Introduction to Liberal Studies

Introduction to Liberal Studies (Form1) Liberal Studies Department St. Paul’s Secondary School

Pre-lesson Warm up (Pair work) 1. Talk to your neighbor about: a. what do you know about Liberal Studies b. what do you expect to learn in the lesson

c. how can you do well in this subject

What is Liberal Studies

The content of Liberal Studies:  Extensive knowledge of contemporary issues;  Skills for knowledge acquisition, analysis, evaluation and presentation;  The key to link knowledge from different subjects together;  Theories, concepts and analytical framework from a wide-range of academic traditions, especially the social sciences and humanities.

 Students will learn to critically evaluate information, phenomena and ideas presented in the media, so that they can distinguish between fact and opinion and sense objectivity versus bias.  Through discussion of issues in these resources, students will learn to base their conclusions on sound evidence and relevant sources of information, rather than on ignorance and prejudice.

Curriculum Framework  3 Areas of Study  Self & Personal Development Module 1 : Personal Development & Interpersonal Relationships

 Society & Culture Module 2 : Hong Kong Today Module 3 : Modern China Module 4 : Globalization

 Science, Technology & the Environment Module 5 : Public Health Module 6 : Energy Technology & the Environment

 Liberal Studies will be one of the four CORE subjects besides Chinese, English and Mathematics in your university entrance examination.  From F. 1 – F. 3, we will walk through 2-3 current issues on each module so that you will have a brief ideas of how to study this subject.  Form 1 1st Term : Hong Kong Today 2nd Term : Personal Development & Interpersonal Relationship

Liberal Studies in SPSS 1. There will be no textbook. Different learning resources, such as newspaper, cartoon and documentary, will be used in the lesson. 2. Some memorization is needed, but the more important things are critical thinking skills and your own opinions.

Liberal Studies in SPSS 4. How are marks calculated at the end of the term? a. Continuous assessment : 20% b. Individual/Group Project : 10% c. Examination : 70%

Liberal Studies in SPSS 5. What is continuous assessment (C.A.)?  You may say that it is the work that you do throughout the term before the actual exam. The work includes  Class participation (3%)  Individual or group worksheets, class-work and assignments (9%)  Newspaper quiz (8%)

Liberal Studies in SPSS

6. What is newspaper quiz?  A hot current topic will be given and you need to understand what it is about.  Your own opinion and reasoning is also very important.  e.g. drug abuse in Hong Kong  Online resources will be provided

Liberal Studies in SPSS

6. What is newspaper quiz? (cont’d)  Format  Data-response questions : text, statistical data or cartoons will be given for a certain social issue. Student should analyse the issue and give their own opinions with reference to the information given and their own knowledge.

 We will show you samples later.

7. What is Project or IES ?  It is a self-directed learning experience.  20% of the public exam score in Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) are evaluated based on individual project (named as IES, Independent Enquiry Study).  More information will be given when you go to Form 4.

Project  1st Term Content Analysis Reports – to be submitted in December Details to be advised in October

 2nd Term In-depth interview Find a person and understanding his/her career and related social issue(s) Details to be announced later

Liberal Studies in SPSS 8. Since there is no textbook, is Liberal Studies just about bluffing?

NO. In fact, you need to develop a habit of extensive reading and thinking about the arguments or discussion of different social issues around you, which is much more difficult than revising books.

Liberal Studies in SPSS 9. Expectation in the class  Be active in sharing your ideas  There could be more than one correct answer. There is no such thing as “model answer” in LS.  However, your opinions may only be right when it is well-supported by logical explanations.  Listen to other classmates’ ideas and learn from them.

Follow the class instructions as worksheets may be collected right after the classes for marking!!

Liberal Studies in SPSS 9. Why do we need to study this subject?  Because learning new things is so full of fun!  Because the real world is so complicated. It is difficult for one to make sense of things accurately without knowing how to connect practical knowledge from different subjects together.  Because we need to be a dutiful citizen and care about what is happening in the society.

Stationery A F4 Ring File (FLE file) was ordered for you. Attach all readings and worksheets as regular checking and marking will be collected..

Q&A