Project Work Social Studies

Introduction Project work is not new. Your teachers have long appreciated the value of project work and have assigned projects to you to work on for many years. In order for you to function optimally in the next century, you need to be versatile in transcending subject boundaries to create new knowledge and solutions to problems, to work collaboratively and to be effective communicators. You need to learn how to be continual and responsible learners.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES Project Work (PW) aims to provide pupils with opportunities to explore the inter-relationships and inter-connectedness of subject-specific knowledge. Pupils will be able to: apply creative and critical thinking skills improve communication skills (both oral and written) foster collaborative learning skills develop self-directed inquiry and life-long learning skills

CARRYING OUT PW Form groups Take on roles Clarify/define project focus Start group project file Gather and process information Prepare the oral presentation and the product; submit the product Make an oral presentation to the class Plan schedule and divide duties among members Reflect on the learning process Prepare and complete product FIGURE 1: STAGES OF PROJECT WORK

Project Groups Assigned by your teacher 4 Members to a group Each member MUST have a specific role All members MUST contribute to the project Each Group will monitor and record it’s progress by maintaining an online Project File

Roles and Responsibilities ROLEDUTIES LEADER 1.Leads the group discussion and ensures members keep to the topic 2.Distributes work fairly among group members in the best way 3.Checks that members are keeping to the schedule 4.Helps members to come to an agreement if they have differences TASK MANAGER 1.Helps the group to have a conducive environment for fruitful discussions 2.Encourages members to share by praising good ideas 3.Asks questions to help the group discuss and better understand the issues RESOURCE MANAGER 1.Helps the group acquire resources (books, online material etc) 2.Managers the project file RECORDER 1.Keeps brief notes of what has been discussed and carried out during the group discussion 2.Takes notes of what is to be done by the group and by which group members – this will help remind members what they are responsible for 3.Takes part in group discussions

Monitoring Progress

MANAGING DIFFERENCES When group members are working together on a project, they sometimes have differences. It is important for team members to be open with one another and to learn to trust one another. Members must try to air their different views and to learn from one another.

Project File All groups will submit an online group project file at the end of the project. The contents of the file will serve as a basis for process evaluation. Your teacher will provide more details soon. To foster a sense of responsibility and integrity, pupils will complete a declaration of integrity and submit a bibliography. acknowledge the sources which you have referred to for your project. Your teacher will tell you more about how to write a bibliography.

Project Work 2010 What is the project about??? Racial Harmony: Multi –Ethnic Singapore

Task: Produce an original website / blog or a 3 min video clip to showcase Singapore as a harmonious multi- ethnic society

Task: Your project should show: -The importance of racial harmony in Singapore -Evidences of racial harmony in Singapore -Ways in which racial harmony is promoted in Singapore -Views on racial harmony by various people of different backgrounds (interviews / surveys)

Task: At the end of the project, you will have to perform an oral presentation as well as attempt a piece of written work.

Assessment This is an interdisciplinary project work. You will be assessed by both your Social Studies teachers (website / video) as well as your English Language teachers (oral presentation / written assignment)…