46 replies to this topic

[cj.ayres]

CJ - thanks!! i didn't teach the documents but will see what i can do for you. I am teaching it this year so will have to have sow etc

Can't remember the % at target, but will have a look

Mrs RH,
That would be fantastic - thankyou, thankyou, thankyou

[cj.ayres]

I've been doing some thinking today and one of the problems that I think we had this year was that we spent a long time on Germany 1933-45 and then ran out of time, hence the students did not have sufficient knowledge to answer a question on the Berlin Wall.
I've looked at the textbook (which I don't rate particularly highly) and have sketched an outline of the course (see attached). I reckon that I have got around 58 lessons adn my current outline uses 47 so there is room for expansion of some topics but not much as we will loose some lessons to exams, inset days etc so I don't have a great deal to play with.

I would be very grateful if you wouldn't main casting a critical eye over it and telling me whether you think I have spent too long looking at the 20's or not enough time looking at the post war topics etc.

Thank you again to all of you who have already contributed advice. It is much appreciated.

Attached Files

•  Dictatorship_to_Democracy.doc   54.5K   637 downloads

Edited by cj.ayres, 24 August 2009 - 03:34 PM.

[MrsRH]

From what my colleagues said, that is the tempatation - to focus on 'the usual bit'.

We have looooong lessons (2 and half hours) and it did take a far bit of time. I do remember a colleague being told at one ofthe OCR meetings not to focus on too much content, as there simply aren't that many marks for it. It was rec'd to focus on the skills much more.

Am thinking we need some similar advice on what to do with the Britain!

[MrsRH]

CJ (And anyone else!)

this is the sow for Germany F964. Was written by my colleague, who deserves great thanks!

Attached Files

•  Germany_AS_SOW.doc   181K   909 downloads

[kfalconer]

HI, I got good results this year with F964 French Rev (sorry...) All above target bar one who was on target - 8 As, 2 Bs & 2 Cs from a very average class - some of which were into the 90s for UMS. Our F961 grades were slightly lower but overall all students met or exceeded their MTGs. I found the markscheme to be really explicit on what was required and my students knew the markscheme inside out so were confident and knew exactly what to do - essentially it is hoop jumping.

Content - I agree with the previous poster who said to cut down on content. It is really not important in the markscheme - doesn't count at all for QA and is minimal for QB. We use sources every lesson . Students learn basic content through sources and then build up detail in note taking homework. To get As students need to address typicality of the sources which is why it is so essential that they use sources every lesson. They need to know of a great range of sources and authors as the same ones do come up againa nd again. This is half the battle in the exam. My students panic when they see sources so using them every lesson really built confidence and by the end they were fine.

They need to know markschemes inside out. Get them to rewrite them in the own words (check they are correct!) and peer mark lots. Mine were in a situation by the end where they could have marked for OCR over the summer. Do all of the past papers you can find. If the old style document studenies don't fit for your topic make up some questions using whatever sources you have.

Structure is really really important. If students tackle sources sequentially (1 source discussed per paragraph) they can not get above a D. I have tutored students this year wo were told that they should do this and were being given A grades by their teachers when the essays were actually D grade standard. The markscheme is really clear on this. They need to be constantly comparing and contrasting sources throughout, treating them as a body of evidnce. No paragraph should ever refer to only 1 source.

I've attached by source analysis grids - differentiated for A/B and C/D students and essay structure planning grids. They still need some work so if you think of any improvements please le tme know!

Hope this helps and that you have improved grades in resits/next year.

Sadly - the new system means that my students don't actually know very much about the French rev but are brilliant at source analysis. Not really the way I think it should be but it seems to be the only way to get the grades.

Kate

Attached Files

•  70_mark_planning_grid.docx   28.97K   900 downloads
•  30_mark_planning_grid.docx   29.99K   765 downloads
•  Source_Analysis_template_A_B_grade.docx   93.08K   997 downloads
•  Source_analysis_template_C_D_grade.docx   88.59K   702 downloads

[Mark H.]

Kate- as you say in your post: 'Sadly - the new system means that my students don't actually know very much about the French rev but are brilliant at source analysis'.
This seems to confirm my allegation in Post 11 of this thread that the original purpose of the examination seems to have been lost and that the assessment objectives have become an end in themselves. Is it me or is this the same knowledge v skills argument we had in in GCSE about 15 years ago? There was then a general feeling that the skills were in danger of replacing the knowledge altogether when the whole point is that the subject requires a mixture of the two. As one of my perceptive pupils said about the then Economic and Social GCSE: 'I don't think that you actually need to know anything about History to do well in this exam, sir'.

Edited by Mark H., 27 August 2009 - 04:41 PM.

[cj.ayres]

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed something to these thread.
Mrs RH - the SOW has been invaluable - please pass on my immense gratitude to your colleague.

I have tried to put together all your advice into a hints and tips page for the students. I have only done the (a) type question so far but plan to do the second one over the weekend.
I've attached it if anyone would like to comment on it or use it.

Many thanks again - I'm feeling much more confident!!

Attached Files

•  _a__question_hints_and_tips.doc   45.5K   832 downloads

Edited by cj.ayres, 27 August 2009 - 09:42 PM.

[MrsRH]

CJ - that hints and tips is really useful!! and i will pass on your thanks! I am doing a guide for F964 at the mo and will upload that when its done - but yours is a fab simplified version!

Well done

[kfalconer]

Hi,

The planning grids and source analysis docs I attached earlier aren't opening unless you have the most up to date version of office so I've attached them again in the older version.

The source analysis templates aren't in a version you can change so if you wanted to use them you would have to make your own versions copying them - sorry, my version is in powerpoint and it won't let me upload them so I've had to copy and paste the whole slide for you into word. The grids should be fine as they were originally word docs.

Thanks for the hints and tips sheet - it looks really useful.

Kate

Attached Files

•  30_mark_planning_grid.doc   32K   580 downloads
•  70_mark_planning_grid.doc   32K   573 downloads
•  Source_Analysis_template_A_B_grade.doc   99K   634 downloads
•  Source_analysis_template_C_D_grade.doc   95.5K   568 downloads

[MrsRH]

That's fab Kate - thanks!!

can I just ask - what does NOPCUR stand for in the planning grids? Probably me being dozy but i just can't work it out!

[kfalconer]

SOrry - its Nature, Origin, Purpose, Context, Utility and Reliability. Basically the same as the 5 Ws.

[MrsRH]

oooo I like it!! Thanks

Think that might be about to go up on the classroom wall!

[MrsRH]

Can i just ask - HOW do we all teach these modules? I think the suggestion coming to us is that we teach one module completely before Xmas, then do the January exam in it, then teach the other module.

Last year we were advised at a OCR meeting NOT to do january exams, and to use the whole year to teach the modules, and at the same time, allowing the students to develop their skills more fully.

So, how do you do it?

[Ed Podesta]

SOrry - its Nature, Origin, Purpose, Context, Utility and Reliability. Basically the same as the 5 Ws.

We taught the OCR docs module about Italian unification. Our students, on the whole did pretty well. Kfalconer's advice here is pretty much perfect. All I would add is making sure that they build up their writing slowly, get them writing answers, short at first, longer as you go on, as soon as poss. Mark them quick and get them back to them.

[amylgillett]

I teach the F964 and averaged 52% A-Bs compared to the essay paper's average of 83%. There are a couple of papers that I am definitely sending back for re-marking (one student got an E but predicted an A and got A in essay paper). I am relieved that this appears to a common theme as I am sure the teaching was good by both me and the other teacher and we stuck to the guidance given.