2023 NCHS SS PRELIM ANS KEY

4E5N Prelim Section A Suggested Answer (NCHS 2023) SBCS 1. Study Source A. What is the message of the source? Explain your answer. [5] Suggested Answer Take note: Good answers should link to concepts mentioned in BI. Success Criteria The message of the source suggests that students ’ learning during COVID-19 is dependent of their socio-economic status (SES) (ATQ). This is shown in the cartoon where in the first panel, the girl has th e support and supervision of her mother and hence is better able to cope with the demands of virtual learning, as compared to the second panel where the boy clearly has difficulties learning at home, as represented by the messiness of his home and the caption “virtually impossible ”. The sticky note also states that “home after shift ends! love mom ” (Evi), which suggests that his mother is not able to be around to support and supervise him due to her work commitments. (EXP) ● ATQ ● Evidence 1 best line ● Explanation 2. Study Sources B and C. In what ways are the sources different in showing how COVID-19 affected students’ learning in Singapore? Explain your answer. [6] Suggested Answer Note: -Infer about the impact of COVID-19 on students’ learning -Successful Cross referencing (CR) Common Criteria -For this, no highest level Success Criteria Difference Para Both Source B and Source C are different (ATQ) as they do not support each other (LOR) in showing if students ’ learning has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Source B shows that learning has ● ATQ + Line of Reasoning (LOR) ● Common Criteria

been negatively impacted while Source C shows that learning has not been negatively impacted (CC). Source B states that “three children sharing one laptop in the living room may have more difficulty focusing on the assignments” (Evi), suggesting that learning for students with lower socio-economic status is challenging as they lack the resources and a conducive environment to do so (Exp). However (CW), Source C states the students have “become more self-directed and independent in their learning, and more resilient to disruptions” (Evi), which suggests that there have been merits to students’ learning arising from the COVID-19 pandemic (Exp). ● Comparison Word ● Evidence (x2) 1 best line ● Explanation (x2) Similarity Para Source B and C are similar (ATQ) as they support each other (LOR). Both (CW) sources agree that COVID-19 has reduced face- to-face learning (CC). Source B states that “Volunteer-run free tuition sessions for needy families have ground to a halt under the circuit breaker” (Evi), suggesting that such free tuition sessions have to be stopped to reduce interactions amongst people (Exp). Similarly (CW), Source C states that “There will be some impact on learning with the lost of conventional in-person schooling, especially the loss of CCAs and other informal interpersonal interactions ” (Evi), which