iSSues Explorer (Apr 2019)

03 April 2019

iSSues Explorer

Developing Informed, Concerned & Participative Citizens

Brought to you by the Social St u dies (S econ dary) Un i t

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Selection of the Month

04 Dice It Up 06 What's Simmering 10

What's Cooking

Selection of the Month Driving Discussion-based Lessons Using the Four A’s Protocol In 2018, a group of teachers from Boon Lay Secondary School worked on a project to explore effective strategies to carry out discussion-based lessons. Through a collaboration with Master Teacher Mrs Premaletha Gopalakrishnan and officers from the Social Studies (Secondary) Unit, they carried out lessons using a strategy known as the ‘Four A’s Protocol’. In this section, our colleagues from Boon Lay Secondary School, Ms Rita Thia, Ms Yu Jing Huai and Mr Neo Eng Kwan Ken, share their experiences of using the ‘Four A’s Protocol’ to drive classroom discussion based on sources.

Background: Challenges Students Faced Through observations during lessons, and interviews with our students, we found that students were not able to organise their analysis of sources they were studying in class. This became a challenge, as the students found it difficult to share their opinions with their classmates during classroom discussions. We wanted to encourage students to participate in classroom discussion, but we knew we needed to equip them with some tools to do so.

Research: Promoting Discussion in the Classroom

Knowing the value of discussion as a platform for students to apply their understanding and reasoning, we sought out different strategies to promote student discussion. Through our research, we found that using discussions, debates and the use of authentic documents would allow students to share knowledge and opinions about real-life scenarios.

From left to right: Ms Rita Thia, Ms Yu Jing Huai & Mr Neo Eng Kwan Ken.

We found out about discussion protocols through readings shared by our colleagues from the Social Studies (Secondary) Unit.

Protocols are designed to support meaningful discussion, to elicit differing opinions from students and ultimately to create equality within classrooms (McDonald et al., 2012). Discussion protocols are tools that help ensure that conditions for effective, meaningful, and inclusive discussions are present.

April 2019 | 01

Selection of the Month The Four A’s Protocol

What happens during the 4 A’s Protocol?

The Four A’s Protocol was introduced by Judith Gray (2005) to facilitate discussion of texts. This protocol helps students to deepen their understanding of a text and works exceptionally well when participants need to approach the text from different perspectives. This protocol engages students in reading while helping to develop critical-thinking skills and is useful when working with primary sources.

As students read a source, we encourage them to actively annotate the source, using the Four A’s Protocol questions.

They then gather in groups of 4 or 5 for a discussion about the source. Students take turns to respond to the 4 A’s Protocol questions, using the prompts below:

Gray’s original following:

Four

A’s

Protocol

comprised

the

What Assumptions does the author of the text hold?

What do you Agree with in the text?

What do you want to Argue with in the text?

What parts of the text do you want to Aspire to (or Act upon)?

Adapting the Four A’s Protocol While the protocol was useful, we found that the phrasing of the protocol questions was somewhat challenging for our students. Thus, we had to adapt the phrasing of the questions in order to better suit the context of scaffolding a discussion-based lesson: What do I already know?

Which part of the source do I agree with?

Which part of the source do I not agree with?

What do I want to analyse further?

1. What do I already know?

Students will think about the prior knowledge that they possess about the topic. They then share what they know at the start of the group discussion.

Prompts Before reading this source, I know that …

What I know about the topic is …

2. Which part of the source do I agree with?

Students will examine the source and identify parts that they agree with. They will take turns to explain and give reasons why they agree with the source.

Prompts After reading the source, I agree that …

I agree that … because …

3. Which part of the source do I not agree with?

Students will identify parts of the source that they do not agree with. They will take turns to explain and give reasons why they do not agree with the source.

Prompts On the other hand, I do not agree with what the source says about …

I do not agree with the source because …

April 2019 | 02

4. What do I want to analyse further?

Students will identify parts of the source that they would like to study in greater detail, and seek information or clarification from their group members. For example, if Student A would like more information about a particular part of the source, he or she can ask the other students in the group, who may help clarify or direct Student A to the relevant part of the source. They are also free to agree or disagree with their group mates’ opinions and share the reasons why.

Prompts I am not too clear what this part of the source means. Can you help me better understand it?

That part of the source means…

How do I get more information about …

You can find it in the source, paragraph [x], line [y]

Observation & Reflections

After observing how our students responded to the Four A’s Protocol, we reflected on how the Four A’s Protocol has helped our students, and how its implementation can be improved for future use.

"The Four A's protocol provided my students with the opportunity to share their own experiences. In particular, the international students in the classroom were eager to share their reasons for coming to Singapore and the differences between both home and host countries to enrich the conversation. I realised that providing students with more background information or using more relevant case studies would lead to fewer hurdles in receiving student responses."

Mr Neo Eng Kwan Ken Teacher

Selection of the Month "Our team of teachers decided to incorporate the Four A’s Protocol to engage students in a discussion about the reasons for greater diversity in Singapore. Before the lesson, we were expecting students to face difficulties in answering all four questions as they may not have prior knowledge of the topic.

However, we were pleasantly surprised when students were able to use their own experiences to help them understand sources with the aid of the Four A’s Protocol. For instance, they were able to agree with the source that safety was one of the reasons why there is greater diversity in Singapore because they noticed how their neighbourhood Starbucks did not have shutters, which is an indication of the safety in Singapore."

Ms Rita Thia Head of Department (Humanities) "The use of the Four A’s Protocol in source-based discussions in the Social Studies classroom allowed students to break down sources in a structured manner so that discussions with their peers become more meaningful and thorough.

With additional scaffolds provided, such as readings about the issue and other probing questions to promote critical thinking, the Four A’s Protocol will be a useful tool to make discussions on any social issue in the Upper Secondary Social Studies classroom a fruitful and engaging one. The use of the Four A’s Protocol during discussions allows the students to share their perspectives and add on each other’s understanding."

Ms Yu Jing Huai Teacher

References.

Gray, J. (2005). Four'A's text protocol. National School Reform Faculty: Harmony Education Center.

McDonald, J. P., Zydney, J. M., Dichter, A., & McDonald, E. C. (2012). Going online with protocols: New tools for teaching and learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

April 2019 | 03

Dice It Up The SLS Lesson

Lesson Ideas: Role of Citizens in Working for the Good of Society

In Issue 1 of the E/N(A) syllabuses, students learn how citizens and organised groups can participate in working for the good of society. This section provides suggested lesson ideas based on the SLS lesson “Chapter 3 – How can citizens contribute to help meet the diverse needs of society?” The SLS Lesson focuses on helping students understand the role of citizens in working for the good of society.

Lesson Idea #1

Click HERE to access the SLS lesson.

This lesson idea utilises the SLS lesson to spark students’ curiosity about the concept of inclusiveness. Through a teacher-facilitated discussion, students question their assumptions, build on each other’s views and co-construct knowledge about the concept of inclusiveness.

At the start of the lesson, teacher can introduce students to the lesson using the title in Tab 1 of the SLS lesson and invite students to brainstorm and share their thoughts on the term ‘inclusive society’.

These ideas can be captured as a word splash on the whiteboard.

Have students view the video by NCSS in Tab 2 of the SLS lesson to identify different groups of people in our society and their needs by engaging students in a class discussion based on the video. This can be done using the STP Teaching Action, ‘Repeat-Clarify-Understand’.

Teachers may wish to use the following discussion prompts: What were some interesting points to note from the video?

Why do we need to provide everyone with equal opportunities?

How do we help everyone to have equal opportunities?

How can we (as citizens) help people with diverse needs?

At the end of the discussion, direct students to the word splash done earlier and invite students to reflect on how their understanding of ‘inclusive society’ has changed. One way to do so is to have students respond to the following sentence stems: I used to think that an ‘inclusive society’ is…

Now I know that an ‘inclusive society’ is …

Adapted from Visible Thinking’s ‘I Used to Think…, But Now I think…’ routine.

How does this support the inquiry process?

The video sparks students’ curiosity by getting them to question their assumptions about the term ‘inclusive society’. Through the use of ‘Repeat-Clarify-Understand’, students are encouraged to actively participate in discussions by responding and building on their classmates’ ideas. The question-driven nature of the activity engages students in knowledge construction as they discover new ways of understanding and viewing inclusiveness.

STP Teaching Action: 'Repeat-Clarify-Understand' The use of ‘Repeat-Clarify-Understand’ helps teachers to engage students in verbal interaction through questioning and productive discussion, in place of traditional questioning approaches where students respond to teachers’ questions and are evaluated based on their responses.

Click HERE to learn more about the STP Teaching Action, 'RepeatClarify-Understand'.

April 2019 | 04

Dice It Up Lesson Idea #2

Lesson Ideas: Role of Citizens in Working for the Good of Society

In this lesson idea, students carry out research, with a strong emphasis on these two stages of the inquiry process: exercising reasoning and reflective thinking. A research task hones students’ critical thinking skills and encourages them to see the relevance of the content that they are learning in relation to their everyday lives.

Using the STP Teaching Action, ‘Engage, Explore, Apply’, students will How does this support the inquiry work in groups in response to an inquiry question on inclusiveness and make recommendations to make the community (school/ neighbourhood) process? a more inclusive one.

As students ‘Engage', 'Explore' and 'Apply’ while completing the Have students view the video by SGEnable in Tab 3 of the SLS lesson to learn research task, they experience the cycle of inquiry: about the role of different social enterprises in supporting the special Sparking of their Curiosity when they first view the video by needs community in Singapore and reflect on the questions that follow.

SGEnable and respond to the questions based on the video; These questions enable students to empathise the challenges faced by Gathering Data during their research and interviews to find out persons with special needs in Singapore. (Engage) about efforts to encourage inclusivity in society; Task students to research other ways to encourage inclusiveness in society.

Exercising Reasoning as they organise and evaluate their Students can study the actions of governments, non-government or findings before applying the knowledge gained from the community organisations or individuals in fostering inclusiveness in Gathering Data stage; and society. Teachers may consider directing students to relevant websites and Reflective Thinking throughout the process as they continually reading materials to guide their research. Students may also conduct construct knowledge and reflect on their learning. interviews with individuals and organisations as part of their research.

(Explore) Students can organise their findings using the ‘5W1H’ question frames and STP Teaching Action: Engage, Explore, Apply share their research with their classmates via a common sharing platform The use of ‘Engage, Explore, Apply’ raises student motivation by such as Google Drive. involving them in real-world issues and authentic tasks such as Students can apply the knowledge gained from the research task to an proposing measures to encourage inclusiveness. When students inquiry question, where they brainstorm and propose actions that they can can see the relevance of learning activities with their school or take to make the community or school a more inclusive one for persons personal lives, they are more engaged and will persevere through with special needs during a class presentation. (Apply) learning tasks.

At the end of the presentations, invite students to reflect on their learning over the course of the research task and summarise their learning about Click HERE to learn more about the STP Teaching Action, 'Engage, Explore, Apply'. the issue.

April 2019 | 05

What 's Simmering What makes Social Studies engaging for students is the relevance, relatability and currency of the issues discussed.

This section looks at three current societal issues and provides suggestions on possible discussion questions that teachers can use in the Social Studies classroom.

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Issue 1: Exploring Citizenship & Governance How can Singapore manage the issue of plastic waste?

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Issue 2: Living in a Diverse Society How effective is the shared responsibility approach in keeping healthcare affordable for all Singaporeans?

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Issue 3: Being Part of a Globalised World Will autonomous vehicles threaten the jobs of drivers?

April 2019 | 06

How can Singapore manage the issue of plastic waste?

In 2017, Singaporeans disposed about 420 tonnes of plastic bags daily, or about 2,640 bags, every three seconds. Singaporeans also used twice and thrice as many plastic bags as Malaysians and Australians, respectively.

While many households reuse plastic bags to bag their refuse, almost 60 percent of them have more than 20 excess plastic bags, which will eventually be thrown away. This proves to be a challenge at a time when the world is moving towards sustainability, and countries around the world are stepping up efforts to address the issue of plastic waste. While there are efforts by non-profit organisations and local businesses to reduce the usage of plastic, how can Singapore manage the issue of plastic waste?

Knowledge Outcomes Students will be able to understand: the functions of government and how governments work for the good of society; and how citizens and organised groups can participate in working for the good of society.

Discussion Questions

How effective are the strategies to reduce plastic waste in Singapore?

In your opinion, how can Singapore manage the issue of plastic waste?

Click HERE to access possible responses to discussion questions

What 's Simmering Issue 1: Exploring Citizenship & Governance

Links

Video 1: The monstrous scale of plastic bag wastage in Singapore

Article 1: Commentary: What will it take for Singapore to give up plastic?

Article 2: Supermarkets will impose plastic bag charge if it is 'industrywide' Article 3: The Big Read: As countries wage war on plastics, the jury’s still out on how best to tackle the problem Article 4: New campaign at major supermarket chains to cut down on disposable plastic bags Article 5: Parliament: No plan to impose plastic bag levy, other types of disposable bags not much greener: Amy Khor Article 6: Companies can benefit from supporting sustainability initiatives and profit from the war on plastics

April 2019 | 07

How effective is the shared responsibility approach in keeping healthcare affordable for all Singaporeans?

Singapore’s healthcare system has been highly regarded worldwide for its quality, efficiency and low government expenditure. The country’s healthcare system emphasises a shared responsibility between the government and people to ensure healthcare remains affordable for all Singaporeans. It is anchored by a co-payment system where individuals can use the savings in their Medisave account to pay for part of their medical treatment, with a portion being covered by government subsidies and in cash by the individual. However, in recent weeks, the affordability of healthcare services in Singapore has come under the spotlight, following a case where MediShield Life disbursed only $4.50 as payout to an elderly patient to offset his large hospital bill after an eye operation. This case has raised concerns among Singaporeans about whether existing healthcare schemes and subsidies can sufficiently address the rising healthcare costs. How effective is the shared responsibility approach in keeping healthcare affordable for all Singaporeans?

Knowledge Outcome Students will be able to understand the various ways in which governments and individuals can respond to the effects of living in a diverse society.

Discussion Questions

What are some challenges to Singapore’s shared responsibility approach to healthcare?

How effective is Singapore’s shared responsibility approach in keeping healthcare affordable for all Singaporeans?

Click HERE to access possible responses to discussion questions

What 's Simmering Issue 2: Living in a Diverse Society

Links

Video 1: MOH - Affordable Healthcare for all Article 1: MediShield Life paid just $4.50 of senior's $4,477 postsubsidy bill Article 2: GPC for Health asks why 2 in 10 subsidised patients not getting full MediShield Life cover Article 3: Singapore ranks high in report on medical inflation in Asia

Article 4: Elderly health costs to rise tenfold by 2030: Report Article 5: The world’s best health care? How Singapore’s hybrid model is the envy of other countries Article 6: What Makes Singapore’s Health Care So Cheap?

April 2019 | 08

Will autonomous vehicles threaten the jobs of drivers?

In a bid to drive Singapore’s economic growth and competitiveness in this globalised world, Singapore envisions a Smart Nation with a leading economy powered by digital innovation. Digital innovations in technology would also continue to attract multinational corporations (MNCs) to invest in Singapore, boosting Singapore’s economy. One area in which Singapore has explored such innovations is in the field of smart urban mobility. In collaboration with MNCs such as Delphi Technologies, Singapore has started trialling autonomous vehicles. Through the introduction of autonomous vehicles, Singapore can explore different forms of shared mobility which present benefits and challenges in various areas. One possible trade-off of the introduction of such forms of transportation is the effect on employment. Many fear that jobs would be affected and the role of public transport drivers would become obsolete as driverless technology becomes increasingly pervasive. Will autonomous vehicles threaten the jobs of drivers?

Knowledge Outcome

Students will be able to understand different responses to tensions arising from the economic impact of globalisation.

Discussion Questions Will autonomous vehicles threaten the jobs of drivers?

In your opinion, should the Singapore government consider deploying autonomous vehicles in Singapore?

Click HERE to access possible responses to discussion questions

What 's Simmering Issue 3: Being Part of a Globalised World

Links

Video 1: Driverless taxi - Singapore gets world’s first self-driving taxi cab service Article 1: Driverless vehicles can reshape Singapore, but do consider the human elements

Article 2: Singapore to use driverless buses 'from 2022'

Article 3: Taxi drivers’ role remains despite advance technology Article 4: Self-driving cars will destroy a lot of jobs—they’ll also create a lot Article 5: Threats of Driverless Vehicles: Leveraging New Technologies for Solutions April 2019 | 09

What 's Cooking Upcoming Professional Development Courses May - Aug 2019 Social Studies: Incorporating SLS Resources in Lessons First Run TRAI SI Code: 21532 Date: 2 May 2019, Thursday Time: 1430 - 1730 Venue: AST Training Room 11 Second Run TRAI SI Code: 21532 Date: 22 Jul 2019, Monday Time: 1430 - 1730 Venue: AST Training Room 11 Synopsis: Participants will learn to na viga te the S LS platf orm and plan a l esson using S LS resources. During the w orkshop , teachers will get to explore the sui te of S LS l essons available f or `Secondary Socia l Studies and learn more about pedagogica l stra tegi es that f acilitate learning with technolog y.

Social Studies: Assessment Workshop for Newly-deployed Teachers for Revised ENA Syllabus TRAI SI Code: 22638 Date: 6 & 7 May 2019, Monday & Tuesd a y Time: 0800 – 1730 Venue: AST Training Room 14 Synopsis: Participants will have a grea ter und ersta nd ing of the new assessment questi on types i n the Revised GCE ‘O’- and ‘N(A)- Level ‘O’ a nd ‘N(A )’ level exami nation papers a nd und ersta nd and apply the basic princi p les of cra fti ng the new assessment types. They will a lso und ersta nd the principles of levels of response marking a nd apply their understandi ng in marking sel ect ed scripts.

April 2019 | 10

What 's Cooking Upcoming Professional Development Courses May - Aug 2019 Social Studies: Issues-based Seminar (Issue 2)

Social Studies: Effective Instructional Teaching

TRAI SI Code: 22639 Date: 14 May 2019, Tuesday Time: 1430 – 1730 Venue: AST Training Room 8

TRAI SI Code: 21531 Date: 10 Jul 2019, Wednesd a y & 27 Aug 20 19, Tuesday Time: 1430 – 1730 Venue: AST Training Room 5

Synopsis: Participants will acquire a deep er und ersta nd ing of content related to Issues i n the R evised Syllabuses.

Particip a nts will exami ne perspectives through vid eos a nd a ssigned readings, which will t hen be d iscussed a t th e session.

This issue s- ba sed semina r will critically examine a range of vi ew s on i nequalit y, including views about d ifferent measures, a nd their ef f icacy, to address inequality. Issues of social mobility and meritocracy will also be examined to explore rela ti onship s between inequality and soci a l mobi lity, wheth er meritocracy is ‘working , ’ the role of ed uca ti ona l policy and practice, and others.

Synopsis: Participants will learn to unp a ck the sylla bus and integrate the use of inqui ry-ba sed lea rning in lesson design. The workshop will cl a rify how content is f ramed in the 20 16 S S E/ N (A ) syllabuses and guide the p a rti cip a nts on t he ef f ective use the TLS, TLG, a nd coursebook to plan for instruction. Particip a nts will a lso ha ve opportunities to ref lect on the teachi ng of concepts, content, skil ls a nd values in l ight of the signif icant issues a nd tensi ons rela ted t o social studies education in Singa p ore.

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What 's Cooking Additional Resources for Classroom Activities Click on the links below to access the resources.

Issue 1

Caregivers, professionals welcome additional support for those looking after their loved ones

Gen Y Speaks: Let’s put a stop to trial by social media

Video - The Singapore Budget Explained in a Coffee Shop: What is the Budget Spent on?

Issue 2

Interfaith champion Siti Noor Mastura named The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2018

Why Workfare works better for Singapore than a minimum wage

Here are some ways we can help Singaporeans manage their healthcare costs

Issue 3

Digital Defence pillar added to Singapore's Total Defence framework to strengthen cybersecurity

European Parliament approves EU-Singapore free trade, partnership agreements

New agency to be formed to oversee Singapore’s food safety, security

April 2019 | 12

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April 2019 | 13