South Sudan

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 Contents

School-based Section 1:
What is school-based formative assessment?

formative assessment Section 2:

What is the Cycle of Assessment?

This booklet gives guidance to schools Section 3:

What is the difference between knowledge, understanding
and teachers on making assessments and skills?
in support of the new national Section 4:
curriculum. How do we find the opportunity to make formative
assessments?
It focuses on the school-based,
Section 5:
formative assessments that are made How do we make judgments about the Learning
as part of the ongoing teaching and Outcomes?
learning process. Section 6:
How do we use Assessment Information?
The new curriculum sets out clear
‘Learning Outcomes’ that focus on Section 7:
How should we give feedback to students?
deeper learning, higher order thinking
and competencies. This booklet will Section 8:
What Assessment Records should be kept?
help teachers make assessments in
these terms. Section 9:
How do we make end-of-year summative assessments?

Annex 1:
Assessment Examples

Annex 2:
Assessment Records

“Assessment is the process of gathering

and discussing information from
multiple and diverse sources in order
to develop a deep understanding of
what students know, understand, and
can do with their knowledge as a result
of their educational experiences; the
process culminates when assessment
results are used to improve subsequent
learning.”
Assessing Student Learning: Huba and Freed 2000
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Section One: New expectations for learning
need new assessment approaches
The new curriculum sets new expectations Knowledge can be assessed through written tests, but the
for learning. There is a shift from Learning assessment of skills and deeper understanding requires
different approaches. Because of this, the role of the
Outcomes that focus mainly on knowledge
teacher in assessment becomes much more important.
to those that focus on skills and deeper Their role is not to write tests for students, but to make
understanding. The new Learning Outcomes professional judgements about students’ learning in the
require a different approach to assessment. course of the normal teaching and learning process.
This booklet sets out how this should be done, and gives
guidance on using the new approaches.

What is School-Based Formative Assessment?

Assessment is the process of finding out what
a student has learned. When this is carried
out at the end of a year or semester, it is called
“Summative Assessment” because it sums up
how well the student has done.
However, it is much better
to find out how well a
student has done before the
end of the year, because it
is too late to do anything
about it when the year is
over...
It is most helpful to the
teacher to know how the students are doing during the
course of the year, rather than waiting to the end. That
way, the teacher is able to use assessment to decide what
a student should learn next, adjust their teaching to the
students’ learning, help the students as they go along,
and so teach more effectively. This form of assessment is
called “Formative Assessment”.
Teachers carry out formative assessments all the time as Prof Mark Zelman points out that when a cook
a natural part of their teaching. They ask questions, mark tastes the soup, that’s formative. When the
students’ work, and observe their students in the process guests taste the soup, that’s summative.
of learning. These everyday formative assessments
are not necessarily recorded, but they help teachers to
We talk about “School-based” formative assessment
understand how well students are learning and so to
because the assessments are made by the teacher as
react to the learning needs of their students.
part of their work, and do not rely upon externally set
tests or examinations. They are sometimes referred to as
Formative assessments are ongoing, and part “Assessment for Learning” (AfL) or even “Assessment as
of the teaching and learning process Learning”. These names suggest that assessment is very
much part of the learning process.

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The most effective formative assessments are “criterion- In the new curriculum, each syllabus unit sets out the
referenced”. That means that the students’ learning expected “Learning Outcomes” for that unit. These
is assessed against a specific criterion, which is usually ‘Learning Outcomes’ provide the criteria by which the
a description of what is to be learned. This is much assessments can be made. They are listed under the
more valid and useful than giving a numerical mark (for three headings of: Knowledge and Understanding, Skills
example 8 out of 10), a position in the class or a grade (A, and Attitudes. Here is an example from Primary 5 Social
B or C etc.). These numerical marks, positions or grades Studies Unit 2 about Physical Features and climate change.
are called “Norm-referenced”. This norm-referenced
information is useful for putting the students into rank
order, but not very helpful in deciding what they need to
learn next, or what they need to do to improve, or how
they need to be helped. For this, we need formative
assessment information that is based on clear criteria.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding Skills Attitudes
• Understand the processes leading to the • Use a range of resources to investigate • Appreciate the beauty of physical
formation of the key physical features of physical features and related processes features in South Sudan
South Sudan and Africa • Collect and interpret evidence that • Respect and protect the range of
• Know the effects of human activity demonstrates a change in climate in environments familiar and unfamiliar
on climate and the possible results of Africa to you
climate change • Predict the effects of climate change
• Draw and label maps that show physical
features in Africa and other continents

By using these Learning Outcomes as criteria for

assessment, the teacher can assess the students’
learning in terms of the statements in each column; for
example: Do they understand the processes leading to
the formation of the key physical features? Do they know
the effects of human activity on climate change? Can they
draw and label maps that show the physical features?
This form of assessment, made in the actual context
of the learning is often referred to as “Authentic
Assessment” and is considered much more valid and
valuable than setting written tests.
Using the Learning Outcomes in the new syllabuses to
make school-based formative assessments is part of a
wide process of using assessment to improve learning.
The process can be seen as a cycle.

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Section Two: What is the Cycle of Assessment?

The five steps in the Cycle of Assessment are: • Actual learning

• Establish learning outcomes • Collect and analyse data
• Develop assessment approaches • Use data to improve student learning

The five steps

Use of data to
improve student Establish
What changes need to be
learning learning Find these listed in
made to plans for future subject overviews
teaching and learning?
outcomes and units of work.

Collect Cycle of
and
Analyze
Assessment
Develop robust Assessment Develop
recording systems to Data assessment
collect assessment data
that enable you to analyse, Look for examples of
compare and evaluate learning assessment opportunities
against expected learning in the ‘Learn About’ sections
outcomes. Actual learning and of the units of work.
education experience

Be ready to assess alongside students

where possible.

This booklet focuses on three of these, and gives It is this cycle that enables formative assessment to
guidance on how to: impact on learning:
• Develop assessment • The syllabuses set out the learning outcomes
• Collect and analyse assessment data • The lessons seek to achieve these outcomes
• Use data to improve student learning • Assessment finds out whether or not the outcomes has
The other two steps are fairly straightforward: been achieved
• Establish learning outcomes: this has already been • This information guides the next steps in learning and
done in the syllabuses so sets new learning outcomes
• Actual learning and educational experience: are the And so the cycle goes round again.
lessons and other learning experiences that take place
in school.

5
Appling learing in
CREATING
Section Three: What is the difference between
knowledge, understanding and skills?

The “learning Outcomes” in the syllabuses are set out in terms of Knowledge & Understanding, Skills,
and Attitudes. It is not possible to assess attitudes in the same way as knowledge, understanding and
skills because they are more personal and variable and are long-term aspirations. This does not mean
that attitudes are not important. It means that we must value things that we cannot easily assess.

Therefore this guidance booklet focuses on knowledge, Each of these examples starts with a key verb. These
skills and understanding. Each has its own implications sorts of words help us to make assessments, and you will
for learning and assessment: find them in the ‘Learning Outcomes’ of the syllabuses.
Knowledge The retention of information Knowledge State, name, list, describe, label, write, What changes nee
be made to plan f
Understanding Putting knowledge into a framework of recall …. future teaching an
learning?
meaning – the development of a ‘concept’. Understanding
Use of data to Explain, compare, contrast, outline …
Establish Use
improve student
learning stud
Skill The ability to perform a physical or mental Skill
learning
Construct, perform, predict, investigate,
outcomes
act or operation interpret, carry out …..
So, to assess each of these we need to look for different Higher Order Thinking Skills
Collect
and
Collect and
things. Analyze
Assessmen
TheAssessment
new
Data
curriculum has been Develop
assessment
written to encourage
Develop robust
Knowledge is the easiest to assess because it is fairly students to develop ‘Higher Order Thinking Skills’. recording These systems to
collect assessment
straightforward to find out whether or not a student has are contained Actual in the
learning and
education experience
“Skills” column of the “Learning
data that enable you
to analyse, compare
retained some information: a simple questing can usually Outcomes”, and are illustrated in Bloom’s Taxonomy and evaluate learning
against expected
find this out. We ask them to name something, or state which divides learning into six ascending levels. The learning outcomes.

something, or label a diagram. For example: lowest level is remembering (which refers to knowledge)
and the second is understanding. To reach the higher
• Name the capital city of Kenya
levels, learners have to use a skill to apply their learning
• Label the parts of a flower in some way. This is illustrated in the diagram below:
• State the elements found in water
Assessing deeper understanding is much more difficult,
so we usually ask students to explain, compare or outline CREATING
Appling learing in
innovative ways

a process. This will give us some idea of the extent of Making judgements based on
their understanding. For example: EVALUATING a set of guidelines

• Outline the process of photosynthesis ANALYSING

Breaking the concept into parts
and understand how each part is
related to one another
• Explain what is meant my ‘metabolism’
Use knowledge and understanding
APPLYING in practical ways
• What is the difference between current and static
electricity? Making sense of what you have
UNDERSTANDING learnt
SKILLS are the ability to perform so we shall always
Recalling relevant knowledge
be looking for some action on the part of the student: REMEMBERING from long term memory

are they able to do something, can they carry out an

operation? For example:
• Predict the effect of climate change on ecosystems The new curriculum is aiming for the higher levels of
• Investigate the resistance of different materials in an Bloom’s Taxonomy, so assessment must be made at these
electric circuit levels. The key question is, “Are the students applying
their knowledge and understanding?” Without this
• Control the variables in a physics experiment
application, they will never reach the even higher levels.

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The new curriculum also draws on the analysis that has
been put forward by Norman Webb:

Level 1 Recall and reproduction

Recall of a fact, information or procedure
Level 2 Application of skills and concepts
Use of information or conceptual
understanding – two or more steps
Level 3 Strategic thinking
Requires reasoning, developing plan or a
sequence of steps, some complexity, more
than one possible answer
Level 4 Extended thinking
Requires an investigation, time to think
and process multiple conditions of the
problem.

Both of these analyses have been used in developing

the new syllabuses. The Skills sections of the ‘Learning
Outcomes’ are drawn from these higher levels.
Neither Webb nor Bloom saw their levels as relating to
the age of the student. Even the youngest student in
P1 can reach the higher levels. What makes it easier for
them is the simpler context of the knowledge that they
are applying. Young students think about and apply
simple things, older students think about and apply more
complex things. There is a good example in the Primary 2
Science Unit 2 about “Plants and Animals”.
We must take account of these levels of expectation
in our assessment, and look for examples of students
operating at the higher levels.

Having investigated the sorts of plants and small animals living in the local environment an expected
Learning Outcome is to: “Evaluate what would make the best habitat for a particular animal or plant”.
Even young children can work out that fish need water, birds nest in trees and frogs like wet places.
This is an evaluation in Bloom’s terms.

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 Section Four: How do we find the opportunity
to make formative assessments?

School-based formative assessment is a part of the normal teaching and learning process, and so the
assessment opportunities will also occur during this normal process. It is not something that needs to
be added on after learning; it is an integral part of it.

These opportunities occur in three forms. Dr Anne

Davies (Making Classroom Assessment Work 2011) called
ed to
or
these: Find these listed in
subject overviews and
nd units of work.
• Observation – watching students working (good for
assessing Establish
of data to improve
ent learning skills)learning
outcomes

• Conversation – asking questions and talking to students

(good for assessing knowledge and understanding)
Analyze
t Data
• Product – Develop appraising
assessment the student’s work (writing,

science report, maths calculation, presentation,

Look for examples of
map, diagram, model, drawing, painting etc). In this
assessment
opportunities in the
context, a “product” is About’
‘Learn seen as something physical and
sections
of the units of work.
permanent
Actual learning and that the teacher can keep and look at, not
education experience
something that the student says.
Be ready to assess

When all three are used, the information can be checked

alongside students
where possible.

against the other two forms of assessment opportunity.

This is often referred to as “triangulation”.

Observation

Triangulation

Product Conversation

Triangulation of assessment opportunities

To find these opportunities, look at the “Learn About’

sections of the syllabus units. These describe the learning
that is expected and in doing so they set out a range of
opportunities for the three forms of opportunity.

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Here are the Learning Outcomes from the Primary 7 Drugs Unit where the context is sports and games

English Primary 7 Unit 1: Drug Abuse

Learning Outcomes: Skills
• Listen with comprehension to a talk on drug abuse and understand the key points
• Give a presentation fluently on this topic, arguing their case convincingly
• Recognise how authors achieve their effect

To find the assessment opportunities for each of these, we need to look in the ‘Learn About’ section of the unit:

Learn about
They should listen to a talk from a health worker on the dangers of drug abuse and ask relevant questions.
They should work together in groups to identify the key messages that come from this reading and the talk, and turn these into a
presentation to the class on the dangers of drug abuse that argues the case convincingly. Their discussions should be about how to
be persuasive and convincing, and their presentations should include references to their source material.
They should read some fiction that deals with the issue of drug abuse and discuss how the authors achieve their effect through the
use of language. They should write their own fiction on this theme.

If we take the Learning Outcomes one at a time, and

compare them to the ‘Learn About’ section, we can see
that:
• To find out whether students can “listen attentively to
a talk on drug abuse and understand the key points”, a
teacher would observe the students whilst they “listen
to a talk from a health worker..” and ask some questions
(conversation) about the key points.
• To find out whether students can “Give a presentation
fluently on this topic, arguing their case convincingly”, a
teacher would observe the “presentation to the class”
• To find out whether students can “recognize how
authors achieve their effect” the teacher would listen
to the students “discuss how the authors achieve their
effect through the use of language” (observation) and
then read “their own fiction” (product) to see if they
can use these effects.
All of these opportunities – conversation, observation
and product – are contained in the ‘Learn About’ section
of the syllabus unit.

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Section Five: How do we make judgments
about the Learning Outcomes?

The key to making a judgement is to find a

context in which the knowledge, understanding
or skill can be demonstrated by the learner. In
the above example of an English syllabus unit,
the expected Learning Outcomes were that
students should be able to:
• Listen with comprehension to a talk on drug abuse and
understand the key points
• Give a presentation fluently on this topic, arguing their
case convincingly
• Recognise how authors achieve their effect
In order to apply these to observation, conversation or
product, the teacher needs to be clear where to look in
order to know whether or not a student has met these
expected outcomes. These are usually to be found in the
“Learn About” section:

• Have they understood the key points?

Context: The student would need to be able to refer to
the main points of the health worker’s talk

• Is their presentation fluent and convincing?

Context: The student is able to make a presentation to
the class that combines the health worker’s message and
their own research

• Do they recognize how authors achieve their effects?

Context: The student is able to refer to the effects in
discussion, and then use them in their own writing

In making the assessment judgement, the Learning

Outcomes need to be interpreted in the context of the
actual learning that is taking place. It is this context that
makes assessment “authentic”, and so more valid than a
test.

10
We could set out the Assessment Opportunities and the Contexts for this English Unit in a table:

English Primary 7 Unit 1: Drug Abuse

Assessment Opportunity (from the Learn About section)
Teachers observe students listen to a talk from a health worker
Teachers observe students working in groups and ask questions (conversation) to find out if they can identify the key messages that
come from the talk
Teachers observe the presentations to the class on the dangers of drug abuse.
Teachers read the students’ writing on the subject (product)

Learning Outcomes Contexts for the Judgement (what the teacher needs to look for)

• Listen with comprehension to a talk on drug abuse and • The student is able to refer to the main points of the health
understand the key points Worker’s talk
• Give a presentation fluently on this topic, arguing their case • The presentation combines the health worker’s message and
convincingly their own research
• Recognise how authors achieve their effect • The student is able to refer to the effects in discussion, and then
use them in their own writing

There are more examples in Annex 1.

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Section Six: How do we use Assessment
Information?

The cycle of assessment will only be complete if the information

gained is used to improve the students’ learning. Use of data to
improve student Establish
There is a range of ways in which it can be used, three of which learning learning
are outlined in 6.1 (above) and which have been mentioned in outcomes
Section 2:
• Amending programmes or teaching approaches where necessary
Collect
• Identifying students needing more support to meet the expected and
Learning Outcomes, Analyze
Assessment Develop
• Enabling students to understand what they have to do to Data assessment
improve

Actual learning and

education experience

Helping students to
understand what
they need to do to
improve Learning outcomes

Change the lesson Learning activity

Appling learing in
CREATING
plan innovative ways

Making judgem
EVALUATING a set of guidelin

ive extra support to What do we do with Assessment Breaking

ANALYSING and unde
student the information opportunity related to

Us
APPLYING in
The extra support to students includes: The ways in which the lesson plans or approaches can be
amended include:
• Further explanations and clarifications
• Practice sessions • More lessons on the topic UNDERSTANDING
• Re-grouping • Different materials or tasks
• Mentoring • Different lines of questioning
REMEMBERING
Enabling students to understand what they have to do
to improve involves giving them some feedback on how
well they are doing and what they need to do next.

12
 Section Seven: How should we give feedback
to students?
What changes need to Find these listed in
be made to plan for subject overviews and
future
Feedback to students is teaching
a key aspectand
of Assessment for units of work.
learning?
Learning. If students understand how well they are doing
Use of
and what they need to do next, they data
will to improve
learn better. Establish learning
student learning outcomes
Feedback can take three forms:
• Marking students’ work and giving written comments
• Making general comments to the class
•Holding a conversation with individual students
Collect and Analyze
Develop assessment
Assessment Data
It is the last ofDevelop
these robust
that is the most effective.
Look for examples of
recording systems to
Whether written or oral, feedback should be directed at:
collect assessment
assessment
opportunities in the
• Enabling thedata that enable
student you where they are in
to realize ‘Learn About’ sections
to analyse, compare
relation to the “learning outcomes”
and evaluate learning
of the units of work.
Actual learning and
against expected
• Clarifying misunderstandings, and filling gapseducation
in learning
experience
learning outcomes.
• Helping students to understand what they have done
Be ready to assess
well alongside students
where possible.
• Clarifying what they need to do next
It is important that feedback should be honest and clear
– but it should not be discouraging to the student. The
feedback should come as soon as possible after the
assessment (immediate) and be specific about what
the student can do to improve. After the feedback, the
student should know what they need to do to improve – Observation
this is often called “actionable feedback”.
Feedback should be:
• Encouraging
ments based on
nes • Specific
• Immediate
• Honest
g the concept into parts
erstand how each part is
• Actionable
o one another

se knowledge and understanding

practical ways Triangulation
Making sense of what you have
learnt Encouraging Specific Immediate Honest Actionable
Recalling relevant knowledge
from long term memory

Product Conversation

Triangulation of assessment opportunities

13
 Section Eight: What Assessment Records
should be kept?

Keeping detailed records of students’ individual progress

is always difficult with very large numbers of pupils. For
the purposes of school-based formative assessment, it is
not even always necessary to keep such detailed records
anyway. If feedback is give immediately and action is
taken, the learning is changed and the record would soon
become out of date and redundant.
Most formative class-based assessments are dynamic
in that they feed straight back into the teaching and
learning process. Therefore detailed records of these are
not appropriate.
It is possible to identify four broad groups of students in
terms of their achievements:

Descriptor
No Learning outcome achieved
Some LOs achieved, but not sufficient for overall compliance
Most LOs achieved, enough for overall compliance
All LOs achieved – compliance with ease

There is no need to set a test to find this out.

These overall assessments should be made on the basis
of the many formative assessments that the teacher
has made during the course of teaching the unit. If
teachers have been working with the students over the
course of the unit, they will be able to make a broad
judgment about which students have met or have failed
to meet the unit’s Learning Outcomes. These “Authentic
Assessments” will be more valid and valuable than a test
set by the school.
Recording these overall assessments will be simple,
manageable and yet valuable, and can be recorded on a
sheet such as the one below in which the categories are
indicated with a number.
Although a very simple process, these four categories will
give rich data when a comparison is made between the
students in each category for different subjects and units.
They will also identify easily those students who need
extra support or who may not be ready to move on to the
next grade at the end of a year (if this is the agreed policy).

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Section Nine: How do we make end-of-year
summative assessments?

The problem The solution

Written tests are seldom effective for assessing the If records are kept of the learning outcomes of each
deeper understanding, skills, competencies and syllabus unit through the year (Section 8, above) then
higher order thinking that are at the heart of the new there will be no need for an end of year test. Teachers
curriculum. This is especially the case for tests made up will already have a record of those students who have
by individual schools. It is possible to set questions that met the learning outcomes, and those who have not
address higher order thinking and deeper understanding, done so. Therefore teachers will know if there were any
but the techniques for doing so are very specialized, the students not ready to progress to the next grade.
questions generally require open-response answers and
An overall record should be made of the individual unit
the marking schemes are very complex.
assessments by subject in terms of the 4 categories in
Written tests are popular because they are easy to Section 8. If numbers (0-4) are used as identifiers, then it
administer to large groups, but they do not actually test will be possible to arrive at an overall number for a year
the sort of learning that is required in the new curriculum by aggregating the identifiers for each unit.

Descriptor Identifier
No Learning outcome achieved 0
Some LOs achieved, but not sufficient for overall 1
compliance
Most LOs achieved, enough for overall compliance 2
All LOs achieved – compliance with ease 3

In the example below, the table shows the end-of-unit assessment for six students.

English
U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 U8 U9 U10
Student A 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3
Student B 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2
Student C 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 3
Student D 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1
Student E 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Student F 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0

It can be seen from the above table that Students A and If this table is kept throughout the year it will enable
B have performed very well (there are several 3’s) and schools to identify students who:
have achieved overall compliance in all the Units. Student
• Are doing well in one subject but not another
C has achieved overall compliance in all but four Units –
and has improved considerably during the year (1s at the • Are doing well in one unit but not another
beginning 3s by the end of the year. Students D and F • Started off well but have not maintained their progress
have not achieved overall compliance in many Units (they
have several 1’s). We hope there will be no student like • Are doing very well overall
Student F! • Need extra support or guidance
The table also shows that students had more success with
Units 3 & 9 than with the other units.
15
For end-of-year summative purposes, it will be possible In the example below, the table shows the end-of-unit
to add up the identifiers for each unit and come to an assessment for six students. The range will always be 0-3.
overall score. If numbers (0-4) are used as identifiers,
then it will be possible to arrive at an overall number for
a year by aggregating the identifiers for each unit, and
dividing by the number of units.

English
U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 U8 U9 U10 Total
Student A 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2.8
Student B 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2.3
Student C 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 3 1.8
Student D 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1.3
Student E 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0.8
Student F 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0.3

The Subject Records can be averaged on an Overall If it were set at 1.0 in the above example, then Students
Record as below. The Total for each subject will need A to D would be seen as complying whilst Students E and
to be divided by the number of units. If necessary, an F would not.
overall compliance or ‘pass’ score could be set.

Overall Record
Class List English Nat Lang Maths Science Social RE The Arts PE Total
Studies
Student A 2.8
Student B 2.3
Student C 1.8
Student D 1.3
Student E 0.8
Student F 0.3

If the subject totals are aggregated, the range will be

0-24 for these eight subjects. If end-of-year summative School-based formative assessments are made as
assessments are being used to decide whether or not part of the normal teaching and learning process.
students should progress to the next grade, then a “pass” They take account of a range of information to
mark can be fixed (say, 10 in the above example). assess students’ learning and use this information to
This unit-by-unit approach is a more effective way of improve teaching and learning.
assessing students’ learning than an end-of-semester or
end-of-year test. This form of “continuous assessment”
also has the advantage of emphasizing to students the
importance of each unit.

16
Annex One: Assessment Examples

The following pages set out four examples:

• Primary 1: National Languages
• Primary 4: Social Studies
• Secondary 1: Chemistry
• Secondary 4: History

In each example, the first page sets out the Syllabus Unit from the new
curriculum. The second page of each example sets out a way of establishing for
that unit:
• Assessment opportunities
• Assessment Context

These examples illustrate the way in which assessing the Learning Outcomes in all
the other syllabus units can be approached.

17
Example 1: Primary National Languages
Syllabus Unit 1: Animals Around The World

National Languages Primary 2 Unit 1: Animals Around The World

Learn about Key inquiry questions

Learners should expand their vocabulary by listening to stories about famous • What are the main elements of a
animals around the world and participate as a group to discuss the stories and story?
to explore the main elements. They should be given opportunity to create
• How can you create alternative
new endings for the story.
endings to a story?
Students should use appropriate language to compare the differences and
• How can we compare, contrast
similarities between some of the world’s animals by looking at pictures of
and classify animals?
various animals and describing them. These animals can be classified into
various groups, such as those with 4 legs, those with fur, those that live on • Which details need to be included
land etc. to represent an animal using body
language?
Learners should be divided into teams and act out how different animals
behave. The other team can guess which animal they are acting out.
Learners should be given opportunity to draw an animal and use emergent
writing skills to write some phrases about it.

Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding Skills Attitudes
• Understand the elements of a • Show awareness of the listener by • Enjoy reading and writing, know
story such as main character, including relevant detail. that reading and writing is fun.
setting etc. • Begin to read simple texts with • Value the system of their language.
• Express opinions about a story accuracy and understanding. • Appreciate their own creativity and
read in class. • Build words from letters the creativity of others.
• Listen carefully and respond • Blend 2-5 taught letters/sounds to • Enjoy seeing their own ideas
increasing appropriateness. read unfamiliar new words made expressed in written form.
up of those letters. • Enjoy stories.
• Form up to 5 letters taught,
accurately and consistently in size,
both lower and upper case
• Use new vocabulary specific to the
topic of animals around the world.

Contribution to the competencies:

Critical thinking: Comparing, contrasting, sorting and classifying information about animals of the world
Communication: Reading and comprehending a story, speak clearly and communicate about around the world,
listening to and comprehending speech, using emergent writing to communicate ideas about animals around the
world
Co-operation: Working collaboratively to write a story, classify and sort pictures, negotiating with each other to write
a class story, contribute to environmental sustainability as they look at animals around the world
Culture: Build understanding of South Sudanese heritage in relation to the wider world
Links to other subjects:
Science: Learning about classification of animals
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Example 1: National Languages Primary 2
Assessment Opportunities and Criteria

National Languages Primary 2 Unit 1: Animals Around the World

Assessment Opportunity 1
Learners should participate in a group discussion with the teacher to explore a story and its main elements.
(Conversation). They should be given opportunity to create new endings for the story by acting it out as a
group (Observation).
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Understand the elements of a story such as main Conversation:
character, setting etc. (K & U) • Who are the characters?
• Express opinions about a story read in class. (K & U) • What happens at the beginning and the end of
• Listen carefully and respond increasing appropriateness the story?
(K & U). • What was your favourite part of the story? Why?
• Enjoy reading and writing, know that reading and • What different endings can you create for the story?
writing is fun (A).
• Use new vocabulary specific to the topic of animals Observation
around the world (S). • Are new versions of the end of the story relevant to
the rest of the story?
• Do learners use language and vocabulary that are
appropriate for the topic of Animals Around
the World?

Assessment Opportunity 2
Learners should be divided into teams and act out how different animals behave. The other team, together with the
teacher, can guess which animal they are acting out (Observation).
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Show awareness of the listener by including relevant Observation
detail. (S) • Learners should show awareness of relevant details
• Use new vocabulary specific to the topic of animals of various animals by using appropriate sounds,
around the world (S). movements and vocabulary to portray different
animals.

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Example 2: Social Studies Primary 4
Syllabus Unit 1: Technology

Social Studies Primary 4 Unit 1: Technology

Learn about Key inquiry questions

Learners should discuss and describe the impacts of technology on the ways • What is technology?
of life in the past and how it has shaped history. They should find out about
• What are the most important
these changes by studying a few key examples such as telecommunications,
impacts of technology on the
ploughs, steam engines, the printing press etc. They should explain the events
way of life of the people of South
that led to these advancements, considering how these technologies have
Sudan?
improved life for people or have improved industry and agriculture. They
should be able to explain to others the key benefits of these technologies that • Are there any new machines that
are of particular interest to them through presentations and stories. Learners you believe could be developed
should investigate life ‘before and after’ these technologies became regular in the future to help your
features of life by exploring first and second hand evidence and recounts. community?
As learners find out technological advancements, they should place the • What can you say about when in
related people (inventors?) and events within correct periods of time. To technological advancements took
begin with, this may be according to the lifespan of their families but should place?
build towards using the correct terminology for centuries etc.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding Skills Attitudes
• Explain the meaning of technology • Investigate why technological • Appreciate the benefits that
• Describe the impact of technology advancements took place technology can bring
on the people of South Sudan • Explore the effects on everyday life • Value the importance of continuing
• Know how to place events, people of technology today to explore how technology can be
and changes into correct periods • Correlate events , people and used to improve lifestyle, industry
of time changes against other aspects of and the economy
change in South Sudan and the
continent of South Africa

Contribution to the competencies:

Critical thinking: Coming to conclusions about the benefits of technology in our lives today
Communication: Sharing our learning with others and valuing the role that telecommunications and the internet have
in sharing learning and information
Culture: Develop an understanding of South Sudan heritage by knowing about how things worked before technology
changed the way we do things

Links to other subjects:

Mathematics: Compare and order numbers in order to place events, changes and people on a timeline
Science: Knowing about sources of electricity and how this powers technology; make simple machines such as a
windmill or waterwheel
Life Skills: Talk about interests

20
Example 2: Social Studies Primary 4
Assessment Opportunities and Criteria

Social Studies: Primary 4 Unit 1: Technology

Assessment Opportunity 1
Learners should investigate important technological advancements in South Sudan as set out in the ‘Learn About’
section. Learners should present documents and posters that describe these technologies. (Product) The teacher
should ask learners to share their presentations with each other, encouraging them to explain what they believe to be
the key features of technology that is of benefit to them. (Observation)
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Explain the meaning of technology.(K) Product:
• Describe the impacts of technology on the people of • Does the presentation outline features if technology
South Sudan.(K&U) clearly?
• State the key benefits of technology(S) • Does it identify the impacts of technology on the
people of South Sudan
• Does it state the key benefits of technology?
Observation
• What key words are used to define technology?
• How do learners explain their choices for the key
benefits of technology?

Assessment Opportunity 2
Learners should continue to investigate technology by exploring what events lead to these advancements. The
teacher should observe how learners use a range of resources in pairs to investigate how technology has improved
life in South Sudan in the present day. (Observation). The teacher should discuss with learners why they believe these
advancements were necessary and what other technologies may need to be developed for the future. (Conversation)
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Explore the effects on everyday life of technology Observation
today(Skill) • How do learners select key facts and information from
• Identify the events and changes against other aspect of the resources they are exploring?
change in South Sudan and the whole of Africa.(Skill) • How effectively do learners explain their findings to
• Investigate why technological advancements took each other?
place (Skill)
Conversation
• What impact on everyday life does technology have in
your community?
• Which of these do you believe to be the most
important?
• What source of evidence do learners select to show
the positive impact of technology on South Sudan and
Africa?

21
Example 3: Chemistry Secondary 1
Syllabus Unit 1: Separating Mixtures and Compounds

Chemistry Secondary 1 Unit 1: Separating Mixtures and Compounds

Learn about Key inquiry questions

In this unit students will be introduced to techniques of separating • How can we get pure substances
mixtures and compounds with emphasis on the processes of filtration from mixtures and compounds?
and crystallization or evaporation, sublimation, distillation and fractional
• Which techniques are most
distillation, use of a separating funnel and paper chromatography. They
effective for different mixtures
should be given the opportunity to use these techniques practically for a
and compounds?
range of mixtures and compounds and be asked to choose the appropriate
process for the mixture or compound to be separated. By using the • How you apply techniques of
techniques, they should obtain pure substances from a range of mixtures and separating of mixtures in daily
compounds. life?
They should design and carry out practical investigations involving the
separation of mixtures and compounds and their properties, and relate this to
their understanding of molecular structure so that they can explain why the
process is effective.
They should relate this work to practical and industrial processes such as the
refinement of oil, and make a presentation to the class on their findings.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding Skills Attitudes
• Explain why the techniques • Use appropriate techniques, • Appreciate knowledge of chemistry
of separating mixtures apparatus and materials to in daily life
and compounds work in separate mixtures and compounds • Develop precision and accuracy in
molecular terms • Record observations, taking measurements
• Link the concepts to industry, measurements and estimates
especially crude oil and interpret and evaluate
observations and experimental
results
• Make predictions about which
process will be most effective,
and propose hypotheses for why
they work
Contribution to the competencies:
Critical and creative thinking: through exploration of uses of common laboratory apparatus, investigation,
descriptions, explanation and experimentation
Communication: through presentation of group findings
Co-operation: through group work

Links to other subjects:

Physics: use of apparatus, separation of magnetic and non-magnetic materials
Mathematics: data collection and sorting out things, measurements

22
Example 3: Chemistry Secondary 1
Assessment Opportunities and Criteria

Chemistry: Secondary 1 Unit 1: Separating mixtures and compounds

Assessment Opportunity 1
Students should carry out the investigations suggested in the Unit “Learn About” and the teacher should observe the
groups at work, and discuss with them the methods they are using and the conclusions they are drawing (Observation
and Conversation).
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Use appropriate techniques, apparatus and materials Observation
to separate mixtures and compounds Students select appropriate apparatus and techniques,
• Record observations, measurements and estimates and and record necessary data
interpret and evaluate observations and experimental Conversation
results
• Why have you selected this technique?
• Make predictions about which process will be most
• Why do you think it will work?
effective, and propose hypotheses for why they work
• What would happen if you used a different technique?

Assessment Opportunity 2

Students should make their presentation orally and in writing and answer questions from the teacher and classmates.

Learning outcomes Assessment context

• Explain why the techniques of separating mixtures and Conversation
compounds work in molecular terms • What is the difference between a mixture and
• Link the concepts to industry, especially crude oil compound?
• Why can some compounds be separated by fractional
distillation, and others not?
• How is oil refined? What implications does this have
for our own oil industry?
• What other industries use these techniques?

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Example 4: History Secondary 4
Syllabus Unit 1: The French Revolution

History: Secondary 2 Unit 1: The French Revolution

Learn about Key inquiry questions

Learners should use variety of information to investigate the causes and • What were the causes of the
the impacts of the French revolution in Europe. They should work in groups French Revolution?
to examine the causes and the main events in the course of the French
• How can the major events in the
revolution and explore the reasons for and impacts of the ‘reign of terror’.
course of the French revolution be
They should assess the achievements and failures of the directorate described?
government in France after the French revolution, and give reasons and
• Why did the French revolution
evidence for their conclusions.
turn into the reign of terror?
They should work in groups to make a presentation to the class of their
• What were the achievements
findings.
and failures of the Directorate
Government in France after the
revolution?
• What impact did the French
Revolution have on the rest of
Europe?
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding Skills Attitudes
• Explain the causes of the French • Investigate the causes and effects • Appreciate the condition of people
revolution of the French revolution. that led to the Revolution
• Describe the major events in the • Analyse the achievements
course of the French revolution. and failures of the directorate
• Explain why the ‘reign of terror’ government after the French
occurred revolution.
• Identify the achievements and • Examine the circumstances that
the failures of the directorate resulted in the reign of terror.
government in France after the • Analyse the impact of the French
revolution. Revolution on the rest of Europe.
Contribution to the competencies:
Critical thinking: Using a range of resources to explore the causes and the effects of the French revolution in Europe.
Communication: Present to the class
Co-operation: work with a group to prepare a presentation

Links to other subjects:

Citizenship: through understanding the role of the citizen within the revolution
Peace Education: recognizing key causes of conflict

24
Example 4: History Secondary 2
Assessment Opportunities and Criteria

History: Secondary 2 Unit 1: The French Revolution

Assessment Opportunity 1
Students produce a written presentation on the causes, main events and immediate outcomes of the French
Revolution. (Product) At the end of each presentation, the teacher and the class ask questions (Conversation)
Teachers should ensure that all members of the group are asked a question at some point.
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Explain the causes and the impacts of the French Product
revolution in Europe. (K&U) • Does the presentation set out the main causes clearly?
• Describe the major events in the course of the French • Does it identify the main events in their logical order?
revolution. (K&U)
• Does it explain the reasons for the reign of terror’?
• Explain why the ‘reign of terror’ occurred
• Does it list the achievements and failures of the
• Identify the achievements and the failures of the Directorate with a judgement made about their
Directorate government in France after the revolution. significance?
(K&U)
Conversation
• Which were the most significant causes of the
Revolution?
• What were the reasons for the ‘reign of terror’?
• What were the most significant achievements and
failures of the Directorate? Why?

Assessment Opportunity 2
The teacher should observe the groups whilst they are engaged in the investigation set out in “Learn About”
(Observation). The teacher should discuss with each group how they are finding the information, which pieces they
are selecting, and how they judge the significance. (Conversation). Teachers should ensure that all students are asked
a question at some point.
Learning outcomes Assessment context
• Investigate the causes and effects of the French Conversation
revolution. (Skill) • What sources give evidence of the causes and effect of
• Analyse the achievements and failures of the the Revolution?
directorate government after the French revolution. • What evidence is there for the achievements and
(Skill) failures you have selected? (They should make
• Examine the circumstances that resulted in the reign reference to their sources to substantiate their
of terror. (Skill) judgements.)

25
Annex Two: Assessment Records -
Subject Unit Record

English
Class List Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 8
Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H
Etc...

Maths
Class List Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 8
Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H
Etc...

Overall Record
Class List English Nat Lang Maths Science Social RE The Arts PE
Studies
Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H
Etc...

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