ICT at key stage 3

The 'use of language across the curriculum' requirement in the national curriculum for 2000 states that:

1. Pupils should be taught in all subjects to express themselves correctly and appropriately and to read accurately and with understanding. Since standard English, spoken and written, is the predominant language in which knowledge and skills are taught and learned, pupils should be taught to recognise and use standard English.

2. In writing, pupils should be taught to use correct spelling and punctuation and follow grammatical conventions. They should also be taught to organise their writing in logical and coherent forms.

3. In speaking, pupils should be taught to use language precisely and cogently.

4. Pupils should be taught to listen to others, and to respond and build on their ideas and views constructively.

5. In reading, pupils should be taught strategies to help them read with understanding, to locate and use information, to follow a process or argument and summarise, and to synthesise and adapt what they learn from their reading.
6. Pupils should be taught the technical and specialist vocabulary of subjects and how to use and spell these words. They should also be taught to use the patterns of language vital to understanding and expression in different subjects. These include the construction of sentences, paragraphs and texts that are often used in a subject (for example, language to express causality, chronology, logic, exploration, hypothesis, comparison, and how to ask questions and develop arguments).

This requirement encourages pupils to use language, both spoken and written, to think, learn, express their ideas and use information and evidence to support their analysis, ideas and views. Pupils also need to be able to read texts with understanding, evaluating their usefulness and reliability.

The underlying messages of the requirement are that:

• enhancing pupils' language skills enhances their subject learning;
• using subject-specific vocabulary and patterns of language contributes to developing pupils' language skills;
• all teaching contributes to pupils' development of language since speaking, listening, reading and writing are, to varying degrees, integral to all lessons.

Pupils are likely to be more successful if there are consistent approaches to speaking, listening, reading and writing across the curriculum that build on the work of primary teachers who have been implementing the National Literacy Strategy: Framework for teachers. Coordinated whole-school policies should promote effective and coherent approaches to the teaching and learning of language. To assist schools in this process, QCA/DfES have developed a set of expectations in language and learning for each of years 7, 8 and 9. These language objectives have been built into the schemes of work for all subjects. They are highlighted in 'Language for learning' in each unit, along with specialist vocabulary, and integrated into the work in each unit.

In ICT lessons teachers should set expectations in the use of language commensurate with the literacy skills pupils use elsewhere in the curriculum. Subject teaching should encourage pupils to be accurate when using language (spoken, written and read), and to use technical terms and concepts that are specific to the subject. Teaching should also encourage pupils to use patterns of language, especially forms of sentences and whole texts, associated with the subject. Specific opportunities for developing literacy skills in the units are identified in 'Language for learning' and the 'Possible teaching activities'.

Mathematics

Being numerate is a product of success in learning mathematics and pupils will benefit in numeracy terms from the opportunity to apply their mathematics across the curriculum.

Mathematical skills are developed in ICT through work on spreadsheets, graphs and data collection and handling. Examples within units are:

• measuring: choosing and using appropriate units and instruments; interpreting numbers on a scale and understanding complex measures such as speed and density, eg unit 6 'Control: input, process and output' and unit 13 'Control systems';
• constructing graphs, tables and diagrams: grouping data and interpreting frequency diagrams and pie charts and drawing pie charts, eg unit 5 'Data: designing structure, capturing and presenting data', unit 6 'Control: input, process and output', unit 7 'Measuring physical data' and unit 8 'Public information systems';
• using formulae and understanding relationships: constructing and expressing simple formulae; understanding and using proportion and ratio, eg unit 4 'Models: rules and investigations' and unit 6 'Control: input, process and output';
• using data: collecting data, recording data and determining class intervals; calculating the mean of a set of data, eg unit 5 'Data: designing structure, capturing and presenting data', unit 7 'Measuring physical data', unit 8 'Public information systems', unit 12 'Systems: integrating applications to find solutions', unit 13 'Control systems' and unit 15 'Systems: managing a project'.

The scheme of work provides a foundation for the common areas of learning defined as key skills, namely:

• communication: through reading and selecting from a range of sources, planning, writing and refining texts, communicating face-to-face and by e-mail;
• application of number: through working with quantitative data and mathematical models;
• information technology: through all units, leading towards the key stage 4 programme of study, which covers the requirements of this key skill;
• working with others: through working in groups when developing systems;
• improving own learning and performance: through reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses;
• problem solving: through modelling real situations and developing solutions to problems using ICT.

The national curriculum requirements for citizenship became statutory in September 2002. Schools need to consider how the citizenship programme of study should be taught. This scheme does not provide a model for an approach to citizenship, but does suggest where links between ICT and citizenship might be made.

Thinking skills

By using thinking skills pupils can focus on 'knowing how' as well as 'knowing what' - learning how to learn. The following thinking skills complement the key skills and are embedded in the national curriculum.

Information-processing skills

These enable pupils to locate and collect relevant information, to sort, classify, sequence, compare and contrast, and to analyse part/whole relationships, eg units 2, 8, 9, 10, 15.

Reasoning skills

These enable pupils to give reasons for opinions and actions, to draw inferences and make deductions, to use precise language to explain what they think, and to make judgements and decisions informed by reasons and/or evidence, eg units 4, 5, 7, 12.

Enquiry skills

These enable pupils to ask relevant questions, to pose and define problems, to plan what to do and ways to research, to predict outcomes and anticipate consequences, and to test conclusions and improve ideas, eg units 5, 6, 14.

Creative-thinking skills

These enable pupils to generate and extend ideas, to suggest hypotheses, to apply imagination, and to look for alternative innovative outcomes, eg units 9, 14.

Evaluation skills

These enable pupils to evaluate information, to judge the value of what they read, hear and do, to develop criteria for judging the value of their own and others' work or ideas, and to have confidence in their judgements, eg units 7, 10, 13, 15.

Subject links to the ICT scheme of work

	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
English	unit 2 unit 3
Maths	unit 4
Science	unit 2 unit 7	unit 2 unit 10
D and T	unit 2 unit 3 unit 6	unit 2 unit 4 unit 13	unit 13
History	unit 2	unit 2	unit 10
Geography	unit 2	unit 2 unit 8	unit 14
Art and design	unit 3	unit 2 unit 9
Music		unit 2
MFL - French		unit 2	unit 14
PE		unit 2
RE		unit 2

Links between the ICT and science schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 7A, 7C, 7E, 7I, 7L Year 8: unit 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8G, 8H Year 9: unit 9A, 9B, 9D, 9F, 9I, 9J
Databases	Year 7: unit 7B, 7C, 7D Year 8: unit 8A, 8E, 8F Year 9: unit 9M
Datalogging	Year 7: unit 7C, 7E, 7I, 7L Year 8: unit 8A, 8C, 8D, 8H, 8I
Spreadsheets	Year 7: unit 7D Year 9: unit 9A, 9F
Word processing/DTP	Year 7: unit 7F, 7L Year 8: unit 8F
Modelling/simulations	Year 7: unit 7B, 7C, 7G, 7H Year 8: unit 8B, 8C, 8I, 8J Year 9: unit 9B, 9K
Graphics/multimedia/presentation	Year 8: unit 8G
Control applications	Year 9: unit 9D

Links between the ICT and history schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 1, 2, 4, 6 Year 8: unit 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16 Year 9: unit 15, 19, 20, 21, 22
Databases	Year 7: unit 1, 2, 3 Year 8: unit 12 Year 9: unit 18, 20
Spreadsheets	Year 8: unit 12, 16 Year 9: unit 17, 20
Word processing/DTP	Year 7: unit 2, 3, 4, 5 Year 8: unit 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16 Year 9: unit 14, 15, 19, 22
E-mail/fax	Year 7: unit 3 Year 8: unit 9, 10, 11 Year 9: unit 18
Graphics/multimedia/presentation	Year 7: unit 2, 5, 6 Year 8: unit 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 Year 9: unit 14, 15, 17, 21

Links between the ICT and geography schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Year 8: unit 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Year 9: unit 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 Unit 24
Graphics/multimedia/presentation	Year 7: unit 2 Year 8: unit 11, 13 Year 9: unit 19, 21
Spreadsheets/prediction models/ graphing applications	Year 7: unit 2, 3, 5 Year 8: unit 7, 10, 15 Year 9: unit 16, 17
Databases	Year 7: unit 1 Year 8: unit 10 Unit 24
E-mail/fax	Year 9: unit 20, 22
GIS/mapping	Year 7: unit 1 Year 8: unit 11, 15 Year 9: unit 17, 23
Word processing/DTP	Year 8: unit 7, 8, 11 Year 9: unit 21

Links between the ICT and art and design schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 7A, 7B, 7C Year 9: unit 9A
Graphics/multimedia/presentation/sound	Year 7: unit 7A Year 8: unit 8B, 8C Year 9: unit 9A
Digital cameras/video recorders	Year 7: unit 7A, 7B, 7C Year 8: unit 8C Year 9: unit 9A, 9C

Links between the ICT and music schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 4 Year 9: unit 12, 13
Music technology	Year 7: unit 3 Year 8: unit 10 Year 9: unit 15
Electronic keyboards/MIDI sequencers	Year 7: unit 2 Year 8: unit 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 Year 9: unit 14
E-mail/fax	Year 7: unit 1 Year 8: unit 6
Word processing/DTP	Year 8: unit 11

Links between the ICT and MFL - French schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 3, 4, 5 Year 8: unit 7, 10, 11 Year 9: unit 13, 14, 15, 16, 18
Word processing/DTP	Year 7: unit 3, 6 Year 8: unit 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Year 9: unit 13, 14, 16
E-mail/fax	Year 7: unit 5 Year 8: unit 8 Year 9: unit 18
Databases	Year 7: unit 4, 6 Year 8: unit 10 Year 9: unit 13
Graphics/multimedia/presentation applications	Year 7: unit 2 Year 8: unit 8

Links between the ICT and PE schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: most units Year 8: most units Year 9: most units
Digital cameras/video recorders/data monitors	Year 7: most units Year 8: most units Year 9: most units

Links between the ICT and RE schemes

Research using the internet and CD-ROM	Year 7: unit 7B Year 8: unit 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F Year 9: unit 9C
Word processing/DTP	Year 7: unit 7A, 7D, 7E Year 8: unit 8A, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F Year 9: unit 9A
Spreadsheets/graphing applications	Year 8: unit 8A, 8B Year 9: unit 9B
Databases	Year 7: unit 7C Year 8: unit 8C Year 9: unit 9B