scientists have explored the universe and the design of the planets and solar system.
Postscript Two: 
I believe music can in fact help us to understand faith. Certain music such as national anthems and songs directed to certain nations allow us to hear and feel the sense of patriotism and nationalism. Music can help us understand what happens in different countries and religions allowing us to decide on our beliefs and whether or not we choose to have faith in something. Music will grab the attention of individuals interesting them in certain topics, religions and countries. This will help one to understand certain things more and question their beliefs, seeing whether or not they feel they should be faithful towards that. I find music, very capturing and therefore individuals can use it to get a better understand and background of things helping them to understand faith and whether or not they decide to be faithful towards something. 

TOK: Now - Question #4, Page 93, Chapter 3.

Experience should be worthy of being a way-of-knowing on its own. This is because, a person becomes who they are through their past experiences. Everything we do as humans and we come across is a different and new experience. It allows one to be different and unique to others. Everyone encounters different experiences and therefore everyone has accomplished different things affecting their lives. Through experiences, individuals are guaranteed to gain knowledge, being one of the reasons why it should be a way-of-knowing by itself. Being exposed to new events, places, ideas, etc allows one to become knowledgeable about these different things. One learns through there experiences as it is something they have done or seen. Everything has to be new to someone when they first encounter it. Therefore, through someone's experiences they learn about the new things they encounter. Individuals are able to learn from their past mistakes through their experiences and become better people in their future. By traveling to a new country, you are experiencing a new place, atmosphere, people, culture, language, food etc. Therefore, you embrace that countries differences and you learn and become knowledgeable of that country. This shows how you learn from your experiences. You experienced that country and the lifestyle of their people and you learnt about the place and became knowledgeable, seeing its differences to other places. I personally believe that most things people know are due to their past experiences. When you come across something new you learn about it and therefore it is something you experienced and are able to learn and understand it.

TOK: Before- Question #1, Page 96, Chapter 4

What do you consider "faith"?

Personally, i have always considered "faith" a very powerful and meaningful word to myself. I consider "faith" a strong belief someone has for something or someone. It is when you have trust or even confidence in someone. For example, to have faith in someone is when you believe in them, you support them and you put your trust into them, knowing they will not go against you or disappoint you. I personally, do not put faith into everything, it is something i believe you do not just go around giving. The same with trust, gaining trust takes time and is something that defiantly does not happen over night. I believe a person must prove they are trustworthy before i gain trust in them, as well as with faith. Faith can also be said as being passionate for something and having a strong belief in it. I consider being faithful, as sticking to your word, doing as you said you would do and being trustworthy. Telling the truth and being honest if key when it comes to being faithful or believing in something. I believe everyone is faithful about something and has faith in something or someone, we all strongly believe in different things and continue to support our beliefs.

TOK: Before- Question # 4, Page 84, Chapter 3

How do you know the mood of a class when you enter it a little late?

As a student, it can sometimes be intimidating or even nerve racking for some, to enter a class late. This is because you never know how the teacher and students will react. When entering a class a little late it is quite simple to detect the mood of the classroom by analyzing certain characteristics of the individuals present. You can usually tell the mood through the facial expressions of the individuals, are they laughing? are they serious? are they crying?. This will help you to see whether or not there is a tense, happy, serious, sad etc. environment present. What are the individuals doing? You can discover the mood by sensing actions, are the individuals walking around? doing work? singing? etc. By analyzing the individuals actions you will feel mood in the atmosphere, and this will determine how comfortable you feel walking in the room. How is the noise level in the room? Are the individuals quiet? loud? this will allow you to get a feel for the atmosphere and the mood sensing happiness, playfulness and seriousness. What are the teachers expressions when you walk in? Does the teacher yell at you and send you out for being late? Does the teacher accept your excuse and kindly allow you to take your seat? From this reaction alone, you will be able to tell the teachers mood, and that is usually a reflection of the students. If she is angry and yells at you, maybe the students did something to upset her. There are many ways in which you can detect the mood of a class when entering late. This is simply done by analyzing the situation, the atmosphere, the facial expressions of individuals, the reactions to your late arrival, the actions being done in the room and the level of noise in the room. 

TOK: Relating Chappie's Mom to Chapter 2 in TOK

During the novel "Rule of a Bone" it appears that Chappie's mom is not very involved with his life. She does not portray the typical "motherly figure" that one would usually show. It is almost as if she does not know what to do with her son or how to help him. She seems as if she just does what her husband says but does not try to do for her son. I believe Chappie's mom can be related to Maja in the way that she seems as if she does not know what to do or what to know. She does not seem to take power and control over Chappie, there is no evidence to show that she is strict or controlling over her son. The only example of this is when he steals the coins, which defending Chappie is the only thing his parents catch him doing. However, if i were a mother i would not allow my son to leave home and i would discipline him more which she does not seem to do. Therefore, it seems as though Chappie's mom is unsure, and does not know what she should or shouldn't do. She almost seems as though she does not care, but she needs to take a stand and control Chappie. 

TOK: Relating Chappie to Chapter 2 in TOK

Chappie is an 8th grade student, who portrays himself as being very independent. He moves out of his parents house and ends up living with his friends. He is highly into weed and is not the typical "good boy". I believe Chappie depicts a form of logic, this would be because although he is not a good role model, he uses logic in making decisions. For example, when Chappie steals the coins to get money, he is analyzing the situation that he has no money and is finding the best possible solution to get money. However, the way in which he gets the coins to sell for money is not something one should do as he is stealing, but he still tries to find the best solution for himself. One thing Chappie does not seem to do is see how his decisions can affect him, he just goes ahead as long as it will benefit him. Chappie shows both forms of Deductive knowledge, as he has a reason for which he pursues his actions, as well as, Inductive knowledge as he generalizes and assumes that everyone else is trying to get money for weed and he is going to as well, he has stolen before and will do it again due to his past experiences. Therefore, Chappie mirrors a logic thinker in his own mannerisms. However, he does not mirror all logic thinkers as i would have handled that situation differently by looking for the affects rather then just the benefits. 

TOK: Relating Nora to TOK

Throughout the play 'A Dolls House' Nora portrays herself as very dependent on others. She mainly does as Torvald or her Father tell her to, and she does not seem capable of making her own decisions. It seems as if she does not know what to know or what to believe and therefore her character is seen as being very childish. Throughout the TOK book, 'Ways of Knowing' the author describes the different ways of knowing through a character, Maya. Nora could be related to Maya, as Maya is portrayed as a little girl who is learning step by step the ways of knowing, and how people believe in different things. Nora, resembles a little girl, who like Maya, needs to see the different ways of knowing, and put her daily life into a method of how she knows something. Nora seems to do as she is told rather then take her own stand and be independent. However, when she borrows the money from Krogstead, and leaves Torvald she does show a form of independence. Although, throughout most of the play it seems as though Nora is inferior to Torvald and has to do as he says, rather then take control of him. Therefore, one can see how Nora is not sure as to what she knows and needs to take control and discover, how and what she knows and put her knowledge to the test.

CAS 1: Final Reflection - First Aid Course

First Aid Course

            Over the course of four weeks, I participated in a First Aid Course. The Course was held at the St.John Association office in Antigua. I had experienced a death over my summer holiday, and stood there feeling so helpless. Therefore, I decided to take this course in order to learn and be able to help in a situation of injury or illness.
            There were a total of 16 students taking the class, including me, from ages 11-55. Every Tuesday and Thursday night for two hours the class would be held. There was a combination between theory and practical during the classes. The theory was based on PowerPoint presentations and handouts were given out at the end of each class as our notes. We were able to practice different techniques such as: The Primary Survey, CPR, Choking and The Recovery Position on both dummies and each other.
            At the beginning of each class, there would be question time, which consisted of questions from the previous class. It was a bit nerve racking being put on the spot to answer questions in front of everyone, but as the classes continued I felt a lot more comfortable. A few times, we had to practice our new techniques at the front of the class on either each other or the dummies. That as well was very nerve racking.
            The classes were extremely thorough and I learnt so many new ways in which I could help in multiple situations. I began to really enjoy the class and met so many new people. It was a great experience and I am so glad I did it. At the end of the four-week course we had a final assessment. This made me nervous; as we had to do all the procedures we had previously learnt in front of everyone. We all passed and were presented with certificates and our own little certified cards, to put in our wallets.
            Basically, it was a great learning experience and something I recommend to everyone. Why would you put down an opportunity to be able to help somebody? It really interested me and made me want to study more in the medical field. The classes were never boring, very interactive and extremely interesting. 

TOK: Summary of ideas pages 76 - 82 (Chap 2.5)

Statistics, is data found by researching facts and doing surveys, studying from a large quantity of numerical data. It is a branch of mathematics as it is a way of knowing numerically, allowing one to be able to take a percentage or an estimation of the outcome of something. Standardized testing, is when the testing scores are based on a 'standard' and is given to a group of similar people. These tests allow there to be an easier and more reliable comparison between the test takers and allow the test makers to see the easier questions. Standardized testing first started in 1905, by Alfred Binet, this testing was used to see which students needed extra help. I believe most factual data, is gathered through statistics and they are something we use daily in order to make assumptions and create possible answers. 

TOK: One thing that interested me

Throughout, these first two chapters, i have learnt a lot and been exposed to many new ways of knowing, and reasons as to how we know something. One topic that caught my attention and really interested me was 'Perception'. Perception, is a way of knowing through your senses, past experiences, familiarity and social conditions. This captured me, because, i truly believe this is a strong reason has to how and why people know what they know. Your senses, allow to you understand and become familiar with different people, objects, places etc. Therefore, you are able to relate your current experiences with your past experiences, due to your senses allowing you to know something. There are five main senses that allow us to interpret and understand situation. Your eyes, allow you to see and be familiar with observations and your surroundings. Your ears, allow you to hear and be familiar with sounds and noises. Your nose, allows you to smell and be familiar with different senses. Your tongue, allows you to be familiar with different tastes and foods. Lastly, your hands and other body parts allow you to touch and feel. Therefore, our senses help us to recognize things we have been around before and help us to define wether or not we know something.

TOK: Summary of ideas pages 58 - 74 (Chap 2.4)

Personally, i believe i am a very logic thinker. This is because i always analyze the situation, find my possible solutions and then pick the best solution that will benefit me and others the most. I think of all the possibilities and how they can affect or benefit myself and the people around me, before i make a decision. The two main definitions of the word logic are Deductive Logic, being the knowledge produced by reasons rather then experiences, and Inductive Logic, being the generalized assumptions, based on experiences and the past. These definitions are not much different from my everyday use of the word logic, as i considered the word logic a mix between the two definitions. I defined logic as something that contains reasoning and finding the best outcome, as well as relating it to your past experiences to assume the outcome. A Matrix would be extremely helpful in choosing a university. It will allow me to gather all the pros and cons for each university and then figure out which one has the most pros and which one will benefit me the most. Through a table, it is easier to see everything together in a group and decide which is the best and which contains the most benefits compared to all the others. 


I really enjoy doing a Soduko puzzle, and i have noticed that when people watch me they usually say "Just put a three there!" but you cant. There is a method and logic to Soduko. The game requires thinking and reasoning. As stated in the instructions "Each column, each row and each box must contain each other numbers 1-9". Therefore, start with either a column, row or box, figure out the numbers that are missing and then go through the whole puzzle and and find where the numbers already exist in order to see where they cannot be placed. Make small estimations and write in pencil a possible answer, and then change it once u have figured out whether it can or cannot take place. Use reasoning, it is obvious that if there is a 9 in one box, it is obviously in a row and column as well, so therefore you cannot go to the bottom of that column and add a 9 as there is one at the top. It takes a lot of thinking and processing as to whether or not the number will work, due to the placing of the number on the rest of the puzzle. Take your time and sift through the puzzling finding the possible answers. 
It is not possible to study the logic of an argument without knowing its content, because you need to know the argument and what it is about. You need to know if the information is valid and if it even makes sense having the argument. Once you know the content you can gather the information and figure out possible solutions due to what the argument is about. It is evident that you know what the argument is about in order to study the logic about it, you need to be able to see whether it can be an assumption or wether it really is a reason to argue. Logic is a very important method, as it allows to you find solutions and gain knowledge as to whether something is true or an assumption. Logic gives one the ability to think and work around hard problems using reasoning and past experiences. 

TOK: Summary of ideas pages 49 - 56 (Chap 2.3)

After putting Sceptisim to test, it makes you re-think everything and wonder if it really is certain to know something. Through the three main arguments of scepticts it is possible that they are right as your senses can mislead you to think you know something. Also, you believe you are not dreaming because you are awake, however, after reading this you tend to stop and wonder if you really are or aren't dreaming. Although, i don't believe scepticts are right with the second argument as i think you do know when you are or aren't dreaming. The third argument i believe they are right, our thoughts could be said as being an unreliable interpretation of reality. This is due to the fact that it is purely a thought, with no evidence. Therefore, it is not certain that it is real, as we are interpreting something without knowing the reality of it. When reading Descartes' 'On Doubt & Certainty' one can argue that the reading is a dream, that they only believe they are reading it when they really aren't. It could be their sense of sight playing a trick on them and they really are not seeing or comprehending anything, but they believe they are. These arguments will help to reinforce the fact that one is reading is false. An example of Bullshit would be that, driving with your car AC off and your windows down saves gas. This is bullshit because it has been proven that this is not true, as tests have been carried out to prove that after the car reaches a certain speed, the wind coming into the car cannot easily escape the back of the vehicle. This then holds the car back, making the car work harder and contain a constant speed, using more gas. However, with the windows up the car allows air to freely pass around and over it with no resistance. I believe that the information presented daily in the media is usually put out so that the individual who the media are focusing on gets recognized and publicly known. I believe a lot of the information is fabricated to either make the individual look and seem better or worse then they really are. 

TOK: Summary of ideas pages 39-48 (Chap 2.2)

Chapter 2.2 outlines truth along with its three characteristics: Truth is Public, Truth is Independent and Truth is Eternal. The three tests of truth allow one to deeply look into your belief and study how true it is. The tests help to analyze your truth and create a result. Francis Bacon, a ToK pioneer, as well as a philosopher and politician, is known for his essay of Truth, and his two treaties, describing the relationship between the three main areas of knowledge: history, poetry and philosophy. Page 42 highlights the differences between Absolute and Relative truth. Plato believed in being certain before believing, and being absolute. However, many other philosophers believe that truth is relative, and there is no one truth or one reality. Absolute truth, is known as common sense, it either happened or it didn't happen. However, relative truth is said to be ones interpretation and perspective and therefore everyones truth differs. The Correspondence Theory, formulated by Plato and his Athenian friends, is a theory where ones belief of truth corresponds with reality. The Coherence Theory, shows that ones beliefs agree with everyone else belief creating one truth for all. Lastly, the Pragmatic Theory states that truth relates on our beliefs, and can be proved or disproved through our experiences and beliefs. . I believe, that there is only one truth, as it either happened or it didnt, however, individuals have their own opinions on whether they decide to believe something as being true or not. Therefore i believe in the Coherence Theory. The Relative Theory, is not convincing because something cannot be true for one but not for another. For example, the wall cannot be white for one or green for the other, it is true that the wall is just white. However, individuals can choose to believe or not, but that does not indicate that it never happened, that just shows that some choose to believe it did or didnt.