PST103E/201/1/2014

Tutorial letter 201/1/2014

Social Sciences in the Intermediate and

Senior Phase
PST103E

Semester 1

Department of Curriculum and Instructional

Studies

EXAMINATION GUIDELINES AND FEEDBACK

ON ASSIGNMENTS 01 AND 02

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information
about your module.
Dear Student
This Tutorial Letter 201 contains guidelines for the examination and the responses to your
assignments.

In this tutorial letter the following information is included:

1 Format of the examination paper (First semester)

2 Preparation for the examination (First semester)

3 Memos or guidelines for Assignments 01 and 02

4 In conclusion

1. FORMAT OF THE EXAMINATION PAPER

PST103E is a complete question paper and counts 100 marks.

The duration of the examination paper is two hours.
You are required to answer ALL FOUR questions of 25 marks each.

QUESTION 1

Question 1 consists of 5 short-/discussion-type of questions, e.g. the student may be expected

to clarify/define certain concepts, or briefly discuss their importance.

TOTAL MARKS FOR QUESTION 1: 25

QUESTION 2

Question 2 consists of 5 short-/discussion-type questions of about 6 marks each, e.g.

comparison of educational concepts.

TOTAL MARKS FOR QUESTION 2: 25

QUESTION 3

Question 3 consists of 4 short-/discussion-type of questions, e.g. questions based on the parts

of a lesson plan.

TOTAL MARKS FOR QUESTION 3: 25

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 PST103E/201

QUESTION 4

Question 4 contains a long question of about 12 marks and 3 short-/discussion-type questions

of about 2 or 3 marks each.

TOTAL MARKS FOR QUESTION 4: 25

THE TOTAL MARKS FOR THE ENTIRE QUESTION PAPER IS 100

2. PREPARATION FOR THE EXAMINATION (FIRST SEMESTER)

You are advised to revise and improve your assignments where necessary as you may need
to refer to them when you prepare for the examination. During the examination, please answer
briefly and write legibly. Consider the marks allocated to each question. Avoid ROTE learning
and, where possible, give own, original examples.

Most questions will be drawn from the entire study guide for PST103E (TEACHING SOCIAL
SCIENCES). THEREFORE, PLEASE STUDY THE ENTIRE STUDY GUIDE VERY WELL.
HOWEVER, SOME QUESTIONS MAY BE BASED ON COMMON SENSE AND ON YOUR
EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT TEACHER STUDYING TOWARDS A TEACHING
QUALIFICATION.

When studying, please emphasize the following aspects:

The core responsibilities of a Social Science teacher.

The school curriculum, e.g. NCS, CAPS.
The dynamics of teaching resources/media and fieldwork.
You must also familiarise yourself with the general responsibilities of a Social Science
teacher, particularly in the primary school phase.
Lesson planning and its phases remain very important at all times.
Teaching strategies/approaches/principles in a teaching-learning environment are very
important.
Classification of questions (Blooms taxonomy) and assessment in teaching/lesson
presentation.

NB Please read the questions carefully. Be relevant to what the question requires and
be careful about the time factor.

Please note:
Remember, 20% of the marks for Assignment 01 counts towards the final mark of the
examination.

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3. MEMOS OR GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENTS 01 AND 02

3.1 RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT 01

Question 1 (multiple-choice questions)

1: 3 11: 1 21: 1
2: 2 12: 2 22: 1
3: 3 13: 2 23: 2
4: 1 14: 3 24: 2
5: 1 15: 2 25: 1
6: 2 16: 2
7: 2 17: 1
8: 1 18: 2
9: 1 19: 2
10: 3 20: 2

3.2 GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSES TO ASSIGNMENT 02

Question 1

It was expected of students to do the following:

Prepare and write down a Geography OR a History lesson for an Intermediate

or Senior Phase class in a rural or urban environment.
The introductory part of your lesson may include aspects such as grade,
theme/topic, time allocation, lesson objectives/outcomes, skills/attitudes/
content.
Indicate ALL activities used in his/her lesson plan and how they were/will be
used.
Include ALL steps of ANY lesson plan format that suited their environment (e.g.
NCS or CAPS), such as introduction, content, methods, resources, conclusion.
Indicate how the lesson was assessed.
The lesson phases should have consistency/flow/correlation/link. (50)

Question 2

2.1 Students had to structure FIVE questions and their answers; the questions had
to vary, taking into consideration, Blooms taxonomy - method of asking
questions. It means that the student had to structure questions from simple to
complex or more challenging questions, that is, taking into consideration
aspects such as comprehension, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and
application. (10)

2.2 The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is not a new
curriculum per se, but an amendment to the National Curriculum Statement
(NCS) grades R-12 in South Africa. It therefore still follows the requirements of
the same process and procedure as the National Curriculum Statement Grades
R-12. The CAPS document is an adjustment to what we teach (curriculum) and
how we teach (teaching methods). (Any other relevant information). (6)

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 PST103E/201

2.3 Holistic teaching aims at developing the whole learner instead of just
academic aspects.
It stresses the interconnectedness of life support systems.
It attempts to encompass and integrate multiple layers of meaning and
experience rather than defining human possibilities narrowly.
It encourages a transformative approach to learning, that is change in the
frame of reference.
It fosters trans-disciplinary inquiry, thereby eliminating division between
subjects.
It employs meta-learning and in this way, learning is reinforced in different
disciplines.
(Any other relevant information) (3)

2.4 Size of the class

Learners age
Aim of the lesson
Adequate preparation
Activities to perform (Any other relevant information) (5)

2.5 GEOGRAPHY HISTORY

Descriptive skills Learners can be given a map of
a country and be expected to
record data or describe its
climatic conditions
Social skills Learners can be given a topic,
as a group and can be asked to
write notes on it e.g. latitudes
Schematic skills Learners may be requested to
systematically sketch the
weather conditions that lead to
rain
Skills in synthesis Learners may be given a text on
climatic conditions of a particular
country and be requested to
summarise and organise it in a
coherent whole to gain a
complete picture of the entire
phenomenon
Reading and Learners may be requested to
research skills describe a geographical
concept, e.g. longitudes and
asked to consult different
sources and fully discuss their
importance
Learners may be given a picture
of King Shaka and be expected
to describe his historical role as a
Zulu warrior
Learners can be given a project
as a group and be asked to do
research on it, e.g. The effects of
the Second World War
Learners may be asked to give
chronological events surrounding
The French Revolution
Learners may be given a
text/newspaper cutting on the life
history of Mandela and be asked
to summarise the highlights of his
life events
Learners may be requested to
trace the causes of the First
World War by reading widely and
critically, compiling notes on this
topic

(Any other relevant examples) (10)

2.6 Attitude: the way of feeling or thinking about something.

Value: the usefulness, worth, helpfulness or importance of something.
On the basis of these explanations, the student should give three POSITIVE
ATTITUDES and three POSITIVE VALUES that are brought about by the
teaching of one of these subjects, that is, either Geography or History.
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 For example: Geography: POSITIVE ATTITUDE: The teaching of
Geography helps me to appreciate my environment.

For example: Geography: POSITIVE VALUE: The teaching of Geography

helps me to understand my countrys climatic conditions.
(Any other relevant facts). (6)

2.7 NCS CAPS

Numeracy as a learning
area
Literacy as a learning area
Intermediate Phase: 8
learning areas
Learning outcomes and
assessment standards are
used in lesson presentation
Learning areas
Numeracy to be called Mathematics
Literacy to be called Language
Reduced to 6 subjects
Learning outcomes and assessment standards
have been removed: now called topics and
skills
Learning areas are now called subjects

(Any other relevant facts) (10)

[50]
{100}

4 IN CONCLUSION

Thank you for your hard work during this semester. I also wish you all the best for the
examination. As indicated in Tutorial Letter 101 for 2014, if you are registered for the first
semester, you will write the examination in May/June and the supplementary examination will
be written in October/November 2014. Similarly, if you are registered for the second semester,
you will write the examination in October/November and the supplementary examination will be
written in May/June 2015.

GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES FOR THE 2014 ACADEMIC YEAR!

Your lecturer
Dr Bobo Segoe

Room: AJH van der Walt Building, 6-48

Tel no.: (012) 429 4649 (Office)
Fax: 086 642 1617
E-mail: segoeba@unisa.ac.za