GMSS SS 2021 ANS

1 SEC 4E SOCIAL STUDIES PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2021~MARKING SCHEME~Section A (Source-based Case Study)1Study Source A.Why was the source published? Explain your answer.[5]L1Answers based on misinterpretation / lifting / paraphrasing / not answering question directly E.g. The source tells me that Kampung spirit is disappearing in Singapore. (This is considered as lifting. There need to be some form of extension here. See below on “warn” and “danger”.) 1L2Answers based on superficial use of provenance and simple logicE.g. The source was published because the blogger loved everything old school and wanted to reminisce about the past.E.g. The source was published because the blogger wanted to talk about void decks which she loved.E.g. The source was published because the blogger wanted us to remember the void decks. 2L3Answers based on sub-messageAnswers that focussed only on interpreting the importance of void decksE.g. The source was published because the blogger felt that it was a pity that Singaporeans were not using the void decks as well as they had before/ the blogger was lamenting about the use of the void deck. This is evident from source “There used to be liveliness and vibrancy when we walk into any void deck, regardless of the time”. 3L4Answers based on context/message/intended outcome of sourceAward 5 marks for a well-developed answerThe source was published because the blogger wanted to warn Singaporeans of the danger of disappearance of the Kampung spirit in Singapore.[Message/Context] The void decks were envisaged as a communal space for Singaporeans to interact and communicate as they had done in the past. The blogger hoped to encourage the revival of this Kampung spirit in Singapore through better use the void decks. [Outcome]Other possibilities: (i)Bemoaned the loss of the Kampung spirit.(ii)Wanted to revive the Kampung spirit/ sense of community/ neighbourliness between different racesNote: In this question, message and outcome are not as clear-cut. It all depends on how a student frames it. We should base our award of marks on how an answer is put across. 4-5 2Study Sources B and C.

2 Do you think the blogger in Source B would agree with the cartoonist in Source C? Explain your answer. [6]L1Disagree based on provenance/ source typeE.g. The blogger would not agree with the cartoonist as they had chosen different medium.1L2Agree based on topicE.g. The blogger would agree with the cartoonist as both talked about void decks.2L3Disagree based on false matchingE.g. The blogger would disagree with the cartoonist as the blogger wrote about metal barriers and spikes while the cartoonist did not draw any of these.E.g. The blogger would disagree with the cartoonist because the blogger talked about optimising land use such as building childcare and elderly centres but the cartoonist did not.3L4Agree based on content similarityAward 5 marks for a well-developed answerE.g. The blogger would agree with the cartoonist because both thought that the reasons for vanishing Kampung spirit was due to various decisions to ban activities in the void decks. This is seen from Source B which states “Three years ago, metal barriers and spikes were installed on walls, ceilings, and floors. This was to discourage ball games, as well as prevent people (mostly, the homeless) from sleeping in HDB void decks. Void decks are also growing smaller as newer estates focus on optimising land use. Space is also taken away for childcare centres and elderly centres.” Source C shows the red ban sign as the culprit.Also possible:Agreement based on who is responsible for the decline in Kampung spirit, ie, HDBE.g. The blogger would agree with the cartoonist because both thought that our void decks were not what they used to be. From Source B, “Is there anything more Singaporean than going to lepak in void decks? Back in the day, you could see barefoot kids playing soccer in the afternoon or badminton and chess. At the other side, ah mas and ah gongs would be playing ping pong; those are just memories we play back in our heads, today.” In Source C, there was nothing but a cat under the void deck. 4-5 L5Agree + Agree based on content similarityAs above.Or Agree based on the attitude/viewpoint of both blogger and cartoonistAward this level only if there is explicit comparison of attitude of producers of the 2 sources. Otherwise, answers should only be reviewed at content levelE.g. The blogger would agree with the cartoonist as both carried the same 6

3 viewpoint with regard to the vanishing Kampung spirit in Singapore. They are both critical about various decisions to ban activities in the void decks which have resulted in less interactions among neighbours living in a HDB block and hence the reduction in community spirit.3Study Sources D & E.Having read Source D, does Source E show that Singaporeans like Kampung living? (Note: No cross reference is necessary. Only Sources D and E are about Kampung living. The others are about void decks and Kampung spirit.) [7]L1Answers using source content but failing to address questionE.g. The sources appear to be the same as both talk about Kampung spirit / reminisce about the good old days in Singapore / show longing for the Kampung days. 1L2Shows or does not show based on typicality of Sources D and EE.g. Source E does not show that Singaporeans like Kampung living. It is just one source based on the experience of one writer and hence cannot prove that Singaporeans like Kampung living. She had lived in one in the 1950s-70s. Not all Singaporeans have the same experience.E.g. Having read Source D, Source E shows Singaporeans like Kampung living because we have two sources that seem to share the same viewpoint. (Note: Students have failed to use source content here.)2L3Shows or does not show based solely on Source EAward 4 marks for answers covering both sidesE.g. (Having reading Source D,) Source E shows because it shows the writer’s longing for the Kampung days. From the source, her Kampung days were “rich in spirit” and had “precious qualities of resilience and sense of community”. There are truly things that are good in the past, which she wanted to return. Hence, this sense of nostalgia in the source is proof of Singaporeans’ longing for Kampung living.E.g. (Having read Source D,) Source E does not show because Kampung life seems so backward and underdeveloped. This is clear from the source, “Kampung life was full of hardships and deprivations… Throughout those years, my family never had a tap in our house nor a telephone… We always had to share our toilet and bathroom with our neighbours.” Singaporeans cannot do without the material comforts. 3-4 L4Shows based on both Sources D and EE.g. Having reading Source D, Source E shows because it highlights the writer’s longing for the Kampung days. From the source, her Kampung days were “rich in spirit” and had “precious qualities of resilience and sense of community”. There are truly things that are good in the past, which she wanted to return. Hence, this sense of nostalgia in the source is proof of Singaporeans’ longing for Kampung living. This is fully echoed in Source D, which states that there are those among us who still dream of the good old Kampung days of slow-paced living. It was an era of close bonds of love and friendship between all races. More significantly, there was a true sense of family ties, and family picnicking was the best-loved recreational activity during the weekends and the holidays.”5

4 L5Implicit or explicit use of content and provenance of Sources D and E with understanding of the similarity in intent of both SourcesE.g. Having reading Source D, Source E shows because it highlights the writer’s longing for the Kampung days. From the source, her Kamp