Zistory SS Content Cheat Sheet

zistory! Upper Secondary Social Studies Cheat Sheet 1 Telegram: https://t.me/zivstory Not for sale.

zistory! Introduction Students as Informed, Concerned and Participative Citizens. According to the SEAB website, this line “reflects the philosophy underpinning the Singapore Social Studies curriculum”. Well, just like what many of you are doing now, Singaporean students view SS as a subject that you must study for, that you must memorise examples for, that you must regurgitate your knowledge for. This entirely defeats the purpose of SS! When I tell people that I don’t really study for SS (by that, I mean that I don’t force feed myself with examples to memorise the day before my paper), people think I’m just bragging. I’m not. SS is a dynamic subject , with many perspectives and colours. It isn’t like History and Geography, where you die-die must memorise details that are from your textbook. SS is flexible , you have to make sense out of the questions in order to ace them. It isn’t possible to get A1 just by memorising and force-fitting formats that you have prepared before the paper. This cheat sheet aims to guide you in revising your content for SS, but it is not meant to be an exhaustive list of examples and content points you must memorise ! Take my notes with a pinch of salt, and when in doubt, take a read at the syllabus document in the SEAB website! (Do note: For Sec 4s 2024 and batches afterwards, you are to find the 2024 version of the Combined Humanities Syllabus.) https://www.seab.gov.sg/home/examinations/gce-o-level/o-level-syllabuses-examined-for-sc hool-candidates-2024 I have included some examples and elaboration pointers that may be useful for especially your SRQ! Do use the examples if you find them useful, but if you don’t, just use your own, that’s fine too. SS is a subject where you can fully utilise what you read every day without needing to worry about whether the marker will accept your arguments. All valid ideas and examples will be duly recognised in SS. All the best for your future SS papers, and keep fighting! With a lot of well wishes, Zistory 2 Telegram: https://t.me/zivstory Not for sale.

zistory! Big Concepts in Social Studies ● Citizenship: What does it mean to be a citizen? ● Governance: What does it mean to have good governance? ● Trade-offs: Is it always a “black-or-white” dilemma where decisions must benefit everyone? Are they grey areas where there is some extent of compromise that benefits only most people? ● Citizenship & Governance: How do citizens and governments work together for positive outcomes? ● Identity: What shapes our unique identities? ● Diversity: How do we interact with people of various unique identities? ● Harmony: How can we preserve harmony amidst a diverse society? ● Globalisation: What does it mean to be globalised? ● Interconnectedness: How does globalisation tie people all across the world together? ● Interdependence: How does globalisation cause people all across the world to depend on one another? Good Thinking Frameworks when Analysing Societal Issues ● Causes: What caused a phenomenon to occur? ● Impacts: How does this phenomenon affect society? ● Responses: How do stakeholders, of varying backgrounds and scales, respond to this phenomenon? ● Effectiveness: What is the intended outcome of the policy? What is the actual outcome of the policy? Hence, how effective is the policy? 3 Telegram: https://t.me/zivstory Not for sale.

zistory! Broad Overview of Syllabus Content Extracted from SEAB website. Issue 1: Exploring Citizenship and Governance Inquiry Focus – Working for the good of society: Whose responsibility is it? Key Understandings ● Citizenship is varied and complex . ● Government is a political institution with important functions and roles to govern. ● Different groups of people in society have differing needs , interests and priorities , and experience unequal sharing of costs . Managing these differences often requires trade-offs to be made . ● Both citizens and government can play complementary roles in working for the good of society. Issue 2: Living in a Diverse Society Inquiry Focus – Living in a diverse society: Is harmony achievable? Key Understandings ● Identities are diverse and complex . ● Living harmoniously in a diverse society means respecting our differences and appreciating what we share in common . ● People respond to diversity in a variety of ways to achieve harmony . Issue 3: Being Part of a Globalised World Inquiry Focus – Being part of a globalised world: How can we respond to globalisation? Key Understandings ● Globalisation shapes the interconnections and interdependence among countries and people . ● Globalisation creates impacts in the economy , culture and security . ● The impacts of globalisation result in differing responses from countries and people . 4 Telegram: https://t.me/zivstory Not for sale.

zistory! The Detailed Skeletal Structure of your Syllabus Content Content points extracted from SEAB website; examples and further elaboration are compiled by myself. Chapter 1: Attributes can shape one’s understanding of citizenship. ● Legal status entails ○ Rights e.g. SG: Right to practise religion freely & right to education → Constitution outlines citizenship rights → Assures citizens that the state protects their well-being → Ensures that no citizen is discriminated against → Builds their sense of belonging to the nation ○ and obligations e.g. NS in Singapore → Connected to other members of the community → Can contribute to the good of society and advance the country → Brings about progress and harmony in the nation ● A sense of identity e.g. Identity of racial diversity in SG → A sense of shared identity among people of the same country → Comes from a shared belief of connectedness to one another → Strengthens belonging to the country, building camaraderie between citizens. ● Shared values e.g. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Japanese fans were seen using plastic bags to clear litter at the end of the football match between Japan and Columbia. (shared value of civic-mindedness) → Values influence people’s thinking, attitudes and actions → Shared values can give rise to common priorities, decision-making, and beliefs → Builds stronger relations among citizens ● Civic participation ○ as individuals e.g. Mr Andy Teo’s Temporary Academic Assistance (TAA) ○ and as community groups - Informal groups e.g. GoodHood.SG by Mr Nigel Teo and friends - Formal groups (NGO) e.g. Zero Waste Singapore - Formal groups (SSA) e.g. SG Enable To consider the following: ● In your opinion, which attribute best encapsulates the complex idea of citizenship? ● In your opinion, do citizenship rights outweigh obligations in shaping one’s perception of one’s own nation? ● In your opinion, are community groups more important than individuals in contributing towards civic participation? 5 Telegram: https://t.me/zivstory Not for sale.

zistory! Chapter 2: Functions and roles of government in a representative democracy. ● Functions of government ○ Makes and passes laws (Legislature) e.g. COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act that made mask-wearing compulsory by law. ○ Implements and enforces laws (Executive) e.g. Several government agencies like LTA, NEA, NParks and the SPF were issued a letter of appointment by the Ministry of Health and involved in enforcing the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. ○ Interprets and applies laws (Judiciary) e.g. A woman sentenced to two weeks’ jail and fined $2,000 for failing to wear a mask as well as being a public nuisance during COVID-1