LOWER SECONDARY HISTORY INQUIRY LESSON PACKAGEUnit Topic:Unit 2
Life in Colonial Singapore: Was It the Same for Everyone?
Chapter Inquiry Questions:Chapter 3: Why Did People Come to
Colonial Singapore before World War Two?Chapter 4: How was Life
Different for the Various People in Colonial Singapore Before World
War Two?
Total Duration of UnitChapter 3 (8 periods x 35 minutes)Chapter
4 (8 periods x 35 minutes)
Rationale for this units InquiryThe unit seeks to explore why
and how people from different parts of the world came to Singapore
during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also outlines why
Singapore was able to attract these people. Through this series of
lessons, students will develop an understanding of how the
different communities of people adapted and maintained their own
unique cultures and heritage in a multi-ethnic society. Students
can also better appreciate the rich cultural diversity of the
communities that lived in Singapore during the 19th and 20th
centuries.
Students exploration of the reasons for the coming of people to
colonial Singapore, and identification of similarities and
differences in the lives and experiences of the various
communities, develops their understanding of the historical
concepts of causation (Chapter 3) and diversity (Chapter 4),
respectively.
Chapter 3Chapter 4
Overall AimsHistorical ContentTo help students understand: Who
were the people that came to Singapore in the 19th and early 20th
Centuries?
Mass migration in the 19th Century why did it happen? What is
migration? *Reasons for the mass migration in the 19th Century *The
Industrial Revolution *The End of Slave Trade *The Opening of the
Suez Canal in 1869
Reasons for coming to Singapore Push factors Poverty and
starvation Unrest and instability Pull factors Better trade and
business opportunities Better job prospects
*Optional and non-examinable for Normal (Academic) Course
Key Content Concepts Colonial rule Community Migration
Livelihood
Key Historical ConceptTo help students understand the historical
concept of Causation:
causes are reasons for a subsequent action or event there can be
multiple causes for events in history
Historical SkillsStudents are to: inquire into the causes for
human migration in consideration of global events, regional factors
as well as personal reasons. extract and record information from a
range of accounts to explain reasons for migration.
21st Century Competencies Information and Communication Skills
students will learn to identify and locate the relevant information
needed to inform their perspectives on the inquiry question.
Critical and Inventive Thinking Students are given the opportunity
to develop sound reasoning skills, engage in reflective thinking,
and learn to manage the complex information and ambiguities
inherent in the perspectives Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and
Cross Cultural Skills students gain awareness of the global issue
of international trends and events that affected Singapores History
in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It would give students an
opportunity to gain socio-cultural awareness and sensitivity
towards different perspectives.
Historical ContentTo help students understand: Experiences of
the various people in colonial Singapore
Living Conditions Sanitation Housing Employment Types of jobs
Leisure and Entertainment Activities Relationships among different
communities in different areas of colonial Singapore.
Key Content Concepts Community Pastimes Living Conditions
Key Historical ConceptTo help students understand the historical
concept of Diversity:
people lead different lives and have different experiences even
when they lived in the same place during the same period in history
the diversity of peoples experiences can be discovered by
identifying similarities and differences in their experiences. a
common basis or a criterion needs to be used to make a valid
comparison of these similarities and differences
Historical SkillsStudents are to: identify / describe the
similarities and differences in the lives of the various
communities living in Singapore. record and organize information
from a range of accounts to describe the relative significance of
the contributions of the different communities to the social and
economic development of Singapore in the 19th Century.
21st Century Competencies Information and Communication Skills
students will learn to identify and locate the relevant information
needed to inform their perspectives on the inquiry question.
Critical and Inventive Thinking Students are given the opportunity
to develop sound reasoning skills, engage in reflective thinking,
and learn to manage the complex information and ambiguities
inherent in the perspectives Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and
Cross Cultural Skills students gain awareness of the issue of how
Singapore was shaped by the different heritage and cultural
influence brought by the immigrants in the 19th and early 20th
centuries. This would give students the opportunity to gain
socio-cultural awareness and sensitivity towards different
perspectives among the communities of people living in Singapore
today.
Outline of Lessons1. Lesson 1 - Introducing the Inquiry:
Understanding what the inquiry question requires us to find out and
learning who the early migrants that came to Singapore in the 19th
Century were. (70 minutes)
2. Lesson 2 - Developing the Inquiry: Understanding mass
migration in the 19th Century and why people were forced to leave
their home countries due to the poor conditions in the countries
(push factors). (70 minutes)
3. Lesson 3 - Developing the Inquiry: Understanding the factors
that attracted people to migrate to Singapore (pull factors). (70
minutes)
4. Lesson 4 - Completing the Inquiry: Understanding the causes
of migration to colonial Singapore. (70 minutes)
1. Lesson 1 - Introducing the Inquiry: Understanding what the
inquiry question requires us to find out and the initial
experiences of immigrants to a new territory. (70 minutes)
2. Lesson 2 - Developing the Inquiry: Understanding the
experiences and lives of the European and the Chinese communities.
(70 minutes)
3. Lesson 3 - Developing the Inquiry: Understanding the
experiences and lives of the Indian, Malay, Eurasian and Peranakan
communities.(70 minutes)
4. Lesson 4 - Completing the Inquiry: Understanding the
similarities and differences in the lives of the people in colonial
Singapore and consolidation of the chapter inquiry. (70
minutes)
End Product (Chapter Task)Students are to produce an information
sheet for a groupof foreign exchange students, explaining the
reasons for thecoming of migrants to Singapore in the past during
the early19th century to the early 20th century. The information
sheet should address both the push and pull factors that led to the
coming of the early migrants to colonial Singapore and should be
between 150-200 words in length.
Students are to produce a special feature article to celebrate
Singapores 120 years as a British colony by extracting relevant
information from the sources provided in the coursebook and writing
about similarities and differences in the lives of the various
communities living in colonial Singapore. The feature article
should focus on the four main aspects of life that have been
identified for the students in the coursebook and should be between
150-200 words.
CHAPTER 4 LESSON 1Lesson Focus:Introducing the Inquiry:
Understanding what the inquiry question requires us to find out and
the initial experiences of immigrants to a new territory.
Lesson Duration:1h 10 minutes (2 periods of 35 minutes)
Lesson ObjectivesHistorical ContentBy the end of the lesson,
students will be able to understand: The initial experiences of
immigrants to a new territory. The living conditions, leisure and
entertainment, employment and relationships among the various
communities in the following areas of colonial Singapore before
World War Two. The Singapore River The Colonial Town Centre
Key Content Conceptsi. Communityii. Living Conditionsiii.
Pastimes
Key Historical ConceptStudents will be able to understand the
historical concept of Diversity:i. people lead different lives and
have different experiences even when they lived in the same place
during the same period in history.ii. the diversity of peoples
experiences can be discovered by identifying similarities and
differences in their experiences.iii. a common basis or criterion
needs to be used to make a valid comparison of these similarities
and differences.
Historical SkillsStudents will be able to:i. identify and
describe the similarities and differences in the lives of the
various communities living in Singapore.ii. record and organise
information from a range of accounts to explain the relative
significance of the contributions of the different communities to
the social and economic development of Singapore in the 19th and
early 20th Centuries.iii. compare and contrast competing sources to
formulate responses to the inquiry question on whether life was
different for the various people in colonial Singapore before World
War Two.
21st Century Competenciesi. Information and Communication Skills
- During their group discussion, students will need to identify and
locate the relevant information needed to describe the differences
or similarities in the various aspects of life among the different
ethnic communities. ii. Critical and Inventive Thinking Students
are given the opportunity to engage in reflective thinking as they
review and build on the information that has been shared by their
classmates.iii. Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and Cross Cultural
Skills Students gain awareness of the local heritage of the various
immigrant communities that settled in Singapore during the 19th and
early 20th Centuries.
Pre-requisite KnowledgeContenti. Singapore grew in population
following its founding as a British trading settlement.ii. People
came to Singapore from different parts of the world.
Resourcesi. Handout 4.1A: Question Analysis Cardsii. Handout
4.1B: Graphic Organiser (Compare and Contrast Matrix)iii. Handout
4.1C: 3-2-1 Activity Cardsiv. Coursebook: Understanding the inquiry
question pg.140; Chapter Task pg.141; Think Like a Historian
pg.142.
a. Process & Durationb. Learning Activities and Outcomesc.
Purpose
Introduction (5 min)
Chapter Hook Activity (5 min)
Teacher draws students attention to the chapter inquiry How was
life different for the various people in colonial Singapore before
World War Two? Teacher asks them to read the accounts of three
people in Sources 1, 2 and 3. Based on Activity 1 on page 139, ask
students to identify the different viewpoints towards
Singapore.
Teacher then links the chapter hook activity to the chapter
inquiry question. Even though the three men lived in the same time
period and in the same city, they had different experiences on what
life was like in colonial Singapore.
The teacher can ask them why they think the responses of the
three men were different even though they were in Singapore at
about the same time period. Students can respond about the personal
characteristics of the three men based on the provenance and their
experiences and viewpoints. Students can be asked to give their
individual responses.
Example of expected students responses: Their views are
different because of their age gap. Their views are different
because they came to Singapore for different reasons. Their views
are different because of prior experiences
Guiding questions serve to activate students prior knowledge,
and to help students to focus on the differences of opinions given
by different people when they first arrived in Singapore.
Use of personal stories to stimulate students interest in the
chapter inquiry. Guiding questions to focus students attention on
the relevant details in the story. This will in turn enable
students to draw connections between the hook and the areas of
focus for the inquiry.
End Product (5 min)Briefing on End Product (5 min)
Teacher informs students that they will have to complete a
feature newspaper article on the chapter inquiry question. Students
are expected to: complete a short write-up on how different groups
of people in Singapore experienced similar or different experiences
based on four aspects of life: Employment, Leisure and
Entertainment, Living Conditions and Relationships among different
communities in Singapore; and examine and gather evidence from
sources in the coursebook to provide evidential support to their
write-up.
To allow students to understand the assignment that is expected
and to enable students to be more focused in their learning.
Unpacking of Inquiry Question (10 min)Class Discussion:
Understanding the Inquiry Question (10 min)
Teacher helps students to understand the demands of the inquiry
question by highlighting the key words of the feature boxes as
shown in the coursebook: aspects of life Different aspects of life,
similarities, differences and different people in Singapore
Teacher can use Handout 4.1A to lead students in a class
discussion to understand the question, or alternatively get
students to work in groups on the question, and to present their
responses thereafter.
Teacher guides students to the following understandings: aspects
of life: refers to the employment, leisure and entertainment.
Living conditions and relationships among different communities in
Singapore that students can use to compare two or more groups of
people. Similarities: similarity can be established in terms of
similar aspects of life. Difference: difference can be established
in terms of different aspects of life. Different people in
Singapore
Understanding the inquiry question to enable students to
understand the question demands, and areas that they need to focus
on for the inquiry.
Explaining of key terms to help students to better understand
the wider historical concept of diversity and the historical skill
of compare and contrast.
Main Activity (45 min)Direct Instruction: Think Like a Historian
(5 min)
Teacher explains to students the concept of Diversity in Think
Like a Historian Part 1. Teacher can get students to identify what
common criteria they can think of to compare among themselves or
among classes in the school. This is to use real life to evoke
students realisation that common criteria are used in their lives
and to transfer this understanding to the historical context they
are are studying.
Expected Students Responses: Differentiation by interest (e.g.
Korean pop, Japanese pop) Differentiation by CCAs
Think Like a Historian (Diversity) (20 Min).
The teacher may refer to the set of criteria presented on Pg.
142 of the coursebook to explain to the students that effective
comparison requires common criteria by showing how criteria
provides a common setting for students to determine if there are
similarities or differences among different peoples
experiences.
The teacher can make use of a Venn diagram to illustrate how two
sources can be compared and to show intersecting similarities based
on a common criteria. The teacher explicitly discusses about the
types of information that go into the circles and the intersection
of the circles. Then the teacher guides students through the
process by having them tell the teacher what information is to be
inserted into the correct spaces of the Venn diagram. This activity
may be carried out by the students in class or if time does not
permit, complete as a homework
Using the information provided in Activity 1, the teacher can
show the similarity in the perceptions of Low Cheng Gin and
Palanivelu Natesan towards life in Singapore. Whereas, William
Hornaday had a difference perception of what life was like in
Singapore.Similarities in the information extracted from two
sources based on a common criteria
Different information from each source
Group Activity: How was life different for the various people in
colonial Singapore before World War Two? (20 min)
Teacher then directs students to the next section of the
coursebook to begin reading about the various communities .
Students should be able to read both sections on the Colonial Town
Centre and the Singapore River. They will also be given time to
examine the various sources found in sections 1 and 2 from Sources
4- 20 in the coursebook.
Students will each receive a copy of Handout 4.1B. Students will
use Handout 4.1B to fill their responses on their understanding of
the sources they examined in sections 1 and 2. Teacher can model
for students, especially low progress learners, how to fill in one
row of the template using some of the sources.
The completed table can put displayed on the class noticeboard.
One or two groups of students can be invited to come forward to
share their findings.
To develop students understanding about the historical concept
of Diversity and the need to establish criteria for effective
comparison.
Activity provides opportunity for self-directed learning as
students have to apply their historical skills and knowledge to
complete the Venn Diagram. It also promotes collaborative learning
as students are required to discuss their ideas before coming to a
conclusion as to what are to be presented.
Conclusion and Look Ahead to next lesson (5 min)Summary and
3-2-1 Activity (5 min)
After students engage with the sections on the Colonial Town
Centre and the Singapore River, ask them to answer the following
questions in Handout 4.1C: Three things that you learnt about the
experiences of the people living around the Singapore River and the
Colonial Town Centre areas. Two more things that you want to find
out about the communities living in Singapore. Onequestion that you
have or one thing that you are unsure regarding what you have
learnt in this lesson.
The teacher then gets some students to present their responses
to the 3-2-1 Activity (Handout 4.1C) to check the students
understandings. Teacher collects the 3-2-1 Activity Cards, and ends
the lesson by summarising key learning points.
Remind students who have not completed Handout 4.1B to do it as
homework 3-2-1 Acitivity Cards are used to summarise and
consolidate students learning and to provide opportunity for
students to raise questions.
23
Handout 4.1A: Question Analysis CardsUnderstanding the Inquiry
Question
How was life different for the various people in colonial
Singapore before World War Two?What are the different aspects of
life that we can examine?What time period are we looking at if it
is the colonial period before World War Two?Who were the different
people in Singapore at that time?What were the differences and
similarities in the way people lived in Singapore before World War
Two?
Understanding the Inquiry Question
How was life different for the various people in colonial
Singapore before World War Two?What are the different aspects of
life that we can examine?
What time period are we looking at if it is the colonial period
before World War Two?Who were the different people in Singapore at
that time?
What were the differences and similarities in the way people
lived in Singapore before World War Two?
Handout 4.1B: Graphic Organiser Compare and Contrast Matrix
How similar or different were the experiences of the various
communities who lived and work at the Singapore River and the
Colonial Town Centre?
Common criteria for Comparison
SimilaritiesDifferences
Eg. OccupationsEg. Both areas had a large number of wealthy
merchants who set up their businesses there.The colonial town
centre had a large number of British government officials whose
offices are located along High Street. The Singapore River on the
other hand had many labourers and lightermen who helped in the
loading and unloading of goods from the ships.
Handout 4.1C: 3-2-1 Activity Cards Reflection Time Describe
three things that you learnt about the experiences of the people
living around the Singapore River and the Colonial Town Centre
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Reflection Time Describe three things that you learnt about the
experiences of the people living around the Singapore River and the
Colonial Town Centre areas.
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Reflection Time Describe three things that you learnt about the
experiences of the people living around the Singapore River and the
Colonial Town Centre
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson. Reflection Time
Describe three things that you learnt about the experiences of the
people living around the Singapore River and the Colonial Town
Centre
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Lesson Focus:CHAPTER 4 LESSON 2
Developing the Inquiry: Understanding the experiences and lives
of the European and the Chinese communities.
Lesson Duration:1h 10 minutes (2 periods of 35 minutes)
Lesson ObjectivesHistorical ContentBy the end of the lesson,
students will be able to understand: The living conditions, leisure
and entertainment, employment and relationships among the various
communities in the following areas of colonial Singapore before
World War Two: The Singapore River The Colonial Town Centre Chinese
Kampong
Key Content Conceptsi. Communityii. Pastimesiii. Living
conditions
Key Historical ConceptStudents will be able to understand the
historical concept of Diversity:i. people lead different lives and
have different experiences even when they lived in the same place
during the same period in history.ii. the diversity of peoples
experiences can be discovered by identifying similarities and
differences in their experiences.iii. a common basis or criterion
needs to be used to make a valid comparison of these similarities
and differences.
Historical SkillsStudents will be able to:i. Compare and
contrast the differences and similarities found within and across
different historical evidence.ii. Identify common areas of
comparison between the Europeans and Chinese.iii. Consolidate
information from the source to formulate responses to the inquiry
question on how different was life for the various people in
colonial Singapore before World War Two.
21st Century Competenciesi. Information and Communication Skills
- Students will need to identify and locate the relevant
information needed to make comparisons between the different
communities and their way of life. ii. Critical and Inventive
Thinking - Students are given the opportunity to manage complex
information and ambiguities inherent in the perspectives as they
analyse sources that offer diverse viewpoints. iii. Civic Literacy,
Global Awareness and Cross Cultural Skills Students gain awareness
of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the people living in
Singapore and to seek to understand these communities with
different ideas and perspectives.
Pre-requisite KnowledgeContenti. Introduction to the idea of
using common criteria for making valid comparison.
Resourcesi. Handout 4.2A: Graphic Organiserii. Handout 4.2B:
Source Worksheetiii. Coursebook pg. 140-143iv. Unit 2 Source kit
items Item 1: News report of the Commission for Chinese Labourers.
1876 Item 2: Settlements currency minted during the reign of King
George V (1910 - 1936) and King George VI (1936-1952) Item 3:
Promissiory Note between English civil servants and a Chettiar Item
4: Letter from Plaintiff regarding Chinese remittances dated 1910
Item 5: Letter of employment for a Chinese teacher dated 1835
a. Process & Durationb. Learning Activities and Outcomesc.
Purpose
Introduction (15 min)
Recap (5 min) Teacher selects 3 students to share their learning
points about what they have learnt in the previous lesson. The
teacher can also clarify any doubts that are presented by the
students as well as any questions that the class might want to
raise.Hook Activity (10 min) Teacher links the recap to a short
video documentary of colonial Singapore entitled Singapore,
Crossroads of the East from online at
http://www.globalimageworks.com. The teacher should start the video
documentary from 2.30min to 5.35min. Teachers can use this online
video to ask students about their understanding of the aspects of
life of various people in Singapore presented in the video and what
the experiences of the people were probably like as it was
presented in the video
Teacher can focus on the experiences of the people featured in
the documentary.
Teacher gets students to do a Think-Pair-Share on the following
questions: What have you learnt about the lives of the immigrants
in Singapore? Based on the video, how did the lives of the people
vary from one another? How far did the groups of people in
Singapore share in similar events or activities?
Teacher sets the key learning objectives for the lesson, and
situates the lesson within the chapter inquiry.
Recap to reinforce students learning
Hook activity to stimulate students interest in the experiences
of the people who lived in colonial Singapore during the early 20th
century.
Setting of learning objective to focus students learning and
promote self-monitoring of learning.
Main Activity (45 min)
Direct Instruction: Think Like a Historian (10 min)
Teacher explains to students that in order to ascertain
Diversity, there needs to be a common criterion for comparison.
Teacher can illustrate common criterion using examples from daily
life e.g. students views towards their favourite books or
television shows, and how categories such as the personality of
characters can be used as common criteria for comparison. Teacher
elicits students responses as to the common criteria that could be
used for the inquiry:i. Living Conditionsii. Employmentiii. Leisure
and Entertainmentiv. Relationships among different communities in
Singapore
Source Analysis: The European and Chinese Communities in
Singapore before World War Two (35 min)
Teacher recaps with students over the European and Chinese
communities that they have read so far. Using the four common
criteria, students are told to write down points on each of the
common criteria and compare the two communities together.
Source KitTeachers can use the items in the Source Kit to
complement and enhance students understanding of the lives of the
people in Singapore.
Item 1: News report of the Commission for Chinese Labourers.
1876. Teacher can use the source to get students to understand the
difficulties of life for the coolie labourers during the 19th
Century. This will help them contextualise what they read about the
Chinese community living along Kreta Ayer especially in terms of
housing, leisure and entertainment.
Item 2: Settlements currency minted during the reign of King
George V (1910 - 1936) and King George VI (1936-1952). This source
should be used in context with the other sources that state a
monetary income. For example, item 5 is useful to students to
estimate the monthly wages of the various occupations. They can
also pay attention to the price of some of the goods that were
featured in the advertisements on page 147 of the coursebook.
Item 3: Promissory Note between British officials and Chettiar.
This note highlights the complex relationships of the different
races and how they interact with each other. While the British were
rulers of the island, they had to depend on the Asian immigrants to
provide them with financial services, not just as menial
labourers.
Item 4: Letter from Plaintiff regarding Chinese remittance
owners in the 1900s. The source is important as evidence to show
the amount of money being transferred back to China by the
immigrants. It provides students with the understanding of how much
money was being remitted back to China. They can infer about the
experiences of the Chinese merchants and what the legal document
tells about their way of life.
Item 5: Letter of employment for a Chinese teacher dated 1835.
This short notice helps put the cost of items in perspective.
Comparisons can be made between the salary of the teacher to the
goods advertised on page 147 of the coursebook so that students
understand the value of money during the 19th and early 20th
century colonial Singapore. This will help them determine the life
experiences of various people in Singapore based on what they
probably earn in different occupations.
The teacher will proceed to help students recap on how to
examine sources to understand historical events in Chapter 1.
Teacher will guide students on the use of the source kit with the
following steps: The teacher will introduce the source items to the
students by laying them out on a table and inviting groups to come
forward to examine the sources. Based on the quantity of source
kits available, the teacher will either have students look at a
variety of sources listed above or different groups to look at
separate sources. Using the Source Worksheet (Handout 4.2B),
students will fill in their examination of the sources and discuss
among themselves about any differences in their answers.
Teacher is to guide students to the following understandings:
That there was interaction among the different races in Singapore.
There was a distinction between the wealthy Europeans and Asians
from the other community groups especially in terms of occupation
and living conditions. The different groups of people lived
predominantly in separate areas but there were a comfortable mix of
other racial communities within these areas. Teachers can get
students to read the sources found in the coursebook and use the
source information to fill in the relevant portion of the graphic
organiser (Handout 4.2A) at this point.
Teachers can model for students, especially low progress
learners, how to fill in thegraphic organiser. Teachers can also
provide guiding phrases and words to enable them to fill in the
template.
To develop students understanding of the historical concept of
Diversity
To provide context for the comparison of different communities
in Singapore.
Use of Source Kit items to provide students with a multi-sensory
learning experience, and to develop students source analysis skills
through extracting relevant information from the sources and
comparing of source information.
Extension (Optional)The Source Kit contains rich materials that
could be used to support various lesson ideas. Below is an example
of a possible extension activity to support the History
Investigation for Unit 2.
Source KitTeacher can use the Source Kit items to enhance
students understanding about the different pastimes and other
aspects of life that people experiences in colonial Singapore
before World War Two.
Unit 2 Item 8 Photographs on different entertainment activities
and leisure activities that were prevalent during the 19th to early
20th centuries: Teacher can get students to examine the sources and
pose the following guiding questions: What forms of entertainment
activities can you identify? What do these sources tell you about
the reasons why people participate and attend entertainment
activities?
The teacher can also begin to introduce the students to think
about leisure activities enjoyed by people in colonial Singapore
before World War Two by showing them photographs of the different
forms of pastimes.
This activity can be a prelude to the understanding of the
Historical Investigation that the students will do at the end of
Unit 2.
The teacher can provide suggestions to the students on how they
should go about researching more about these leisure activities by
introducing them to online research portals such as the a2o.com.sg
and sgcool.com websites.
Source Kit item to provide students with a multi-sensory
learning experience, and to develop students source analysis skills
through extracting relevant information from the sources and
comparing of source information.
Conclusion and Look Ahead to next lesson (10 min)
Summary and Q&A Mix-up (10 min)
Teacher will get the students to write questions and
corresponding answers about what they have learnt on separate
cards.
The teacher does a brief check of the answers before randomly
distributing the answer cards to the students so that each student
will end up with different answers but still holding onto their
question that they have written.
The teacher will invite two or three students to ask the
question in their hand to the class. Students who think they have
the answer to the question can raise their hands. The teacher will
call on these students to read out the answers. The teacher will
proceed to clarify should students not have the appropriate answer
to the question.
Alternatively, the teacher can prepare some questions and
answers in anticipation that the students might not ask
questions.
Teacher then sums up key learning points, and informs students
that they will be learning more about peoples experiences in
Singapore before World War Two next lesson.
To check for understanding.
Handout 4.2A: Graphic Organiser How similar or different were
the experiences of the various communities in Singapore during the
19th to early 20th Centuries
Common criteria for Comparison
SimilaritiesDifferences
Employment
Leisure and Entertainment
Living Conditions
Relationships among the communities in Singapore
Handout 4.2B: Source WorksheetType of Source:
___________________________
Title of source:
___________________________________________________________
Date of source: _________________
Author/Creator of source: ________________________
Occupation/Title: ____________
For whom the source was created for:
__________________________________________
List three things the author said (or that you notice) that you
think are important that will help you address the inquiry
topic:
1)__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2)__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3)__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________What
aspect(s) of life are highlighted in the
source?____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________CHAPTER
4 LESSON 3Lesson Focus:Developing the Inquiry: Understanding the
experiences and lives of the Indian, Malay, Arab and Bugis
communities.
Lesson Duration:1h 10 minutes (2 periods of 35 minutes)
Lesson ObjectivesHistorical ContentBy the end of the lesson,
students will be able to understand: The living conditions, leisure
and entertainment, employment and relationships among various
communities in the following areas of colonial Singapore before
World War Two. Serangoon Kampong Gelam (Glam)
Key Content Concepts Community Pastimes Living conditions
Key Historical ConceptStudents will be able to understand the
historical concept of Diversity people lead different lives and
have different experiences even when they lived in the same place
during the same period in history. the diversity of peoples
experiences can be discovered by identifying similarities and
differences in their experiences. a common basis or criterion needs
to be used to make a valid comparison of these similarities and
differences.
Historical SkillsStudents are to:i. Compare and contrast the
differences and similarities found within and across different
historical evidence.ii. Record and organise information from a
range of accounts to explain the relative significance of the
contributions of the different communities to the social and
economic development of Singapore in the 19th and early 20th
centuries.iii. Identify and describe the similarities and
difference on the different aspects of life experienced by the
different groups of people.iv. Consolidate information from the
sources to formulate responses to the inquiry question on how
different was life for various people in colonial Singapore.
21st Century Competenciesi. Information and Communication Skills
- students will need to identify and locate the relevant
information needed to inform their perspectives on the aspects of
life for different people living in communities in colonial
Singapore.ii. Critical and Inventive Thinking - students are given
the opportunity to manage complex information and ambiguities
inherent in the perspectives as they analyse sources that offer
diverse viewpoints on the way of life for different
communities.
Pre-requisite KnowledgeContenti. Introduction to the idea of
using common criteria for making valid comparison.
Resourcesi. Handout 4.3A: Graphic organiser on the historical
skill of compare and contrast of sources ii. Handout 4.3B: 3-2-1
Activity Cardsiii. Coursebook: Chapter Task (Part1)Pg.172-173
a. Process & Durationb. Learning Activities and Outcomesc.
Purpose
Hook Activity (10 min)
Hook Activity (10 min) Teacher links the recap to the lesson
focus on the aspects of life experienced by the different
communities before World War Two.
Using a short video from OPAL entitled Changing Times: Kampong
Glam/ Geylang Serai and/or Serangoon, the teacher can introduce
Kampong Gelam and/or Serangoon to the students and ask them
highlight similarities and differences in the ways of life
portrayed in the video to the communities they have learnt about in
the previous lesson.
Teacher should also highlight to students that different people
would have different life experiences because of culture,
occupations and social ties with other groups of people.
Teacher outlines the lesson objectives, and situates the lesson
within the chapter inquiry by emphasising the fact that students
should think beyond making comparisons between and among different
communities and look at how various people in each community also
had different life experiences based on the different aspects of
life provided in the Think Like a Historian section on pg. 142 of
the coursebook.
Hook activity to stimulate students interest
Setting of learning objective to focus students learning and
promote self-monitoring of learning.
Main activity (60 min)Direct Instruction: Think Like a Historian
(5 min) Teacher recaps to students that in order to determine how
similar or different was the lives of the various groups of
immigrants, there needs to be a common criterion for comparison.
Teacher can illustrate common criterion using examples from daily
life that students can easily relate to e.g. students views towards
their favourite books or television shows, and how categories such
as the personality of characters can be used as common criterion
for comparison. Teacher elicits students responses as to the common
criteria that could be used for the inquiry:
Relate the discussion to pg.172 of the coursebook and discuss
how these aspects of life can be used to determine if the lives of
the people living in colonial Singapore ware largely the same or
different.
Student Group Activity: Checking for Prior Understanding (15
min) Using the graphic organiser on pg. 170 of the coursebook,
students are directed to fill in the blanks for Serangoon and
Kampong Gelam based on what they have learnt. This would be an
appropriate time for the teacher to check on students knowledge and
comprehension of the previous lessons as they fill in the blanks
for the European, Chinese, Malay and Indian communities in pairs or
in groups.
Class Discussion: The similarities and differences in aspects of
peoples lives in the Malay and Indian communities (40 min) Teacher
will lead a class discussion to consolidate students learning.
Teacher can pose the following questions to the students, and write
the responses on the board: How would you describe the lives of the
people (with reference to the sources that they have studied)? How
do you think their experiences might have accounted for the
different life experiences they led in colonial Singapore?
Teacher can re-visit the section on Think Like a Historian on
pg. 142-143 to emphasise the need for comparison using common
criteria to explain similarities and differences in the lives of
the various people in Singapore.
Teacher to guide students to the following understandings: That
there were differences in the lives led by people within their own
communities; and There were common experiences where people from
different communities met and interacted with each other. They also
shared common interests.
Using Handout 4.3A, the teacher can get students to practise on
what they learnt about the concept of diversity by engaging the
students in reviewing the similarities and differences of the
various communities in colonial Singapore and to examine a further
breakdown of the criteria to specific aspects of life eg.
occupation, housing etc.
The teacher will proceed to explain to the class how the handout
should be completed and what information should the students be
looking out for. The class will be divided into groups of 6 to do
the activity
Within the group, the students will be sub-divided into three
students and be tasked to research on either the Malay or Indian
community and the aspects of life that people within these
communities experienced in the 19th and early 20th centuries
through the use of the coursebook and the sources listed in pages
171 to 183.
After 15 minutes, the teacher shall ask the group to stop their
research and gather together to share their findings with each
other. Based on the summary of their conclusions, groups will
collate the information. This can be done as part of the homework
assigned to the group archivist and leader.
Extension: (optional)
Students can read more from the oral interviews of people who
lived in Singapore before World War Two. The transcripts for these
accounts can be downloaded from the National Archives of Singapore
website. For
example,http://drm.a2o.nas.sg/DJVUServer/PdfStampServlet?app=cord_data&filepath=1081/OHC001081_001.pdf
The teacher will inform the class that their reading of the
transcript should be completed in silence. All communication is
done in writing. Students should be told that they will have time
to speak in pairs and in the large groups later. Go over all of the
instructions at the beginning so that they do not ask questions
during the activity. Also, before the activity starts, the teacher
should ask students if they have questions, to minimize the chance
that students will interrupt the silence once it has begun. You can
also remind students of their task as they begin each new step.
Each group receives a sheet of butcher paper and each student a
marker. The groups read the oral interview text in silence. After
students have read, they are to comment on the text, and ask
questions by writing these on the butcher paper. The teacher can
determine the length of this step, but it should be at least 15
minutes.
Some questions are provided as examples below.
How would you describe Mdm Tays experiences when she moved from
China to settle in Singapore? Were there any changes to her life?
What do you think was Mdm Tays opinion towards her new life in
Singapore compared to her previous lifestyle in China? Which areas
did Mdm Tay refer to when she compared her life in Singapore to her
previous lifestyle in China?
Class discussion to stimulate students thinking and to guide
students to the key learning points of the role-play activity.
Extension activity to deepen students understanding of peoples
life experiences during colonial Singapore. It also serves to
provide an authentic learning experience by enabling students to
connect with people who had lived in colonial Singapore before
World War Two.
Conclusion and Look Ahead to next lesson (5 min)
Summary and 3-2-1 Activity Cards (10 Min)
After students engage with the sections on Serangoon and Kampong
Gelam, ask them to answer the following questions in (Handout
4.3B): Three things that you learnt about the communities living
around the Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam in the 19th and early
20th centuries. Two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore. One question that you have or one
thing that you are unsure of regarding what you have learnt in this
lesson.
Teacher collects the 3-2-1 Activity Cards, and ends the lesson
by summarising key learning points.
Teacher can use students responses to determine what the
students have learnt during the lesson and from the activities they
carried out. 3-2-1 responses can help teacher to identify areas of
the topic that may need to be reviewed again or concepts or
activities that hold special interest for students.
Exit Cards to summarise and consolidate students learning and to
provide opportunity for students to raise questions.
What are the communities(s) you are investigating?
List the various groups and people that are members of that
community and circle the one that you are recording on this page
(use additional pages to record information on others).
Describe their position/role in society.Evidence?
How is their position/role similar or different from another
community living in colonial Singapore?Handout 4.3A: Graphic
Organiser Compare and Contrast
Evidence?
Comparing the communities you have studied, what aspects of life
were different for them? (Some examples might include recreation,
occupations, housing, living conditions etc.)
How do you think the lives of the people within these
communities would be influenced by the aspect of life you described
above?
Handout 4.3A: Graphic Organiser Compare and Contrast
Describe three things that you learnt about the experiences of
the people living around the Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Describe three things that you learnt about the experiences of
the people living around the Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Reflection TimeReflection Time Describe three things that you
learnt about the experiences of the people living around the
Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Reflection TimeReflection Time Describe three things that you
learnt about the experiences of the people living around the
Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam
Name two more things that you want to find out about the
communities living in Singapore.
List one question that you have or one thing that you are unsure
regarding what you have learnt in this lesson.
Handout 4.3B: Exit Cards
CHAPTER 4 LESSON 4Lesson Focus:Completing the Inquiry:
Understanding the similarities and differences in the lives of the
people in colonial Singapore and consolidation of the chapter
inquiry.
Lesson Duration:1h 10 minutes (2 periods of 35 minutes)
Lesson ObjectivesHistorical ContentBy the end of the lesson,
students will be able to understand: Experiences of the various
people in colonial Singapore Living Conditions Sanitation Housing
Employment Types of jobs Leisure and Entertainment Activities
Relationships among different communities in various areas of
colonial Singapore. The living conditions, leisure and
entertainment, employment and relationships among different
communities in differentareas of colonial Singapore before World
War Two. Singapore River Colonial Town Chinese Kampong Serangoon
Kampong Gelam Geylang Serai Katong
Key Content Conceptsi. Communityii. Pastimesiii. Living
conditions
Key Historical ConceptStudents will be able to understand the
historical concept of Diversityi. people lead different lives and
have different experiences even when they lived in the same place
during the same period in history.ii. the diversity of peoples
experiences can be discovered by identifying similarities and
differences in their experiences.iii. a common basis or criterion
needs to be used to make a valid comparison of these similarities
and differences.
Historical SkillsStudents are to: compare and contrast the
differences and similarities found within and across different
historical evidence. record and organise information from a range
of accounts to explain the relative significance of the
contributions of the different communities to the social and
economic development of Singapore in the 19th century. identify and
describe the similarities and differences on the different aspects
of life experienced by the different groups of people.
21st Century Competenciesi. Information and Communication Skills
Students will need to identify and locate the relevant information
needed to inform their perspectives on the aspects of life for
different people living in communities in colonial Singapore. ii.
Critical and Inventive Thinking During the group activity, students
are given the opportunity to manage complex information and
ambiguities inherent in the perspectives as they analyse sources
that offer diverse viewpoints by examining the experiences of the
various groups of people they have studied.
Pre-requisite KnowledgeContenti. Introduction to the idea of
using common criteria for making valid comparison.
Resourcesi. Handout 4.4A: Compare and Contrast From Newspapers
to History Textsii. Handout 4.4B: Graphic Organiseriii. Coursebook
: Think Like a Historian pg. 194-196; Chapter Task pg. 196; Chapter
Review pg. 197
a. Process & Durationb. Learning Activities and Outcomesc.
Purpose
Introduction (15 min)
Recap (5 min)
Teacher verbally recaps the key learning points from the
previous lesson and to clarify doubts based on the questions in the
exit cards from lesson 3 regarding the communities living in
Serangoon and the Kampong Gelam areas.
Hook Activity (10 min)
Teacher leads students to the final section of the inquiry by
using a newspaper clipping about the Eurasians in 1939
(http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19390213-1.1.15.aspx).
Teacher can elicit students responses using the following questions
on the source: What does the writer of the news article say about
Eurasians? Does the information from the newspaper agree with what
you read about the Eurasians on pages 188-192 of the
coursebook?
The students will be divided into groups of four and asked to
examine sources 75-82. The group leader is expected to assign two
sources to each student in the group.
After 5 minutes, student speakers from some of the groups can be
invited to present their findings in comparison to what they have
read from the newspaper article.
Expected students responses: Similarities: The community spoke
English and were mainly Christians. Differences: Newspaper claims
that Eurasians were poor and did not have a high social status in
Singapore.
Teacher introduces the lesson objective to students, and
situates the lesson within the inquiry by asking students to
describe the differences in the lifestyles of the Eurasians. The
teacher will help students sum up their findings by telling them
that they should be aware that the lives of the people from within
the same group of people can be very different. However, they might
still enjoy the same cultural events, activities and pastimes.
Recap to reinforce students learning.
Hook activity to stimulate students interest.
Guiding questions to focus students attention on the relevant
details in the quote, and to scaffold students understanding of the
source. This in turn enables students to draw connections between
the quote and inquiry.
Setting of learning objective to focus students learning and
promote self-monitoring of learning.
Main Activity (45 min)Direct Instruction: The development of
Geylang Serai as an enclave for the larger Malay community and
Katong as an enclave for Eurasians and Peranakans (10 min)
The teacher will inform students how the economic development of
Singapore led to the influx of different groups of people. This
resulted in intermarriages among different groups of people and
they began to form their own distinct communities in Singapore.
Using the sources on pages 184 to 193, the teacher can point out
how the different communities incorporated some of the cultural
practices of the different communities their parents belonged to in
order to form a unique culture of their own.
Group Activity: Identifying differences and similarities within
a community. (20 min)
Using computers and Handout 4.4A, students will begin to find
out more about the Eurasian community and contrast their
information to the newspaper article that they have read as part of
the hook activity and proceed to discuss the common points of
information they have selected from the article and whether it
agrees or disagrees with what they have found out during their
research.
The students can use the criteria provided on page 142 of the
coursebook as guiding points for their research.
Students will then collate their answers on Handout 4.4A and two
students from each group will be selected from different groups to
present their finding to the class. The class can ask questions
about their comparisons to determine if the group has correctly
identified common criteria for comparison.
Consolidation (20 min)
Teacher provides students with the following instructions: Every
group is to work on sources 75-82 in the coursebook and use Handout
4.4B. Every group will record their findings in their graphic
organisers (Handout 4.4B), and one group will be chosen to present
their answers. Students who are listening may add additional points
or disagree with the findings of the presenters. The teacher will
have to bear in mind that students should identify the common area
of comparison before the comparison is considered valid.
Teacher will serve as a facilitator during the group activity.
Teacher can provide additional scaffolding questions for low
progress learners in analysing the sources. The teacher can ask
questions such as, Does the source depict a house typical of a
certain community? Or does the source depict a certain occupation
or lifestyle? Who is the community that is being featured in the
source? From the way the people are dressed or the work they are
doing? What was life like for them? Does the source agree with or
is different from the description of the community in the
coursebook? What is different or similar about the source and what
is described about the community in the main text? What the people
are doing in the photograph and what is described about the
communitys main occupations?
Teacher can also model for students how to complete one column
of the graphic organiser. This will apply especially for low
progress learners.
To provide context for students to draw connections between the
Chinese Peranakan and the Eurasian communities to compare for
similarities or differences.
Group work to promote collaborative learning as students are
given the opportunity to share and discuss ideas based on the
concept of diversity within a community.
Conclusion (10 min)
Briefing on End Product (5 min)
Teacher informs students that they will have to apply what they
have learnt about comparison, as well as the content in the inquiry
to their end-product. Students are to create a newspaper article
that features a short write-up on similarities and differences in
the lifestyles of the different communities in Singapore before
World War Two. Teacher is to ensure that students have at least 3
days to complete the newspaper feature. Students are encouraged to
use the information that they collected and written in the table
provided in the Think Like a Historian Section on Pg. 194-196 as a
guide to organise their points for the newspaper feature.
Teacher can also get students to complete the Chapter Review on
pg. 197 to recap what they have learnt.
Teacher then verbally sums up the key learning points, and
situates students learning within the wider unit inquiry of how
peoples lives in Singapore were different.
Link to Unit Inquiry (5 min) Teacher helps students to see
connection between chapter 3 and chapter 4 inquiry questions and
the Unit inquiry question Life in Colonial Singapore: Was It the
Same for Everyone? By showing the link between the two inquiry
questions, the teacher will ensure that the students are aware that
chapter 3 and chapter 4 are not mutually exclusive topics. Students
will be able to comprehend that if people were forced to come to
Singapore due to adverse circumstances in their countries of
origin, their lives and experiences in Singapore would probably be
very different from people who were attracted to come to Singapore
because of the opportunities available during the 19th to early 20
centuries.
The teacher can draw the following links between the chapter
inquiries to the unit inquiry: Why did people come to Singapore
before World War Two? Why did people leave their homelands and why
were they attracted to Singapore? How was life different for the
various people in colonial Singapore before World War Two? Since
many people came to Singapore hoping for a better life, did
everyone see similar improvement to their lives in Singapore? How
would the lives of the people who came to colonial Singapore before
World War Two be different compared with those who were attracted
to come to colonial Singapore before World War Two?
To ensure that students are clear about the expectations and
learning outcomes of the end-product.
Recap to consolidate and reinforce students learning
To enable students to draw the connections between the chapter
inquiry and the unit inquiry
To enable students to understand the connections between the
unit and the chapter inquiries.
Handout 4.4A: Compare and Contrast From Newspapers to History
Texts Newspaper Source:
http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19390213-1.1.15.aspxInstructions:
Your task will be to identify and describe aspects of similarities
and differences in the lives of the Eurasians by comparing the
information in the news article in 1939 to what you have researched
about the Eurasian community in the past from websites and history
books.First read and examine the news article provided online, and
then find more recent articles, books or online resources about the
history of the Eurasian community in Singapore during the early
20th century. Use the information you gathered to answer the
questions below.What is the opinion of the author about the
Eurasians in
Singapore?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________List
three points of information about the lives of the Eurasian
community that the author talked about in the news
article.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Based
on your research on the Eurasian community, describe whether the
information you have collected agrees or disagrees with the three
points of information you have listed
above.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Handout 4.4B: Graphic Organiser Compare and Contrast Matrix
How similar or different were the experiences of the various
communities in Singapore during the 19th to early 20th
Centuries
Common criteria for Comparison
EuropeansChineseIndiansMalaysEurasiansChinese-Peranakans
Employment
Leisure and Entertainment
Living Conditions
Relationships among the communities in Singapore