iSSues Explorer (Mar 2021)

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

iSSues Explorer | 02

From The Editor's Desk As we embark on the term ahead, we hope to bring you up-to-date issues, lesson ideas and updates that will enrich your Social Studies (SS) classrooms! Here’s what you can find in this edition: What’s Sizzling features a letter from our new Deputy Director.

Spotlight features teachers’ experiences and learning from the collaboration with HQ on resource development.

Spice It Up provides ideas to enhance lessons on how Singapore maintains peace and security.

What’s Simmering delves into these issues: the proposed ban to manage the effects of secondhand smoke on neighbours; and how efforts to strengthen harmony can be safeguarded in Singapore.

What’s Cooking provides updates on upcoming courses and resources for teachers.

WHAT'S SIZZLING 03 SPOTLIGHT 04 SPICE IT UP 06 WHAT'S SIMMERING 08 WHAT'S COOKING 10

We hope you will be rejuvenated reading this first edition of iSSues Explorer for 2021!

From, All of us in the SS (Secondary) Unit, Humanities Branch.

Stock images from Canva

WHAT'S SIZZLING

iSSues Explorer | 03

WHAT'S SIZZLING A

l e t t e r

f r o m

o u r

Our fraternity has come a long way since SS was implemented as a new subject in 2001. Back then, the SS curriculum was dedicated to providing a citizenship education that ensured students understand and appreciate the values that underpin the Singapore society.

n e w

D e p u t y

D i r e c t o r

Your

has

certainly

in

good

It has been 20 years since SS was first introduced and we have made big strides as a fraternity. We have grown in our ability to discuss pertinent societal issues in the classroom. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of moulding our students into informed, concerned and participative citizens.

as

SS

played

enabling

our

performance

Global

As Singapore evolved against the backdrop of dynamic global trends, this gave the impetus to refresh the curriculum in 2016, with the aim of developing an engaged citizenry that is competent in responding to the new diversities and complexities of our world.

role

in

Competence

educators

a

pivotal

role

students'

the

PISA

2018

Assessment.

Our endeavours to develop and refine the 2023 Express / Normal (Academic) and 2020 Normal (Technical) syllabuses would not have been possible without your invaluable input. Do reach out to any of our zonal representatives if you would like to play a part in these efforts, or if you should require teaching and learning support in any way: East Zone: Kesavan Veerappen (kesavan_veerappen@moe.gov.sg) North Zone: Vikneswari Rajenthiran (Vikneswari_rajenthiran@moe.gov.sg) South Zone: Lena Teo Ying Hui (lena_teo@moe.gov.sg) West Zone: Teo Ee Jun (teo_ee_jun@moe.gov.sg)

You would have read last October about Singapore students emerging tops in the PISA 2018 Global Competence assessment. Your role as SS educators has certainly played a pivotal role in enabling this good performance. Thank you for faithfully carrying out your calling in the classroom for our students.

May 2021 be fruitful year for you, your students, Singapore and the world.

As we journey on as a fraternity, the SS unit remains committed to supporting you in enacting the SS curriculum.

Chin Yih Min (Ms) Deputy Director, Humanities Branch, CPDD 2

Warm regards,

Yih Min

We would like to invite you to share your own reflections on your journey with Social Studies over the past years. You may scan the QR code or click HERE. Keep a lookout for your reflections in a subsequent edition of iSSues Explorer!

SPOTLIGHT

iSSues Explorer | 04

SPOTLIGHT A

s h a r i n g

f r o m

t e a c h e r s

i n

t h e

f r a t e r n i t y

As part of the 2023 SS E/N(A) syllabus implementation, the SS (Secondary) Unit has been consulting stakeholders within and beyond the fraternity through a rigorous process to ensure that the new syllabus is meaningful and well-crafted. Part of the process includes gathering feedback from teachers and experts about the instructional materials, such as the coursebooks.

In this issue, Spotlight interviewed three teachers who were involved in our Resource Development Committee (RDC) for Issue 2: Living in a Diverse Society which concluded in February. They are: Dalvinder Kaur (Teacher, Hillgrove Secondary School) Pearl Lee (Head of Department for Humanities, Bedok South Secondary School) Christopher Tan (Head of Department for Humanities, Serangoon Secondary School)

How

would

you

describe

the

RDC

experience?

Christopher: The process is consultative and our voices are heard as CPDD strives to address our questions and concerns. It is enriching to hear various viewpoints on the proposed chapters. The RDC process prompted me to reflect on how I have been teaching certain concepts or topics and learn how other teachers taught them.

Pearl: The RDC experience provided a holistic view of how the curriculum materialised from paper to print. Experts in the field of Social Studies education, curriculum specialists and teacher-practitioners were brought together to review and critique the instructional materials. Curriculum documents were also scrutinized to ensure alignment between syllabus and curriculum content.

The

RDC

constant

ensuring

and

consultation

balancing

relatability

fidelity

to

conceptual

was

a

act

between

to

students

factual

and

accuracy.

SPOTLIGHT

What

are

iSSues Explorer | 05

some

observations

from

the

RDC

experience?

Pearl: It was an eye-opening experience to hear various perspectives on the enactment of Social Studies, in both best classroom practices and also those that did not work. In addition, the RDC consultation was a constant balancing act between ensuring relatability to students and fidelity to factual and conceptual accuracy. The ground-up process of the RDC takes a serious view of how issues can be seen. Toughs questions were asked about the aims of the Social Studies education and there were vigorous debates on how to nurture students to be truly participatory citizens.

Dalvinder: It takes a village to thoughtfully craft a dynamic and engaging syllabus. The meticulousness of CPDD in crafting the salient prose and sensitive examples is evident and incredibly impressive.

What

it

were

change

your

after

views

about

joining

the

CPDD

RDC

work

before

you

became

part

of

the

RDC

team?

Did

team?

Dalvinder: I was not aware of how intensive and consultative the syllabus process was and the wide pool of contributors who were roped in to garner such wide and rich perspectives. It was inspiring to see how earnestly the input of all stakeholders were considered by CPDD. Pearl: Being in CPDD previously, I enjoyed the rigour of research conducted, as well as surfacing and presenting multiple perspectives to an issue. I also enjoyed adopting an evidence-based approach and sensitivity to writing the curriculum - being relatable without being over-simplistic.

Joining the RDC team as a teacher this time round allowed me to “re-live” this constant process of questioning and clarifying my understanding of the concepts.

How

has

the

RDC

process

shaped

the

way

you

think

about

Social

Studies?

Christopher: It has given me fresh perspectives on how the coursebook is developed and how Social Studies should be taught. The in-depth discussions on concepts, content and how students learn widened my horizons on teaching creatively.

Dalvinder: I feel more committed to connecting my students to the themes and issues and exploring them deeply in the classroom with my students.

Interested to be part of the syllabus implementation process?

Scan the QR code or click HERE to indicate your interest!

SPICE IT UP

iSSues Explorer | 06

SPICE IT UP A n

S L S

L E s s o n

i d e a

f o r

N ( T )

B o o k

2 A

In Book 2A of the 2020 Normal (Technical) syllabus, students learn about the topic of Resolving Conflict and Building Peace in Singapore. This section provides a lesson idea based on the SLS lesson “Book 2A - Ground Zero - What Is a Suspicious Article?”

In this lesson, students learn about how Singapore ensures peace and security through deterrence efforts such as SGSecure. The lesson allows students to think about the broader Inquiry Focus, "How far can we contribute to peace and security?"

Click HERE to access the lesson.

Lesson

idea

Opening: Have students explore the SGSecure website and list some of the information they have gathered about the SGSecure movement.

Self-Directed SLS Activity: Ask students to complete the SLS activity tab ‘Ground Zero What Is a Suspicious Article?’ Consider using an ITT for Question 2 (“How does SGSecure help to deter potential terror attacks?”) in the activity.

Class Discussion: Use the Live Lesson screen to facilitate a classroom discussion based on the students’ responses in the ITT. Use the STP Teaching Action “Pumping” to facilitate a classroom discussion through a series of How’ and ‘Why’ probing questions to deepen students’ understanding of SGSecure as a deterrence effort to maintain peace and security in Singapore.

See an example on the next page or click HERE to find out more about this STP Teaching Action "Pumping".

Blended

Learning

Opportunity!

Teachers may conduct this part of the lesson outside the classroom by adding an activity to the SLS lesson that utilises a collaboration tool, such as the Interactive Thinking Tool (ITT) or Padlet, to enable students to record and share their findings with their classmates via text or screenshots.

Blended

Learning

Opportunity!

Teachers may carry this out over an online platform like Zoom, or through an asynchronous mode such as the SLS Forum feature.

SPICE IT UP

iSSues Explorer | 07 An example of how "Pumping" is used:

Teacher: Student A suggested that SGSecure helps to deter potential terror attacks by keeping everyone vigilant. How does the app enable this?

Step 1: Restate the students’ answers.

Restate a student’s response in the ITT. Step 2: Follow up by posing another question that takes students to the next step of the thinking process. Prompt student to provide reason(s) for the view held. Invite more students to share different viewpoints. Pose questions to lead students to further think about how SGSecure’s effectiveness rests on individual and community’s role in preparing and dealing with a terror attack.

Student B: The app allows everybody to report suspicious behaviour to the authorities swiftly.

Teacher: Why would such actions discourage potential aggressors?

Student C: With the use of apps such as SGSecure, potential aggressors would think twice about attacking us because they know that citizens are alert and could possibly foil their plans early on.

Blended

Learning

Step 3: Summarise the targeted learning content to consolidate student learning.

Closure: Prompt students to reflect on the role they can play to maintain peace and security in Singapore. Get them to commit to an action to be vigilant, united and resilient in responding to the threat of terrorism.

Opportunity!

Teachers may embed a Padlet directly on the SLS lesson to consolidate the reflections for students to refer to.

How

does

this

lesson

reflect

the

inquiry

process?

Sparking

Gathering

Exercising

Reflective

Curiosity

Data

Reasoning

Thinking

How does this lesson reflect the nquiry process?

Students activate their prior knowledge and experiences on SGSecure movement through exploring the SGSecure app.

Students gather ideas through the video ‘Ground Zero What Is a Suspicious Article?’

Students hone their critical thinking skills by providing justification for their responses and exploring differing views from their peers during the classroom discussion.

Students reflect on their understanding on how Singapore ensures peace and security through deterrence efforts and how they can play a part in these efforts.

Interested to contribute a SLS lesson idea or a lesson idea for Blended Learning?

Scan the QR code or click HERE. Keep a lookout for your contribution in a subsequent edition of iSSues Explorer!

WHAT'S SIMMERING

iSSues Explorer | 08

WHAT'S SIMMERING ISSUE 1

What are the challenges faced by the Government in managing the issue of secondhand smoke from homes in Singapore?

KNOWLEDGE

OUTCOMES

Students will be able to understand: The challenges of determining what is good for a society

SYNOPSIS

Over the years, tensions and neighbourly disputes arising from secondhand smoke from homes have been a pertinent issue in Singapore. This was amplified during the Covid-19 pandemic where more people were working from home. In response, Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng raised a motion in Parliament on 5 the October 2020, proposing a ban on smoking near windows or on balconies of homes. This ignited debates both in Parliament and on social media. What are the challenges faced by the government in managing the issue of secondhand smoke from homes in Singapore?

ARTICLES Suggested

discussion

questions

Why is it difficult for the government to address the disputes arising from secondhand smoke from homes?

In your opinion, should the government proceed with the ban on smoking near windows and on the balconies of homes?

Article 1: Secondhand smoke a "public health concern", says Louis Ng, proposing ban on smoking near home balconies, windows Article 2: Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, on the Adjournment Motion of Protection Against Secondhand Smoke in Homes Article 3: Second-hand smoke complaints in residential areas rise as more work from home due to Covid-19 Article 4: Written Answer by Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, to Parliamentary Question on Neighbour Disputes Arising from Second-Hand Cigarette Smoke Mediated Successfully in Past Two Years Article 5: 'If you can't smoke here nor there, then what?': Smoker and non-smoker S'poreans on smoking in HDB flats

WHAT'S SIMMERING

iSSues Explorer | 09

ISSUE 2

How can we strengthen efforts to safeguard harmony in Singapore?

KNOWLEDGE

OUTCOMES

Students will be able to understand: The various ways in which the Singapore government and individuals can respond to the effects of living in a diverse society.

SYNOPSIS

During a dialogue on race relations titled “Regardless of Race” in 2020, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong reiterated that Singapore can improve racial harmony by harnessing its diversity as both strength and enhancement. He outlined the importance of getting Singaporeans to work together regardless of racial backgrounds and enabling a safe platform for people to air their views as crucial objectives of the government. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to nurturing strong partnerships with the people by providing advice, guidance and networks to realise ground-up initiatives. How can we strengthen efforts to safeguard harmony in Singapore?

Suggested

discussion

questions

What do you think are some consequences when there is lack of understanding among the different groups of people in a diverse society like Singapore?

In your opinion, how can citizens and the government play their part to strengthen harmony in a diverse society?

ARTICLES

Article 1: Harness S'pore's diversity to boost racial harmony: Minister Article 2: Commentary: Challenging racism starts in the family Article 3: Survey finds rise in perception of workrelated discrimination among Malay, Indians in Singapore Article 4: Being Chinese in multiracial Singapore: A framework to check one’s ignorance

g, where in r e m im t's S n of Wha io it ion-based d s e s t u x c e n is d r u in for o d ld weave u o Look out c u Structure o d y n a w r o a h t in s s! em we sugge iscussion Socratic S d s a m o h o c r u s s s s strategie to your cla in y s r e v o Contr Academic Have an interesting topic in mind that would make for a great classroom discussion? Let us know! We could cover the topic in the next editions and share it with the fraternity! Scan the QR code or click HERE.

WHAT'S COOKING

iSSues Explorer | 10

WHAT'S COOKING F o r

e-module

by

Singapore's

s e m e s t e r

Issues-based

MSF:

Social

Do keep a lookout for our emails informing you of registration details!

Find out more and enrol for the e-course HERE!

lessons

SLS

Catalogue

from

the

The catalogue has been refreshed with new SLS lessons!

Click HERE for the updated SLS catalogue or scan the QR code!

Contribute

SLS

to

Community

the

Gallery

Share your lesson on the SLS Community Gallery and stand a chance to be featured in subsequent editions of iSSues Explorer!

Share your lesson url with us HERE or scan the QR code.

2

In this seminar, teachers will discuss recent trends and developments pertaining to Issue 2 on Living in a Diverse society.

Teachers will also explore how they can apply their learning in the classroom.

Teachers may find this course useful to support classroom discussions on the role of government in Issue 1.

SLS

Seminar

Date: 21 April 2021, Wednesday Time: 1430-1730 hrs Mode: Via Zoom

Compact

This e-course is organised by the Ministry of Social and Family Development to provide a deeper understanding of Singapore's social services landscape.

new

o n e

SSS

Wikipage

At this webpage, you will find useful resources for the teaching and learning of Social Studies for the E/N(A) and N(T) syllabuses.

This webpage is updated regularly!

Access the SSS Wikipage HERE or scan the QR code.

share

your

feedback

with

us!

We hope you found the articles in iSSues Explorer useful! We want to continue providing you with relevant and useful resources for your teaching and learning of Social Studies.

We invite you to share your feedback and ideas HERE or scan the QR code.