Dare to Create
Deepening and Sharpening our Practices
Learning Fest 2019
E-publication
Issue 1, 2019
FOREWORD
Learning Fest 2019 is a learning symposium organised by Dazhong teachers, for
Dazhong teachers. With the introduction of Subject Literacy and Language
Scaffolding (WSA-EC), Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) and Singapore
Teaching Practice (STP), new teaching pedagogies, strategies and resources were
shared in Dazhong’s Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) through their process of
collaborative lesson design. Learning Fest 2019 aims to inspire an innovative
curriculum environment and deepen teachers’ knowledge through collaborative
learning and sharing of good practices by various PLTs.
The theme of Learning Fest 2019 is ‘Dare to Create – Deepening and Sharpening
our Practices’. It aims to encourage Dazhong teachers to embrace the technologies,
pedagogies and strategies shared and adopt them in their classroom teaching to
further enrich and deepen students’ learning.
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CONTENTS
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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ARTICLE 1. Talk Moves pp. 1 – 3
ARTICLE 2. Word Definition Activities to Help Learners Pp. 4 – 8
Understand Content Vocabulary and Become
ARTICLE 3. Confident in Using It in Speech and Writing pp. 9 – 12
ARTICLE 4. Uplifting Students’ Writing pp. 13 – 15
Improving Students’ Reproductive Vocabulary
ARTICLE 5. through Targeted Practice and Multiple Exposure pp. 16 – 19
Use of Mnemonics and Inductive Reasoning to
ARTICLE 6. Teach Reported Speech pp. 20 – 22
Annotating Comprehension Texts to Answer
Open-ended Comprehension Questions
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MATHEMATICS
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ARTICLE 7. Empowering Students to Solve Story Sums pp. 23 – 26
ARTICLE 8. Holmes’ Investigation of Masses pp. 27 – 31
ARTICLE 9. Thinking Routine for Problem-Solving pp. 32 – 33
ARTICLE 10. Fraction of a Set pp. 34 – 36
ARTICLE 11. Product of Proper Fractions without the Use of pp. 37 – 40
Calculators
ARTICLE 12. Applying the CPA Approach in Patterns pp. 41 – 44
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SCIENCE
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ARTICLE 13. Applying Knowledge of Materials and Their pp. 45 – 46
Properties to a Real-World Scenario
ARTICLE 14. Sentence Framing on Water and Changes of State pp. 47 – 48
(Condensation)
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MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGES
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ARTICLE 15. Integrating Chalk Talk and Word Banks to Facilitate pp. 49 – 51
ARTICLE 16. The Teaching of Comprehension pp. 52 – 55
Leveraging ICT for E-Oral and Composition
Writing Skills
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ART AND MUSIC
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ARTICLE 17. Gymnastics Sequence pp. 56 – 57
ARTICLE 18. Mood Creation with Art and Music pp. 58 – 59
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Talk Moves
(P1 EL PLT) Ang Qiu Ping Emily
Muhammad Haziq Zailani, Wong Siow Yen, Mak Teng Teng, Chia Junli,
PLT Leader: Yan Teck Whye, Seet Ying Cong Jacob
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Primary 1 teachers implemented a series of Oracy lessons based on English Stellar 2020 material. Teachers
incorporated 10/2, which is a strategy to scaffold learning under the umbrella of Sheltered Instruction.
BACKGROUND PLT Cycle 3
In order to enhance students’ learning experience,
The team decided to embark on the explicit explicit teaching slides on the sentence starters
teaching of Oracy Skills in alignment with the new were created. These included the success criteria
STELLAR Syllabus that will be rolled out in 2020. and WALT (Lesson Preparation - Determining
We read a number of studies conducted by lesson objectives), as well as the rules and
international educators on the impact and regulations for group discussions (Positive
benefits of Oracy Strategies such as 10/2 and Classroom Culture - Setting expectations and
decided that our students needed a platform to routines). The PLT came up with a 2-period lesson
learn to communicate effectively. plan that involves the use of both 10/2 talk and
the Let’s Talk game. 10/2 is used as a tuning-in
PROCEDURE activity prior to the Let’s Talk game. After the
teacher has taught for 10 minutes, students are
Pre PLT Cycle 3 given 2 minutes to discuss meaningful topics or
In preparation for the 2020 syllabus, our school what they had learnt (Positive Classroom Culture
decided to embark on the journey of oracy. As a - Establishing interaction and rapport, Lesson
team, we decided to embrace both the 10/2 talk Enactment - Arousing interest). A seating plan
and Talk Moves using sentence starters. was also crafted out for each class to plan for
meaningful interactions.
Our PLT Leader, Mrs Marip, observed an Open
Classroom by Keming Primary School on the topic The PLT carried out explicit teaching of the
of “Talk Moves”, where she learnt about teaching sentence starters and realised that more periods
oracy through the use of sentence starters. Based were required to cover all six. Some teachers also
on the lesson observation, a modified version of experimented with using the sentences for other
Talk Moves was created for the PLT team to carry subjects such as Physical Education and
out and customise to their individual classes. Mathematics. After the sentence starters were
taught explicitly to the children (Lesson
1
Enactment - Providing clear explanation), the progress students oracy skills while the teacher
teachers got the children to try out the Let’s Talk played the role of a facilitator (Lesson Enactment
card game based on predetermined topics of - Facilitating collaborative learning). Based on
discussion. Some teachers used mixed ability Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive
groups to encourage peer coaching within the Development, students can learn through
group during the Let’s Talk card game (Positive collaborative learning from the More
Classroom Culture - Empowering learners), while Knowledgeable Other (MKO) within the individual
others grouped their students according to more groups. Teachers were also encouraged to show
homogenous ability groups to carry out the video of the discussions in class to allow
differentiated instruction. For example, high students to provide constructive feedback to their
progress students played the game on their own, fellow peers, based on the success criteria.
while the teacher provided scaffolding and
guidance to low progress students (Lesson PLT Cycle 4
Preparation - Considering learners’ profile). The PLT team decided to continue with the 10/2
Teachers captured videos of both the 10/2 talk talk and more effective usage of the sentence
and Let’s Talk game as evidence of learning starters. Teachers were to revisit the teaching
(Assessment and Feedback - Checking for slides and inform students of both the success
understanding and providing feedback). criteria as well as the WALT before commencing
the lesson. Using the suggested flowchart /
Post PLT Cycle 3 / Pre PLT Cycle 4 structure shared, teachers got students to discuss
During the PLT reflection and review, many the topic of which type of feet is the best and if
teachers shared that the some of the topics were animals should all have the same type of feet. In
relatively “closed”. Students faced difficulties in alignment to the Whole School Approach to
elaborating on their friends’ points. As a result, Effective Communication (WSA-EC), teachers
students repeated the same points. Another issue were encouraged to use the sentence starters in
that surfaced was that students were more other subjects so as to make Talk Moves a
inclined to throw their cards down to win the normality in students’ day-to-day lives. Teachers
game rather than to use the sentence starters would also work towards building an inclusive
correctly. As students were still relatively learning environment where students would
unfamiliar with the sentence starters, they had invite their non-participative friends to share
trouble using them correctly. On the other hand, during discussions.
all teachers felt that the 10/2 talk was effective
and helped to keep students engaged throughout For the Let’s Talk card games, teachers eased
the lesson. students from using 8 cards to gradually using 10
cards and finally 12 cards (Lesson Preparation -
Moving on, the PLT team did a major review of the Deciding on teaching aids and learning resources).
topics to be discussed such that they were more At this stage, students should be able to use the
“open” for discussion (Lesson Preparation - sentence starters competently and think critically
Planning key questions). Some of the teachers to make the game more engaging and cognitively
also shared a flowchart that linked all six sentence stimulating for everyone.
starters together. This structure would serve as a
scaffold for both low and mid progress students Teachers continued to video down the 10/2 talk
(Lesson Preparation - Sequencing learning). and Let’s Talk game as a form of learning evidence.
Teachers felt that it was beneficial to give high After that, they showed the videos to the
progress students the autonomy to teach the low students and got them to provide feedback to
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their peers (Assessment and Feedback - Checking
for understanding and providing feedback).
FINDINGS
Initially, students found it difficult to engage in
conversation with the given sentence starters.
Replies and responses were initially incoherent
and not related to their peers’ prior responses.
With practice using the sentence starters,
students learnt to take turns to speak. Their
responses showed that they were listening to
their peers more. The quieter students found it
easy to speak given the scaffolding in the form of
the “Let’s Talk” cards. Lower progress students
were given a safe platform to speak during the
“Let’s Talk” game. Hence, they were able to
participate meaningfully although they still had
difficulty in supporting their opinions with further
elaboration.
AREAS FOR GROWTH
Moving forward, age-appropriate real-life
conversational topics should be curated so that
students will be able to leverage their prior
experiences to continue the conversation. Areas
such as body language and tone could also be
factored into the pre-teaching. To help students
who are unable to respond on the spot, teachers
could allow them to plan their talk on a sentence
starter template. For richer teacher’s feedback,
conversations could be recorded using the SLS
audio recording feature. Lastly, students could be
provided with a simple checklist (based on the
success criteria) to provide feedback to their
group members or as a form of self-assessment.
3
Word Definition Activities to Help
Learners Understand Content
Vocabulary and Become Confident in
Using It in Speech and Writing
(P2 EL PLT) Tan Pei Yin Geraldine
Mary Ang, Tan Wee Kiang Jeffrey, Lee Kaixin, Tan Jue Ying, Loh Keng Ming
PLT Leader:
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
The majority of our students come into school with a limited repertoire of words. Using the language
scaffolding strategy of learning words alongside with its definition, teachers collaboratively came up with
activities and an SLS writing lesson for students to learn, remember and apply the words they have learnt in
their writing. Teachers adapted a word map suited to the learning needs of our students. This word map was
an adaptation of Marzano’s Six-Step Process to Vocabulary Instruction and the language scaffolding technique
of Key Term-Information-Memory Clue (KIM).
BACKGROUND PROCEDURE
When teachers listened in on their students’ Taking reference from Pg107 of the EL Syllabus
conversations and read their writing pieces, they 2020, teachers are to teach vocabulary explicitly
realised there was a need to help students learn and through repeated exposures, giving students
more vocabulary words as well as to increase knowledge of the definitions and contextual
their familiarity with these words so that students meanings. Repetition needs to be provided
could become more adept at using them. They through the use of age-appropriate materials,
wanted specifically to increase their vocabulary through a variety of teaching strategies, texts and
along the lines of speech, actions and the feelings multimodal resources. These include vocabulary
of others. Therefore, teachers came up with a list charts, picture books and online resources to
of words to replace ‘went’, ‘said’ and other build a positive disposition towards learning new
common feeling words such as ‘happy’, ‘sad’, words.
‘angry’ and ‘scared.
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Guided by the syllabus, the PLT decided that the sentences to learn the word from. They were also
language scaffolding strategy of word-definition introduced to other forms of the word. We also
as well as the adaptation of a word map (based on used the Word Map to incorporate other similar
Marzano’s Six-Step Process to Vocabulary words / phrases to expose higher progress
Instruction and the language scaffolding students to a more extensive word list.
technique of Key Term-Information-Memory Clue
(KIM)) would be most helpful in helping our To further enhance students’ learning through
students learn and grasp the meaning of these the SLS Pedagogical Scaffold, students were
words. This would form the basis of our tasked to work collaboratively on a composition
vocabulary chart. entitled ‘An Inconsiderate Act’. The use of Google
Documents was helpful in allowing students to
The syllabus also stated that repeated exposure work collaboratively, identify the errors picked up
would be needed. Hence we discussed and by Microsoft Word, read through the edits made
worked towards interweaving vocabulary by teachers and accept / reject these edits.
instruction into our everyday classroom activities
(being mindful of the time we had to carry out FINDINGS
these activities):
These are the evidence of learning that we looked
1) Incorporation of word to definition word out for:
match using Nearpod into our termly
Learning Centre. This also allowed us to 1) Self-directedness in learning (to self / peer
differentiate the activity (there were mark their homework on word-definition
fewer words for the LP group, so words match)
could be repeated more frequently for
this group. The words chosen were also 2) Ability to use vocabulary correctly in
slightly less challenging). sentences (Word Map - My own sentence)
2) Incorporation of words and similar 3) Ability to choose the correct vocabulary
phrases into weekly Spelling word in given sentences (LP learners) and
cloze passages (MP and HP learners) (SLS
3) Incorporation of Word Map activities into Fill-in-the-blank template)
Freewriting. We decided that the
incorporation of drawing to help illustrate 4) Ability to apply these words in their daily
the meaning of the word would really help work (usage of the words / similar phrases
students to internalise the words. This is in their checkpoint)
especially so for the lower to middle
progress students. The evidence of this is ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ LEARNING
also supported by the action research
done by a group of senior teachers led by 1) Most students did the homework on
a master teacher (Marzano’s Six-Step word-to-definition matching. However, a
Process to Vocabulary Instruction, EL handful needed teacher monitoring in
Classroom Inquiry, ELIS 2013/ Issue 1). order to complete their homework. Most
enjoyed this matching activity except for
Through the Word Map activities and Spelling, the lower progress students as they found
students were given contextual example this work difficult.
2) With teacher guidance, most students
could make sentences with the vocabulary
words and phrases given. The LP students
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enjoyed drawing pictures to make sense
of the words. These sentence-making and
picture drawing exercises show that
students have internalised the words and
phrases and know how to use them.
3) Analysis of the SLS fill-in-the-blanks
template showed that, in general,
students understood the meaning of the
vocabulary words / phrases tested
(random words and phrases were
selected from the entire list as it was not
possible to test the entire list of words).
The results are as follows:
LP Quiz (Total score: 10m)
Class 0-2m 2-4m 5-7m > or = 8m
5 18
2I 0 0 1 20
1 4
2R 0 0 0 1
5 13
2E 0 0 1 19
2A 0 1
2P 0 0
2D 0 1
MP/ HP Quiz (Total score: 11m) > or = 9m
Class 0-2m 3-5m 6-8m 19
2I 0 1 1 21
2R 0 1 4 14
2E 1 0 5 16
2A 0 2 3 19
2P 0 1 3 20
2D 1 0 1
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Upon closer inspection of students’ responses, Error analysis of a whole class (example shown
teachers realised that students sometimes did get below) shows that those who attempted the
the correct answers but they made typographical questions got their answers wrong due to typo
errors while keying them in. Below is a snapshot errors. (Green rectangles: denotes a correct
of a student’s work that reflects this error. answer. Yellow: partially correct)
4) Students showed the ability to apply these
words in their daily work (usage of the words /
similar phrases in their checkpoint). Sample
checkpoints and words / phrases used are
highlighted below:
LP
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MP AREAS FOR GROWTH
1) Display vocabulary word cards in the
classroom as part of a Word Wall to
further enhance Subject Literacy and
Language Scaffolding as part of the
Whole-School Approach to Effective
Communication (WSA-EC).
2) For more accurate data collection, specific
quizzes should be assigned to the specific
learning ability groups so that students
will not attempt the wrong quizzes.
However, for the sole purpose of teaching,
teachers may still consider assigning the
quiz to the whole class, to allow the
students to decide for themselves if they
wish to try the more challenging quiz.
3) If time permits, to consider infusing some
HP drama to help the more kinesthetic
learners remember the words and
phrases.
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Uplifting Students’Writing
(P3 EL PLT) Ummu Salma Binte Hamaradeen
Patrick Lee Jin Ngee, Andy Tan Zi Yang, Raywathi D/O Muthu Kanna, Muzfirah
PLT Leader: Aida Afifah Binti Abdullah
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
The Primary 3 PLT equips teachers with techniques at all stages of writing (pre-writing, writing & post-
writing) that bring about deep learning through assessment and feedback to move the learners forward.
The pre-writing stage consisted of a ‘baseline’ containing the Frayer model. The writing stage included
differentiated writing resources and in the post-writing stage, a post-mortem / composition review was done
up based on the error analysis carried out on one to two paragraphs of the students’ writing.
BACKGROUND ● Pre-writing: Spell out the ‘baseline’ of
each writing topic (a baseline composition
One of the more challenging components in the on what vocabulary can students use for
English Language for teachers is the teaching of each paragraph, words from the
writing - more so when it entails having a decent composition, linking words and other
plot structure, beefing up the content and spicing related words to the topic, which part of
the narration with appropriate vocabulary. On top the plot to focus on for the students to
of the mechanics of writing (e.g. spelling, write, etc.)
punctuation), teachers need to struggle with the
teaching of grammar, equipping students with an ● Post-writing: Identify the common
armoury of good diction and ensuring that ideas mistakes made by students, cluster them
are interesting, creative and well-developed. This into “content”, or “language &
is no mean feat for the faint-hearted. organisation” mistakes, and then break
these into finer and more specific sections
Data-analysis and data-driven conversations in the composition review / post-mortem
reveal that cohorts of students, more than often,
made very common blunders. These mistakes ● Post-writing: Close the learning gaps by
may not have been surfaced or remediated at the tailoring pre-writing activity (for
earlier stage of learning how to write. The key subsequent writing practice) or provide
approach here is to systematically: customised and differentiated exercises
to address the areas of concerns
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BACKGROUND significant improvement in the writing
competency of our students at DZPS.
Before 2010, the school had no structured How then can we uplift both teachers and
approach to writing. students?
How do we equip teachers with an appreciation
2010 to 2013: Understanding by Backward Design and understanding of teaching in a more
principles were used to design writing curriculum. structured and coherent manner?
Narrative, as the main overarching text type in How do we help students write with an end in
writing, has the enduring understanding of mind?
writing to ‘entertain’ (this is synonymous to the
marking rubric as writing has to be “interesting”) The P3 PLT team will attempt to present a
succinct paper on how we can uplift both teacher
2014 to 2017: Writing Packages for all levels - and student capacity so that the former can teach
especially from P3 onwards - were in place: writing better and the latter can attain a baseline
focusing on writing using a plot structure, and proficiency in writing.
writing purposefully. Since then, students have
been able to write with a clear plot structure. PROCEDURE
Writing Packages have also been reviewed and
refined over the years to take into consideration Right at the start, each teacher shared their own
the changing needs of the school as well as the teaching strategies for composition writing and
change in exam syllabus in 2015. the type of students’ errors encountered. We
noticed that despite the varied ways of teaching
2018 onwards: Taking the STP, SLS and WSA-EC composition writing, students from all the
into consideration, teachers deliberated on the Primary 3 classes tended to make the same or
writing curriculum during PLTs and how various similar errors. This was due to their lack of
strategies and Teaching Actions could be used to experience and exposure. We carried out a
help unpack ideas etc. literature review where we read up on a few
articles relating to composition writing, which
2019: There is an urgent need to ‘deprivatise’ then led us to collaboratively design a Baseline for
writing lessons. Those who have gone through the each of the composition topics. This was to
long journey of designing the writing curriculum ensure that teachers provide students with the
have more tacit knowledge of how to teach maximum experience and exposure so that when
writing. There needs to be a way to capture, and they write their individual writing, they are
‘record’ this tacit knowledge before it gets lost (in equipped with all the relevant skills and strategies.
translation). To ensure coherence and Details in the baseline were carried out by the
consistency, the P3 PLT team came together and teachers before students were tasked to write out
pioneered a ‘baseline’ approach to writing. the intended Story Plot Mountain (SPM) element
Teachers need to deliberate on the writing (RA, Climax or FA).
module as a level and identify success criteria and
baseline vocabulary before going into the The lesson begins with the Frayer Model where
classrooms. The hardware (i.e. the curriculum and the ‘unpacking’ of the topic and pictures followed
resources) is already in place. With the shift of by the linking of the topic and pictures are carried
emphasis towards uplifting student and teacher out through guiding questions. Activating Prior
capacity (i.e. the software), we believe the fusion Knowledge and Arousing Interest is carried out
of both hardware and software can bring about through the use of the composition stimulus
10
pictures as well as articles and videos related to are also addressed. This is achieved through
the topic. After which, the lesson delves into idea open-ended questions. This is especially useful for
generation using ICT platforms such as Padlet and students who tend to overlook the linkages
Menti.com. These platforms enable students to between ideas, sentences and paragraphs. This
share their experiences relating to the topic as also enabled students to learn from one another
well as learn from one another’s experiences. This on how they can improve on their content when
further enabled the students to identify the they write their individual writing. During group
examples and non-examples of the topic. work, the teacher also walks around to observe
Additional examples and non-examples were also the groups and address concerns via questioning.
discussed here to help students develop and
generate their stories. Checking for Understanding and Providing
Feedback: Students would now write their
Providing Clear Explanation and Demonstration: A individual writing for the same aspect that they
model composition is shared at this point. This had worked on in their groups. The LP writers are
composition showcases the clear flow of the story provided with differentiated worksheets for their
sequence and appropriate use of suitable Individual Writing (usually a fill-in-the-blanks
vocabulary words (in bold). It also shows what passage).
details each of the SPM/Narrative Structure
elements (Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Once students are done with the writing, the
Falling Action and Conclusion) encompasses. teacher would mark their paragraphs and carry
out error analysis. Every student’s errors were
Facilitating Collaborative Learning: Students are noted down and categorised according to the
then divided according to their abilities and following:
provided differentiated worksheets to aid them in
coming up with their group writing on one aspect 1. Language: spelling, tenses, subject-verb-
of the narrative structure. For example, students agreement, punctuation
were tasked to work on Rising Action for the first
composition and Climax for the second 2. Content / Vocabulary: wrong word,
composition. overused words, linking of ideas, missing
ideas
Differentiation was carried out through a few
ways: This data is gathered to sieve out the common
errors. These common errors are surfaced and
1. Varying the number of helping words highlighted in the form of a Composition Review /
provided. Post-Mortem worksheet. Teachers will then go
through the errors and rectify them as a class.
2. Varying the number of guiding questions Using the data from the error analysis, the
provided to scaffold and elaborate on the teacher can also pick out grammar components
details. that students have major issues with and explicitly
teach them in the next Writing Module Exercise.
3. Getting the LP writers to fill in the blanks
with the helping words provided and / or This enables teachers to provide timely feedback
write one to three sentences. to all students and modify subsequent instruction
to meet students’ learning.
Using Questions to Deepen Learning: Once group
writing is done, each of the group writing is edited 11
as a class. Other than editing for grammatical
errors, missing details pertaining to the content
FINDINGS ● How do we get students to vary the
setting (beyond “one sweltering day…”)
By and large, students’ artefacts and SA2 scripts and expose students to different contexts
demonstrate the following: in writing
● plot structure is clearly evident in students’ In essence, we want students to aim for error-free
writing lines and error-free paragraphs in writing. We
want students to be confident writers who can
● orientation paragraphs are structured write with an empathetic understanding for the
readers as well as for the protagonists in the very
Areas for improvement (from Cycle 2) include: story he / she is writing. We also want teachers to
deepen this professional discourse and explore
● lack of details / elaboration other strategies to help students develop ideas in
● incorrect tense & punctuation their plot. More importantly, we want to scale up
this ‘uplifting’ approach so that writing
We would be able to get quantitative results after proficiency can be levelled up, and mistakes can
the SA2 composition marks are out and compare be arrested at an earlier stage. Dare to Scale!
it to the Composition test done in Term 2 to see if
there is a marked improvement.
What we can do from here is to streamline how
composition is taught across levels. Having a
baseline for compositions (created by the level),
focusing on one to two paragraphs at a time, and
also having a review / post-mortem of sorts would
help provide a structure in which students can
learn to write better.
However, getting students to write 1-2
paragraphs each time does not prepare them for
the examination so this has to be strategically
planned such that there is time for them to write
at least 2 full compositions before the exam.
Next steps:
● How do we identify students who still
make mechanical and spelling mistakes in
writing
● How do we get students to ‘stretch’ their
ideas (by showing, not telling) beyond the
orientation
● How do we improve the grammar
proficiency of weaker students
● How do we equip students with a
proficient level of vocabulary for writing
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Improving Students’ Reproductive
Vocabulary through Targeted Practice
and Multiple Exposure
(P4 EL PLT) Meena Kumaree D/O Sadasivam
Kenneth Wong Chee Kian, Maneatonufus Binte Yusoff, Sim Xiang Yun
PLT Leader: Sharon, Choo Xue Er Danica
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
P4 teachers observed from students’ SA1 performance that students lacked the vocabulary to show and not
tell characters’ feelings in their stories. To encourage students to be self-directed learners, teachers came up
with a vocabulary resource list (affectionately called the “BOOM list”) from which students could learn and
use language for effect to describe characters’ feelings (Show, not Tell).
BACKGROUND that the phrases were embedded in sentences in
the spelling lists. The PLT thought that the context
It was observed that students had difficulty using for using the phrases was neither clear nor broad
vocabulary words appropriately to suit the enough to inspire students to use them in writing.
context of their stories. Based on these
observations, the level teachers came together to The PLT conducted a literature review on
come up with a list of phrases that are useful for vocabulary acquisition and recognised that
writing. students must be given enough exposure to a
vocabulary word (as many as 19 times) before it
Previously, teachers used Spelling to introduce becomes part of a learner’s productive
interesting vocabulary to students, hoping that in vocabulary. Given the short amount of time
the process of the weekly preparation for Spelling, available in the curriculum to target specifically on
students would internalise those vocabulary vocabulary related to feelings (on top of the usual
words and phrases. That was not effective largely curriculum that has to be covered), the team
due to the fact that the structure of the spelling thought that it would be efficient to provide a list
test encouraged students to memorise those of beautiful words and phrases to students for
phrases rather than use them in the right context self-revision and for use during Freewriting.
(i.e. writing). As a result, the phrases were rarely
seen in writing if the teacher merely tested the
phrases in spelling tests. This was despite the fact
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PROCEDURE Figure 1. Sample of Boom! list
Activate learning Student-student interaction
Teachers activated learning through Socratic Students could exchange their freewriting books
questioning (Used in Cycle 1 and 2) to scaffold with their partners to read their friend’s writing.
students in articulating why the use of mundane
words will not satisfy readers. Teachers provided Teacher-student interaction
two versions of a short story - one with the Teachers showed exemplars of students’ work to
targeted language, and one without, to lead the class and provided written feedback on the
students to notice the difference. freewriting after reading.
Promote thinking and discussion Monitor and provide feedback
Introduction: Teacher modelled thinking aloud In Term 4, the PLT deployed the SLS Error Editing
while writing the freewriting. function to get students to edit their own writing
that incorporated BOOM phrases to revisit the
Story starter: content in the BOOM list.
The day of the camp had finally arrived!
FINDINGS
Key Questions to teach students how to organise
and structure the thought process: Unfortunately, results showed that 3 out of 5
classes did worse at SA2 compared to SA1.
1. How did I feel before the camp? Qualitatively though, from the SA2 scripts, it was
2. Why did I feel this way? evident that some of the students (at least 30% -
3. What did I pack for the camp? mostly HPMP students) tried applying BOOM
4. Was it easy to prepare for the camp? phrases in their writing (e.g. jumped for joy,
5. How was I feeling on the day itself? excitement filled the air, hollered, made a mental
6. What was I looking forward to? note, etc.)
7. What do I hope to learn from this
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experience?
Facilitate demonstration of learning
(Differentiated Instruction)
1. Students from 4EAP were given a set
phrase (different from the one used for
teacher modelling) to use in their
freewriting.
2. 4IR students were given the autonomy to
use any phrase in their freewriting.
Student-content interaction
Students used the BOOM list to select phrases
that they could use during their Freewriting. As
Freewriting is done fairly regularly (at least twice
a week), this greatly increased the amount of time
students had to interact with the target
vocabulary.
SA1 SA2
%Qpass %pass %Qpass %pass
2019 P4 Cohort 9 73 15 70
2018 P4 Cohort 15 63 26 73
(for comparison)
Figure 2. Comparison of results
For the SA2 composition, students could have
used Embarrassment, Anger and Fear phrases for
the story The Day I Fell into the Pond -- but they
were not observed during marking.
SPG errors were still commonplace despite the
interventions - teacher marking Freewriting and
getting students to correct the errors. There is a
need to further investigate why that was so.
Follow-up:
BOOM list will be scaled up to include all levels
from P1 to P6. Selected phrases will be annotated
with a symbol to help LP students efficiently
identify phrases they could use in their writing.
All BOOM lists will feature primarily feelings,
saying verbs, and descriptive phrases for setting.
Continue to use Freewriting as a platform to get
students to constantly interact with BOOM list
and apply FAST
● Identifying the feeling (F)
● Following up with protagonist’s actions (A)
● Speech (S)
● Thoughts (T)
15
Use of Mnemonics and Inductive
Reasoning to Teach Reported Speech
(P5 EL PLT) Uma Vicnesvare
Amelia Phua, Heng Chee Kiang, Ummu Salma Binte Hamaradeen, Suriatie
PLT Leader: Bte Abdul Samat
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
This report details the pedagogical strategies used in the teaching of reported speech at the Primary Five
level and the efficacy of these strategies as demonstrated by evidence of student learning. The lesson
design incorporated subject literacy support strategies and revisited concepts that had already been
taught with an aim to improve student retention and application of these concepts. The pre- and post-
test results supported the team’s belief in the effectiveness of the selected pedagogical strategies.
BACKGROUND In Term 4, the PLT focused on the transformation
of direct speech to indirect or reported speech.
The team decided to focus on Synthesis and Beyond the SAT component, the ability to craft
Transformation (SAT) in Semester Two based on sentences that have correct structures and
the SA1 results analysis which reflected that that convey the desired meaning accurately would
component was a potential area of concern for also strengthen students’ skills in writing (e.g.
student learning. In particular, the team focused Situational and Continuous Writing) and oral
on the areas that required students to understand communication (e.g. Stimulus-Based
Content Vocabulary (i.e. the meta-language for EL) Conversation). A conceptual understanding of the
and be able to use words to express specific functions of different words and why certain
meanings and relationships (Functional changes need to be made when transforming
Language): direct to reported speech would also heighten
students’ sensitivity to the nuances of the
● Term 3: Unless / If-conditional (double language and reinforce students’ close reading
negatives, main clause, if clause) and comprehension abilities (e.g. identification of
contextual clues in comprehension cloze).
● Term 4: Reported Speech (tenses, modals, Transformation of direct to reported speech was
adverbs of time and place, commands / hence deemed as important and chosen as the
orders and questions) focus of the Term 4 PLT.
16
Students were taught the transformation of direct decided to leverage the Term 4 STELLAR text ‘A
to reported speech from Primary 4. However, Seriously Twisted Tale’ to bring out examples of
they faced various issues such as the ability to direct and reported speech.
remember all the elements that need to be
changed. This was especially because this PROCEDURE
required students to understand and remember
the terms used to refer to different parts of The team determined the lesson objectives by
speech (Content Vocabulary e.g. tenses, narrowing down the key concepts essential to our
pronouns, adverbs of time and place). Next, even students’ understanding of Reported Speech. The
if students were able to remember all the main objective was improving the students’ ability
elements, they found it difficult to identify and to identify the words that need to be changed
change all the different required elements at when transforming Direct Speech (DI) to
once, which is how department worksheets are Reported Speech (RS), while keeping the meaning
currently designed. Students were also of the original statement intact.
particularly prone to missing out verb phrases
(especially if they were separated), multiple verbs The STELLAR text ‘A Seriously Twisted Tale’ was
and modal verbs, which led to them not changing read together with students prior to the lesson on
them correctly. reported speech. The format of the text, which
was that of a script, lent itself well to provide
To help students manage the cognitive load in opportunities for students to apply the rules of
terms of the elements to change, the team reported speech in conveying what was stated in
explored language instructional strategies from a the text. This sequencing of content was crucial to
variety of sources and the language scaffolding make the lesson relevant to students.
strategies shared by the EC Champions. The team
identified that students may benefit from a more The reported speech lesson began with a role-
structured and scaffolded approach where they play where the teacher and two students
are taught to identify and change different demonstrated the use of DI and RS in a clear
elements progressively. The team also noted that context that students were familiar with (e.g. an
explicit teaching of components including the use incident in the canteen or classroom). Through
of different symbols to annotate parts of a this, the students’ interest was aroused.
sentence could better support students’ language
learning. This informed our decisions on the type Students were then paired up to role-play the
of teaching aids and learning resources to create, same process of reporting direct speech through
as well as how to sequence the content. the use of a deck of scripted cards with direct
speech taken from the STELLAR text. We wanted
The traditional approach to grammar instruction to empower the students and employ a
has been one of direct or deductive teaching of participative, student-centred approach to
grammatical rules, followed by teacher modelling encourage learner engagement. In pairs, students
and student practice. With this method, students verbally transformed the DI that their partners
are sometimes following a ‘formula’ without deep read to them into RS i.e. each card would have a
conceptual understanding. The team explored DI for Partner A to read to Partner B (see figure 1).
the use of an inductive approach e.g. for students
to notice and infer grammatical rules based on 17
given examples. To situate the learning in an
interesting and relevant context, the team
There were also clues and answers on the card for the patterns they saw and identify the four
Partner A to provide some scaffolding for Partner components that they needed to change to
B so that he could change the DI to RS successfully. accurately report direct speech.
If the partner was unable to come up with the
correct answer, there was a multiple choice The lesson progressed with the teacher affirming
version of the same question that the other and consolidating students’ responses and
partner could show in order to provide additional providing feedback on misconceptions. The
help and exercise flexibility in supporting their teacher explicitly taught the grammar rules for
learning needs (see figure 2). This option was transformation of DI into RS using a mnemonic
removed from the lesson that was customised for (see figure 3) and provided a clear explanation of
high progress learners. what each category of words (Tense, Pronoun,
Time and Place) referred to, and how the
transformation was to be done.
After the explicit teaching of the mnemonic,
students completed a worksheet individually or in
pairs (differentiated according to learning needs).
The worksheet had questions that progressively
included more elements of DI that had to be
transformed, ending with transformations that
required students to accurately transform all 4 of
the elements (see figure 4). To conclude the
lesson, students consolidated their learning by
doing the pair work activity again.
This segment of the lesson facilitated
collaborative learning and was also inductive in
nature as students explored and noticed the
patterns through the pair work. After this activity,
the teacher asked key questions to check the
understanding that students had derived from the
collaborative activity. They were able to articulate
18
covered in Primary Four) to allow for adequate
scaffolding and ensure mastery of components.
FINDINGS
Students were very engaged during the lesson,
especially during the student-directed task cards
activity. Learning from their peers made it less
daunting, and while students corrected their
friends, they were learning subliminally as well.
Post-lesson, students were able to apply the
mnemonic and use it as a tool for checking. They
were also able to state each component of the
mnemonic with ease. An analysis of students’ pre-
and post- test results showed a marked
improvement in the passing rate, although
students had yet to completely master the
transformation skills.
To further enhance the lesson’s effectiveness and
engagement, ICT (e.g. Kahoot / Quizizz) could also
have been adopted. For incorrect answers,
teachers could have facilitated a class discussion
where students could identify errors and support
their stand with reasoning. Regular exposure of
questions through ‘factual fluency’ activities
could ensure that students internalised the
process of converting direct speech into reported
speech, and did not forget the correct
transformations.
Moving forward, the team has proposed that the
teaching of the four aspects be progressively
spread out over two years (Primary Four and
Primary Five; with the first two components
19
Annotating Comprehension Texts to
Answer Open-ended Comprehension
Questions
(P6 EL PLT) Hamidah Hardi
Yu Minli Emmeline, Uma Vicnesvare, Choo Xue Er Danica, Saharudin Osman
PLT Leader:
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Why annotate? This process of annotating helps the reader keep track of ideas and questions and supports
deeper understanding of the text. In view of this, we have decided to equip our students who are largely poor
readers with the skill to manage different texts, using standardised symbols used in the RRP (Reading
Recovery Programme). It aims to break down the texts students are reading into manageable chunks through
a detailed analysis of the characters, setting, problems and solutions and identifying what each pronoun used
refers to, in order to improve students’ comprehension of the text. The aim is improving their score in not
only the comprehension open-ended section but also the comprehension cloze section.
BACKGROUND Based on their performance in SA2 2018,
The team decided to embark on the explicit Section H
teaching of annotation of comprehension texts
using the modified RRP approach after Danica and Comprehension Open-ended
Uma shared these strategies with EL teachers.
Our VP, Mrs Boey, seconded this idea to help (Q39 -Q48)
boost students’ EL score. We read a number of
studies conducted by fellow educators on the QP>=15 P F
impact and benefits of annotating texts and felt 23 7
that students would be better equipped with the 5 - Integrity 10 15 19
skills to manage any type of text presented to 4 30
them, hence enabling them to answer the 5 - Responsibility 5 0 31
questions posed accurately and effectively. 2 16
5 - Excellence 1 44 103
27.0% 63.2%
5 - Acceptance 0
5 - Perseverance 0
Total 16
Percentage 9.8%
20
many of the students from the MP and LP groups Emmeline also shared the CUB strategy to help
were not able to manage this section adequately. students understand the demands of the
Some of the possible reasons surfaced by the questions better - (Circle the question word i.e.
teachers were their inability to understand the 5W 1H, Underline the tense form question is in to
text and questions posed and not knowing how to help them phrase their answer in the correct
go about answering the questions. tense, Bracket the key words / phrases).
EL teachers did introduce annotation at P5 but The PLT also got students to begin with the end in
the use was not pervasive. Students did not mind, i.e. to read the questions posed first, so that
diligently annotate texts given to them. Hence, they would read with a purpose and would know
most of them found it difficult to manage what information to look out for.
questions that required them to infer from the
texts. Besides, the texts are much longer than the FINDINGS
ones used at P4. They do not have the stamina to
read through the longer text and the strategy to The PLT used both qualitative and quantitative
jot down key points that they had come across data to determine the effectiveness of the
while reading the text. strategies carried out. Teachers found that more
of the students were using the annotation
Therefore, the PLT decided that it would help if symbols in their daily practice (with the exception
teachers retaught annotation and insisted that of the recalcitrant ones, which amount to about
students annotate the texts given to them before 20% in each class). It was heartening that at least
attempting to answer the questions. Besides 50% of them attempted deep annotation to help
surface annotation, it was necessary to get them them understand the text presented better.
to ask questions and pen down their thoughts as
they were reading the text. Based on student performance at SA1 2019, there
was an increase in quality and quantity passes as
PROCEDURE compared to their performance in SA2 2018.
The PLT started off with a pre-test to find out Section H
students’ disposition towards answering
comprehension open-ended questions. From the Comprehension Open-ended
samples of students work, many did not bother to
annotate the text to help them comprehend the (Q39 -Q48)
content. Those who did merely highlighted some
lines from which they obtained their answers to QP>=15 P F
certain questions. 17 3
6 - Integrity 17 24 10
The team then went through a hands-on session 14 20
to annotate one of the comprehension texts to 6 - Responsibility 4 1 33
set a benchmark on the extent of annotation 3 14
expected. Using that as a benchmark, each EL 6 - Excellence 0 59 80
teacher re-taught the class the annotation 36.0.0% 51.2%
symbols used in RRP. 6 - Acceptance 0
6 - Perseverance 0
Total 21
Percentage 12.8%
EL teachers teaching HP students got them to use
the same strategy to manage comprehension
cloze section and students have found them
useful.
21
Moving forward, EL teachers need to continue Figure 2. Evidence of annotation in pupil’s work
using this strategy and standardise the symbols
used across the different levels to achieve
consistency and enable continuity as the students
progress from one level to another. As a
department, every EL teacher needs to be
equipped with this knowledge to teach
annotation of texts.
Teachers may also need to find out the reasons
behind students’ refusal to use annotation as a
strategy to manage reading texts and work on
suitable follow-up actions.
EL teachers teaching MP and HP students could
also use this skill to help them in tackling the
comprehension cloze section.
Figure 1. Sample annotated script
22
Empowering Students to Solve
Story Sums
(P1 MA PLT) Wong Siow Yen
Chia Junli, Tan Sini, Siti Noraidah Bte Mohd Salleh, Mak Teng Teng,
PLT Leader: Yan Teck Whye
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Our P1 Math PLT has decided on problem-solving as our area of focus for each term.
Our intervention strategies include Concept Circle, Word Wall, Chunking, Annotation, Acting it Out, Use of Math Talk
and Cooperative Learning.
The Primary 1 PLT equips teachers with techniques in teaching word problems.
BACKGROUND Problem-solving carries a substantial weighting in
the exams, so it prompted a need to determine a
The team decided to embark on empowering viable strategy to empower our students in
students with word problem-solving skills as it has processing skills.
been identified as a difficulty that Dazhong
students face at all levels. Our PLT collaboration learning strategy centres
around:
HOD/Mathematics, Mr Kenny Chin, has also
pointed out that Spatial / Visual Sensing and Word 4 Critical Questions
Problems are topics that our department needs to 1. What do we want our students to learn?
better equip our students in tackling.
(essential, guaranteed & viable curriculum)
Data from past year examination results showed 2. How will we know they are learning?
that our students lack the reading and decoding
techniques to solve word problems. (administer regular, team-developed
common, formative assessments)
Therefore, we need to explicitly teach these 3. How will we respond when they don’t
reading processing skills to narrow the gap in the learn? (Timely, Directive, Systematic
students’ learning as they deepen their learning Intervention)
in P2 to P6. 4. How will we respond when they do learn?
(Timely Enrichment/Extension)
If not, as in upper primary levels, the students
may lose their motivation and confidence in 3 Big Ideas and
attempting questions on word problems. Ensuring that students learn 23
Building a culture of learning
collaboration
Focusing on outcomes
PROCEDURE between key Math language terms, a move
beyond memorisation.
Pre-test Annotation and Chunking
We started off with a pre-test to find out students’ The team then went through a hands-on session
disposition towards answering word problems. As to chunk one of the word problems to set a
seen in the students’ work samples, many did not benchmark on the extent of chunking
practise the chunking strategy to help them break expected. Students were also taught to annotate
down the word problem into simpler text, which key words and numbers that they see in the word
would make it easier to comprehend the content. problems. For example, they were asked to circle
numbers seen in the questions.
Factual Fluency
For factual fluency, we used a word wall to display 24
words related to the concepts that students are
learning for the topic. This would help the
students build up their content vocabulary.
The students made use of the word wall provided
to take down Mathematics terms used (in
conjunction with WSA-EC) to improve their
language competency across different subjects.
Mini whiteboards were also used to practise
equations on repeated addition and
multiplication concepts.
Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA)
To arouse students’ interest, we used the CPA
strategy to help them understand the questions
better.
Concrete manipulatives like coloured cubes, ice
cream sticks, two-coloured magnet circles, etc.
were used to help students ‘see’ the Math better,
through a heuristic skill named ‘Act it Out’.
Students also made use of the manipulatives
listed above for collaborative learning, either in
pairs or in groups.
To make the learning fun and engaging, students
moved physically to form the correct grouping
through games.
Subject Language Scaffolding Strategies
Recognising the importance of language support
and literacy skills, we used Concept Circles to help
students focus on analysing the relationships
Class Pre-Test Post-Test %
(2 questions) Checkpoint 3 improve
1R (Q9 and Q10) ment in
1E marks
1A
1P 86.5% correct 95.4% correct +8.9%
1G
1D 75% correct
75 % correct 85% correct +10%
*40% correct 90% correct +50%
Figure 1. Students’ work samples on word problems with 70% correct 80% correct +10%
annotation.
70% correct 80% correct +10%
Math Moves
A move used was Gallery Walk, where groups Correct would mean having both questions done
moved about the displays to look at other groups’ correctly.
work. They would mark the equation and working
of their friends’ work. Through the use of *1P’s pre-test was conducted before the chapter of
questioning techniques, the teacher asked multiplication and the concept of ‘GET’ were taught.
questions to check for understanding and provide
feedback to the students. Figure 2. Results for post intervention and improvement
ICT - Self-directed learning Our lesson plan incorporated the use of the CPA
Using SLS and Nearpod, word problems were set approach, pedagogical practices from the
for students to practise writing equations and to Singapore Teaching Practice (STP) and language
find the answer by looking at the pictures shown. scaffolding strategies as part of the Whole School
Approach on Effective Communication (WSA-EC).
This is in line with our school’s direction of using
ICT as a platform to promote self-directed Success Criteria:
learning. 1. Students will put the correct sequence in the
FINDINGS equation.
We did a pre- and post-test on multiplication to E.g. number of groups x the number of
gauge students’ prior knowledge. There were a
total of two questions on multiplication and items in each group = Answer
division for both tests. Though the questions were
different, the concept tested were the same. 2. Students know the concept that
multiplication has the same answer as
Post-intervention, the results have shown that repeated addition.
there has been improvement observed.
Areas for Growth
The results post-intervention and improvement For mastery, the high progress students can
(if any) are as shown below: create their own story sums with equations or
helping words given (e.g. on the number of
groups and items in each grouping).
Teachers can leverage Talk Moves for Math to
deepen learning. E.g. teachers can make use of
25
what the students have learnt in English - Math Talk: Students articulate their choice of
Sentence starters – to get students to talk about answers
the challenges in solving the problems or working
with their group members.
Use of Nearpod and Manipulatives
Figure 3. Use of an ICT tool, Nearpod Annotation and Chunking
A teacher made use of Nearpod to conduct a
repeated addition lesson with the class. He
integrated the CPA approach and covered the
word problem during the lesson. Students used
manipulatives to help them solve the one-step
word problem. Teachers can consider leveraging
such ICT tools to encourage the joy of learning.
Artefacts
Gallery Walk and Peer Feedback
Figure 4. Student’s Work on Concept Circles / Word
problems / Photos
Concept Map (Modified Concept Circle)
26
Holmes’Investigation of Masses
(P2 MA PLT) Mary Ang
Lee Kaixin, Tan Wee Kiang Jeffrey, Tan Jue Ying, Loh Keng Ming, Tan Pei Yin
PLT Leader: Geraldine, Chong Kiat Kiat
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Students are exposed to a variety of learning experiences to develop a deep understanding of
mathematical concepts. They develop their thinking, reasoning and communication skills through a
mathematical approach to problem-solving.
The P2 Math teachers used the CPA approach together with group activity-based learning to engage
students in hands-on and ICT-based activities so that they can make connections between the abstract and
mathematical concept of comparing mass and concrete experiences and applications.
BACKGROUND PROCEDURE
One of the aims of the Primary Math Syllabus is to The PLT used the following strategies /
enable all our students to acquire mathematical pedagogies in designing the learning experiences:
concepts and skills for everyday use and continuous
learning in mathematics. Subject Language Scaffolding Strategies
According to Vacca & Vacca (2005), Concept
Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory of learning Circles are tools which help students move
recognises the important role of social interaction in beyond memorisation of terms and definitions by
the development of thinking. Students learn better focusing them on analysing the relationships
when they are provided with the opportunities to between those words. Recognising the
communicate their reasoning and discussion in importance of language support and literacy skills,
learning. They need the teacher’s support to learn our team first identified the key vocabulary and
the ways of thinking and communicating that are functional language for the lesson. The students
particular to every subject. used Concept Circles to link key content
vocabulary and the concepts of the topic on Mass
Our Math teachers found that students tend to before the start of the lesson. It also helped the
make the assumption that a bigger object is always students to recap on the previous lesson
heavier than a small object when learning mass. objectives before they start learning to compare
However, objects of the same size may have and order mass.
different mass. Students need more learning
experiences in estimating and comparing the mass 27
of different objects before verifying them on
weighing scales using standard units (g or kg).
Using Questions to Deepen Learning and Planning
Key Questions
To promote thinking and discussion, questioning
techniques were used throughout the lesson to
monitor students learning.
Key questions were planned beforehand, e.g.:
- How can you tell that the bigger / smaller
object weighs more?
- Other than using the weighing scale, are there
any other methods we can use to compare
the mass of objects?
To deepen their learning, students were
supposed to work collaboratively to answer these
questions and support them with evidence using
Padlet. The answers allowed the teachers to
reflect on the students’ learning and correct any
existing misconceptions.
Figure 1. Student’s Work - Concept Circles / Photos / Figure 2. Carrying out investigation by comparing mass
Padlet Responses
Checking for Understanding and Providing
STP Teaching Areas Feedback
Throughout the lesson, the use of ICT was an
Activating Prior Knowledge and Arousing Interest effective tool for teachers to check for students'
A video was used at the start of the lesson to help learning. Research shows that appropriate
students recall the concept of mass. The video formative assessment could help to increase
was on a song which features many things that students' learning and it is essential to support
are heavier than and lighter than an elephant. The teaching and learning (Tan, A., Poon, C., & Lim, S.,
elephant was used as a benchmark for 2014). Students were supposed to type down
comparison as it was relevant to the students. In their findings and justification on Padlet after they
addition, the lyrics of the song consisted of conducted their inquiry lessons. Once all the
functional language such as ‘lighter than’, groups had submitted their responses, the
‘heavier than’, ‘greater mass’, ‘smaller mass’, teachers would flash students’ responses and
‘about the same as’ and units such as ‘kg’. At the provide feedback to the different groups. Other
end of the video, the students would be able to than Padlet, the questions on Quizizz were also
activate their prior knowledge and the song effective for teachers to check on students'
would have aroused their interest.
28
learning outcomes. As the questions on Quizizz Students took pictures with padlet and shared with
were crafted to align with the lesson objectives, the class after they had made meaning of their
teachers were able to check for students’ findings. Most students realised that a bigger object
understanding and address the common does not necessarily have a greater mass than a
misconceptions after the quiz. smaller object. For instance, a huge piece of cotton
wool is not heavier than an orange.
Use of ICT for self-directed learning
The SLS Inquiry Learning Experience template was Students further proved their investigation by
used to provide a platform to promote applying understanding through the use of Quizizz
collaborative skills and self-directed learning in to show mastery for learning and understanding.
students. Students had to validate their
hypothesis by making a decision as a group before Rationale for Lesson Design
deciding on the best method to prove their claim. The SLS inquiry-based learning experience was
Students formed a prediction to an inquiry task on chosen as most students tend to think that a
a specific concept of mass of objects. They bigger object always weighs more than a smaller
investigated by exploring, clarifying and analysing object. The teachers wanted to clear this
information sources using the weighing balance misconception while allowing the students to
or scale. They compared the mass of objects learn how to compare and order masses of
based on evidence and recorded their findings in different objects. For instance, students tried to
the padlet. weigh a huge piece of cotton wool and an orange.
During their investigation, the students realised
Throughout the process, the teacher acted as the that the mass of the huge piece of cotton wool
facilitator who questioned the students and was lighter than the small golf ball though the size
watched them form their own conclusions. At the of the cotton wool was bigger than the golf ball.
end of the lessons, students demonstrated their From this exploration, the students concluded
learning of the topic on comparing mass by that an object that was bigger in size may not
answering the questions in Quizizz. necessarily be heavier than a smaller object.
The inquiry-based learning experience template
Approach to Lesson Design also promoted self-directedness in the students
Inquiry-based Approach as students had to investigate and justify their
The team sparked curiosity by throwing the hypothesis. Throughout the lesson, students
students a question: Is a bigger object always were able to read scales and compare a variety of
heavier than a small object? In groups, students had objects with different masses, which was
to make a hypothesis based on the question before essential to meet their learning objectives.
they carried out an inquiry-based task to find out
the answer and form their own conclusions. 29
At the start, students had to view a 2-minute video
clip - White Elephant, for tuning-in to reinforce
content vocabulary before they stated their
hypothesis. After they made a hypothesis, the
teacher provided different materials & tools such as
cotton wool, orange, weighing scale, ruler and
balance etc. for the students to carry out an
investigation on whether a bigger object is always
heavier than a smaller object.
FINDINGS
Term 3 HA Performance Task
(at the end of the topic)
Learning Outcomes: Measuring mass in grams(g);
Comparing Mass
How did the cohort Percentage
perform?
*176 students, 1 absentee
(LSM and non-LSM students)
Accomplished 80%
Competent 18%
Developing 2%
Beginning 1%
Figure 4. Investigative task With 98% of the cohort achieving ‘Accomplished’
and ‘Competent’ for Term 3 Holistic Assessment -
Performance Task, it shows that the SLSPS lesson
was effective as majority of the cohort had
performed beyond expectations. This learning
experiences provided in the SLSPS lesson
scaffolded students’ learning in their mastery of
all said learning outcomes (see table below).
Content in the Primary Learning Experience suggested in the SLS Pedagogical Scaffold lesson
Mathematics Syllabus Primary Mathematics Syllabus
1. Measuring mass in Recognise that the term ‘weight’ is ‘Weight’ was introduced as a content vocabulary word. By getting
kilograms / grams. commonly used to mean mass in students to handle objects, it further enhanced their understanding of
2. Using appropriate everyday situations. the term ‘weight’.
units of
measurement and Compare masses of objects using Using the balance scale, students could compare the mass of the paper
their abbreviations balance scales. clip, golf ball, a packet of rice, cotton wool and orange. Some students
kg and g. could link it to their experience on playing the see-saw. The heavier
3. Comparing and person will be at the bottom while the lighter person will be at the top.
order masses. The topic on Mass is already taken out of the P1 Math syllabus so time
4. Solving word was needed for the explicit teaching of the concept of Mass in P2.
problems involving
mass. Use everyday examples to develop a Students could visualise better when they found out that the packet of
sense of how heavy 1kg/1g is, e.g. rice was 1kg and 1 paper clip was about 1g. Students also formed the
using a packet of rice and a paper clip. conclusion that ‘kg’ would be more appropriate to be used to describe
the heavier objects and ‘g’ would be more appropriate to describe lighter
objects.
Work in groups to measure mass using Students were tasked to work in groups for the inquiry assignment in SLS.
appropriate units and explain their A padlet was provided for each class to document their findings on the
choices of units and how the mass of each object and conclusion if there is a correlation between the
measurement is done. size of the object and the mass of the object.
30
AREAS FOR GROWTH starters to guide students in communicating and
reasoning. In addition, the teachers could
The next PLT team could replace cotton wool with challenge the HP/MP students by getting them to
an inflated balloon for students to compare a golf order the objects after they have compared their
ball with the inflated ball (objects of the same masses. More objects could also be given to the
shape) so as to avoid the misunderstanding that students to increase the difficulty level of the
the biggest object is the heaviest. The biggest (but task.
lightest) object should have a stark contrast in its
mass in comparison to the smallest (but heaviest) During the PLT lesson, teachers found the
object. This should prevent students from Constructivist Theory of learning useful because
confirming that the hypothesis is true: The bigger students need to actively construct knowledge in
the object, the heavier it is. their own minds. That is, students discover and
transform information, check new information
Teachers felt that it was challenging for students against old, and revise rules when they do not
to key in their findings in Padlet so the next PLT longer apply. This constructivist view of learning
team could consider printing out a hard copy considers the learner as an active agent in the
activity sheet for students to record their findings. process of knowledge acquisition. We can design
the refined lesson plan to include time for
Students can upload a snapshot of their students to communicate their reasoning in
completed activity sheets on Padlet so findings groups. Thus, teachers can provide immediate
can still be consolidated on a document for ease feedback to students, besides obtaining the
and timely presentation of work. feedback from other sources, such as the padlet
used in the lesson.
To address learning gaps, especially for LP
learners, teachers can make use of a big weighing In this PLT lesson, the P2 Math team employed
scale printout to introduce reading of the scales the inquiry-based learning approach using ICT
on a weighing machine prior to students tools and managed to aid students in deepening
conducting the investigation. The printout can their understanding of the topic in a fun way as
also be displayed for students’ reference. More well as guide and steer them towards self-
time can be allocated for students to experiment directed learning and working together
and explore when doing the inquiry task and for collaboratively.
HP/MP students to come up with their own
findings. (For example, HP students could express 31
why the object which is bigger can also be heavier
than the object that is smaller due to the material
it is made of).
Teachers can also guide students to use sentence
starters to help kick start the oral presentation on
their findings. More scaffolding is needed to help
students frame their thoughts, ideas and opinions.
Scaffolding strategies can help students to recall
the appropriate math vocabulary and symbols
before carrying out the inquiry tasks. Teachers
can provide sentence-starters and question-
Thinking Routine for Problem-Solving
(P3 MA PLT) Patrick Lee Jin Ngee
Celestine Kok Chu Wei, Maneatonufus Binte Yusoff, Zainal AriffinBin Kassim,
PLT Leader: May Wee Yee Ing
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
The team identified the need to inculcate in students a certain routine when it comes to problem-solving, a
problem most students face in Mathematics. Believing that routines and good habits must start from young,
the team embarked on a workshop tailored for the P3 students. Students went through 3 sessions of 1.5 h
each.
BACKGROUND The PLT understood that there was no way it
could cover all types of problem sums and
Problem-solving has been a constant challenge strategies. Hence, it decided to focus on model
for many students, especially the MP and LP drawing, which is the most basic and perhaps the
students. The problem could be multi-faceted most versatile as it can be used in a large number
from students’ point of view – from the challenge of Mathematical problems.
of reading the problem to that of understanding
and making sense of what they had read, to how PROCEDURE
to start and what to do next. There are also
various problem-solving strategies known as The team agreed to focus on Polya’s 4 steps to
heuristics that students may have been exposed problem-solving as the main thinking
to. routine. The 4 steps are:
As Math teachers, we may all have our own S – Study the problem
approaches when teaching problem-solving. The T – Think of a plan
PLT felt that a common approach for the level E – Execute the plan
(and perhaps across levels) would be beneficial as P – Pause and reflect
it would provide some consistency for the
students, who were already struggling with many The 4 steps were further unpacked and updated
variables and difficulties. The team agreed that for the students. For example:
P3 is perhaps the ideal level to start instilling in - ‘Study the problem’ includes reading the
them certain problem-solving routines that would
see them through their years of Mathematics problem; circling the numbers; underlining
learning. key words; and boxing the question.
- ‘Think of a plan’ includes deciding on the
correct model to use; and writing down all
given information onto the bar diagrams.
32
The team was aware that to conduct lessons just sessions. That meant that we were able to bring
on thinking routines and problem-solving was not the teacher to pupil ratio down per session. The
possible within curriculum time given the syllabus downside was that teachers had to be down for
that had to be covered etc. Hence the PLT both afternoons to conduct the workshop over 3
decided to conduct the lessons in a workshop weeks. However, the teachers understood the
style, after curriculum time. need and were prepared to avail themselves.
There were then two concerns that the PLT had The lessons were conducted with hands-on
to tackle. One was the content – what and how activities that were guided by the teachers. IPads
to deliver the lessons. The second was the were used where necessary to engage and
resources – how the team could manage it with generate interest through apps like Quizizz or
the limited number of P3 Math teachers, and Mentimeter. Activities were scaffolded, using the
when and where to conduct the workshop. The strategy of “I Do, We Do, You Do”.
PLT wanted the workshop to have maximum
effectiveness and either a ratio of 1 teacher to 35 FINDINGS
or 40 students (classroom style) or 1 teacher to
about 100 students (lecture style) was not ideal. At the end of it all, the PLT was not certain that
students have mastered the skill of solving word
Content problems or that they are now experts in the use
The team finalised the focus on 4 key areas over of models. Pre and post tests showed that most
3 lessons in 3 weeks. students still have difficulty solving problems.
However, what was heartening was that the
Lesson 1: thinking routine seemed to be taking root in
- Introduction to Thinking Routines students’ minds when solving problems. They
- Why models? Model drawing standards and circle, underline, box, and attempt to use models.
These 3 lessons cannot be the ‘cure’ to all the
expectations problems that students face in solving word
- Part-Whole Model problems. More work needs to be done and
students need more practice and
Given 2 parts, find whole guidance. However, there is evidence that
Given whole and 1 part, find other part students are still applying the good habits and
routines in their class work after the workshop.
Lesson 2:
- Comparison Model (Part 1) The PLT is of the opinion that the thinking routine
could be a department-wide approach. This is to
Given A and B, find difference ensure consistency of the use of the routines
Given A and difference, find B across all levels by all teachers to reinforce
routines and avoid confusion in students. It
Lesson 3: would also be good if we could inculcate such
- Comparison Model (Part 2) routines in our students from as early as P2.
Given total and A, find the difference 33
Resources
The students had to be split into 2 groups. One
group attended the Monday afternoon session
and another group the Thursday afternoon
session. This way, the entire cohort was halved.
Teachers who were available on those 2
afternoons would be down to help out in the
Fraction of a Set
(P4 MA PLT) Lim Li Hwang Iris
Chia Junli, Meena Kumaree D/O Sadasivam, Fransa Baduge Shanjeera
PLT Leaders: Silva, Raywathi D/O Muthu Kanna, Boon Qiulian Elena
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Using concrete manipulatives, SLS videos and model drawing to help students visualise and understand the
concept of fraction of a set.
BACKGROUND PROCEDURE
Students were noted to have difficulty in Factual fluency – Factual fluency of division facts
understanding the concept of fraction of a set in was conducted at the start of lessons before
upper primary Mathematics. Many confused it moving on to activities and subsequent lesson on
with fraction of a whole. However, a set might not using model drawing (unitary method) to solve
necessary refer to one whole. fraction of a set questions.
Previously, students were taught to draw models Readiness – Students were able to recall previous
to solve a fraction of a set problem. However,
without guidance of teachers beyond the learning (identifying the fraction of selected
classroom, some students had the tendency to
revert back to the following: objects and representing fractions through a
Example: pictorial diagram). Majority of students were able
Jane has 10 cookies. She gave 3/5 of her
cookies to her friends. to use cubes to show 1 of 20 and share the
How many cookies does she have left? 10
Misconception: correct solutions. The use of a SLS video was
10 cookies = One whole
10 – 3/5 = 9 2/5 left helpful and students enjoyed the hands-on
Students assume that the total amount of items is activity (using of cubes) to show fraction of a set.
always one whole, based on what they had learnt
about fractions previously in lower primary. Some students observed that division could be
used to group the total number of cubes into the
specified total number of groups.
Figure 1. Identifying fractions through pictorial diagrams
34
Engagement – Hands-on activity using Model Drawing as Teaching Aid
manipulatives to make thinking visible (CPA
approach)
Figure 3. Providing scaffolding progressively for LP
students (Varying conditions within a word problem
progressively)
Figure 2. CPA approach
Figure 4. Using fractions discs to represent abstract
(questions); collaborative learning (group work to craft
questions and present solutions) for MP students
35
Differentiation for HP FINDINGS
HP students also created questions according to Students were more engaged and confident in
the question type they were given (based on SLS attempting fractions of a set problems. LP
videos assigned to students). students enjoyed the hands-on learning using
manipulatives, which helped them to link the
Question types: concrete (manipulatives) to pictorial (model
drawing) and abstract (questions). MP and HP
1. Solving problems involving finding a part students were engaged in crafting fractions of a
of a set given the whole. set questions and sharing their questions and
solutions with their peers.
2. Solving problems involving finding a part
given another part. Difficulty in interpreting models drawn (abstract)
Areas for Growth: More scaffolding and
3. Solving problems involving finding the questioning could be provided to help students to
whole given another part. interpret their model, write partial statements
with number equations, colour code different
information / values and label models clearly.
Figure 5. Sample of HP students’ work Figure 7. Colour coding different information
Each pair exchanged their questions with another Follow-up after this lesson:
pair and attempted the question on the mini LP
whiteboard before turning it over to check the - Provide students with the opportunity to
solution. Students thanked one another for giving
them an opportunity to learn from them before practice problem-solving related to fractions
moving on to look for another pair. of a set to reinforce mastery (Station-based
activity as revision prior to SA1)
Figure 6. Peer checking - Get students to highlight questions and
annotate fractions of a set problems, label
models and write of partial statements
MP/HP
- Mix up word problems on adding and
subtracting of fractions and fraction of a set.
See if students can differentiate them.
- Get students to work on more difficult
fraction of a set questions.
36
Product of Proper Fractions without
the Use of Calculators
(P5 MA PLT) Heng Chee Kiang
Kenny Chin Peng Kiew, Tan Shew Kee, Su Yizhong, Benny Saik Weng
PLT Leader: Loong, Jan Lin Shihua
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Through the use of STP Actions, SLS, and CPA, various visual aids will enable students to understand the concept
behind product of proper fractions. This will lead on to abstract understanding of the process of multiplying
proper fractions, which will enable them to solve word problems involving product of proper fractions.
BACKGROUND PROCEDURE
The topic of Fractions has always been one which Recall – Closing Learning Gaps in Prior Knowledge
students find difficulty in understanding due to its Prior to the lesson, a Recall activity was
abstract nature. The product of proper fractions conducted as a diagnostic for teachers to check
becomes an even more challenging idea for students’ understanding of fraction of a set’. At
students to understand if their underlying this point, teachers may either make use of the
understanding of fraction of a set is not Recall activity in the students’ activity book, or
fundamentally strong, or if they could not relate design their own questions, depending on the
the multiplication operation to fractions. The students’ ability.
following are additional areas of concern
discussed during the PLT sessions: Three main skills, taught in P4, are to be
diagnosed:
- Lack of mastery in solving questions involving
fraction of a set 1. Given a picture of a set of items, and the
fraction of the set, count the number of
- Unable to differentiate the methods between items as dictated by the fraction.
solving addition / subtraction of fractions and
multiplication of fractions 2. Calculate the number of items given a
fraction of a set, using unitary method
- Confusion between the term ‘cancellation’
and the term for the mathematical process of 3. Solve word problems involving fraction of
‘simplification’ [of fractions] a set
37
Figure 1. Skill 1 Sample story to introduce the lesson on product of proper
Figure 2. Skill 2 Sample fractions.
Example
Allen has a rectangular piece of seaweed. She
gave ⅓ of it to Bob. Then, Bob gave ½ of the
seaweed he received to Chin Hwa. What fraction
of the piece of seaweed did Chin Hwa get?
The story is written such that it is similar to the
diagnostic question so as to provide a gentler
scaffold in understanding product of proper
fractions.
CPA (Concrete) – Paper-Folding
Following up with the story and using the ‘I Do,
We Do, You Do’ approach, the teacher will
illustrate the problem using a paper-folding
activity, where the paper represents the piece of
seaweed. Depending on the availability of
resources, teachers may either use an online
video demonstration of the paper-folding
(prepared by the P5 team and embedded in SLS)
or do a live demonstration in class.
Figure 3. Skill 3 Sample Figure 4. Online Video embedded in SLS
STP Action (Arousing Interest) - Tell a Story
Next the teacher begins the lesson by telling a
story to the students to provide context for the
recap on fraction of a set. The story is similar to
that shown in ‘Skill 3 Sample’ above.
As differentiation, HP students may, instead,
simply complete that question as part of
diagnostic, and the teacher uses the following
38
CPA (Pictorial + Abstract) – Fraction Bar Analysis of Students’ Learning
The teacher will then move on to representing the The lesson segments involving story-telling,
problem using bar models while formulating the paper-folding and manipulatives were generally
abstract – equations. Once again, the teacher may engaging for students across different abilities
decide to use either the pictorial models on SLS, and helped to promote the joy of learning in class.
or the manipulatives, fraction bars or fraction
discs. In either case, students will still practice As the lesson is focused on building a strong
representing the problem using their own set of foundation in understanding product of proper
fraction discs. fractions, students across different abilities were
able to demonstrate their understanding of how
Figure 5. Pictorial Representation of the Bar Model on SLS to perform product of proper fractions in
mechanical sums.
At this stage of the lesson, the teacher has to
carefully construct teaching instructions to use However, students of different abilities may still
the correct mathematical language i.e. ‘simplify’ be unable to acquire the correct answers to the
instead of ‘cancel’. mechanical sums for different reasons. The
summary of a post-lesson assessment can be
Collaborative Discussion shown in the figures below, where Qn.1 to 9 are
Students may be paired or grouped to try out mechanical sums and Qn.10 is a word problem
some questions on product of proper fractions at which is used as a diagnostic for the next lesson.
this point as a form of Assessment for Learning
(AfL). LP students:
- not fluent in times table
Based on the Learning Experiences as indicated in
the Mathematics Syllabus, students should also MP students:
have the opportunity to discuss the advantages - unable to identify the common factor
and disadvantages of each of these methods of
multiplying product of proper fractions: between the numerator and denominator
- Simplify, then multiply correctly when simplifying fractions
- Multiply, then simplify
HP students
- forgetting to simplify fractions, even when the
questions stated to do so
Figure 6. SLS Heat Map for a High Progress Class
39
Figure 7. SLS Heat map for a Middle Progress Class
Figure 8. SLS Heat Map for a Low Progress Class
Future Considerations
For future lessons, in particular for LP students,
diagnostics could also include mechanical sums
on the following:
- (P3 concept) product of whole numbers
- (P3 concept) simplifying fractions with
denominator less than 12
40
Applying the CPA Approach in
Patterns
(P6 MA PLT) Ong Shi Ting
Kenny Chin Peng Kiew, Yu Minli Emmeline, Sim Xiang Yun Sharon,
PLT Leader: Ananthy D/O Marimuthu, Hamidah Hardi, Jan Lin Shihua
PLT Members:
SYNOPSIS
Problem-solving skills have been identified as a difficulty that Dazhong students face at all levels. With the
introduction of SLS PS, STP, WSA-EC and the ICAN framework, the P6 Mathematics PLT has identified gaps
that hinder students’ conceptual understanding. A lesson plan was developed to help students to bridge
their C-P-A, targeting at a common type of question in examinations – questions on patterns.
BACKGROUND application of such process skills to be ad-hoc.
This has resulted in students losing their
In the Primary One Mathematics syllabus under motivation and confidence in attempting
the sub-strand geometry, students will be making questions on patterns. Therefore, it prompted a
or completing patterns with 2-dimensional need to determine a viable strategy to support
shapes according to one or two of the attributes - students’ learning in patterns that can be used in
size, shape, colour and orientation. Students will devising a plan to help students to reinforce these
then make use of their process skills in process skills from P2 to P6.
accordance with the Mathematics framework for
problem-solving to observe relationships and PROCEDURE
draw continuous connections between the
attributes in the repeated or growing patterns to Using the Student Learning Space Pedagogical
make predictions about the missing or next shape. Scaffold (SLS PS) in combination with the
After which, the focus of the syllabus will be on Improving Confidence and Achievement in
identifying, construction and calculation of angles Numeracy (ICAN) framework, the PLT did
for the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. research on how patterns were being taught
before a rich sharing and discussion on students’
From Primary 2 to Primary 6, there is no explicit misconceptions and prior knowledge. The PLT
teaching or practices in these process skills, then decided on the success criteria and critical
resulting in a gap in the students’ learning. Yet, in concepts to be achieved at the end of the lesson
examination papers, questions on patterns have (see table below).
been popping up regularly in all levels, causing the
41
Prior knowledge Students’ misconceptions
Students are able to: Students have misconceptions as they:
perform repeated addition and subtraction Assume that pattern is repeating and not growing
perform multiplication and division Read the data in a single column and do not infer and draw
recognise the shapes connections within the various columns in the table
compare the figures and be able to tell the
difference between them
read, organise and interpret data in a table
Success Criteria Critical content
Students will be able to: Students will be able to:
show and explain what a pattern means
using objects/shapes/colours deduce how each ‘group’ is obtained from the previous
show and explain given number patterns ‘group’
draw up a simple table and input data
see the change in a systematic way
o recognise if the pattern is in an increasing order, it
is related to addition/multiplication
o recognise if the pattern is in a decreasing order, it is
related to subtraction/division
find the relationship between different data sets in the table
After that, the PLT came up with a lesson plan Figure 1. Pattern worksheet to identify the repeated
incorporating the C-P-A approach, pedagogical pattern and predict the next shape. HP students will draw
practices from the Singapore Teaching Practice their own shape while the LP/MP students will circle the
(STP) and language scaffolding strategies from the
Whole School Approach on Effective provided options.
Communication (WSA-EC).
During the readiness and engagement phases,
The lesson objectives for the students are: teachers used powerpoint slides with guiding
- identifying the pattern in the figure or table questions to support students' learning by using a
- predicting the pattern that should come next selected question. Square tiles were also being
used concurrently for the students to build their
For factual fluency, the students were given a
pattern worksheet to elicit their prior knowledge
so that they would be able to use their
observation skills in noticing the repeated
patterns.
42
own patterns. The students would follow through to note down Mathematics terms used (in
the various steps below. conjunction with WSA-EC) to improve students’
language competency across different subjects.
Steps to Solve Pattern Questions
Step 1: Compare and observe the 2 consecutive Key Guiding Questions:
figures - What do you see in the figure?
Step 2: Highlight the difference in the figures - What has happened in the various figures?
provided - What is the difference between the figures?
Step 3: Predict the next pattern - Is there a pattern / relationship between the
Step 4: Fill up the data in the table provided
Step 5: Find a relationship between the data and figures?
figure number - Can you link the pattern to the figure number?
Figure 3. Sample of student’s work on Mathematics terms
written in the word wall.
Lastly, for mastery, the students formed their
own expert groups using reciprocal teaching (STP)
to solve a question before re-orienting groups to
learn or teach the other groups.
Figure 2. Students using square tiles as concrete Figure 4. Students in their expert group discussing and
manipulatives to build the patterns and compare the learning from each other.
various figures. As a closure to the lesson, the students created
their own pattern questions and provided their
While going through the powerpoint slides, the own solutions to the problems created by using
teacher applied questioning techniques to guide the steps taught.
the students in building on their existing
knowledge and assess their progress. Students 43
also made use of the word wall provided to them
Based on teachers’ reflections on the lesson,
students found the use of concrete manipulatives
useful but faced problems when they were trying
to draw connections between the information
provided and use them to derive their own
formula. The PLT also suggested the
incorporation of online manipulatives to help
bridge the transition of concrete to pictorial in
future. The CPA approach for questions on
patterns proved to be effective and could be
considered for application in the teaching of
Mathematics at other levels (with the questions
altered to suit the respective levels).
Figure 5. Sample of a high progress student’s work on
creating a pattern.
FINDINGS
Using item analysis from the students’ Semestral
Assessment 1 and Preliminary Examination, a
comparison of their performance was carried out
with a similar pattern question. There was a
noticeable improvement in the students’
performance for all parts of the questions.
Type of question Semestral Preliminary
Assessment 1 Examination
Predict the next
pattern using data 2019 2019
55.6% 74.4%
in a table
49.6% 66.2%
Solve for pattern
using relationship 24.8% 44.4%
found in table and
figure
Solve for pattern
using formula
derived
44
Applying Knowledge of Materials and
Their Properties to a Real-World
Scenario
(MB SC PLT)
PLT Leaders: Kenneth Wong Chee Kian, Chong Kiat Kiat
PLT Members: Leong Wei Ming Caleb, Choy Yu Wai, Celestine Kok Chu Wei, Fransa
Baduge Shanjeera Silva, Jan Lin Shihua, Lim Li Hwang Iris, Wu Zongbing,
SYNOPSIS Sabrina Bte Ismail
To support student learning on the topic Diversity of Materials, the team built on the workbook activity
‘Making a Sailboat’ by supplementing it with a video and self-created SLS lesson. These additions facilitated
students’ brainstorming processes and served as checkpoints for students to carry out their task
thoughtfully. A thinking-routine frame on SLS was also used to guide students’ thought processes on
selecting their materials based on their material properties. This helped to reinforce subject literacy since
students needed to articulate the different important material properties essential for each sailboat part and
to match it with the possible recyclable materials they could gather. The lesson also incorporated
collaborative learning and student reflection to enhance student ownership and self-directedness.
BACKGROUND requirements of the various sailboat parts to
essential material properties and then to select
The areas of focus chosen for this topic on the most appropriate materials.
Materials are the ‘Language of Science’ and
‘Content Vocabulary’. In previous years, students PROCEDURE
designed and created their sailboats (workbook
activity) without much consideration. They did The lesson started out with students being shown
not ensure that the materials and their properties a video on how to make a toy sailboat. This helped
allowed the parts of the sailboat to serve their to activate their prior knowledge and arouse their
functions and whether they were the most interest in the lesson. Then, the SLS platform was
appropriate for each part of the sailboat. used to get students to match the functions of the
different parts of the boat (hull, mainsail, boom
As such, our team decided to leverage the SLS etc.) to their respective parts. Collaborative
thinking-routine frame which enabled questions Learning was facilitated when students had to use
in headers to guide and scaffold students’ in their their newfound knowledge of the functions of
decision-making process. This systematic different parts of the sailboat and identify
structure encouraged students to link the appropriate materials to use to build them.
45
A Thinking Routine was incorporated into the SLS
lesson to encourage students to justify their
choices on the various materials using their
understanding of Materials and their Properties.
Clear Explanations were provided when the
teacher went through some of the responses as a
class to highlight any misconceptions or draw on
some of the inputs from other groups.
The following lesson involved students working as
a group to build their sailboat and taking
photographs of the final product before posting
them onto their SLS page. Groups were then given
the opportunity to test out their boats in a basin
of water to see if they could float. Students then
had to key in their reflections / explanations on
SLS regarding why their boats were able or unable
to float.
The PLT embarked on the lesson based on Subject
Literacy (WSA-EC), where we focused on key
content vocabulary. Our pedagogical approach
included the use of SLS, where we conducted a
pre-test and used the SLS thinking routine where
students were engaged in a discussion learning
experience on building a toy sailboat. Throughout
the lesson, there were many opportunities for
collaborative learning as well as student-student,
student-content & student-teacher interactions.
FINDINGS
Students have learnt better and are better able to
provide suggestions on the types of materials that
are suitable for making an object, justified by the
material properties that it needs in order to serve
its function. Also, students are more considered
when making recommendations for selecting
materials or identifying materials used to make a
particular object.
46
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