Wa Ying College History Panel Head Miss Yeung Sau-fung 20 June 2014 How to enhance English writing and presentation skills in History CDI

Do junior and senior form students share similar concerns / face similar difficulties when they study History in English? Think-and-Pair 2

Students are … Unable to grasp the requirements of key question words – especially in essay-type questions Unable to study political cartoons / numerical interpretation / written sources Unable to express their answer precisely Unable to understand the content of textbooks Unable to grasp the requirements of key question words – especially in essay-type questions Unable to study political cartoons / numerical interpretation / written sources Unable to express their answer precisely Unable to understand the content of textbooks 3

Is students’ written English really important? DSE Marking Guidelines – marks for language? 4

Objectives To introduce the development of our school policy on enhancing English writing and presentation skills in History To share teaching strategies on enhancing students’ reading skills in junior forms To introduce how to develop writing and assessment teaching packages in History (DSE) To share current challenges and future development To introduce the development of our school policy on enhancing English writing and presentation skills in History To share teaching strategies on enhancing students’ reading skills in junior forms To introduce how to develop writing and assessment teaching packages in History (DSE) To share current challenges and future development 5

Knowing my school Located in Kowloon City EMI F.1 to F.3 History -- individual subject (2 lessons per week) F.4 to F.6 History is offered as one of elective subjects Cross-classes: Including Science and Arts stream students About 40 students take History every year. 6

A. The development of our school policy on enhancing English writing and presentation skills in History 7

Development …. 8

Early Stage For junior forms -- provide glossary lists and design worksheets  simplified sentences / point forms  fill in the blanks For senior forms – Collaborate with English teachers – Read English magazines or extracted some articles from various sources For junior forms -- provide glossary lists and design worksheets  simplified sentences / point forms  fill in the blanks For senior forms – Collaborate with English teachers – Read English magazines or extracted some articles from various sources 9

Turning point Supported by School-based Language Support Team Focussed on developing students’ reading skills in junior forms Results:  A good start of collaboration among different subjects in teaching and learning  Develop students’ learning habit – transfer knowledge and skills 10

Reinforcement Developed 7 – 8 writing and assessment teaching packages Target group: DSE students Objectives:  Enhance students’ performance in DSE  Enhance students’ writing skills  Address diversified learner needs in class Opportunities:  Employ external professional manpower  Release some manpower in school to develop teaching packages to strengthen students’ English writing ability Results:  Effective  Further strengthening collaboration among different subjects 11

B. Teaching strategies on enhancing students reading skills in junior forms 12

3-year program design F1 (06-07) F2 (07-08) F3 (08-09) Pre-readingPredictingKWLAnticipation guide While- reading QuestioningDouble entry journal INSERT Vocabulary Building ClarifyingSpell Say Define Draw Word Map Post- reading Summarising Strategy Summary frame 13

Post-reading  Summary frame Collaboration with other subject(s) While-reading  INSERT  Word Map Pre-reading  Anticipation guide Reading Passage English Department Reading Passage Subject Department How it works 14

Reinforcement scheme F.1 Survey UnitTopic/TaskFocus areas/Difficulties to address History Vocabulary IS Introducing scienceLearn the basic scientific terms for future learning Looking at living things A lot of names of living organisms need to be learned. Concept of classification is more important. Cells & reproduction Students might have difficulty in identifying all the terms in reproduction. May discuss later Topics / tasks I wish to cover in LAC English classes (Please use back side if more space is needed.) 15

Contents… Theme 1: Subject Specific Vocabulary – History Word families – key words in history subject and their parts of speech Theme 2 : Subject Specific Sentence Building – History Short reading exercises Group discussion to identify specific sentence patterns in reading Theme 3: Subject Specific Forms of Expression – History Specific examples of language forms and functions used in history 16

C. Develop writing and assessment teaching packages in History (DSE) 17

Collaborate with English Department 18

Identify the major learning focuses in DSE History Language skills in handling generic skills, like graphical interpretation & presentation in DBQ, critical thinking, numeracy skills & problem-solving skills.  Students were weak at graphical interpretation & presentation, like bar charts  Students were weak at handling questions demanding high level thinking, such as to ‘discuss’, to ‘comment’ & to ‘evaluate’.  Students were strong in making descriptions & explanations. Assessment of organization & development of ideas of essay- type question 19

Teaching packages include… Public exam papers – Marking Guidelines Worksheets (Student version & teacher version) Samples (at least 2 levels, the first level aim at average students; the second level aim at the high achievers) 20

Language input Adjectives Comparative language Connectives – to make students’ presentation more precisely and concisely Knowing how to develop an argument Cite proper evidence  Explanation  Summarize topic sentence and conclusion 21

Language input Adjectives – for cartoonist’s “view” Vocabularies and phrases Connectives How to develop an argument (e.g. citing the relevant clues to elaborate argument, proper use of connectives etc.) Exam skills training Skills on studying political cartoons How to develop counter-balance answer 22

D. Current challenges and future development 23

Build on the prerequisites … Trust among the two subject teachers Spend time on meetings. Nurture a habit of peer class observations in school. Release the workload of teachers’ involved. Principal or Vice-principal is the supervisor of the program Sustainability – embedded into history teaching curriculum Trust among the two subject teachers Spend time on meetings. Nurture a habit of peer class observations in school. Release the workload of teachers’ involved. Principal or Vice-principal is the supervisor of the program Sustainability – embedded into history teaching curriculum 24