The Citizenship and Social Development curriculum includes the Mainland study tour and related project learning, which provide opportunities for students to gain first-hand understanding of our country and learn to become independent learners.
Suggestions for planning the Mainland study tour and arrangement of related learning activities for students are provided below for schools’ reference.
Scheduling
Schools need to provide students with the opportunity to take part in the Mainland study tour during the three years at the senior secondary level. It is recommended that the study tour can be arranged at Secondary 4 or Secondary 5 when the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination is further ahead, and this allows more time for students to conduct project learning after the study tour. If schools have thoroughly considered students’ learning progress and believe that the study tour would not make a significant impact on students’ preparation for the HKDSE Examination, the study tour may also be arranged at Secondary 6.
As for the dates for organising the study tour, longer study tours (for example, four days or more) to the Mainland can be arranged over Christmas, Easter, end-of-year post-examination activities period, summer holidays and so on, while shorter study tours (for example, one to three days) can be arranged on school days and Saturdays.
Schools can also organise a one-day Mainland study tour in place of a picnic in Hong Kong for students at certain year levels on the school picnic day. Students at the same year level can set off in batches at different times (for example, some during the Christmas holidays and the rest during the Easter holidays). It may not be necessary for them to travel to the same destination (for example, some students participate in a study tour to Beijing while others to Shanghai). Overall, schools should plan the Mainland study tour as flexibly as possible while ensuring that they are administratively feasible.
Choosing a suitable Mainland study tour
The EDB will provide the Mainland study tour related to the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum, which schools can apply to join. One of the characteristics of these study tours is that the various spots to be visited and related activities include certain Chinese cultural elements, hence meeting the itinerary requirements for the Mainland study tour in the curriculum as well as providing input on Chinese culture for students to generate titles for their projects following the study tour. Further, the study tour also cover spots or learning topics pertaining to areas beyond Chinese culture, such as the experience in sustainable development in relation to environmental conservation, development of technological and creative industries as well as urban planning and people’s lifestyles. Academic seminars or visits to Mainland schools could be incorporated into the study tour depending on the circumstances to enrich students’ learning experiences and widen their exposure.
Schools could choose a suitable Mainland study tour for students in the light of their own contexts.
The following is an example of a study tour to Guangzhou. More than half of the spots and related activities cover Chinese cultural elements (Cantonese opera, Sino-foreign cultural exchange, revitalisation of industrial heritage, preservation of historic buildings, academic seminars and so on), while the rest of the spots cover other areas (waste management, urban environmental greening, urban planning, people’s livelihood and so on) to align with the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum and meet the itinerary requirements for the Mainland study tour. Schools could make reference to the itinerary when selecting and organising the Mainland study tour. The various student learning activities before, during and after the study tour set out in the following paragraphs are based on this Guangzhou study tour.
Itinerary Learning Focus
Day 1
a.m. Tour bus to
Guangzhou /
p.m. Cantonese Opera Art Museum
Understand the history and development of Cantonese opera, and explore the opportunities and challenges of preserving Cantonese opera Sacred Heart
Cathedral
Understand the architectural features of the Sacred Heart Cathedral and study the Sino-foreign cultural exchange reflected in them
Examine the government’s work on heritage conservation and its effectiveness taking religious buildings as examples
Itinerary Learning Focus Historic
buildings in the Shamian District
Understand the history of the Shamian District and the characteristics of the historic buildings there
Understand the government’s policy on conserving the historic buildings in the Shamian District and examine its effectiveness
Day 2
a.m. Guangzhou Xingfeng Landfill
Understand the handling of domestic waste and related facilities in the Mainland
Donghao Chong and Donghao Chong Museum
Understand the improvement work on the environment surrounding Donghao Chong undertaken by the Guangzhou Municipal Government and the related urban greening constructions
p.m. Chen Clan Academy
Understand the architectural features and artistic value of traditional Lingnan ancestral halls
Study the traditional Chinese family concept and its functions in the light of the origin of the construction of Chen Clan Academy, its architectural layout and its care for the members of the Chen clan
Academic Seminar
An overview of the conservation of the historical heritage in Guangzhou presented by Mainland scholars
Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street
Understand the daily lives of Mainland residents
Understand the special constructions of Guangzhou: the arcade buildings
Evening Sharing session in the conference room of the hotel
Day 3
a.m. Redtory Art and Design Factory
Understand the ways to revitalise the industrial buildings and the development of creative arts in Guangzhou
Zhujiang New Town
Understand the concept of central business district
Study the impact of Zhujiang New Town on the quality of life of Guangzhou citizens
p.m.
Tour bus back to
Hong Kong /
Learning activities before the study tour (this part is included in the 10-hour learning time)
10 hours of learning time is allocated to the Mainland study tour of Citizenship and Social Development for students to engage in the learning activities before and after the study tour flexibly (please note that the time spent on taking part in the Mainland study tour does not count towards the 10 hours of learning time). The learning activities before departure set out below are based on the Guangzhou study tour.
Teachers should arrange a briefing session before departure to introduce to students the spots to be visited and related learning activities during the study tour. Apart from providing an overview of the spots, teachers could draw students’ attention to those areas, which are worthy of note and reflection during the study tour. These include the cultural and historical considerations behind the construction of the Cantonese Opera Art Museum in the Liwan District of Guangzhou, the impact of the revitalisation of the historic buildings in the Shamian District for commercial use on historic buildings, as well as how to strike a balance between heritage conservation and commercial activities. These points for thought could arouse students’ interest in the study tour and help them generate titles for their projects.
Taking into account the spots to be visited during the study tour, teachers could design related worksheets before departure, which detail the preparatory activities, tasks during the study tour and reflections after the study tour, etc., to enable students to understand more accurately the requirements for the study tour and to enhance the effectiveness of the study tour.
After attending the briefing session and completing the preparatory activities set out in the worksheets, students should have a general understanding of the spots to be visited. Teachers could ask students to further collect relevant information on the Internet or from the library on their own, and determine the preliminary scope of enquiry for project learning. For example, the Redtory Art and Design Factory is one of the spots to be visited during the study tour to Guangzhou. If students are interested in exploring conservation by means of revitalising the industrial heritage as a creative industry park, they should read about the history of the development of the Redtory, the different means of revitalising industrial heritage, as well as the heritage conservation policy of Guangzhou in recent years so as to enrich personal knowledge and prepare better for the study tour.
Learning activities during the study tour
On arrival at the spots, students should pay attention to the explanation given by accompanying teachers and local tour guides, and engage in learning activities in accordance with the tasks set out in the worksheets prepared by teachers. Students should also make good use of their time and collect information on the spots through different means with a view to enriching the content of their projects. For example, students can take photos and film short videos from different angles, draw sketches or record documents (when taking photos of some spots or documents is not allowed), conduct short street interviews, as well as collect leaflets featuring the venues visited and exhibits. Students could even consider buying relevant books or publications, which are affordable to them for reference if necessary. Taking into account the content required of their project reports, they could also prepare their own log sheets for the study tour or a list of observation items for record purpose, which serves to provide input for the project reports to be written after the study tour.
Participating in the Mainland study tour is not a personal activity. Instead, it allows students to go through valuable learning experiences with peers from their schools or even other schools. There are lots of opportunities for exchanging thoughts and sharing information during the study tour. Accompanying teachers could arrange suitable activities during the study tour depending on the situation to promote exchange among students. For example, students could be asked to study materials related to some of the spots before the study tour, and play a role in briefing their peers in collaboration with local tour guides during the study tour. Alternatively, students could be made to collaboratively complete the tasks assigned to them.
Moreover, the evening sharing session on the second day of the Guangzhou study tour is recommended in particular. Students can start off by sharing their experiences and feelings during the study tour in groups. Each group then presents the salient points covered in discussions and responds to the questions or comments raised by peers.
Towards the end of the sharing session, teachers should consolidate the key points presented by each group and remind students of the points to note in conducting project learning. As the sharing session is meant to conclude the study tour activities, it is suggested to arrange the sharing session on the evening before the last day of the study tour.
Learning activities after the study tour (this part is included in the 10-hour learning time)
In accordance with the requirements of the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum, students are required to conduct project learning, which includes Chinese
cultural elements after the Mainland study tour. Students may review their learning experiences in the study tour with reference to the preliminary scope of study decided before the study tour. Taking into consideration their interests and abilities, for example, whether they can handle the scope of the topics, whether they can afford the time and expenses required of the projects and so on, they can subsequently set the titles for their projects and start writing their reports.
The project reports should include sections in which students demonstrate their learning during the study tour and personal reflections. In demonstrating their learning, students need to apply the skills they have mastered to systematically sort, analyse and present the information collected, and to put forward their observations and opinions from different perspectives. Students can also compare the Mainland and Hong Kong against the backdrop of similar topics to enrich and deepen the content of their reports. For example, students may select the conservation of the historic districts in Guangzhou as a project topic. Apart from analysing the spots visited (i.e.
the measures to conserve the historic buildings in the Shamian District and their effectiveness), students can also draw a comparison with the conservation of the historic buildings in the Central District of Hong Kong1 and explore what the two places can learn from each others’ experiences. Teachers can provide students with suitable guidance on the requisite knowledge for the project reports and the methods for analysing information. However, teachers should help students attain an appropriate level of mastery of these methods according to their abilities and avoid setting excessively high requirements. For example, the ability to process statistical data expected of senior secondary students should be based on the learning content of the Mathematics curriculum.
With regard to personal reflections, students can express their overall feelings about the study tour and what they have gained. These include the particular areas of knowledge of our country, which students have acquired subsequent to the study tour and project learning, the change in their impression after participating in the study tour, how the study tour activities facilitate their learning of Citizenship and Social Development, as well as the particular aspects of the development of our country for further exploration in the future to facilitate better life planning.
Students can present their project reports in different modes. Apart from written reports, students can also choose to demonstrate their learning in non-written modes, ______________________
1 The details of conserving the historic buildings in the Central District are available on the related web page of the Development Bureau:
https://www.devb.gov.hk/en/issues_in_focus/conserving_central/
including making models, producing audio-visual clips and creating web pages. For example, students can make a model to show the revitalisation of the historic buildings in the Shamian District of Guangzhou, or produce audio-visual clips to illustrate the stages of the development of Cantonese opera and the challenges of its preservation.
Assessment and Presentation of the project report
The Mainland study tour and project learning of Citizenship and Social Development are not part of the public assessment. Therefore, the assessment requirements are completely different from those for the Independent Enquiry Study (IES) of Liberal Studies. There is neither a standardised presentation format and word limit nor a set of assessment criteria for adoption in all schools. Schools may determine their respective assessment requirements with reference to their own contexts, and assess student performance in terms of the project content, organisation and structure, presentation of ideas, creativity, initiative, and any other aspects considered appropriate. Schools should also adopt suitable means of reflecting student performance of project learning, such as Student Learning Profile and school report card.
To enable more students to understand the development of our country, schools may organise sharing sessions for the student participants of the study tour to share their experiences by different means. If schools organise an open day or activities for their anniversary celebrations, exhibition boards or booths on the Mainland study tour could be set up to show students’ project reports to the guests, which will give students great encouragement.
Conclusion
The Mainland study tour is an important part of the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum. It should not be perceived as a choice for students or they will miss out on the precious learning experiences with their classmates. The learning activities and project work for assessment illustrated herein are suggestions only.
Schools should carefully plan the Mainland study tour based on their own school contexts to provide students with meaningful learning experiences.