The learning outcomes for the South African national curriculum, Curriculum 2005 (C2005) and the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) are included on this CD for your convenience. When planning a unit of work you will be guided by both the Critical Outcomes and the Learning Area Outcomes. The activities you plan and their associated outcomes should clearly align with the learning area outcomes for C2005/RNCS as well as the assessment standards.

Your planned activities should:

• be well articulated and clearly anchored by the Critical Outcomes and Focus Questions;
• target higher order thinking skills;
• require learners to interpret, evaluate, theorize and synthesise information.

You may also need to include additional activities for learners with special educational needs or gifted learners.

When assessing whether the RNCS learning outcomes have been achieved, it appears to be very easy because they are broad in nature. However it is important to identify the most appropriate outcomes for your particular learning experience and to use the assessment standards that are appropriate for your level of learners. The planning of a unit of work should include the targeting of assessment standards and the interpretation of those standards for the learners. Breaking down the learning outcome into parts that can be assessed by using a rubric, which can serve as both a scaffold for learners and as authentic assessment.

For example, let us look at a unit of work which focuses on the first learning outcome from the Life Orientation Learning area:

"The learner will be able to make informed decisions regarding personal, community and environmental health."

The assessment standards vary according to each grade level - here is one example - from Grade 6:

"6.1.5 Explains causes of communicable diseases (including HIV/AIDS) and available cures, and evaluates prevention strategies, in relation to community norms and personal values."

The unit of work could contain a focus question such as: "Is there a link between HIV AIDS and poverty?

The assessment criteria we might use for such a project would list the components of the assessment standard, exactly as in the national curriculum, above. Learners would provide report backs on how they had gathered this information and the range of methods they had used. Assessment would therefore have to include evidence of the following:

1. Clear explanation of the causes communicable disease.
2. Clear explanation of methods of prevention and their efficacy.
3. Evaluation of prevention strategies in the contentext of norms and personal values.

This evidence would need to be presented in some tangible form such as a presentation, poster, brochure, website or written report, to name a few examples. The three points above would form the content of the presentation, but the presentation skills should also be assessed so that learners are able to communicate effectively (critical outcome 5).

The following table provides sample rubrics for assessing the product:

To access help on creating rubrics there are many websites available. One of the most popular ones for busy teachers who do not have time to create rubrics is the Rubistar website.