A Breakdown of the CSEC English A SBA

THE SBA OUTLINE 

Students will be in groups of 4 or 5.

FUNCTION OF THE GROUP

I. Students will assist each other by proof reading each other’s work
II. Have group discussions and brainstorm ideas
III. Assist each other in research
IV. Write the written report together

NB: Group work is not optional. It is a part of the process of the SBA. Students and/ or teachers can create a
number of themes (drug abuse, violence against women, natural disasters, etc). Themes can also be created by
students based on their interests. Each group will select a theme. Each student in the group will select a sub-
theme based on the group theme. Teachers can guide students to identify sub-themes through brainstorming the
theme.  
For example: The Main Theme: Drug Abuse

The Sub-Themes can be:

* drug abuse treatments

* the effects of drug abuse
* how drug abuse contributes to crime
* how drug abuse affects teenagers

RESEARCH
After sub-themes have been selected, students will now find their three (3) pieces of data/artefacts that further
explains the theme. These pieces of data (artefacts) can come in the following formats: a document (articles,
tables, pictures, audio (a recording), video, an interview etc). Student will select materials that they can write a
reflection on.

One of the three pieces must be print. Your audio can be placed on a CD or Flash Drive

Students should not do any interviews or questionnaires for this research. 

PLAN OF INVESTIGATION (100 words)
This is an individual task that is worth 5 marks. It should comprise of 100 words. It is an introduction to the
topic/issue/theme. It answers the following questions:

1. What is your chosen theme and sub-topic?

2. .Why did you choose this issue/topic/theme?
3. What are the expected benefits to you as a student of English? Consider how it will impact your
vocabulary, knowledge, research skills, discussions and other aspects of your performance in English.
4. How do you plan to collect relevant information on your issue/topic/theme and use specific English
skills to analyse the pieces? Overall, this section gives an overview of the general direction the SBA will
take. Once you are finished with your plan of investigation, then you should start writing your
reflections.

SAMPLE PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

NOTE: Please note that this sample is by no means prescriptive (or standard) but should be used as a guide.

My group and I have chosen the theme skin bleaching. I will be focusing on: The negative effects of skin
bleaching because I would like to know more about its negative effects, so I can educate my friends and family
about the dangers of this practice, so they can avoid doing it.

Engaging in this research will build my vocabulary because I will encounter different words and terms during
my research. My written expression and comprehension skills will also improve.

I intend to gather information for my topic by visiting the library and browsing the internet for articles, poems
and pictures on my topic and consulting YouTube for potential videos. I aim to use an online article, a picture
and a YouTube video that show the effects of skin bleaching for my pieces. These pieces will be further
analysed by identifying the writer’s techniques, devices and evaluating how these are used to achieve the
purpose of the pieces. All this will be done to see how the pieces contribute to the overall theme and my sub-
topic.

(176 words)

REFLECTION (5 MARKS- 450 words in total)

Students will then write their reflection of how the document/ artefact shaped their thinking about the sub-topic
they are exploring. Students will then examine how the language helped them to further understand the sub-
theme/topic. Students will write THREE entries in which the student reflects on the issue/topic/ theme/ event
selected should be completed in their portfolio. The final piece of reflection should state how doing this SBA or
Sub-theme helped the student to become a better person or improved his/her attitude. (This can be done at the
end of the year.)
The entire group will have 12 or 15 pieces of data/artefacts in total. Students must use their own pieces of
material. Students should not have the same reflections.
Each reflection must be individual. These reflections should be written in class.

STRUCTURE OF THE REFLECTION

Reflection 1

In this reflection, you are expected to reflect on how each of the three pieces you have selected shaped your
thinking about the topic. As you consider how each piece has shaped your thinking, consider the following:
Have you gained any new knowledge? What does each piece make you think or feel about the topic? What do
you understand more? Has your thinking changed?
Recommendation: Encourage students to reflect on how each piece shaped their thinking in a separate
paragraph.

Sample Paragraph
(This is based on one piece.)
Kay Ireland’s article ‘The Effects of Skin Bleaching’ is quite eye opening because it shows me just how
destructive skin bleaching can be. It provides several examples of the effects of skin bleaching like aggravated
skin disease, impaired healing, uneven skin colouring and dryness or burning. It gives me the details I need to
educate those I know who are bleaching or who are considering it so that they will think twice before making a
mistake.

Reflection 2

This reflection focuses on the use of language in each piece. For print stimuli, focus on how the writer/author
uses words to communicate or evoke a specific response in the selected stimuli. Firstly, the candidate must
identify the particular language technique like emotive language, descriptive language, figurative language,
narrative voice, diction or slang. After identifying the technique, there should be a discussion on how well it
helped to achieve the purpose of the piece. For non-print stimuli like pictures, cartoons or photographs discuss
the impact of the message conveyed, the effect of the image, the emotional appeal or relevance to the
issue/topic/theme chosen.
Recommendation: Comment on the use of language in each piece in a separate paragraph.

Sample Paragraph
(This is based on one piece.)
            Ireland (2017) in her article uses research evidence to support the information she presented on the
effects of skin bleaching. For example, she refers to studies, one conducted by the Department of Dermatology
in Senegal and another by the Dermatology Unit in Nigeria to provide specific examples of the adverse effects
of skin bleaching. This makes her information reliable as it shows that it is based on facts. This also establishes
the information as being objective.

Reflection 3
This reflection should be completed after you have done most of your tasks. It focuses on how the process of
completing the SBA assisted you in becoming a better person. Have you become better at working with others
in groups? Have your research skills improved? Are you better at public speaking? Are you better at time
management? Have you improved your ability to critique written and spoken information? Identify three ways
in which you have grown as a person and elaborate on each way in a separate paragraph.
Please ensure that you share your reflections with members in your group so that they can give you feedback.
This will help you to improve your reflections and is evidence of group activity. You should also note the
feedback given by your teacher.
           
Sample Paragraph
(This sample only discusses one way the SBA made the student a better person.)
            The process of completing this SBA has impacted me positively. Before engaging in this research, I was
a very shy. However, being required to work in a group challenged me to be more assertive and sociable. I also
have become more confident to speak in public. This came as a surprise to me as I usually avoided speaking
before people. I now realize that I am quite capable to deliver presentations

WRITTEN REPORT (300 words)

This is a report on the research process. This also states the outcome of the research.

You can answer these questions in your written report. 

*What steps have you taken to get your work done?
*How did you collect the data?
*Are you happy with the pieces you have done?
*Are you happy working as a group?
*Did you learnt individually or as a group?
*Did you meet as a group?
*Do you think the group was effective working together? This report should be written as a group.

According to CXC, the written report of the investigation should be a summary of the processes, procedures and
outcomes of the research. It should include the material collected, reasons for selection and analysis of the
material. A satisfactory report should be about 250-300 words in total. It is worth 10 marks.
KEY TERMS
Processes: Focus on describing how the group collected the three pieces that were most appropriate for the
group report and the difficulties you may have experienced doing so. If the group had no difficulties, give a
reason for this.

Procedures: Summarize how the group went about analyzing the materials. For example, what was done to
achieve the objectives of the research? How did the group decode/analyse the material? What did the analysis
reveal?  The analysis covers the relevance of the material/stimuli/pieces and the artistic/visual/literary/aural
features of what is selected.

Outcomes: Focus on your experience as a group and your impressions. Outcomes cover the new knowledge
gained about the theme/the selection process/the group as members who were involved in the research.
Strategically summarize the findings that the pieces/stimuli provided by way of individual and group analysis.

The written report is a collaborative effort which means you must meet as often as possible to share your ideas
on what you wish to include in the report. It should show evidence of research and appropriate referencing.

Paragraph Outline

Introductory Paragraph: State the theme that the group has selected and how this was done.

Second Paragraph: Summarize how you worked as a group to select the three pieces for the report. Share
strategies that were used to do so. Explain the reasons for the selection of these pieces.

Third and Fourth Paragraphs: Analyse the selected pieces and highlight what they communicate about the
theme. Appropriate referencing should be used when citing sources. For example, Ireland (2017) states that
skin bleaching should be approached cautiously. (Your teachers will provide information on citing sources.)
Also, you can discuss how the content of the pieces impacted the perceptions or attitudes of group members.

Each member of a group will include the same written report in his or her portfolio.

Assessment: The group report is assessed for an identification of the contexts in which pieces were chosen, a
description of the tasks done in selecting the materials, analysis of the material, appropriate citation of sources
and use of language.
ORAL PRESENTATION (3-5 minutes)
What you have decided to do as your contribution to your theme/sub- theme.
Students can write a poem, drama piece, or prose piece. This is the students’ creative response after a brief
overview of the research process. A brief plan of the oral presentation must be submitted in the portfolio. This
must be a part of the presentation. This should be done in Standard English. Teachers will mark the
presentation.