GCSE Science is Changing

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GCSE Science is Changing
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GCSE Environmental and Land-based Science

• Continuity fromGCSE Rural and Agricultural
  ScienceGNVQ Land and Environment
• Taught as stand-alone qualification, or as an
  Additional Applied Science (after/alongside GCSE
  Science)

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QCA Approved!
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Assessment

• Unit tests externally set and marked tests
  taken on screen - available in January and June
• Coursework portfolio, saved electronically

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Content units

• Candidates study 3 units
• Unit 3 Management of the Natural Environment
• And 2 others chosen from
• Unit 1 Plant cultivation
• Unit 2 Amenity horticulture
• Unit 4 Care of animals
• Unit 5 Livestock husbandry

Intended to appeal to rural schools, including
those with farm units, links with agricultural
colleges etc., as well as urban schools
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Vocational links
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(No Transcript)
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Computer-based tests

• Each comprises
• Objective questions 10 marks
• Short answer questions 12 marks
• Data analysis question(s) 6 marks
• More extended writing 8 marks
• Each test carries 36 marks, in 45 minutes, set in
  two tiers - Foundation and Higher

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Testing arrangements

• Test is delivered to the Centre electronically
• Provided to candidates using Centres network
• Candidates answer on screen (NOT on line)
• Competed test returned electronically to OCR
• Marked by OCR examiners
• Available in January and June sessions
• Unit 3 examined in June 2007

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Coursework portfolio
Designed to develop skills for use in the Land
and Environment Sector

• Practical Skills 12.4
• Work-related report 14.7
• Investigative project 22.9

Internally assessed (by the teacher) and
externally moderated
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Coursework portfolio, saved electronically

• Able to include a wide variety of digital
  evidence (text, pictures, video, sound, computer
  graphics, power-points etc.)
• Can be accessed easily by the teacher and the
  student
• No paper!

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Practical skills

• Marks for 3 skills are submitted from each of the
  3 units studied (candidates may attempt as many
  as they like)
• Each skill marked out of 3 total of 27
• Video or photographic evidence from at least 5 of
  these stored electronically within the
  portfolio

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Examples of practical skills
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Work-related report

• Report written in the context of one of the
  chosen units
• Related to a particular workplace the running
  of an enterprise
• Stored electronically
• Assessment under 4 headings
• Information sources 8 marks
• Description of workplace 8 marks
• Scientific knowledge and skills 8 marks
• Quality of presentation 8 marks

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Work related report - details

• Assignment might arise from
• Work experience
• A visit or series of visits
• School-based mini enterprise
• Or where these are not possible, from
• Information-based research
• Or a combination of these
• Report might include information in the form of a
  news article, power-point presentation, video
  clips

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Investigative project

• A scientific study related to one of the chosen
  units
• Can be
• experimental work
• a livestock study
• ecological work
• work based on an enterprise or business
• Stored electronically as part of the portfolio

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Examples of possible projects

• Planting density in relation to crop yield
• Effects of spraying crops
• Fertiliser trials
• Shoreline ecology
• Land use survey

Assessment (marked out of 52)
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Pathways
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OCR will support you

• Virtual Cluster Groups and Coursework
  Consultancy
• Teaching guidance and exemplars
• INSET meetings

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Why choose OCR?

• Pedagogy underpins content and assessment
• Coursework assessment of work done during the
  course
• Avoidance of unnecessary repetition
• Support
• Innovative applied approach
• Development of relevant skills for the land and
  environment sector

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What next?

• Join our e-community
• www.gcse-science.com
• You can access specifications, presentations,
  support documents, details of INSET meetings, a
  forum, a registration page etc.
• Register your intention to use the specification
• Look out for a consultation questionnaire end
  of June
• Tell us if you are willing to trial exams in the
  autumn