Things to look out for

Members of the Tivoli High School Team celebrate their win in the Creative Thinking Contest put on by the United States Peace Corps Gender and Development Committee. Tivoli won for its board game entry 'Choose A Career'. Brooke Dumain (right), chairperson and organiser of the contest, shares in the fun. The competition was held on June 16 at the Peace Corps, Worthington Avenue, New Kingston. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

You are back at school for the start of the new academic year, after the many weeks of summer holidays. I hope that the holidays were filled with fun and periods of relaxation for you. Those of you who are now in the fifth Form (Grade 11) needed this summer break since you now have to prepare for serious work this school year. Of course, you know that at the end of this school year, you will be sitting the external examinations. In fact, these examinations are just eight (8) months away so preparation for them should have already begun.

For those of you who have selected geography as one of the subjects for the examinations, I do trust that you have been working with the new syllabus. This became effective for the examinations held last May/June. You will, therefore, be the second set of students to be examined based on this new syllabus. May I advise you at the very outset to purchase a copy of the syllabus for yourself. As you are well aware, this is your guide in knowing what to do as you prepare for the examinations.

I would also like to recommend the following new text books which are aligned with the new syllabus:

(i) The Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography (New Edition) - Mark Wilson

(ii) Longman Geography for CSEC - Jeanette Ottley & Marolyn Gentles

To return to the matter of the syllabus, I would like to highlight the fact that it is now organised under four (4) main sections, namely:

Section I - Map Reading and Field Study
Section II - Natural Systems
Section III - Human Systems
Section IV - Human Environment Systems

The question paper is also organised to correspond with these sections of the syllabus and questions are to be answered from ALL sections. I find it necessary to state this as, unfortunately, many students failed to do this in the recent examinations. My close association with the examinations has allowed me to make this observation as well as others, which I will address in today's lesson.

The instructions are clearly written on the first page of the question paper but it would appear that many students did not bother to read them. So, although it may appear a bit early, this is a word of caution to you. You MUST answer FOUR questions and these are as follows. Question one is the Map Reading question that makes up Section A. At the same time, it is the only compulsory question. Along with Question one, you must do ONE question from each of the other sections. These are:

Section A - Natural Systems
Section B - Human Systems
Section C - Human Environment Systems

Students, there is no additional credit given to you if you choose to answer more than one question from any one section. Follow the instructions given.

In addition to students not adhering to the rubric of the question paper, there appears to be some uncertainty or total ignorance of the meaning of the KEY VERBS (or command words) of the question. A thorough understanding of these words is necessary if you are to give a correct response to the question. Permit me to share some of these with you along with their meanings. I have selected those that were given in the recent examinations.

STUDY

Look at the illustration (map, picture, table of figures etc.) to find the points that relate to the topic you are being asked about.

NAME

Write down carefully the item asked for, using a sentence if this makes your meaning clear.

DESCRIBE

Write down details about the object.

EXPLAIN

Write as fully as you can about the matter, as if you are addressing someone who knows nothing about it. Give an example.

DEFINE

Write the meaning of a particular term.

STATE

Write out in the form of a sentence the information for which you are asked.

LIST

Write, without making a sentence, putting the items one after the other.

COMPARE

Write down the points which are the same for the matters being discussed, and the points which are different.

In the next lesson, I will continue to comment on some of the weaknesses observed in the examinations.

Marjorie Henry is a vice-principal at Glenmuir High School and is head of the Geography Department. She teaches the subject at the CSEC Level.