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Join us for a workshop on best practices for the AICE General Paper exam. Get insights on exam expectations, scoring, and sample questions. Enhance your students' skills in historical, social, economic, political, scientific, geographical, mathematical, literary, language, and artistic topics.
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Cambridge Teacher “Best Practices” Workshop Program DEC. 3, 2012 Jill Pavich, NBCT Jill.pavich@palmbeachschools.org * * * Boca Raton Community High School
Jill Pavich, Workshop Facilitator • Boca Raton High School, English Department (9 years) • AICE: General Paper, grades 9 & 10 (4 years) • Kent State University, English Education/Writing minor • Florida Atlantic University, Curriculum & Instruction/ELA • Nationally Board Certified (NBCT) in 2009 • ReadingEndorsed • ESOLEndorsed • I like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Yoga; and I’m a new mommy as of August 2012!
WORKSHOP SESSION 1: The Exam EXAM day: what to expect, a simulation Test directions Student information sheet The test
The General Paper…what does it look like? • Administered in MAY/June and Oct./Nov. • WRITTEN examination, 2 ESSAYS in 2 HOURS (1 day of testing) • The exam paper is divided into three sections, with five prompt options in each for a total of 15. • Candidates must choose two questions, each from a different section. • Each essay is weighted at 50% of the final mark. • Each essay written carries up to 30 marks for Contentand up to 20 marks for Use of English/ Conventions.
SCORING • The AICE: General Paper exam grades students on two aspects of the final product essay: • CONTENT (30 points) • CONVENTIONS (20 points)……………………..2 ESSAYS = 100pts max • So do their facts need to be accurate? YES!!! • Do they need to cross all t’s and dot all i’s? YES!!!! • BAND 1 = BEST • BAND 5 = WORST • View the RUBRICSfor a quick understanding of the scoring process.
SECTION 1: Historical, Social, Economic, Political and Philosophical • the role of history and war; terrorism • the role of the individual in society – the family, marriage, peer pressure, social class • cultural changes – youth and drug culture • education and welfare • sport, leisure, international competition • wealth; changes in work practice • the importance and impact of tourism on a country – implications for the economy, employment • public transport, environmental concerns • aid provision • the State and its institutions; development of State, democracy post-imperialism, nationalism • minority groups, pressure groups • freedom of speech, action, thought • Judiciary • matters of conscience, faith, tolerance, equality.
SECTION 2: Science, Geography, Math • medical dilemmas and issues of research and ethics; concept of progress in science • drug manufacture and provision • diet, health education • old and new industries • spin-offs from space industry; weaponry • information and communications technology; the Internet • environmentalconcerns; renewableenergyresources; climate change • migration; population dynamics • feeding the global population; farming techniques for the twenty-first century • public transport and travel • the uses and applications of mathematics in everyday life.
SECTION 3: Literature , Language, Arts and Crafts • literature, biography, diary, science fiction • language – heritage, tradition, dialect • the global media – tv, radio, satellite; influence and controls; effects on lifestyle, culture and habits • cultural dilution and diversification; advertising; role models • censorship; privacy; the right to know; freedom of the press, etc. uses and abuses • traditional arts and crafts; creativity; national heritage/preservation; effects of tourism • architecture; painting; fashion; photography; sculpture; music; heritage, etc.
Sample Exam • A few things I often notice about the exam layout each year…in communicating these observations to your students, you will immediately ease test day anxiety for them because they will know what to expect and be ready for it! • The Intimidator • The Unrecognizable • The Poet • The Specialist • The Aha! • The ‘Here Goes Nothin’ • The Common Senser
The Intimidator “OMG…I am SO not smart enough for this test! What was I thinking?!” • How far do you agree that an hereditary monarch as Head of State is preferable to an elected President? • How justified are the high salaries and bonuses paid out in some professions? • Given the misery in both human and personal history, is it possible to believe in compassionate Divinity?
The Unrecognizable “OMG. We SO did not learn this in class! How am I gonna pass this test?!” • Are there any aspects of fashion that you would consider timeless? • Is cooking more than just a necessity? • How important is dance in the life of a nation?
The Specialist “OMG. This prompt is SO not in my knowledge department…” • How far is it true to claim that pesticides have done more harm than good? • How far is mathematics the “true” universal language? • How feasible is human settlement on other planets? • How important is it to explore alternative forms of energy?
The Aha! • “OMG. We actually did one like this in class! It’s my lucky DAY!” • Should obesity be regarded as a health concern? (Mini-Unit on HEALTH/MEDICAL) • Should there be any limits to the freedom of expression? (Mini-Unit on LAW/Constitution) • To what extent is climate change a bigger global threat than terrorism? (Upfront articles on ENVIRONMENT and FOREIGN POLICY) • The breakup of the Soviet Union has ended the Socialist dream. To what extent is this true? (Orwell coverage + Universal Healthcare debate)
PACKET OF ESSAY SAMPLES: • EXPOSITORY: • What are the most important areas for government spending? • PERSUASIVE: • Can breaking the law ever be justified? • Is science a dream or a nightmare? • DISCURSIVE: • In what ways does a country benefit and suffer from where it is situated? • To what extent is there equality of opportunity in your country? • HYBRID PROMPT…Expository + Discursive: • What are the main environmental problems in your part of the world and how effectively are they being tackled?
ESSAY SAMPLES… IMPORTANT NOTE: Many of the “GP” writing strategies you may have picked up or heard about along the way will be present in the essay samples to follow. However, please be aware that there is no set formula for using these… To force two examples in every single body paragraph, for example, will only lead to trouble. If a student is stuffing just anything in there to fit the mold, well, chances are they are wasting their own time…orworse yet, they might stray from the topic entirely.
ESSAY SAMPLES… Strategies for crafting a body paragraph should occur naturally, as they relate to the point being made. Don’t mark a student down simply because they don’t meet some imaginary requirement that every paragraph needs x, y, and z. Simply ask yourself: • Does the student present a main idea in relation to the thesis? • Does the student stay on topic? • Does the student present compelling evidence in favor of his/her point?
TIPS: Organization • MYTH…discursive essays must be 6 paragraphs in length. • FACT…no they don’t! A discursive essay can be 7 paragraphs, 8 paragraphs, 9! While balance, for the most part, is needed, it can be a 60-40 split. Here’s an example: • Intro (1) • Body Paragraphs in favor of topic (3) • Body Paragraphs against topic (4) • Conclusion (1) 9 Total!
TIPS: Support/Content • MYTH: The essay’s support must dominate in fact. • FACT: The essay’s support must be a logical argument, however this is achieved. • Find a balance between student voice and fact rattling! • Too much opinion leads to rants, hasty generalizations, and logical fallacies, and abstract thinking. • Too much fact leads to awkward expression, loss of audience interest, greater likelihood for fact inaccuracies and a greater chance of strayed focus. • FACT: You must express ideas CLEARLY or content means nothing!
TIPS: Support/Content • REMIND STUDENTS: • Don’t bog the essay down with picky details and statistics that don’t prove significant. • Approximate numbers when possible to simplify them and to make them more reader-friendly! • When you do use numbers, give them significance. • Don’t let examples trail off without explanation, assuming the audience knows what you’re talking about! • Poor Support: “For example, Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France.” What about it?! Tell me more (but not too much, lol).
TIPS: Expression/Conventions • MYTH: The English criteria weighs less on the rubric than Content; it’s only 20 points out of 50, so it must not be as big of a deal. • FACT: This part of the rubric “walks softly but [carries] a big stick”! • The impact of content is automatically LESSENED by loose expression! • Grammar, spelling, and punctuation might be good, but the meaning of a point might be difficult to follow because it is awkwardly expressed! • OR…rampant grammar, spelling and/or punctuation errors might make content difficult to follow!
Broad Term? Get Your Hands Dirty! Politics/Gov’t Science/Tech. Environment Social/Cultural CRIME Media, Entertainment
CRIME: Look how many ways we can test this topic! • How successfully is crime tackled in your society? (May/June 2010) • To what extent is your society effectively dealing with crime? (May/June 2009) • How effectively does your society deal with young offenders? (May/June 2008) • Can breaking the law ever be justified? (May/June 2005) • Assess the alternatives to prison in dealing with offenders. (May/June 2003)
Any Burning Questions So Far? EMAIL ME! Through the blog: www.theglobalpen.com edupavich@yahoo.com Through the school district: jill.pavich@palmbeachschools.org
WORKSHOP SESSION 2: The Essays Types of essays: 3 styles review Sample essays & Elements Grading the essay: tips
Generating Ideas • How do I find ideas?? Think GP RELEVANCE…!!! • State, national, international • Past history, current events • Consider all academic categories • Use the Hand Approach to help you…
INDEX: GOVERNMENT and POLITICS THUMB: SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY MIDDLE: ENVIRONMENT RING: SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS PROMPT PINKY: MEDIA, SPORTS and ENTERTAINMENT CREDITS: Teaching the General Paper: Strategies That Work, By Teachers, For Teachers National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University Edited by Caroline Ho, Peter Teo, Tay May Yin (2006)
Prompt Identification • There are three basic types of essay tasks that the GP will assess: • EXPOSITORY, • PERSUASIVE, or • DISCURSIVE • Identifying the Prompt Style—handout • Trigger Words • Basic Rules • Considerations • Prompt ID Practice • “Absolutes” to share with Students • More Considerations
Essay Styles • EXPOSITORY • GOAL: • to provide information; to objectively EXPLAIN, define, clarify or interpret… • UNIQUENESSES: • doesn’t require an argument! Just tell it like it is! • PERSUASIVE • GOAL: • to take a specific stance on an issue in order to CONVINCE the reader to adopt your way of thinking; to anticipate opposing viewpoints and refute via counter-argument • UNIQUENESSES: • biased! Takes ONE side and defends that side ONLY!! Never supports the opposition, not even for a minute.
Essay Styles Con’t • The third style of essay is, perhaps, brand new to you… • DISCURSIVE(most advanced…pros and cons, oh my!) • GOAL: • asks you to consider BOTH sides of a single issue, objectively analyzing each before arriving at any kind of value judgment. • Basic Layout: Begin with a neutral introduction, provide evidence for the case, provide evidence against the case, conclude by either adopting one side of the argument or maintaining a neutral (middle-of-the- road) standpoint.
PROMPT TASKS…a Guide to Success • We will discuss much when it comes to decoding prompts, but here are your GOLDEN RULES when determining the style of your essay: • GOLDEN RULE #1… • Once a Discursive, always a Discursive. • GOLDEN RULE #2… • Persuasive is fine, but add to refine! • GOLDEN RULE #3… • It might be expository, but don’t get freaked if you feel like the force is with you…(every time we put the pen to paper we are arguing-ish!) I call it, ‘fight, despite’!!
Breaking Down the Prompt • Take a look at the Sample Test. • With your partner, determine the style of each of the 15 prompts provided. • Jot (E) for Expository, (P) for Persuasive, or (D) for Discursive in the margin to the left of the test question.
SECTION 1: • What are the benefits and drawbacks of globalization? • ‘Not too much nor too little.’ To what extent is this the basis for a fulfilled life? • What are the most important areas for government spending? • ‘The most effective learning takes place away from school.’ How far do you agree? • In what ways does a country both benefit and suffer from where it is situated?
KEY: SECTION 1 • What are the benefits and drawbacks of globalization? (Discursive) • ‘Not too much nor too little.’ To what extent is this the basis for a fulfilled life? (Discursive) • Whatare the most important areas for government spending?(Expository) • ‘The most effective learning takes place away from school.’ How far do you agree? (Discursive) • In what ways does a country both benefit and suffer from where it is situated? (Discursive)
SECTION 2 • Consider the view that water is more important than oil. • ‘There are more advantages to living in the countryside than in the town.’ Discuss. • ‘Technology gives us the ability to control our own lives.’ How far do you agree or disagree? • How far would you agree that developing countries have more urgent priorities than environmental protection? • What more should be done to discourage people from damaging their own health?
KEY: SECTION 2 • Considerthe view that water is more important than oil. (Discursive) • ‘There are more advantages to living in the countryside than in the town.’Discuss. (Discursive) • ‘Technology gives us the ability to control our own lives.’ How far do you agree or disagree? (Discursive) • How far would you agree that developing countries have more urgent priorities than environmental protection? (Discursive) • Whatmore should be done to discourage people from damaging their own health? (Expository)
SECTION 3 • “A book has one purpose: to entertain.” Assess this statement. • Assess the advantages and problems of hosting major international sporting events. • How far should the media of any society reflect the views of its leaders? • People who ignore religion reject vital aspects of their culture and life. Do you agree? • To what extent is language limited in its capacity to communicate?
KEY: SECTION 3 • “A book has one purpose: to entertain.” Assessthis statement. (Discursive) • Assess the advantages and problems of hosting major international sporting events. (Discursive) • How far should the media of any society reflect the views of its leaders? (Discursive) • People who ignore religion reject vital aspects of their culture and life. Do you agree? (Discursive) • To what extent is language limited in its capacity to communicate? (Discursive)
Tackling the COMPLEX Prompt… • Sometimes, prompts are NOT so easy to decode, however. • In fact, some GP prompts can get pretty complex in design because they ask you to do more than one task in a single essay; and if you don’t answer ALL parts of the question, you risk point loss! • Read carefully for the following verbiage, which can make a BIG difference in how you approach the prompt: • The complex use of conjunctions such as AND, OR, AND/OR • Numbers…the prompt specifies how many issues/ideas it wants you to cover (i.e. Name three…) • The use of “such as” or “like,” which tends to invite suggestions but does not require these suggestions to be covered • Any mention of ___ and ___ does not mean to discuss the issues simultaneously! (i.e. consider X’s impact on society and self…regard yourself and the group as separate entities!)
COMPLEX PROMPTS: Circle the words that make a difference in how the response is formulated: • Of all the advances and discoveries in medicine in the last fifty years, which two do you consider will prove to be of greatest significance in the twenty-first century and why? (May/June 2010) • In what ways has the work of one artist, one musician, or one writer influenced your life? (May/June 2010) • Today, news can be transmitted by anybody with access to technology. Assess the implications of this change. (Oct./Nov. 2010)
KEY: COMPLEX PROMPTS Circle the words that make a difference in how the response is formulated: • Of all the advances and discoveries in medicine in the last fifty years, which two do you consider will prove to be of greatest significance in the twenty-first century and why? (May/June 2010) • In what ways has the work of one artist, one musician, or one writer influenced your life? (May/June 2010) • Today, news can be transmitted by anybody with access to technology. Assess the implicationsof this change. (Oct./Nov. 2010)
COMPLEX PROMPTS: • How effectively are traditional crafts maintained and supported in your society? (Oct./Nov. 2010) • Explain the lessons which can be learnt from recent global financial crises regarding personal, corporate, and government debt. (Oct./Nov. 2010) • Do objects from ancient societies, such as potteries and paintings, have any value? (May/June 2005) • Consider the problem of noise in society and ways to reduce it. (May/June 2004)
KEY: COMPLEX PROMPTS • How effectively are traditional crafts maintainedandsupported in your society? (Oct./Nov. 2010) (SEE EXAM REPORT #1-2) • Explain the lessons which can be learnt from recent global financial crises regarding personal, corporate, andgovernment debt. (Oct./Nov. 2010) • Do objects from ancient societies, such as potteries and paintings, have any value? (May/June 2005) • Consider the problem of noise in society and ways to reduce it. (May/June 2004)
COMPLEX PROMPTS: • Assess the most important areas for government spending. (Oct./Nov. 2002) • In considering the languages you are familiar with, evaluate the influence they have in your society and on yourself. (May/June 2012) • Why do human beings of all ages feel the need to play? (May/June 2012) • How far, in your opinion, can communication be achieved through dance and/or drama? (May/June 2012)
KEY: COMPLEX PROMPTS • Assess the most important areas for government spending. (Oct./Nov. 2002) • In considering the languages you are familiar with, evaluate the influence they have in your society and on yourself. (May/June 2012) • Why do human beings of all ages feel the need to play? (May/June 2012) • How far, in your opinion, can communication be achieved through dance and/or drama? (May/June 2012)
MORE PRACTICE… • Take a look at the next set of prompts. • These are also unique and a little more advanced in prompt identification…embrace the challenge!
