Use of layered decision making activities to ensure progression at Key Stage 4

Stretch and challenge

Self direction

Creativity

High challenge that matches skills

Short feedback loops

Motivation and rewards

Choice starters

Decision making and conflict management

Crisis management

Collaborative group work

Use of same AFL strategies through one lesson

Open ended question starters

Linking concepts

Peer and self assessment

Continuous targeted questioning

Choice activitiesIntrinsic motivation

Co-construction

Creation of solutions e.g. weather suits

Challenges

• Increases in knowledge content at Key Stage 4 – 2012 and 2016• Exams requiring students to interpret an increasing array of resources and skills

and building them into demonstrating conceptual understanding• Huge time constraints

Layered decision making• Students drip-fed information• Required to assess and demonstrate progression through failure• Individual-paired-group work in a mixed ability setting (targets E-A*) in

order to interpret a wide range of resources• Introduction of scaffolds to encourage the inclusion if evidence in written

responses• Designation or roles to encourage students to consider processes through

the view of a wide range of stakeholders

3. What questions do you need to ask to find out more information?

2. What can you infer about the image?1. Describe the image – what can you see?

A consortium of fast food chains and a well established Brazilian logging company have bid for a 1000 hectare space of rainforest in north eastern Brazil in which to herd cattle and collect wood for timber products. What would be your initial thoughts on this proposal?

Developing requirement to interrogate evidence

Initial independent brainstorm:

What do students know already?

What impact do the processes they are already aware of have upon the proposal?

70% of all medicines contain ingredients found in the Amazon, including drugs used to treat cancer and malaria

1 in 10 animals species live in the Amazon. It is the most biodiverse place on Earth.

There are 400 discovered Amazon tribes and possibly hundreds more undiscovered tribes. They rely on the rainforest for shelter and food

There is daily heavy rainfall in the rainforest. Without forest cover, the rain will beat down on the soil

GNP per capita ($) Brazil 1970-1996 Amazon deforestation 1988-1996

There are thousands of landless farmers in Brazil, living below the poverty line

Questioning:• Thoughts so far• How does the evidence support this opinion?• Strongest piece of evidence?

Paired work:

Allows them to make a decision based on their opinion

Building in use of the evidence:Which evidence supports their opinion?What does the evidence tell them?Why is it a pertinent piece of evidence?Choice in the resources used

• ALL will describe the location of the some tropical rainforests and will describe impacts of human use (D)

• MOST will describe the distribution of rainforests and explain the positive or negative impacts of human uses of the rainforest (C/B)

• SOME will analyse a wide range of evidence and consider a wide range of opinions to draw detailed conclusions about the impacts of deforestation (A/A*)

In your groups, you have each been given a stakeholder:

• Greenpeace representative• Kayapo Indian representatives• Government finance minister• Brazilian forestry workers union

You must use the evidence provided in your envelope to complete your worksheet – brainstorm the reasons behind your groups opinion and prepare a short speech using the success criteria

15 minutes

Should the Boa Vista cattle ranch and logging reserve be approved?

Creates conflict and fear of failure as some students are asked to represent a different opinion to the one they are comfortable with

Interrogate the evidenceUse the evidence to explainPeer assessment of structure/work so far BEFORE debating viewpoints

• ALL will describe the location of the some tropical rainforests and will describe impacts of human use (D)

• MOST will describe the distribution of rainforests and explain the positive or negative impacts of human uses of the rainforest (C/B)

• SOME will analyse a wide range of resources and consider a wide range of opinions to draw evidence based conclusions about the impacts of deforestation (A/A*)

10 minutes to hold your committee meeting:

1. Discuss each others statements and ask any questions you feel are necessary.

2. One person should take notes on the crib sheet as this will be photocopied for your revision notes

3. By the end of the 10 minutes you must have made an evidence-based decision

Split the information in your packs into the following interest groups:• Person 1 and 2 – factory worker• Person 3 and 4 – factory owners• Person 5 and 6 – clothing companies

Read through the information. Choose 2 courses of action, rejecting one. Be prepared to EXPLAIN your decisions

• ALL will work as part of a team to design a clear code of conduct (L4)

• MOST will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others in order to design a code that meets the needs of several interest groups (L5)

• SOME will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others to evaluate their code (L6) and to successfully address any issues (L7+)

Multi-layered decision making

As a group of 6, you now have to come up with 4 rules for a clothing factory ‘code of conduct’. These must meet the interests of all of the groups.

They can be some of your existing rules or you can create your own. Your roles will be as follows:1. Spokesperson 12. Spokesperson 2 3. The chair 4. Is the note-taker5. Time keeper6. The facilitator

• ALL will work as part of a team to design a clear code of conduct (L4)

• MOST will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others in order to design a code that meets the needs of several interest groups (L5)

• SOME will express their own opinion and listen to the views of others to evaluate their code (L6) and to successfully address any issues (L7+)

Rate your role in the previous 2 group discussions 1 = not at all 2 = a little3 = somewhat4 = often5 = consistently

“What can we do about the Pound shops on East Ham High Street?”

A 2011 government study into the decline of the UK high street found that many chain and high end stores were moving out of the UKs high streets.

Many were replaced by ‘Discount Stores’

The study found that whilst these stores provided some benefit to those on low incomes, discount stores did little to help the economy of each area

Newham was one of the area's named with a particularly high proportion of discount stores

Practising using knowledge of local area

The options....

Place a limit – pound shops

cannot make up more than 10% of

any High Street

Offer high end stores incentives to open up stores on

the High Street

Encourage specialist shops

that do not exist in the local area to

open like the Doctor Who shop

Your task is to form a planning team. You will explore solutions to the issue, pick one and prepare a proposal for the local government

You will be given various pieces of evidence and will have to work together to agree on a proposal

What skills will you need to display?

Team work – your decision needs to be unanimous. You also have a large amount of evidence to sort through in a short space of time.

Do you know each others qualities in order to work out who should be doing what?

Analytical– can you study different pieces of evidence thoroughly and work out how they will help you to solve an issue? Can you

identify bias in evidence?

Problem-solving – can you come to the best conclusion based on the evidence? Can you overcome obstacles in your way e.g. Problems with the evidence, disagreements in the group?

Persuasive – how can you use language, presentation skills and evidence to persuade others to agree with your decisions?

• Scan in completed weather assessment – individual decision making and justifying