History lessons resource

An answer for SEQ diagnostic test Q3

2006-10-25T18:00:00.000+08:00

I disagree with the statement because I feel that nation-building is the primary reason for implementing National Service (NS). (If you are able to, immediately tell me whether you agree or disagree. It is also fine with me if you write 'I agree to a certain extent'. It will be fine with me now because you are in Secondary 2. It will of course be a different manner when you reach 'O' levels.

It is true that one of the purposes for implementing NS is to help solve the manpower needs of Singapore. (Now, I am trying to explain how I would agree with the statement.) As a newly independent nation which has a smal population, every person is needed to contribute to defense and economic needs. (This and following sentences is an explanation for the given factor) However, this may not be possible. In a regular army, one man in defense will mean one lesser man to do work in other projects. This is solved by National Service as enlisted men only need to train for two years. After completion, they become reservists and need only to continue training for a short period of time. Besides being able to work, the reservoir of soldiers will also increase in each year. (By here, you would also have quoted a few evidences/ supporting details to support your explanation) Hence, the dual needs of manpower for defence and other areas are not compromised. (By now, you should be getting L3: 5 marks as you are able to explain fully one side of the story.)

On the other hand, nation building is an important factor. (Now, you had identify the other factor.) With NS whereby everyone regardless of race and class interact together with a common purpose, loyalty and national consciousness can be developed. (Here you are explaining the other factor that helps you to disagree with the statement) Indeed, the bond built is a strong one as shown in the racial riots that broke out in Malaysia in the year 1969 in which the Chinese and Malay soldiers did their task willingly without turning their weapons against one another. (Again, we have two supporting details) Therefore, nation building was another major factor. (By now, we should get L4: 7m for explaining how you would agree and disagree with the statement, with 2 or more supporting details)

In conclusion, I think nation building is the more important purpose as without a sense of loyalty towards the nation, the army formed will still not be a powerful one even if it was big in numbers. (Here I am trying to weigh both sides of the story and conclude which side I would believe more. Obviously, I will have to explain my stand.) This is because they may not have the determination to fight for the country. Moreover, being a new nation, this sense of loyalty was indeed missing amongst the people. Therefore, while I think that the desire to solve manpower problem was an important purpose, it should not be more important than nation building. (By now, you would have L6: full marks or 8 because you weighed the relative importance of both factors. It is ok with me if you concluded that both are equally important as long as you are able to tell why. Remember, do not just conclude, I disagree because there are other factors. Must tell me why)

NOTE:

1. Note the bold sentences, these are some useful connectors.
2. Note the explanations in parentheses.

Answering SEQs

2006-10-25T17:17:00.000+08:00

First, note of the question, is it a simple explanation question or does it need you to do the weighing of the factors?

If it is the former (or first option stated), then it should be a point marking system. If you see 2 marks, then you only need to give a point and one elaboration (further details, explanation, elaboration etc) of the point. Similarly, if you see 6 points, then you will need 3 points and 3 elaborations.

This means that even if you are to write 5 points and 5 elaborations, you will only get maximum 6 marks. It also means that if you are to give me 5 points and 1 elaboration, you will get at most 4 marks. This is because we can only give up to 3 for points, and 3 for accompanying (meaning for the points written) explainations.

Let us consider our diagnostic test question. I will provide the answers for the first two questions.

Q1:

The first action taken was the decision to fly to Britain to negotiate with the British. (P1) Then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew managed to get the British to postpone their withdrawal so that time could be bought to enhance the island's defence. (E1)

The second action taken was the securing of agreements with other counties in military cooperation. (P2) Singapore signed a new defense agreement with Britain, New Zealand and Australia to station some forces. They also allowed for consultation with other member countries if there is a threat of any attack. (E2)

The third action taken was taking steps to build up their own navy and air force. (P3) This was possible with trainings being conducted overseas and help given by foreign advisors. Eventually, the SAF ws able to provide its own training for pilots and naval officers. (E3)

Q2:

There was an urgent need for Singapore to build its defense force because of three main reasons.

First, Southeast Asia is politically unstable. (P1) Besides Kronfrontasi (Indonesian Confrontation) Vietnam was at war and communism was spreading around in the region. There was a fear that these may spread to Singapore. (E1)

Second, Singapore had now gained independence. Hence, it must rely on itself for its survival (P2) Indeed, the soldiers must be someone who is loyal and not simply employed. By then, it may result in dire consequences. (E2)

Last, Singapore had only a very small defence force. (P3) There were only slightly over one thousand soldiers on land, two old armed patrol ships and no fighter planes to protect the sky. All these made Singapore very vulnerable to enemy assault. (E3) All these showed that there was a need to build up defence.

NOTE:

Hence, the important thing is not to write too much as long as you are sure that you have the points and elaborations correct. Secondly, there is not much need to write linking sentences, introduction and conclusion etc as you are not writing a persuasion essay. Rather, you are simply recollecting facts for us to see if you had learnt. Nonetheless, it is essential that you write in P.E.E. format. Give me a point, and then elaborate with evidences and explanations to get full marks for all points.

Model Answer for 'Comparing Reliability Worksheet'

2006-10-25T07:17:00.000+08:00

Although Source A and B differ in their presentation, it does not mean that one of them is wrong.

I can infer from Source A that not all Japanese are bad. This is given with the evidence that a Japanese military court judge admitted that what they did was wrong. This is also supported from my contextual knowledge. Indeed, there are Japanese who helped the locals. They also agreed to some demands that the British made: preserving colonial buildings and the statue of Stamford Raffles, and the research done in the Botanical Gardens. (Here, I am trying to check if the content for Source A is true.)

On the other hand, I can infer from Source B that the Japanese were cruel. This is given by the evidence that locals will be punished whenever it so pleases them. This is also supported from my contextual knowledge about how the Japanese used torture to get people to admit to certain crimes. Indeed, the Kempeitai was in charge of these things. Moreover, policies like Sook Ching whereby they tried to eliminate chinese opposition by ways of massacre also spoke volume of their cruelty. Thus, both sources are right in terms of content. (Here, I am trying to check if the content for Source B is right. Also, the last sentence reminds the marker what it is that you had been doing. As long as what you did was correct, the marks should be given.)

However, I find Source A more persuasive because it is a balanced source that is less bias compared to Source B. Indeed, it also mentions that the Japanese were bad, unlike Source B which only talked about the bad side of the Japanese. This is further supported by the purposes of the two sources. Being a textbook for young children, Source B serves to educate the people of the deeds of the Japanese. Yet, it has a hidden purpose too: to convince people that it would be best for a local government to rule Singapore. Source A on the other hand, seeks to inform the general public that we cannot simply say that all Japanese are bad because some are more humane. In this aspect, the purpose is also more neutral. (As we had proved that the content of both sources are correct, we still need to make a choice in terms of which source we believe more. Thus, we need to just quickly infer the purpose and see which one we will trust more based on the biasness of both sources. In this example given, it would seem that we can make a good and informed choice as one is more bias than the other., which I explained. What if both are equally bias? Then you will really need to explain fully why you chose one over the other.)

Based on biasness and purpose therefore, I find Source A more persuasive.

NOTES:

1. Please take note of the sentences in bold. It helps to link your different ideas into one smooth passage.
2. Explanations are in italics.

Comparing Reliability

2006-10-25T07:03:00.000+08:00

"Does it mean that one of them is wrong?"

Often, both sources are not wrong. They just simply state different sides of the story. The problem is, how do we know if they are really 'not wrong'? Another problem is, which side do you actually trust more? These are the two main issues.

So how do we know which one we may trust? The basic step is to distinguish whether the sources involved are opinions or facts. A fact is a record of something that truly happened. E.g. The Japanese started Sook Ching. An opinion is simply someone's viewpoint. E.g. The Japanese are cruel. Whatever opinion an author writes, it should be supported by a fact or two so that it becomes an opinion that one can trust.

So what should we do to answer the above mentioned question?

1. We should try to determine if any one of the two sources is bias. We can do this by checking what it did not say (cross-reference) or infer a hidden purpose (if it is possible). Often, if the purpose is to convince, mislead or confuse, such a purpose will make the source not as reliable.

2. We also need to check if the content is correct. This can be done by simple cross-referencing. This will help you find out whether the supposed 'facts' written in the source is correct or 'more wrong'.

3. Last, make a stand which one you trust more. Do not simply conclude: 'Hence I trust Source A more because it is more persuasive.' Give an explanation. For example: As Source A is more balanced in viewpoint, it helps me understand better. Hence, I trust Source A more.' This is good enough for your level.

Model answer for the exercise we did in class will be given out shortly.

A lesson in character?

2006-10-18T18:04:00.000+08:00

It was supposed to be a calculated move; an attempt to teach a particular class a communal spirit, a willingness to share, an ability to channel attitude into something positively great. It is hard to find people with attitude so I am all the more encouraged by the fact that I managed to do so.

A - 1
T - 20
T - 20
I - 9
T - 20
U - 21
D - 4
E - 5

As you can see, attitude adds up to a 100. Indeed, it is often said that having a positive attitude is a sure way to success. Yet, perhaps I did expect a little too much from these young souls. However much they want to profess themselves as adults, they are still as innocent as most children.

Thus, it is also not that big a surprise when the move somewhat failed because intentions were not well-communicated. It became too stressful, as a desire for them to bloom became too much of a burden to bear perhaps. Yet, I am still hopeful. The replies I got were wonderful, be it agreements, disagreements, stern warnings, or even an honest reply to ask me to continue believing in the class. Indeed, while we may choose to 'look down' on these 'innocent kids', they are often able to spring you surprises in what they write such that one is compelled to 'look up' at them in admiration.

What next then? It was a wonderful experience, however painful along the way; for me at least for now. Hopefully, the learning journey will be embarked again, and together with them if there is trust; which I think is still around. While teaching do not equate learning when it comes to students' listening, I do believe that if one do not learn new things everyday, how can one teach effectively?

Please download all study notes.

2006-10-18T18:01:00.000+08:00

You should have with you 5 sets of study notes.

1. Housing
2. Housing II
3. Japanese Occupation
4. Defence
5. SBQ

If you have not finished downloading them from our e-learning website, please do so.

Also download the answers for the SBQ for 'comparing reliability'. Remember, "it usually does not mean that one of them is wrong because both sources are simply different opinions!"

History or Geography???

2006-10-09T19:43:00.000+08:00

With streaming impending, many of you are deciding whether to study History or Geography in Combined Humanities. After many questions being raised by different students, I thought it best that I share more information with you about History so that you can make an informed choice.

Let us employ the skills we learnt in SEQ to decide! :)

1. History uses the same skills required in Social Studies (Point). Both History and Social Studies require students to do SBQs and SEQs. (Elaboration: They use the same skills because both has the same exam format) These include inferencing, comparison, reliability testing, detecting bias, exploring usefulness of a source and asserting an evaluation. (Evidence: Specific examples) Hence, taking History will be good if you have the relevant skills. (Link: answering back the question. Alternatively, you can say 'because I am not good in both SBQ and SEQ, I do not want to take both History and Social Studies or I may score very bad score for SEQ')

2. History is interesting. (point) We will be learning about most important contemporary events in the 20th century, thus being able to understand how our world developed. (Elaboration or further description) This include World War II which ended the colonial age. We will also be studying the Cold War, which is the rivalry between U.S.A and the Soviet Union, and the implications of the fall of communism with the breakup of the Soviet Union. (Evidence). Since I am interested in world affairs, I think History is a better choice.

3. On the other hand, History may not be a good choice if we dislike reading and have difficulties in expressing ourselves in English. (Point) This is because we need to read quite a lot to learn about things in the past. Also, if our English is bad, we may have difficulties answering SBQs and SEQs properly. (Elaboration) For example, we need good vocabulary to write convincing sentences of a possible purpose of a source. To be able to infer the purpose, we also need to read a lot to have sufficient contextual knowledge. (Evidence) Hence, it may not be a good choice to take History.

Note how I explained my stand using P.E.E.L? If you have further queries for both SEQ and streaming, please always feel free to consult me after school. Give me a notice during class that you wish to see me and we will arrange a time (usually immediately after school except for days with remedials).

Study notes for Japanese Occupation now available in E-Learning!

2006-10-05T21:57:00.000+08:00

As stated above. Remember to ask me for more details if you want, especially if you want me to show you more sources that I used to write that revision notes.

Today's supplementary lesson

2006-10-04T19:35:00.000+08:00

For those who missed the supplementary lesson because of your project in visual arts, here's a simple summary of what we went through in class.

Basically, the lesson is a simple Source-Based lesson with a focus on socio-economic conditions during the Japanese Occupation. We explored how people suffered in terms of the lack of food and essential medical supplies. We also learnt how malnutrition was rampant. The black market and inflation was also introduced. Last, we learnt that perhaps not all Japanese were that bad and there may be some who actually treated the locals quite well.

Please visit your e-learning website to download the powerpoint slide that would contain all the sources that we learnt.

Is Seeing Believing?

2006-09-25T19:05:00.000+08:00

Remember the video we saw in class about how to evaluate reliability? Well, I'm glad that I found its online version! (Just click on the words)

Although the acting was not that natural in the video, I think it is actually very useful as a revision guide. You may wish to click on the video to enlarge the screen.

Remember to take notes to help you if you failed to do so in class! :D

An Interactive Resource on 'Detecting Bias' and additional notes on reliability

2006-09-24T16:46:00.000+08:00

Hi all!

To aid you in your revision again, click on the words 'Detecting Bias' for an interactive program that teaches you what bias is and how we can detect bias in a source.

Note the causes of bias:

1. Different points of view
2. Lack of information
3. Purpose of a source

-Identifying the first cause is much like understanding the provenance and content of a source.
-Identifying the second cause is much like asking the usefulness of a source. (We evaluate usefulness of the source by asking what it informs us about the subject and what it does not inform us)
-Identifying the third cause requires an ability to infer purpose of a source.

With the ability to explain how a source is bias by infering the purpose of a source, you would be able to gain the higher level of a reliability question. Remember that a framework to use is:

A) Check Provenance and see if bias is present. (Fact or fiction?)
B) Infer content and tone and explain why it is bias.
C) Check with other sources/knowledge whether what it said is the truth.
D) If it is not telling the truth, what then is the purpose? Mislead, influence, hide the truth or to even inform (if it is telling the truth)?

Different purposes will help you in understanding whether a source is reliable.

coup d'etat in Thailand

2006-09-21T19:01:00.000+08:00

I tried to talk about this issue in class and I am glad that most of you were interested in the topic and concerned of the happenings outside of Singapore. Keep it up!

Here's a link to what a coup d'etat means. In fact, I was also pleasantly surprised that the site contains General Sonthi as an example of someone taking power of the government through a coup d'etat. You can click on the links provided to find out more about him.

It is also quite interesting to note that for someone who started a coup d'etat, he had said something like this:

“The army will not get involved in the political conflict. Political troubles should be resolved by politicians. Military coups are a thing of the past.”

Well, I got this from another site. It is quite a pity that the provenance was not provided.

Having provided a simplistic presentation of the whole issue, you may wish to find out more information like

1. Why did the coup start?
2. What was the objectives of the coup?
3. Who were the main players?
4. What impact would it have?
5. The history of military coups in Thailand

in the BBC website. Just click and surf! :)

Study guide & revised answer slides now available

2006-09-15T10:33:00.000+08:00

Hi all!

The study guide for your end of the year exams is now available in your e-learning website. It tells you where you may wish to read up in your textbook to gain some content on the said topic. In essence, it is simply a skeleton guide but if you were to read it and put in the 'meat' and 'muscles' from other notes and worksheets given, you should be well-prepared for your eventual studies. Also in your website is a copy of the revied answer slides for your holiday assignment. There's only minor changes so please don't be too alarmed.

Supplementary on 13th Sept 2006

2006-09-14T17:34:00.000+08:00

Just to recapitulate the key learning points on wednesday's supplementary for those who attended, and to inform the rest some of the pertinent points to note of, here's a very short summary of what we did.

We watched Disc 1 of Discovery Channel's History of Singapore. In it, we basically learnt what the British did, and what the British did not do in its administration of Singapore. How did their governance transform the way we were was the essential question of the entire presentation of the video.

I also tried my best to do help you all do a mindmap of the content in the video during the showing itself. Hoped it was somewhat useful to you in being exposed to a method in which you can organize and summarize key contents.

Last but not least, we learnt some historiography. The study of history is no longer the study of the deeds of great men. With greater emphasis, we are looking into social and cultural history for example. With this in mind, we questioned some of the claims made in the video and asked ourselves whether those are reliable. We tried to check with our general knowledge and we tried to question the purpose. Although most, if not all, did not really understand how I thought out the answers, I hope it serves as an exposure to one of the most amazing facts in the world that if you think thorough enough, there will always be a revelation.

Is the session therefore useful or would you all prefer another way for supplementary lessons? Do kindly feedback :D

A comic?

2006-09-10T22:31:00.000+08:00

Let's see if this can work:

The above is a comic strip published in a Thai newspaper. What do you think is the message of the cartoonist?

Hopefully, with more pictures, the blog will not look as mundane as it is. lol!

Additional workbook ex 1...p.21

2006-09-05T19:39:00.000+08:00

Please turn to page 21 of the workbook.

Last, we managed to infer content about the author's opinion of the British governance in Singapore. Many managed to infer that the author's approved of the somewhat democratic system of governance set up.

Shall we now try to infer both the tone and purpose of that source?

Practice in Comparison answers

2006-09-05T16:08:00.000+08:00

When doing a comparison question, always remember that your primary task is to ask yourself whether you know what to answer. In the exercise given, the question asked 'to what extent'. This means that you must state clearly the ways in which the source is both similar and different.

Next, always remember to state explicitly the criteria you had used for your comparison. If you wrote a long description but did not say what the criteria of comparison was, you would have just hit level 1 of a typical Level of Response Marking Scheme (LORMS)

May I present to you a standard answer using the facts that Joseph had listed in the comments section: (Good job again Joseph. While I think you are quite quick in your thinking and had developed some skills in answering SBQs, you need to have training in your writing skills)

Source A and Source B is similar to a very small extent. Using source type, content, tone and purpose of the sources as the criteria for comparison, the two sources are only similar in content. Indeed, both sources talked of the importance of water to Singapore's survival. Source A for example states how Singapore can be pressurred by 'threatening to turn off the water in Johore'. Lee reiterated that stand when he said that Singapore needed water from Johore and reminded the people how the British surrendered when they learnt that they had no access to water.

However, Source A and B are largely different in other areas. First, they are different source types. Source A is a secondary source as Lee took a quote from Tunku's conversation with the UK high commissioner while source B is a primary source as it is Lee who wrote the book himself.

Second, they are different in tone. While Source A is highly threatening in tone, Source B presents a worried one. In Source A, Tunku states that if Singapore were to pursue any policies that would be deemed as detrimental to Malaysia, they 'could always bring pressure to bear on them by threatening to turn off the water in Johor'. In Source B, Lee questioned the ability of Singapore to survive given that Malaysia 'could station troops in Singapore, squat on Singapore and if necessary close the Causeway and cut off our water supply'. Indeed, he was worried that Singapore may not have the means to survive on its own.

Third, the purposes of the two sources are different. Tunku's warning to the UK High Commissioner was in reality a warning to Singapore, that the latter should not pursue any policies that would put Malaysia to a disadvantage. On the other hand, the purpose of Source B is twofold. Firstly, Lee wanted his readers to feel that Malaysia had the capability to bully Singapore. With this achieved, Lee can promote feelings of nationalism and ask Singaporeans to be prepared for threats in the future.

These two sources are therefore largely different in nature.

Holiday assignment using Workbook

2006-08-30T20:41:00.000+08:00

Page 70-74 was given as your holiday assignment. Please complete the pages as instructed.

Whenever I provide an answer or ask you to do another page for additional practice, I would start a new topic with the heading as the page of the workbook you should refer to.

Do enjoy your holidays. Having a one week break is better than having no break. When taking the break though, all i ask from you is about ten-twenty minutes per day to do the exercises and check this forum. :)

An appeal for answers: Practice in Comparison

2006-08-29T19:47:00.000+08:00

Instead of simply giving out model answers, I thought we can enhance the learning experience further by doing something more.

Hence, I am asking you folks to be daring enough to type some of the answers you have for the worksheets online. Doing so will not make you look stupid. In fact, you will benefit the most as I will be marking your work and commenting on ways you can improve your answers. The rest will still be able to learn a bit but I guess you will still be the biggest benefactor.

In this post then, may I ask you to post your answers for the practice in comparison worksheet? 2E3, you may start posting your answers first since you have got your worksheet already. Remember, while typing out your answers, you may wish to do it on a word document first so you can check for grammar mistakes and use the thesaurus function to find a better word to explain your stand.

Practice in Inference II

2006-08-29T18:41:00.000+08:00

The question asked you to infer about the racial riots using Source B. Although Morgan Chua's comics were drawn many years after the racial riots (hence it is a secondary source), it has a clear message for us Singaporeans.

Now, let us try using the framework that was given:

I can infer that the racial riots which broke out on the July 21st, was a riot between the Chinese and Malays. (This is Step 1: State your inference) This is because from Source B, we can see that the chinese cleavers are crossed together with the Malay keris. Also, we can find a pair of clogs and a songkok at the scene of the riot. (This is Step 2: Support your inference with evidence from the source)

I can also infer that the racial riots were violent in nature. (Repeating Step 1 as you made a second inference) Indeed, the pool of blood in Source B points out that many injuries probably occured during the riot. Some may even have lost their lives in the fight. (Repeat Step 2)

As the riot was a violent one between the people of Singapore, I can infer that the tone of the source is a sombre one. Although I know from my contextual knowledge that a curfew was imposed and that was why the streets are empty, I think the emptiness of the streets contributed to the gloomy atmosphere that the author is drawing. (This is Step 3: inferring tone and purpose if possible)

Such a gloom picture serves to remind us that we should remember this part of our history and pledge not to commit such a grave mistake again. I think that is the purpose of the cartoonist: To remind all of us that we are Singaporeans and a common people. Thus, we should not fight with one another. This is supported by what the author said in the source, "Beneath the skin, the blood is red"

NOTES:

- Remember to support your inference with evidence from the source whenever possible. Sometimes, the evidence for tone and purpose may not be telling. Look out then for words which may suggest to you their opinions and whether it is biased. Once you can infer the tone, it is quite easy to use that to help you understand the purpose as well.
- Generally, try to infer 2 points for content. Depending on the LORMS, you may get additional marks, assuming that you failed to infer the tone and content of the source.
- Always apply PEEL. Point (your inference), Explaination (Further elaborating on your inference), Evidence (Details from the source) and Link back to the question.

Hope it's a bit more clear now on how you can transform your thoughts into sentences. 2E3, I shall not be putting up the answers for 'Practice in Comparison' worksheet yet because I have not even given it out to the other two classes. Do check the page again on Thursday. :)

Practice in Inference worksheet I

2006-08-29T18:27:00.000+08:00

The worksheet was designed to aid you to infer content, tone and purpose of a source. Note that NOT ALL sources have tone and purpose. If there is none, do not force yourself to infer a tone or purpose.

Let us first look at Source A:

Evidence - We must not be at odds with one another.
Inference - The people of Malaysia was fighting one another. In this case, it was the Chinese and Malays (when we do a cross-reference with contextual knowledge)

Evidence - 'Those who have been misled by foreign elements'
Inference - Indonesia was involved.

Evidence - 'If we are divided, we shall all be destroyed'
Inference - Tun Razak was enraged with the riots. (Synonyms like angry and other inference like the source carrying a serious tone are fine too)

Evidence - If we fight one another, Malaysia will be destroyed and so will all of us.
Inference - Tun Razak was appealing for calm among the citizens. Furthermore he wanted the citizens to believe that their act of folly was due to foreign intervention. To save Malaysia then, they must refuse to be used by the Indonesians and stop the riots immediately.

Now, do not forget that we try our best to infer content and tone first before inferring purpose. If you do not know what the source is about, how can you understand what it is trying to say? Hence, don't force yourself to infer purpose immediately when given a source. Understand the content and tone, first before doing a cross-reference with contextual knowledge (e.g. what is the riots about etc) . You may not know it but the answer may just be staring at you afterwards! :D And do not forget to always support your inference with evidences FROM the source!!!

Common Test reminder (Note change in date)

2006-08-28T20:19:00.000+08:00

You are hereby reminded that there will be a common test on the THIRD week of Term 4.

Date: 28th Sept

Topic: Public Housing in Singapore

Test type: SBQs.

Do use the holidays to rest and recharge your energy. Yet, please do not forget to read up further if there are areas you are still unsure of.

All the best!

cheers,
chee keong

Model Answer for purpose worksheet

2006-08-28T19:59:00.000+08:00

Model Answer for Purpose in SBQ

I can infer from the source that the army hoped to instil a sense of patriotism to Singaporeans reading the advertisement. By promoting the ideals of loyalty, they hope to encourage people to join the army. This is evident from the choice of the words 'mud' and 'our soil'. Mud is often seen as something dirty and undesirable. By informing readers that the mud is actually the soil of the land owned by us Singaporean, the lowly task of leading a soldier life is transformed into something dignified and noble in nature. The eyes of the soldier are focused and the image exudes confidence and pride in what he may be doing. Such a positive tone will certainly help the Army to project a professional image and aid in their recruitment of the local citizens.

NOTES:
-
Many of you were able to infer the purpose but there is only a handful who were able to infer using details from the source. One of them was Kuan Jie (2E1), who wrote, "The purpose is to encourage more men to join the army to defend Singapore. The phrase 'our soil' tells that the soild is from Singapore. Thus, Singaporeans must try their best to defend it. Please note that in SBQ, you must always answer the question using details from the source.

I would also like to mention Edmond Soh's (2E1) answer. He wrote, "They want the audience to be proud of our defence forces and therefore glad that they can be a part of it when presented the chance. " This particular inference is quite good and he will certainly score high had he try to use information from the source.

Lesson to be learnt? Do not jump immediately to inferring purpose if you find yourself unable to do so. Try to infer the content and tone of the source first. :) Indeed, if say you couldn't infer successfully the purpose, you will simply get 0-1 marks if you did not infer some content or tone of the source.

Welcome!

2006-08-28T19:46:00.000+08:00

Welcome 2E1, 2E2 and 2E3!

In this small blog, you will be able to find 'model' answers for your worksheets and timely reminders for impending datelines.

I hope you will find it useful in terms of crafting your answers for both SBQ and SEQ. However, please be reminded that if you are to memorise the answers, thinking that it would arm you with sufficient skills in answering SBQs and SEQs; then let me say again that you are in danger of failing your exams.

The key is in reading the sources and understanding them to extract the relevant information you need. This requires thinking on your part. Presenting your thoughts would require a different set of skills and it is with the intention to help you in writing your answers that I provide some of the model answers you see here.

Otherwise, I think I shall not continue rambling. Please kindly leave your comments anytime you require some help. I will also try my best to type out some good answers from your peers.

Thank you! :)

regards,
chee keong