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UNIT 1

PURPOSES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

INTRODUCTION

School Based Assessment (SBA) is a system for collecting periodic information on pupils‘ learning status for the purpose of planning improvement programmes in the performance of pupils. SBA, previously referred to as Continuous Assessment in the Ghanaian school system, has unfortunately not made the expected contribution to pupils‘ school performance due to a variety of reasons the most important of which was the large number of assignments that the teacher had to administer, mark and record. The new SBA presents a reduced number of assignments that can be easily handled by both teachers and pupils. It is expected that the SBA will help teachers and pupils to achieve the objectives of the syllabuses and consequently raise the standard of learning in the country. This handbook provides guidelines to help the teacher in writing school based assessment tasks. For purposes of distinguishing items and questions used in class exercises and in tests such as the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), we shall use the word ‗task(s)‘ for items, questions and projects in SBA.

PURPOSES OF SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) that Junior High School pupils sit at the end of nine year of basic education is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), an external examinations body. Thirty percent of the marks that WAEC uses to award grades at the BECE come from marks that pupils obtain on their performance in school. The 30 percent mark is an internal mark that comes from schools while the 70 percent mark is an external mark based on pupils‘ performance at the BECE. Assessment of the performance of pupils is therefore carried out in two ways: by external examinations and by internal examinations that is, the school based assessment. Pupils tend to do well on tests administered in their schools because they are more relaxed when taking tests in their own classrooms. The familiarity with their classroom and school surroundings helps them to do better on tests administered in school. External examinations during which pupils‘ work is supervised by people who are not known to the pupils, tend to create anxiety for some pupils. This anxiety may tend to reduce the level of performance on the part of some pupils. It is therefore generally accepted that the performance of pupils on tests administered by their teachers in their classrooms better reflects the true performance of the pupil. It is for this reason that the Ministry of Education decided that 30 percent of the marks for the BECE should come from performance of pupils on their school based assessment. Education in the school system consists of a variety of practical work as well as theoretical work. SBA therefore gives schools the chance to ensure that the performance of pupils on both practical skills and theoretical knowledge is reflected in the marks pupils obtain on their End-of-Term examinations. Learning does not take place only in the classroom. Education is a broad concept and pupils are expected to learn from a variety of sources; from their teachers, from their friends and elders, from the library, from the Internet and generally from their environment. All these sources contribute to the education of the young person. The seriousness with which pupils learn in the classroom and outside the classroom should therefore be reflected in the assessment system of schools.

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The first purpose of SBA is therefore to ensure that the grades pupils obtain at the

BECE are based on their performance on the internal tests administered in school and

on the external examination administered by WAEC.

A second purpose of SBA is to give schools the chance to make sure that all aspects of

the education and training of the young person are taken account of in the assessment

of the performance of the young person while in school.

SBA thirdly, provides pupils the chance to show the quality of their learning in and out of

school on the marks they obtain on their SBA assignments. The SBA in effect, gives

pupils the chance to receive a broad education.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

The general characteristics of SBA are as follows:

1. Periodic collection of assessment information

To obtain accurate and reliable test data on a student, the test must be spread over a longer time, allowing the student to take tests at different times throughout the year. SBA prescribes the administration of one assignment at the end of each month of the school term. The average of the scores earned by the student will be a more accurate indicator of the student‘s performance in the subject.

2. Use of different test modes

The performance of a student can be better assessed if the assessment is made on different test modes such as class tests, class exercises, home work, projects and other practical activities. SBA will consist of class tests, class exercises and projects.

‗Homework‘ has been eliminated in the redesigned SBA programme and more prominence given to ‗projects‘. The justification for eliminating homework from the SBA programme is that it is not certain whether homework will be carried out for the student by an adult. Homework is important in the instructional system and teachers must therefore give homework as part of the instructional process. Homework will however, not be scored as part of the SBA. There will be situations, as in the projects, where the SBA will involve students in seeking views and opinions from teachers, parents, elders and school mates. This is the normal work practice in the adult world where the opinion of colleagues and views collected from books etc are vital for effective work performance. Teachers should encourage the search for information during the project period.

3. Inclusion of more complex thinking skills in the testing programme

A further characteristic of the SBA is that it includes tasks that require high ability thinking and performance. Such tasks require analytical thinking; the ability to generate different solutions to a problem; the ability to plan a project; and the ability to be innovative, generate new ideas and create new products etc. High level thinking skills generally require extended time for learning and responding. The addition of such skills, the SBA programme will encourage students to form the habit of using high level thinking skills in solving problems rather than the habit of memorizing class notes which defeats the purpose of education and does not help in problem solving.

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4. Teacher assistance and remediation

A fourth characteristic of the new SBA is that it fosters cooperation between the teacher and the student especially in the area of students‘ class projects. The process allows the teacher to provide assistance to students in the form of advice on various aspects of students‘ projects. The teacher is expected to provide constructive feedback to help students reach better understanding of their projects. Students learn to consult the teacher, classmates and other sources on aspects of their project work, while maintaining their position as the leader(s) in the project undertaking.

Reduced number of assessments and mark recordings

The SBA has been designed to reduce the amount of workload in the previous continuous assessment system by 64 percent on the part of the student and by 53 percent on the part of the teacher. The reductions have been made to reduce the tediousness in the SBA process and at the same time make SBA a more useful tool for improving school performance and for improving the thinking abilities of school children.

6. Emphasis on student-centred learning

One of the major problems that lead to low performance of students on national tests (National Education Assessment (NEA) and BECE) is the predominantly teacher-centred approach used in the instructional system in schools. As a method for improving this situation, the syllabuses that the Ministry of Education has issued to schools since 2000 have all stressed the importance of high ability thinking skills on the part of students. The full impact of this has yet to be realized. However, the SBA system puts a lot of stress on project undertaking. This is the component that allows the student individually or in groups, the freedom to explore different ideas and skills to produce something of their own. This is the student-centred learning component which should help in improving the standard of education in the country.

7. Standardization of SBA Practice Across Schools

The above characteristic is particularly important in Ghana. In previous years where class teachers had the option of setting their own continuous assessments, a variety of exercises, some good and many of them rather trivial, were used in the school system. The number of items used in the continuous assessment system was not uniform and the marking and grading systems differed from school to school. The current SBA system has been designed to improve the old practice of leaving schools to develop their own assignments by supplying schools with sample items/questions, project topics, marking and grading systems as a procedure for standardizing the SBA process across schools in the country.

SBA EMPHASES IN THE GHANAIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM

The Ghana SBA is based on six related emphases as detailed below.

Pupils/students will acquire:

1. Thinking Skills: Better understanding of issues and the ability to generate ideas and

develop new processes and strategies.

2. Problem Solving Skills: The ability to understand a problem, looking at it from different

ways and adopting solutions based on combination of knowledge and practices from

different subjects.

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3. Cooperative Learning: The ability to work with class mates in groups to carry out

projects and learn in the process.

4. Working with Numbers: Greater ability in working with numbers and thereby acquire

more understanding and application of mathematical processes in everyday problems.

5. Moral and Spiritual Development: The attitude of fairness in dealing with others and a

general positive attitude in life

6. Formal Presentations Skills: The ability to make formal presentations before class mates

and answer questions

SBA MODES AND TIMES OF ADMINISTRATION

There will be three assessments and a project work in a term, making a total of twelve assessments for the year. The assessments for a term will consist of two tests, one group exercise and a project as follows:

7. Class tests 8. Group exercise 9. Project (investigative, experimental ormaterials production)

The assessments are referred to as Class Assessment Tasks (CAT). CAT1 will be a task made up of test items. CAT2 will be a group exercise. CAT3 will also be a class test. The project for the first term will be CAT4. The order of the twelve assessments for the three terms of the year will be as follows: Term 1

10. First Class Assessment Task (CAT1): End of Week 4 of Term 1 11. Second Class Assessment Task (CAT2): End of Week 8 of Term 1 12. Third Class Assessment Task (CAT3) End of Week 11 of Term 1 13. Fourth Class Assessment Task (CAT4): To be collected by end of Week 12

Term 2

14. First Class Assessment Task (CAT5): End of Week 4 of Term 2 15. Second Class Assessment Task (CAT6): End of Week 8 of Term 2 16. Third Class Assessment Task (CAT7) End of Week 11 of Term 2 17. Fourth Class Assessment Task (CAT8): To be collected by end of Week 12

Term 3

18. First Class Assessment Task (CAT9): End of Week 4 of Term 3 19. Second Class Assessment Task (CAT10): End of Week 8 of Term 3 20. Third Class Assessment Task (CAT11): End of Week 11 of Term 3 21. Fourth Class Assessment Task (CAT12): To be collected by end of Week 12

Administration of SBA is expected to be completed by the end of the eleventh week to allow schools the time for preparation and administration of the End-of-Term Test in the twelfth or last week of the term. Preparations for the project work (CAT4, CAT8 and CAT12) involving topic selection and data collection will start in the second week of each term. Projects should be completed and submitted in Week 12 of the term or by the end of the term, whichever is earlier.

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UNIT 2

NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS

AND MARK ALLOCATION IN A TERM Distribution of the four assessments in each term, the number of items in each task and mark allocation for upper primary are indicated in Tables 1 below. CAT1-3 are marked out of 50 and the project is marked out of 100. The table is self explanatory. The same number of items and mark allocation should be maintained in CATS 5-12 in Terms 2 and 3.

Table 1 Number of Items and Mark Allocation for Class Assessment Tasks: P4 – P6

PRIMARY 4

PRIMARY 5

PRIMARY 6 No. of Items

Mark Allocation

No. of Items

Mark Allocation

No. of Items

Mark Allocation

CAT 1

10

10

10

10

10

10

CAT 2 (Group Exercise)

1 - 3 items

20

1-3 items

20

1-3 items

20

CAT 3

10

20

10

20

10

20

Total Marks for CATs

50

50

50

End of Term Examination

50

50

50

Total Marks for CAT1-3 and End of Term Exam

100

100

100

CAT 4: Project (Investigative, experimental, material production or combination of two)

1 project

100

1 project

100

1 project

100

Total number SBA of assessments per term

4

200

4

200

4

200

The marks for the three CATs, CAT1-3 totaling 50 marks should be added to the marks from the End-of-Term examination making a total of 100 marks and used for grading the performance of the pupil in the term. The SBA project should be marked out of 100 and graded separately. NOTE: The 10 marks for CAT1 for P1-P3 in English and Ghanaian Languages are not sufficient for the amount of items and questions the two subjects need for assessing work completed in the first month. For this reason, CAT1 should be marked out of 20 for only English and Ghanaian Languages and Culture. The marks obtained over 20 by pupils should then be divided by 2 to convert the marks to the range of 10 as required in the table above.

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UNIT 3

DIRECTIONS FOR DEVELOPING AND

ADMINISTERING CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs) The number of syllabus objectives that schools are expected to have completed in the first term, second term and in the third term of each school year have been determined for purposes of the SBA. From the objectives determined for each term, objectives that are considered very important, those that are generally difficult for pupils and therefore may not be well taught in schools, those that involve a series of activities before the objective can be completed, and those that need high level creativity for learning have been selected and used for developing the sample items in the CATs for this handbook. The teacher is expected to follow a similar process to identify those objectives to be tested in the CATs. First of all, the teacher should put the syllabus objectives into three terms. After this has been done, the teacher should consider each of the objectives for each term and then determine the critical objectives in the following manner: 1. Objectives that are very critical in each term‘s work. (The understanding of such

bjectives is very important and crucial for continuing study of the subject) 2. Objectives that are difficult for pupils to understand and difficult to teach 3. Objectives that consist of a series of activities 4. Objectives that need creativity on the part of the pupil for learning performance Class Assessment Task 1 (CAT1) After completing the above, the teacher should then write test items for those objectives selected for each term. Bear in mind that CAT1 for each of the three terms, is an individual assessment and is administered after the first four weeks of the term. The objectives to be used for CAT1 are therefore the objectives to be taught in the first four weeks of each of the terms. CAT1 will be administered, scored and reported to provide information on each pupil‘s performance on the items set in the task. CAT1 will be weighted 20% and should essentially cover the following separate profile dimensions of the material taught in class:

22. Knowledge 23. Understanding 24. Application

Class Assessment Task 2 (Group Exercise) CAT2 will be the second class assessment in Term 1 and will be in the form of group exercise administered at the end of eight weeks of the school term. The purpose of the group exercise is to introduce pupils to the principles and ethics of cooperative learning that is, working together in groups to arrive at solutions together using the ideas and abilities of each group member. The second purpose is to ensure that the class is able to master the key topics they have problems with. For example, ―fractions‖ is a difficult topic in mathematics in all the primary school classes of the country. A group exercise could therefore be developed on fractions alone

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during which time the groups will discuss the concept of fractions, its meaning, methods for calculating fractions and also work a number of problems in fractions to make sure every pupil in the class understands fractions and can calculate fractions easily. The group exercise will therefore be designed around one, two or three critical and important but difficult specific objectives in the subject. The teacher should consider the difficult objectives encountered in the first month and in the second month of the term and structure the group exercise around one, two or three of these objectives. In many cases, more than one important specific objective will be combined as a cluster objective for purposes of the group exercise. In a few cases as indicated in the case of fractions, only one topic which remains a problem could be set for the group exercise. CAT2, CAT6 and CAT10 - Double Period The group exercise will be conducted over two lesson periods, that is, 60 minutes. The exercise will be based on topics pupils have had difficulty with in the first and second months of the term. The cooperative learning exercise with teacher facilitation should help pupils to develop mastery over the selected topics. CAT1, CAT2 and CAT10 could also be used to provide preliminary exercises on a difficult topic that may occur in the third month of the term. In all the subjects, the critical and problematic topics that pupils have difficulty with will be selected by the teacher for the group exercise. The teacher should go round the groups as they work and offer help as may be needed without giving correct answers. The intention is to get the groups to arrive at solutions themselves and acquire mastery over the difficult topics in the process. The teacher should give encouragement and possibly supply materials that the groups may need for their work as he or she goes round the groups. The teacher should ask the various groups of pupils to give themselves a mark and a grade for the work they have done in each of CAT2, CAT6 and CAT10 at the end of the exercise. Pupils‘ statements on their perceived marks and grades are not final. The process of asking them ―to grade themselves‖ helps them to be conscious of their responsibility for working hard at problems in order to deserve high marks and grades. It is recognized that involving pupils in assessing their own work is a powerful learning motivator. The teacher‘s final mark and grade on the group‘s work will help pupils to realize how far they have to go to reach expected standards. Scoring CAT2, CAT6 and CAT10 The 20 marks for each of the above CATs are categorized into the following score boundaries:

16 - 20 12 - 15 8 - 11 4 - 7 0 - 3

Marks will be awarded in relation to the effort and performance of each group. 20 full marks, or the highest mark, should be awarded the group(s) that shows understanding of the concepts in the topic and produces the best activities/results. Not all pupils in this top group may get the highest mark however. The teacher may notice, as he or she goes round the groups that one or two pupils in a group may not be performing at the same level as the rest of the group. This person may not be contributing much to the work of the group; or may be making more errors

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than the rest of the group. Bear in mind however, this pupil, because of their inclusion in the high achieving group, would have learnt a lot more in this group. Such a pupil should however be awarded any mark in the range 16 - 18 depending on the judgement of the teacher and depending upon the mark awarded the group. Award a mark in the range of 12–15 to the group that shows fairly good understanding of the concepts and performs quite well in the activities. As in the first case above, a mark in the range of 12-13 may be allocated to a pupil(s) who do not measure up very well to the rest of the group. Award a mark in the range of 8-11 to the group(s) that shows satisfactory or acceptable performance in the concepts of the exercise. As in the first cases, low performing pupils in the group should be awarded marks in the range of 8-9. Award a mark in the range of 4-7 to the group(s) that shows little understanding of the concepts and makes many errors in the activities, and 0 – 3 for the group that shows extremely poor understanding of the work required. Class Assessment Task 3 (CAT3 and CAT7) The third class assessment will come at the end of the eleventh week of each term. In setting CAT3 and CAT7 the teacher should develop the tasks in such a way that they will consist of 20% of the instructional objectives of the first four weeks, 20% of the objectives of the second month of the term and 60% of the instructional objectives studied from Week 9 – Week 11. The structure of CAT3 and CAT7 will be as follows:

25. 20% of objectives taught in the first month (First four weeks of the term) 26. 20% of objectives taught in the second month (Second four weeks of the term) 27. 60% of objectives taught in the third month (Weeks 9 – 11 of the term)

Class Assessment Task 11 (CAT 11) Using an overlapping system, CAT11 should be developed in a way that it will consist of

28. 20% of objectives taught in the first term 29. 20% of objectives taught in the second term 30. 60% of objectives taught in the third term

This system will ensure that pupils do not pay attention to only the instructional objectives taught in the third term, but to all the objectives taught in the year. CAT3, CAT7 and CAT11 should include items that are based on high ability thinking including

31. Analysis

32. Application of principles and ideas to unfamiliar and real life situations

33. Inventive thinking processes involving synthesis of ideas from various subjects to solve

a problem

34. Evaluation of situations

It is expected that classroom instruction will use real life and unfamiliar problems as illustrations to encourage pupils to apply their knowledge to problems of varying complexity.

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Number of Items to be Used in Different Subjects Bear in mind however, that although it has been determined that CATS1, 2 and 3 will include a specified number of items, that rule will not hold for all subjects. For example, ICT and Creative Arts need not write five or ten items for CAT1 or CAT3. These subjects are practically oriented subjects. In such subjects, the teacher could develop a topic or two that would be able to bring out the issues or concepts the teacher wishes to see in the response or responses. Similarly, it is not desirable to write 10 items for Oral work in Ghanaian Languages and Culture, or 10 items English CAT1 and CAT3 since English and Ghanaian Language and Culture consists of a number of components whose assessment will need more than 10 marks. In Listening and Speaking in the languages, the teacher may require each pupil to listen to a statement and respond orally. Only one or two statements may be used in the Listening and Speaking assessment since there will be more than 50 other children waiting.

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UNIT 4

SBA PROJECTS Projects: CAT4, CAT8, CAT12 The projects will consist of investigations, experiments, material production or combination of any two in the subject of study. A project could be based on investigations leading to the production of a physical product, a new idea or a new process. Projects should involve high-order abilities such as analysis, evaluation, self-correction and synthesis of ideas and skills toward creation of a new product, a new idea or a new process as said already. There will be one group project in each term scored out of 100. Some projects may last for two terms or a year. Such projects should be segmented in such a way that one segment would be completed and assessed at the end of a term and the remaining segment continued for presentation in the next term. Because of increasing numbers in the school system, all three projects will be carried out as Group Projects where four, five or more pupils will come together to undertake a project and give a report on their work. While the group should share the responsibilities involved in the project, the teacher must ensure that each member of the team will have specific duties to perform in the project undertaking and that each individual will contribute equally to the project execution. Where a class consists of manageable numbers, such as numbers lower than 45, the teacher can administer the projects as follows: CAT4: Group project CAT8: Group project CAT12: Individual project or Group project Project Topics Project topics will be centrally developed by CRDD in cooperation with the Teacher Education Division of GES every three years and distributed to all schools through the District Education Offices. The process for developing the project topics will ensure that the quality of the projects students will carry out will be of the right type and standard. Six project topics will be centrally developed. Teachers are expected to develop additional three topics for the year, meaning that there will be three topics for each term. This number will give teachers the chance to select project topics that are suitable for their respective localities in any term. Three topics a term will also give student groups a wider scope to choose a topic that they find interesting and suitable in each term. Pupils will have two weeks from the beginning of the term to consider and choose the project topic they wish to undertake for the term. Projects should include high-order abilities such as analysis, evaluation and inventive thinking involving the generation of new ideas and skills, creation of new and original products and new processes. There will be one project work in each term.

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UNDERTAKING SBA PROJECTS There are eight subjects on the Lower Primary School curriculum and nine subjects on the Upper Primary School curriculum. Since each pupil is required to carry out one project a term in each of the subjects on the curriculum, there is the likelihood that pupils may have too many projects to carry out within a term and teachers will have too many projects to mark in a term. To reduce the amount of time and effort required in projects undertaking and marking, the developers of the SBA projects have adopted two curriculum integration approaches for writing project topics for schools. The approaches are the fused curriculum approach and the emerging curriculum approach.

Fused curriculum approach The fused curriculum approach is an integrated curriculum system. In this approach, two or more subjects may be fused together with one of them as the organizing subject. The fused curriculum is organized around one of the subjects while the other subject(s) is brought in as and when needed. Creative Arts for example, may be fused with Natural Science, ICT and English, with Creative Arts as the organizing subject in the fusion. Similarly, a project in English could be framed in a way that will require knowledge in Science, Mathematics and Religious and Morals Education. Following this approach, project topics are set in such a way that will require the pupil to demonstrate knowledge, skills and attitudes in a variety of subjects while carrying out a project.

Emerging curriculum approach

This approach is based on the felt needs of communities. Project tasks following this approach will be based on the critical needs of the localities where schools are situated. Projects may also be based on felt national needs. Some of the felt needs of our localities and the nation at large are as follows:

1. The conditions of many of our schools in the rural areas 2. Lack of health facilities in many of the rural areas 3. Lack of safe drinking water in many communities 4. How to make unsafe water safe to use 5. Providing recreational centres in our villages 6. Effects of belief in witchcraft 7. How to recycle some of our waste materials 8. How to plan our villages 9. How to keep our villages, towns and cities clean 10. How to prevent the spread of malaria 11. How to prepare one‘s self for future work 12. Helping Ghana to become a democratic country

The above list consists of some of the major needs of our villages, towns and cities. The subjects that could use integrated project approach for dealing with each of the topics listed above are indicated in the table on the next page.

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Table 2

Some Emerging Curriculum Topics and Related Subjects

Emerging Curriculum Topics: Primary 4 - 6

Subjects Related to the Emerging Topics

1. The conditions of many of our schools in the rural areas (P5, P6) 2. Why we need health facilities in many of our rural areas

35. Problems caused by lack of safe drinking

water in many of our communities

36. Making unsafe water safe for use

37. Why we must provide recreational centres in our villages

38. How to recycle some of our waste materials

39. How to plan our villages and communities

40. How to improve sanitation in our communities

41. How to prevent the spread of malaria

42. How to build a school park

43. How to prepare for future work

44. Types of conflict and how to resolve them

English, ICT, and Creative Arts Natural Science, RME, Creative Arts, Citizenship and English Natural Science, Integrated Science, Citizenship Education and English Science and English Citizenship, Mathematics, Creative Arts, English and ICT RME, Citizenship Education and English Integrated Science, ICT, Citizenship, Creative Arts and English Integrated Science, Mathematics and Creative Arts Integrated Science and English Integrated Science, ICT and English Mathematics, English and Creative Arts Citizenship Education, ICT and English

Sources of Information for Projects: References Beginning from Primary 2 when pupils can read simple stories, it will be important for teachers to advise pupils to read and consult the following sources for information on their projects:

45. Textbooks 46. Magazines 47. Opinion of teachers, elders and friends 48. The Internet

Pupils can interview the class teacher, parents and other elders in the community and their friends, especially their older friends for views, opinions and procedures. It is important for teachers to emphasize to pupils that the source of knowledge comes from books, magazines, radio and Television, newspapers, research reports, the opinion of people

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and their own individual observations. Children should therefore always observe the things around them very carefully and consult other important sources for information before starting their projects and during the course of their projects. Encourage pupils to use the following other sources in the course of their projects:

49. Word list or Glossary (available in some of the school textbooks) 50. Dictionary 51. Encyclopedia 52. The internet

Presenting Material in Projects and Reports: Tables and Graphs Pupils should use a system of classifying and presenting material collected by using the following in their projects:

53. Tables 54. Block Graph or Bar Graph

Projects that consist of tables and graphs are more interesting to read. They make the issues in the report or project clearer and they further help the owner of the project to score more marks. General Procedure in Project Reports

Pupils in general need to show the following high ability thinking processes in their projects: Analytical thinking Analytical thinking, or critical thinking, involves the following:

55. Determining significant parts of a problem (key issues; causes/effects) 56. Determining errors/fallacies in arguments: logical and context errors 57. Determining relationships between parts of a problem (causes, sources and their

effects) 58. Highlighting major points, relationships and generalizations in a situation or problem.

Inventive Thinking for Problem Solving (Generating solutions to real or imaginary problems) After going through analytical thinking process, the pupil should now be in a position to do the following:

1. Define an existing problem (in words, illustrations or both) 2. Consider alternative ways for solving a problem (in words, by illustrations, by pre-

imaging etc) 3. Create a new solution that improves a situation or an object in use (in words,

illustrations, and/or by developing a new object/device) 4. Improve and refine the new solution

The problem solving process described above is the synthesis or inventive thinking process. It is a process for solving problems by organizing ideas from a variety of sources and a variety of subjects to solve the problem or invent a new idea, appliance or gadget. Teachers must make the effort to help pupils improve their thinking skills. The complicated nature of the present world makes it necessary for people to be better thinkers. No longer is it necessary for young people to memorize their class notes and regurgitate or reproduce their class notes during examinations. That time is past. Memorization cannot help to solve the

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problems of the moment nor the problems of the future. The present and the future rely more on high-ability thinking skills. High ability thinking skills and problem solving skills required in project work are applicable in all the subjects on the school curriculum.

Project Report Writing and Presentation The teacher should bring the following points to the attention of pupils when writing their project reports: Report writing:

59. Select suitable title

60. Write the Introduction

61. Paragraph writing

62. Use of tables, graphs and pictures

63. Conclusions

Report Presentation

64. Short Introduction

65. Key points 66. Delivery 67. Conclusions 68. Responding to questions

Beginning from Primary 3, children should be taught to write in paragraphs, select a title for their work, use tables and graphs and present their reports to class using the key points in their work, and answer questions from their class mates. It is important for schools to start these processes early in the life of the child. Report writing and report presentation processes should therefore not only be emphasized in subjects like English and Mathematics, but should also be used in projects that involve production of an artifact, a painting, a gadget or any three dimensional object. A project involving painting for example, should be accompanied with a short written paper with paragraphs, suitable title, a table where relevant, and concluding summary.

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UNIT 5

USING SBA FOR IMPROVING LEARNING IN SCHOOLS

The school based assessment system is both a formative and summative assessment system. It is a formative assessment system in the sense that it aims at improving the learning of pupils in the course of the instructional period. A formative assessment system is a quality control system. It helps the teacher to diagnose the problems of the pupil and then use the diagnostic information for planning remedial programmes for helping pupils toward improvement in their learning performance. It is a summative assessment system because SBA marks for the term or for the year are added to the end-of-term and end-of-year examination results to determine pupils‘ performance for the term or year. SBA is an important tool for improving the learning of pupils. We should note however, that merely recording the marks pupils obtain on the tasks without remedial instruction will not help the pupil nor the country to reach high standard of education. This means that after the administration and marking of each CAT, the class teacher should analyze the problems pupils faced on the items in the CAT and then organize a remedial session for the class. The value of SBA will be realized only if teachers allow time for pupils to complete the assignments and only if teachers spend at least one class period to explain the mistakes pupils made on the tasks and then offer more help and explanations for pupils to correct their mistakes and close the gap between their present knowledge and the expected standard of knowledge. The teacher should help the class to quickly go over the answers or responses for the items/questions most pupils got right and then focus on discussions of answers or possible answers for those items/questions many pupils got wrong. Very often the teacher will have to set one or two items similar to the ones pupils got wrong, for pupils to answer orally or by writing, and for the teacher to verify whether pupils have now understood the concepts in the items they got wrong in the CAT. In other cases, what may be needed to correct pupils‘ learning will be counseling. Diagnosis of Learning and Pedagogical Challenges Genuine answers to the following questions can help a teacher to identify the learning and instructional problems of their class. Q1. What items in the CAT proved difficult for all pupils? Q2. What items in the CAT were difficult for particular pupils? Q3. Why were the items in the CAT difficult for all pupils? (Interview pupils/whole class to

diagnose the sources of their problems; teach difficult topics again using a different method and give a short test)

Q4. Why were the items in the CAT difficult for particular pupils? (Interview pupils concerned to diagnose their problems, provide remedial instruction at a convenient time, or use peer teaching to correct the problem and give a short test)

Giving Feedback on SBA Performance Pupils should take active part in their own learning to be able to improve their learning performance faster. They can do this better if the teacher provides them with accurate feedback on their performance. Merely giving marks on pupils‘ SBA work will not help to improve learning. Apart from giving marks for each of the tasks, the teacher should provide diagnostic comments

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on areas the pupil performed poorly. For example, CAT9 of Primary 4 Mathematics, requires pupils to carry out a task on shape and space. As part of the task, pupils are required to draw different triangles including a right—angled triangle and label them. If a pupil is not able to identify and label the right-angled triangle, giving zero will not help the pupil. In this case, the teacher has to provide feedback that tells the pupil what they did wrong and also provide information on what to do to get such task correct in the future.

MARKING AND GRADING

Two sets of marks are to be recorded at the end of a term. In Term1, CAT1, CAT2 and CAT3

totalling 50. Similarly, in Term 2, CAT 5, CAT 6 and CAT 7 while CAT 9, CAT 10 and CAT 11

will be for Term 3. These three marks should be added to the End-of-Term examination marks

of 50 making a total of 100 for each term and used for grading.

Structured questions do not all carry the same marks in most cases. A question based on application or analysis generally carried move marks than a question based on knowledge or understanding. Eight score ranges, grades and feedback comments for the two sets of marks are indicated below. (A+) Excellent Performance 90 - 100: Excellent performance. Makes very few errors. Must revise the following areas: (A) Very Good Performance 80 – 89: Very good performance. Could improve work if attention is given to the following

areas: (B+) Good Performance 70 - 79: Good performance. Makes a number of errors that could be corrected through extra

work. Has to work harder in the following areas: (B) Advanced Performance (B) 60 - 69 Advanced performance. Could improve work if attention is given to the following areas: (C) Proficiency Level Performance 50 - 59: Has proficiency for improvement. Particularly weak in the following areas: (D) Beginner‘s Performance 40 – 49 Beginner‘s performance; makes a number of errors that could be corrected through extra work. Has to work harder in the following areas: (D-) Performance Below Expectation 30 – 39 Performance rather weak and below expectation. Makes a number of errors that

could be corrected through extra work. Has to work harder in the following areas:

17

No Grade Possible (NGP) Scores From 29 and Below Has not done enough to deserve a grade. Particularly very weak

on items which require knowledge in the following: (Provide information on the knowledge and skills required to improve performance)

SBA Projects The SBA Project should be treated on its own. Projects are to be marked out of 100 and used for grading. Project grades should be recorded for each pupil per school term. Score Ranges and Feedback Comments on Projects (Marked out of 100) Eight mark ranges and their associated feedback comments for the projects are recommended as follows: 90 – 100: Excellent work in all respects

80 – 90: Very experienced performance in the project; Makes very few errors.

70 - 79: Experienced performance in the project; Makes very few errors.

60 – 69: Advanced performance in the project; could turn out a better project if attention is given to the following:

50 – 59: Advanced beginner‘s performance in the project; could turn out a better project if attention is given to the following:

40 – 49: Beginner‘s performance in the project; makes a number of errors that makes the outcome of the project fall below expected standard.

30 – 39: Project outcome below expectation 29 and Below: Project outcome far below expectation. Poor project in execution and in outcome. Must put in a lot of effort next time. Learning and Pedagogical Challenges and their Solutions After marking and grading the CATs, the teacher will notice a number of the learning problems that pupils encountered as a result of misunderstandings during the instruction. The teacher could then adopt the following measures to help pupils overcome their learning problems and perform better on future tests:

Counseling pupils

Organizing remedial teaching activities for low achievers

Organizing enrichment activities for high achievers

Conducting Performance Appraisal Meetings with Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) or holding discussions with individual parents on some of the difficulties their children are facing in their lessons and the possible help parents could give etc

Value of Projects The redesigned school based assessment system emphasizes the pupil-centred instructional approach. This is achieved by planning the ‗projects‘ component of the SBA in a way that will require pupils to carry out investigations and experiments, and produce written or physical materials/objects using a variety of tools. It is estimated that if CAT3 is planned and developed in a way that will include at least 50 percent of high level abilities (analytical thinking,

18

Inventive thinking and evaluation), the addition of the contribution of the high level thinking in CAT3 to the 30 percent contribution of analytical and inventive thinking and production in CAT4 projects will raise the productive thinking component of individual pupils to at least 45 percent. It is expected that raising the level of productive thinking on the part of individual pupils will completely transform the quality of education in the basic school system. The critical part in all of this is the teacher. How to change the instructional process from teacher-centred approach to pupil-centred approach depends upon the teacher. Being able to bring about this change and being able to supervise the CAT projects effectively to make pupils realize their importance and power in the learning process are some of the critical expectations from teachers. The End-of-Term Examination Some guidelines for developing the end-of-term examination have been provided in all the Basic School syllabus. It should further be added that while the End-of-Term 1 should be based on all the objectives taught in Term 1, the End-of-Term 2 examination should be based on 30 percent of the instructional objectives of Term 1 and 70 percent of the instructional objectives of Term 2. Overlapping the two tests is necessary to make pupils aware that they should not forget Term 1‘s work and concentrate only on the work of Term 2. Guidelines for setting the End-of-Term examinations are provided below. End-of-Term 1 Examination The examination should be composed of a representative sample of all syllabus objectives taught in Term 1 End-of—Term 2 Examination

30% of the objectives of Term 1

70% of the objectives of Term 2 End-of—Term 3 Examination

10% of the objectives of Term 1

20% of the objectives of Term 2

70% of the objectives of Term 3 Teachers are again reminded that at least 40% of the test items in the end-of-term tests should be of high-ability thinking type. This system for developing classroom tests will lead to rapid increase in the thinking ability of school children.

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UNIT 6

GUIDELINES FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT ASSESSMENT

The following guidelines are provided for teachers to consider in developing and assessing projects for their classes.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Project Title Project title refers to the name of the project. Before selecting the project title, go through the syllabus looking through the sections and units to identify interesting ideas that may be developed into a project. The project title should capture important skills required in the sections and units of a term in the subject. Since we are using the integrated approach in developing project topics, each topic selected should reflect skills and abilities from a variety of subjects. In most cases, we recommend the fused curriculum approach in which case each project will have an organizing subject, with other subjects coming in as supporting subjects for the project. The project title should be catchy and interesting. The selected project itself should also be interesting for pupils to do. Project Brief The project brief is a simple one sentence description of the project Detailed Description This is a description of the project in more than three sentences. The description should include what pupils should do in carrying out the project successfully. Class, Term and Year Write the class, the term and the year of the project. Example: Primary 5 Term 2 2012 Nature of Project Indicate whether the project is individual or group project Leading Subject(s): English P4, Term 1, SRN 1.1.3 and 1.3.1 and Creative Arts P4 Term1 SRN 1.1.1 (Indicate the leading or organizing subject) Connecting Subject(s) and Syllabus References: Indicate the connecting subjects. Example: Citizenship Education and ICT Citizenship Education: P4 term 1 SRN: 3.2.1 ICT: P4 Term 1 SRN: 1.2.2 and 3.2.2

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Project Objectives This section consists of a list of the objectives pupils should accomplish in the project Project Activities List of activities to be carried out each week of the term toward project completion and presentation in Week 11 (Project activities have been provided in some of the topics in this Handbook) Project Duration: One Term Project Output(s) List of outputs expected as a result of the objectives and activities of the project Project Outcomes This is a list of the learning behaviours students are expected to have acquired by the end of the project

PROJECT ASSESSMENT Guidelines are provided for the assessment of the following: writing involving mathematics or investigations; writing on projects involving practical products or science in Tables 3, 4 and 5.

Table 3

Assessment of Mathematics and Investigative Writing Projects

Assessment Criteria

Mark Allocation

1.

2.

3.

Expression Grammatical correctness of language Outputs Drawing Reports Presentations Demonstrations Dance Role-play etc

40 marks

30 marks

30 marks

Total

100

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Table 4

Assessment of Practical Products: Creative Arts etc

Assessment Qualities

Mark Allocation

Lower Prim

Upper Prim

Process assessment -Attitude, commitment, cooperation and problem solving skills

20

20

Product assessment -Originality -Design: use and organization of elements and principles of art -Craftsmanship: skill in use of tools, materials, techniques, colour application etc. -Finishing -Usefulness/Suitability

60

(10) (10) (20) (10) (10)

60

(10) (10) (20) (10) (10)

Project Report and Presentation i. Project write-up (Content should include the ff:

- Main objective - Advantages of device/object/product ii. Project Presentation (Reporting and Communication)

-Methods used -Tools used

-Interpretation of product-colours used, symbols etc -Suggested uses of product) -Answering questions

20

(5)

(15)

20

(10) (10)

Total marks

100

100

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Table 5

Assessment of Science Projects

Assessment Criteria

Mark Allocation

Process assessment

69. Identification of Project Idea (problem on which project is based {real or imaginary})

70. Scientific principles underlying project 71. Preparations for project: Research

- Literature: Books/Internet sources – Primary data/information (/observations/ interviews)

- Appropriateness of materials – quality of materials iv. Attitude, commitment, cooperation skills

40

(5) (10) (15) (10)

Project Output assessment

72. Design: originality, organization of elements and principles of art 73. Craftsmanship: skill in use of tools, materials, techniques, iii. Finishing – smoothness, colour, etc iv. Usefulness of device/object

- Suitability - Safety / precautions

40

(10) (15) (5) (5) (5)

Project Report and Presentation Report write-up - Content should include the ff: - Main Objective - Methods/processes - Tools used - Suggested uses of product - Advantages of device/object/product ii. Report Presentation (Reporting and Communication) -Introduction -Delivery (Participation from group members) -Conclusions -Answering questions

20

(15) (5)

Total marks

100

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UNIT 7

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT PROJECTS

FOR LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Project topics are provided for upper primary classes. The teacher is expected to read the project topics and determine the terms in which the topics can be comfortably carried out by pupils considering the stage of learning reached by the class. The teacher is secondly expected to add three project topics to the number supplied in this handbook to make a total of about ten projects for the class for a year.

Project Outputs and Outcomes Each of the projects is aimed at getting pupils to achieve certain outcomes and also come out with some outputs as a result of their learning in the project undertaking. A number of outputs and outcomes have consequently been stated for each of the projects listed in this section. These outputs and outcomes are not exhaustive. The teacher is advised to observe the pupils as they go on with the projects. There may be other outputs and outcomes that may emerge and which the teacher could record as part of project outputs or outcomes. The project titles supplied to schools provide the following:

74. Project title

75. Project brief

76. Detailed description

77. Subject area connections

78. Syllabus references

79. Project objectives

80. Project outputs

81. Project outcomes

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PRIMARY 6 PROJECTS

The list of Primary 6 projects are as follows:

82. Showing love through sharing

83. Know your community

84. Plan for Survival

85. Cooking with the Sun

86. Still Useful

87. Why Go Hungry?

88. Festive Festivals

Project Title (1): Showing love through sharing Project Brief: Pupils to explore various ways of sharing and its impact on development. Detailed Description: These days many people are becoming, individualistic, selfish, and self-centred. This has resulted in conflicts and lack of peace which has indirectly affected the rate of our development. It is therefore imperative on all of us to curb this unacceptable trend by encouraging the spirit of sharing among pupils at an early age. Pupils find out various ways of sharing, especially from the traditional, religious and legal perspectives. The one also to find out the impact of sharing in the development of the community. Pupils are to report on the investigations they conduct either written or pictorially. They are to prepare Flyers/handbills on sharing to educate the school community. Pupils are expected to prepare a product (pies, fruit juice, toffees, or any dish) and share with their friends. Pupils can research on topical issues and share the information with their classmates/schoolmates. They are to act a drama on the benefits and the values associated with sharing such as love, honesty, Averageness, equity, co-operation, confidence, accuracy and perseverance Project objectives: The pupil will be able to;

89. find out different things that we can share to show love such as ideas, knowledge, food, clothing, etc

90. find out the importance of sharing in the development of the community 91. share quantities equitably. 92. promote the spirit of sharing among peers.

Leading Subject Citizenship Education (SRN 4.1.4) Connecting subjects and references Maths (SRN 6.7.5, 6.7.2) PE (SRN 1.1.2) English Language (SRN 1.5.1, 4.6.2) Creative Arts (SRN 2.1.1)

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Project Duration: One Term Project Outcomes

93. Values developed – love, honesty, Averageness, equity, co-operation, confidence, accuracy, perseverance

94. Psycho-social skills developed e.g. co-operation/team work, initiative, creativity, perseverance, good inter-personal relationship.

Project Outputs

95. Report on investigation presented (written, pictures/photographs) 96. Flyers/handbills on sharing to educate the school community developed 97. Products shared equitably (agape meal) 98. School community educated on sharing using the various media 99. Drama on the benefits of sharing performed

Project Title (2): Know Your Community Project Brief: Pupils investigate the various economic activities and how these contribute to the development of their community. Detailed Description: Information about your community enables you to know for example what your people can do and what they cannot do, what they need and what they do not need. Inadequate data hinders effective planning and access to opportunities. This project will motivate pupils to become interested in economic activities in their communities by finding out, for example, the number of farmers, petty-traders, craftsmen, etc and their contributions to the development of their community. Pupils write a report on findings on economic activities in their community. They will produce graphs/ pictures/photographs and album of economic activities in their community. Pupils can also make a power-point presentation on economic activities in their community. They will write newspaper articles on economic activities in their community. They will meet with the Assembly Member or Member of Parliament on economic activities in their community. Leading Subject: Mathematics (SRN 6.9.1-6.9.3) Connecting subjects and references: English Language (SRN 4.6.2) ICT (SRN 1.1.1- 1.2.1) Integrated Science (SRN 1.1.4) Citizenship Education (SRN 2.3.5) Creative Arts (SRN 2.6.1) Project objectives: The Pupil will be able to:;

1. collect data on economic activities. 2. analyse data on economic activities. 3. write a report on findings. 4. present findings using the various media.

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Project duration: One term Project Outputs

5. Graphs /pictures/photographs and album of economic activities in their community developed.

6. Report on findings on economic activities in their community written. 7. Power-point presentation on economic activities in their community made. 8. Newspaper articles on economic activities in their community written. 9. Meeting with Assembly/Member of Parliament on economic activities in their community

carried out.

Project Title (3): Plan for Survival Project Brief: Pupils to develop a plan of their community to ensure safety. Detailed Description: Poor planning has led to disasters such as flooding, fire outbreaks, diseases and loss of lives. Poor planning may be traced to ignorance or neglect of citizens to seek and /or pay heed to professional advice. It could also be the result of the unprofessional attitude of town and country planners. This project aims at raising the awareness of people about the benefits of proper planning of the community. Pupils will search for information on well-planned towns/communities from internet and other sources. They will design a model of a well planned community. Pupils will make an album of well planned communities. They will also report on current status of their communities and what can be done to improve upon them. Pupils will act a drama to create awareness of well-planned towns/communities. Leading Subjects: Science (SRN 5.3.1, 5.3.2) Citizenship Education (SRN 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.4) Connecting Subjects and references: RME (SRN 1.1.3) Ghanaian Language (SRN 1.6.1) Maths (SRN 6.9.1, 6.9.2, 6.12.1) Creative Arts (SRN 2.6.1) P.E (SRN 2.1.1) English (SRN 4.6.2) ICT (SRN 1.1.1- 1.2.1) Project Objectives The pupil will be able to:

1. create awareness of the need for proper town planning . 2. design and model a well planned town 3. report on measures to prevent disasters i.e. flood, fire, diseases. 4. demonstrate various ways of ensuring safety in the community.

Project duration: One term

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Project Outcome

Psycho-social skills developed e.g. co-operation/team work, initiative, creativity, perseverance, good inter-personal relationship.

PowerPoint (Presentations) skills developed. Project Outputs

A well planned community modelled.

An album of a planned a community‘s built.

Report on current status of their communities present.

Report on disaster prevention measures presented.

Project Title (4): Cooking with the Sun

Project Brief: Students experiment with an alternative energy source by making, testing and

using solar cookers

Detailed Description: Have you ever thought of how useful the sun is to the environment? How can we reduce the damages caused by traditional fuel sources that destroy the environment? One of the ways is to use environmentally friendly sources such as solar energy. One of the applications of the energy of the sun is solar cooking. Solar cooking is the use of sunlight or the sun‘s energy to cook food. Solar cooking is safe, free, non- polluting and sustainable. Imagine how this could be a blessing to your community, the nation and the world at large

Level/Class: P6

Nature of project: Group project

Subject Area (s) connections: Integrated Science, Mathematics, English Language, Visual Arts,

Social Studies, ICT, Literature-in-English, BDT, Home Economics, Business Management,

Physics

Syllabus Reference(s) Integrated Science (organizing subject)

Mathematics,

English Language,

Visual Arts,

Social Studies,

ICT,

English,

BDT,

Home Economics,

Business Management,

Physics

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Project Objectives:

Students/pupils to

plan, design and make a solar oven

compare insulation materials and heat trap materials, compare panel cookers to box

cookers, and investigate the effects of climate/weather change on the use of solar

cookers.

create advertisement to promote solar cooking

debate on the use of solar cookers.

write articles to Junior Graphic or local newspapers about benefits of using solar energy.

Project Activities

Students/Pupils may use the following guidelines to undertake the project:

1. brainstorm and search for information on solar energy, its importance and uses

2. plan and design solar oven.

3. gather materials to make the oven

4. make a solar oven

5. compare insulation materials, panel cookers to box cookers, heat trap materials, and

the effects of climate/weather change on the use of solar cookers.

6. create advertisement to promote solar cooking

7. debate on the use of solar cookers.

8. write articles to Junior Graphic or local newspapers about benefits of using solar energy.

9. create web page on solar cooking.

10. write and present public service announcement for radio or TV about the need to

conserve energy, deforestation issues in your community, problems with fossil fuels, and

global warming.

11. create mural depicting history of solar energy.

12. write and perform play or sketch about importance of solar cooking.

13. compile solar cookbook with tips on converting standard recipes to solar oven recipes.

14. create games and demonstrations focusing on solar energy facts

Project Duration: One Year (Divide the project into three segments for three terms)

Project Time Table Term One Wk. 1 – 2: Brainstorm and search for information on solar energy, its importance and uses.

Wk. 3 – 6: Plan, design solar oven and gather materials to make the oven

Wk. 7 – 8: Make a solar oven

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Wk. 9 – 10: Compare insulation materials, panel cookers to box cookers, heat trap materials,

and the effects of climate/weather change on the use of solar cookers.

Term Two

Wk. 1 – 2: create advertisement for solar cooking.

Wk. 3 – 6: debate on use of solar cookers.

Wk. 7 – 8: write letters to local newspapers about benefits of using solar energy.

Wk. 9 – 10: create web page about solar cooking.

Wk 11 – 12: write and present public service announcement for radio or TV about need to

conserve energy, deforestation issues in your, problems with fossil fuels, and

global warming.

Term Three

Wk. 1 – 2: create mural depicting history of solar energy

Wk. 3 – 4: write and present public service announcement for radio or TV about need to

conserve energy, deforestation issues in your, problems with fossil fuels, a global

warming.

Wk 5 – 6: compile solar cook book with tips on converting standard recipes to solar oven

recipes.

Wk.7 – 8: create board games focusing on solar energy facts

Project Outputs:-

1. Board games focusing on solar energy facts produced

15. Solar cook book with tips on converting standard recipes to solar oven recipes produced

16. Mural depicting history of solar energy produced

17. A play or sketch about importance of solar cooking performed

Project Outcomes:-

18. Presentation, Communication (written and verbal), collaboration, Self-direction,

creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, ICT, responsible leadership

skills etc developed.

CAUTION: Teacher should advise pupils not to look at the sun directly when carrying out this project.

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Types of Solar Cookers Developed by Students

Students can name their own solar cookers developed

a

The "CooKit" Foldable Family Panel

Windshield Shade Solar Funnel Cooker

The Fun-Panel

The Reflective Open Box

Cooker

Parvati Solar Cooker (Twelve Sided)

The Pentagon Star Cooker

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Project Title (5): Still Useful! Project Brief: Pupils to create a functional art work produced from locally

generated waste as a means of recycling waste. Detailed Description: Generation and disposal of waste has become a problem in most communities. There is the need to find ways of reducing waste generation by recycling. This will prevent its negative effects on the community - human life, animals, water bodies, land and air. Pupils are to brainstorm on the predominant waste generated through human activities in their community and their effects. They are to make a functional art work from the locally generated waste identified. Pupils are to compose a poem or song in English or Ghanaian Language on proper waste management practices. They are to carry out advocacy on proper waste disposal and recycling through the electronic and print media as well as embark on a cleanup campaign. They are also to design a poster on good waste disposal methods and recycling practices. Leading subject(s) Citizenship Education P.6 (SRN 2.1.2; 2.1.4), RME (SRN 1.1.3) Connecting subjects and references: Creative Arts P.6 Term 3 (SRN 2.6.1) ICT P.6 (SRN 2.1.3) English P.6 (SRN 1.1.4, 4.5.3, 4.6.2) Integrated Science P.6 (SRN 5.3.2) Ghanaian Language P.6 (SRN 3.3.1)

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Project Objectives The pupil will be able to:

1. brainstorm on the predominant waste generated in their communities. 2. identify the negative effects of waste on the environment i.e. land, air, water bodies 3. report on ways of reducing waste generation 4. design and make an art work using the waste identified 5. compose a poem or a song to encourage recycling. 6. design posters to educate the public on the need to properly manage the waste we

generate Project duration: One term Project Outcome

Psycho-social skills developed e.g. co-operation/team work, initiative, creativity, perseverance, good inter-personal relationship.

Project Outputs

A functional art work produced from locally generated waste.

A poem or song in English or Ghanaian Language on proper waste management composed.

Advocacy on proper waste disposal and recycling through the electronic and print media carried out.

A poster on good waste disposal methods and recycling practices prepared.

Clean up campaign carried out

Strategies to sort out waste for recycling developed Project Title (6): - Why go hungry! Project Brief: - Pupils process or preserve food items by applying various food

processing and preservation techniques. Detailed Description Food scarcity is in part, the result of lack of proper food storage facilities coupled with inappropriate methods for food preservation. These problems lead to food shortages and price hikes during the lean season. Pupils explore the effects of food wastage on the economy and the various ways of ensuring food security. Pupils will investigate and report on the various ways processing food. They are to find out appropriate technologies for processing or preserve food. Pupils are to do a PowerPoint /picture presentation on how food is preserved. They are to process and/or preserve any food item of their choice. Pupils are to design and make packages with appropriate labeled to store preserved foods. Leading subject: Integrated Science (SRN 5.1.1 – 5.2.2) Connecting subjects and references: Citizenship Education (SRN 2.2.1, 2.2.4) English (SRN 4.6.1, 4.6.2) Creative Arts (SRN 1.2.1)

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Project objectives: The pupil will be able to: 1. find out the various ways of food processing and preservation. 2. acquire the skills of preserving foods. 3. analyse the effects of food wastage on the economy. 4. report on ways of avoiding wastage of food.

Project Duration: One term Projects Outcomes

Psycho-social skills developed e.g. co-operation/team work, initiative, creativity, perseverance, good inter-personal relationship.

Projects Outputs

Report on effects of food wastage on the economy and the various ways of ensuring food security presented.

Report on findings of how food is processed and/or preserved presented.

PowerPoint /picture presentation on how food is preserved and/or processed made.

Well labeled packages to store preserved and/or processed foods prepared.

Pictures/models of appropriate technology for processing and/or preserving food made.

Project Title (7): - Festive Festivals! Project Brief: - Pupils explore the positives of festivals celebrated in their

communities in order to correct the misconceptions associated with festivals.

Detailed Description Festivals are periods we celebrate our history, customs and other traditional institutions. During this period, people appraise their individual, family, communal lives and focus on development. Unfortunately, some people misconstrue what a festival is and the purpose for celebrating it. Some think it is a time for drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and a display of affluence. This project aims at clearing the misconceptions associated with festivals by educating the community on the positives of festivals. Pupils to investigate and report on the purposes and how festivals are celebrated. Pupils will produce pictures/photographs and posters to educate the community on the purpose and the positives of festivals. They compose songs, create and perform dances associated with festivals. Pupils are to sketch or draw or model artefacts associated with festivals and state their significance. Leading subjects: Religious and Moral Education (SRN 4.1.2, 4.1.3) Connecting subjects and references: PE (SRN 3.2.1) English Language (SRN 4.6.2) Creative Arts (SRN 1.1.1) Project objectives The pupil will be able to:

find out the significance of festivals on the lives (moral, social and religious) of the people

find out the roles the various stakeholders play in the celebration of festivals.

investigate the misconceptions associated with festivals.

make suggestions for improvement on the celebration of festivals.

sew costumes for festivals.

34

Project duration: One term

Project Outcome Psycho-social skills developed e.g. co-operation/team work, initiative, creativity,

perseverance, good inter-personal relationship.

Power Point presentation skills developed.

Project Outputs

Research skills developed.

Report with pictures/photographs presented.

Posters educating the community on the mode of celebrations developed.

Posters on the positive aspects of festivals developed.

Songs and dances associated with festivals

Costumes for festivals sewn

Sketches or drawings of costumes associated with festivals and their significance

Information about festival shared on the internet.

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UNIT 8

SAMPLE ITEMS FOR CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs) Sample items for each of the CATs as well as project topics are presented in this handbook. The sample tasks do not always consist of the total number of items required in the respective CATs. In CAT1, Primary 1 for example, where only 5 items are required, some of the subjects in this handbook present less than 5 sample items; others may present 5 items. In CAT1 of Primary 2 to Primary 6 where 10 items are required, a number of the subjects present less than 10 sample items while one or two subjects present 10 sample items. In many cases, less number of items as required in the CAT is provided for the teacher as guides to help them in developing their own assessment tasks for their classes. Answers to Items in the CATS Note that no answers are provided for the items in any of the CATS in this Handbook. Teachers are expected to develop the answers themselves and also use every available resource to find out the correct answers. The pages following provide the guidelines for setting Class Assessment Tasks in the following eight lower primary school subjects:

Citizenship

Creative Arts

English

Ghanaian Languages and Culture

ICT

Mathematics

Natural Science

Physical Education

Religious and Moral Education

36

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING CLASS

ASSESSMENT TASKS

IN CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

37

Citizenship Education (6)

TERM ONE

CAT 1 GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs) MARK

ALLOCATION

Individual Tasks CAT 1 consists of 10 items. These should be based on topics treated in the first four weeks

Teacher will let the questions set reflect the tasks outlined and make the conscious effort to assess not only knowledge, but also comprehension, application and other cognitive learning levels.

10 marks

Explain who young people are. (SRN 1.1.1)

Pupils to explain the term ‗Adolescence.‘ Set a completion type item and award one mark for the meaning of Adolescence properly explained.

1

Explain who young people are. (SRN 1.1.1)

Pupils to differentiate between ―Young people‖ and the ―Adolescent.‖ Set a completion type item and award one mark for any correct answer.

Identify changes that occur during adolescence. (SRN 1.1.2)

Pupils to write two physical changes each that occur in boys and girls during their adolescence in the columns provided. Set a supply type item and accept any one physical change each that occur in a) boys and b) girls. Award 1 mark for correct physical changes stated in both (a) and (b).

SAMPLE ITEM Physical changes that occur in Boys and Girls

Boys Girls

i)

i)

1

Identify changes that occur during adolescence. (SRN 1.1.2)

Pupils to state one emotional change each that occurs in boys and girls during adolescence. Set a supply type item and award 1 mark for emotional changes stated for both boys and girls.

38

Citizenship Education (6)

CAT 1 Cont‘d

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK ALLOCATION

Explain problems associated with adolescence. (SRN 1.1.3)

Pupils to explain any one problem of adolescence which affects the individual. Set a supply type item and award 1 mark for correct answer.

1

Explain problems associated with adolescence. (SRN 1.1.3)

Pupils to analyse the effects of sexual activities on adolescents. Set a completion item for pupils to fill in the blank spaces to complete the effects of an adolescent engaging in sexual activities.

SAMPLE ITEM Sexual Activity

a) HIV / STI‘s b) ____ c)____ Award one mark for any correct effect of sexual activity on the adolescent.

1

Explain how to manage problems that occur during adolescence. (SRN 1.1.4)

Pupils to suggest any one solution to managing problems which occur during adolescence. Use supply type item to set the question. Award 1 mark for any one solution advanced.

1

Explain how to manage problems that occur during adolescence. (SRN 1.1.4)

Pupils to devise one assertive skill plan which can be used to manage the problem of adolescence. Set a supply type item and award 1 mark for any 2 assertive skills mentioned in the plan.

1

Explain how to maintain personal hygiene. (SRN 1.1.5)

Pupils to recommend ways of maintaining personal hygiene to keep healthy. Set a supply type item and accept any 2 relevant ways correctly recommended for 1 mark.

Explain how to maintain personal hygiene (SRN 1.1.5)

Pupils to defend the benefits of personal hygiene to the welfare of the nation. Award 1 mark for any two correct benefits explained.

1

39

Citizenship Education (6)

Term 1 CAT 2

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION

Group Exercise CAT 2 consists of 1-3 items. These should be based on topics treated from the fifth to the eighth week. In addition, you may set items from other difficult- to- teach objectives in the first term.

Teacher to divide class into groups. Number of groups to be determined by size of class. Administer tasks to each group.

20 Marks

Explain how adolescent problems affect the nation. (SRN 1.1.6)

Teacher to put pupils into groups and guide them in their groups to: i) discuss how problems of adolescence can affect the nation‘s economy. ii) write down their inputs for presentation in class.

Responses include:

HIV/STI infection of the youth

decrease in productivity

increase in cost of health care

increase in number of people in the poverty bracket etc

Accept a maximum of four correct answers. Each answer well explained attracts four marks. * The groups‘ comportment, cooperation, collaboration and discipline, including their final output (i.e. presentation in class) will earn them their deserved marks. Award a maximum of 4 marks for exhibiting the qualities listed above.

16

4

40

Citizenship Education (6)

Term 1 CAT 2 Cont‘d

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK ALLOCATION

Explain how to prepare him/herself in order to accomplish his/her aspirations in life. (SRN 2.1.2)

Teacher to put pupils into groups and guide them in their groups to: i) discuss how they intend to prepare themselves to accomplish their aspirations in life. ii) prepare a 5-minute talk on plans to accomplish their aspirations for presentation in class. Responses include :

going to school

setting life goals

receiving training/ apprenticeship

continuing education or training on the job

developing good work attitudes

saving regularly etc Accept a maximum of 4 correct points. Each well articulated point attracts four marks. * The groups‘ comportment, cooperation, collaboration and discipline, including their final output (i.e. presentation in class) will earn them their deserved marks.

16

4

Identify various skills necessary for later life. (SRN 2.1.3)

Teacher to put pupils into groups and guide them in their groups to: i) discuss what they can do as adolescents to promote nation building. ii) prepare a 5-minute talk for presentation of their inputs. Accept a maximum of 4 correct points. Each well articulated point attracts four marks. * The groups‘ comportment, cooperation, collaboration and discipline, including their final output (i.e. presentation in class) will earn them their deserved marks. Award 4 marks maximum for exhibition of qualities.

4

4

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Citizenship Education (6)

TERM ONE

CAT 3

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION

Individual Tasks CAT 3 consists of 10 items. These should be based on topics treated in the third month i.e. the last four weeks of the term.

Teacher to let the questions set reflect the tasks outlined and make the conscious effort to assess not only knowledge, but also comprehension, application and other cognitive learning levels.

20 Marks

1 Explain the environment and sustainable use of resources (SRN 2.1.1)

Pupils to explain the word ―Environment‖ Set a supply type item and award one mark for the correct answer.

Explain the environment and sustainable use of resources (SRN 2.1.1)

Pupils to match the phrase ―Sustainable use of the Environment‖ with its meaning. Set a multiple type item and award one mark for the correct meaning.

1

Explain the environment and sustainable use of resources (SRN 2.1.1)

Pupils to classify features of Natural and Man-made environment into their various categories. Set a supply type item that will require pupils to classify the environment into two. Award 1 mark each for any two features appropriately listed in the table provided.

SAMPLE ITEM Natural Environment

Man-made Environment

i) Seas, Rivers etc

i) Buildings, etc

ii) ?

ii) ?

1

2

42

Citizenship Education (6)

CAT 3 Cont‘d

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION

Examine human activities which destroy the environment. (SRN 2.1.2)

Analyse the effects of human activities on the environment. (SRN 2.1.3)

Pupils to match the terms ―Deforestation‖ and ―A forestation‖ with their meanings. Set a matching type item in which the two terms are matched with their meanings. Award one mark for each correct matching done.

Pupils to give two examples each of how man degrades (endangers) the resources available for man‘s use.

Set a supply type item and award 1 mark for each of the 3 activities correctly stated on the right row.

SAMPLE ITEM

Resources

Man‘s Activity

LAND

AIR

WATER

2

3

Analyse the effects of human activities which endanger the environment. (SRN 2.1.3)

Pupils to analyse one effect each of a) bush burning and b) littering, on the individuals in the Community. Set a supply type item and award one mark for any two effects well stated under a) and b).

SAMPLE ITEM

a) Bush burning b) Littering

2

43

Citizenship Education (6)

CAT 3 Cont‘d

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION

Analyse the effects of human activities which endanger the environment. (SRN 2.1.3) Analyse the effects of human activities which endanger the environment. (SRN 2.1.3)

Pupils to analyse the effects of defecating in water bodies (such as rivers) on the individuals. Set a supply type item and award one mark for any two effects well analysed. Pupils to criticize one major human activity which is endangering the environment in their Community. Set a short essay type item and award a maximum of one mark. Possible responses should be on:

identification of the human activity (1 mark)

reason for the choice of the activity as a danger) to the Community (1 mark)

how the activity is endangering the environment of

the Community (1 mark)

2

3

Identify practices that promote sustainable use of the environment (SRN 2.1.4)

Pupils to suggest one way each for dealing with any 2 of the following activities:

tree cutting

overgrazing

washing dirty clothes in water bodies

improper disposal of plastics Award 1 mark each for any 2 correct suggestions.

2

Identify practices that promote sustainable use of the environment (SRN 2.1.4)

Pupils to state any two responsibilities they have towards the environment in their community. Award one mark for any two recommendations.

1

44

Citizenship Education (6)

TERM TWO

CAT 5

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION

Individual Tasks CAT 5 consists of 10 items. These should be based on topics treated in the first four weeks of the term.

Teacher to let the questions set reflect the tasks outlined and make the conscious effort to assess not only knowledge, but also comprehension, application and other cognitive learning levels.

10 marks

Explain the need to manage resources (SRN 2.2.1)

Pupils to identify at least one resource each, used at home, school and work Set a completion type item and award marks for any three resources mentioned.

1

Explain the need to manage resources. (SRN 2.2.1)

Pupils to explain two reasons why resources should be managed Set a supply type item. Pupils to give two reasons explaining why resources should be managed.

1

Identify some practices that encourage wastage of resources. (SRN 2.2.2)

Pupils to describe two ways resources are wasted in the:

Home

Community

SAMPLE ITEM

Where Practices of Resource Wastage

Home

1. 2.

Community

1. 2.

* Teacher may set this sample item to attract more than one mark.

1

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Citizenship Education (6)

CAT 5 Cont‘d

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND ADMINISTERING

CLASS ASSESSMENT TASKS (CATs)

MARK

ALLOCATION Analyse the effects of resource wastage on the nation (SRN 2.2.3)

Pupils to analyse the effects of