CAS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE. Creativity, Activity and Service Student Guide From Cairns State High School

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1 Cairns State High School CAS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Creativity, Activity and Service Student Guide From 2017 (This information is adapted from the IBO Diploma Programme 2016 publication: Creativity, Activity, and Service)

2 INTRODUCTION TO CAS Creativity Activity and Service (CAS) is one of the core components of the International Baccalaureate (IB). The CAS requirement recognises the value of the life skills developed beyond the world of scholarship and involves students in experiential learning through a range of artistic, sporting, physical and service activities. Its emphasis is on learning by doing real, purposeful tasks that have significant outcomes and then reflecting on these experiences over time. Tasks must provide a personal challenge but also be achievable in scope. The CAS programme aims to develop students who are reflective thinkers, are willing to accept new challenges and new roles and are aware of themselves as members of communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment. They become active participants in sustained, collaborative projects and find significance in a range of activities involving intellectual, physical, creative and emotional experiences. LEARNING OUTCOMES Learning Outcomes IB description Questions to answer Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward. What do you think your strengths are in regards to this experience? What area do you believe you are weak in and how will this experience help you grow? Undertaken new challenges and develop new skills in the process A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences not previously undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area. Explain why this experience will be challenging for you. Identify specific skills you wish to gain from this experience. Planned and initiated experiences Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student-led activities. Identify the stages of planning. List the things that you need to be aware of. Identify what you will need and who will do what in the experience. Shown perseverance and commitment in their experiences Demonstrated through regular involvement and active engagement in CAS What other activities may impact on you keeping your commitment to this experience. Explain how you can overcome these to stay committed Worked collaboratively with others Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and service, is required. The benefits and challenges of collaboration should be critically discussed. Identify the skills that are important to work collaboratively. Discuss which skills you have. Identify the skills you are poor in and how you think this experiences will improve those skills. Engaged with issues of global importance Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly). What is the global issue? How does it present itself locally? How do you think you are going to engage with this issue through this experiences Considered the ethical implications of their choices and actions Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS experience (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including planning, carrying out experiences, journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers. Identify what is the ethical dilemma? Identify what you think you will do if confronted by this. Explain why you think you will act this way.

3 IB LEARNER PROFILE The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. IB learners strive to be: Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled Open-minded Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience. They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They re brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

4 REFLECTION AND THE LEARNER PROFILE Reflection is used to demonstrate achievement of the learner profile. The following ideas can form the basis of linking the learner profile attributes to CAS experiences and can act as guiding questions for reflection specific to CAS. How does my choices and actions model empathy, compassion and respect for others? How does this CAS experience allow me to become a genuine inquirer? To what extent do my CAS experiences encourage creative and critical thinking? How do the ethical issues that arise in my CAS experiences allow me to become principled? How does my CAS experience allow for intellectual and physical risk-taking in a supportive environment? Your 3 rd Interview and presentation will show how you have linked your CAS experiences and learning outcomes to the learner profile. Photo courtesy of Colin from Cairns Post

5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS TIMELINE Year 11 Time line Requirement Term 1 Initial CAS program planning, identifying goals and aims through personal strength and weakness testing. 1 CAS experience planned and approved. Goals and Aims also need to have been identified and entered onto ManageBac. Term 2 First official interview completed week CAS experiences planned and approved (including Major Project). 1/3 CAS experience must be completed with a supervisor s report, evidence and detailed reflection written. Term 3 Major Project needs to have been approved and started 5 CAS experiences planned and approved (including Major project). 3/5 CAS experiences must be completed with a supervisor s report, evidence and detailed reflection written. There must be at least 1 experience associated with each of the CAS areas. Term 4 Second official interview and evaluation of progress.- week 4 7 CAS experiences planned and approved. 5/7 CAS experiences must be completed with a supervisor s report, evidence and detailed reflection written. Major Project needs to have journal entries and evidence. 2 experiences associated with each of the CAS areas. 4 of the 7 Learning Outcomes must have been reflected upon. Time line Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Year 12 Requirement 9 CAS experiences planned and approved (and may be completed). 7/9 CAS experiences must be completed with a supervisor s report, evidence and detailed reflection written. Major Project needs to have been approved with journal entries and evidence. There must be at least 2 experiences associated with each of the CAS areas. 5 of the 7 Learning Outcomes must have been reflected upon. Completed a minimum of 9 CAS experiences with detailed written reflections, a supervisor s report and some evidence (this includes the Major Project). There must be at least 3 activities associated with each of the CAS areas. All of the 7 Learning Outcomes must have been reflected upon at least once in detail. ALL CAS EXPERIENCES & REFLECTIONS COMPLETED ON MANAGEBAC BY WEDNESDAY OF THE LAST WEEK. Individual student portfolios will be presented through a 5 min power point presentation to the class identifying activities and describing how the CAS learning outcomes have been achieved and linked to the IB learner profile. The final interview will occur during this presentation in week 3 of Term 3 onwards. 1 November IB co-ordinator to submit achievement to IBIS.

6 IDENTIFYING YOUR AIMS AND GOALS FOR CAS There is a section on ManageBac which asks you to identify your Aims and Goals for CAS. These are here to help you identify your character strengths and weaknesses and use these to develop strategies and determine further actions for personal growth through CAS experiences. If you are unsure of your aims and goals, then you can complete these online character/strength quizzes to help you on your way An aim is like a relatively long term plan of action. When you aim, you try to see the bigger picture. A goal is a target or a desired result. Goals can thus form stepping stones which then come together to make up a stairway that finally leads to the aim. WHAT IS A CAS EXPERIENCE? CAS Single CAS Experience CAS stages my/may not be used Series of CAS experiences CAS stages used CAS project: collaborative series of CAS experiences CAS stages used CAS experiences and stages Planning a CAS Experience When choosing experiences and projects students should use the following questions as a guide to determine whether or not a particular experience qualifies as CAS. Is the activity a new role for me? Will I be learning new skills in an area that is unfamiliar to me or developing new skills in an area where I have some experience? Is there an opportunity to integrate two or more of the CAS areas? Is the experience of significant duration (The importance of duration is that it provides opportunities to reflect on progress and adjust plans in order to resolve problems that arise) Does it have positive consequences for other people and me? What do I hope to learn from becoming involved? What can I reflect on during this experience?

7 POTENTIAL CAS EXPERIENCES APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE Creativity Activity Service Art/photography gallery Aerobics Creating and sustaining a community group Tournament organisation Badminton Teaching basic literacy Event management Basketball Habitat for Humanity Website development Gym program Joining a global issues seminar Choir Kickboxing Teaching the use of computer Speech and debate Triathlon Creating a film competition Drama production DC Cobra teams Waste management program Journalism Soccer Environmental restoration and protection Writing a book Tournament participation Orphanage work Music / band Suring Teaching computer literacy Learning an Instrument Swimming Student council Model United Nations Trekking Peer Tutoring (to Junior Students) Fashion Show Tai Chi World Water Day Talent show Tennis World Aids Day Pottery Volleyball Tidy schools competition Experiences that do not reflect the CAS philosophy Any class experience or project which is already part of the student s diploma program. An experience for which a student is personally rewarded either financially or with some other benefit. Obtaining a driver s license. Doing simple, tedious and repetitive work, like stacking library shelves. Working in an old people s home or children s home when the student has no idea of how the home operates. Is just doing menial repetitive work like making sandwiches. Has no contact at all with old people or children. All forms of duty within the family. A passive pursuit such as visiting a museum theatre art exhibition concert or sports event unless it clearly inspires work in a related activity in which a student is already engaged. Religious devotion and any activity which can be interpreted as proselytising. Work experience which only benefits the student. Fund raising with no clearly defined end in sight. An experience where there is no leader or responsible adult on site to evaluate and confirm student performance. Experiences which cause division amongst different groups in the community.

8 CAS EXPERIENCE EVALUATION RUBERIC To help identify whether your chosen experience is a CAS experience complete the Experience Evaluation Rubric (Allan,1999; modified Cunnington, 2017) below. Circle the box that best describes your proposed experience and add the points together. Low scoring experiences(less than 10) indicate that they are most likely inappropriate for CAS. If you are still unsure, discuss with your CAS coordinator. Criterion 1 point 2 points 3 points 4 points Challenge Attendance only required Gives opportunity for students to extend him/herself and leads to their goal/aim Presents a difficult and challenging target Pushes students beyond previous limits Opportunities for service, benefit to others Not benefit other than to student Has some benefit to others Outcome is directed towards benefiting others Results in identifiable benefits to others and leads to their goal/aim Acquisition of Skills and interests rather practising those already acquired No level of skill required Requires skills any student of this age would be expected already to have Develops existing skills Develops new skills and leads to their goal/aim Initiation and planning by students Activity organised by school Activity organised by outside agency Organised by group of students with adult leader Planned, organised and run by students(s) Establishing links with community and furthering international understanding Does not involve working with others Involves working within the school community only and leads to their goal/aim Involves working with the community but may only be with student s own nationality or international community Involves working with and within the local community and/or in the local language Active rather than passive nature No active participation Student required to participate but not initiate and leads to their goal/aim Requires active participation Requires active participation and input from the student Project nature combining 2 or more areas of CAS Activity one-off of short duration only one type Has elements of two CAS areas but only of a short duration Has elements of 2 CAS areas but they are unbalanced, duration is for a longer time Has a good balance of 2 of the CAS areas combined into a long term project

9 PLANNING, APPROVAL, AND REFLECTION Each experience or project you undertake, supervisors will work alongside students to assess quality and participation. Self- evaluation will be an ongoing process throughout the two year diploma period by journal entries and reflection. (Refer to timeline) Reflections should indicate the level of commitment, significance of your contribution and an assessment of your personal growth and development over the two years. CAS EXPERIENCE Investigation and Preparation (BEFORE STAGE) 1. Use the rubric to decide if your idea will be a good CAS experience and write your score at the beginning of your experience. 2. Enter a detailed plan on ManageBac addressing the following: Explain what is the experience is in detail? How long will this experience run for? How does this experience relate to your CAS goals/aims? Who is your supervisor and why was this person chosen? (include and phone number and cannot be your parent or a child) What are the learning outcomes that will be addressed? (choose only 1-2 LO) Refer to page 2 answer in DETAIL, the questions associated with the learning outcomes you will address. How do you think you will feel or what will you see when these learning outcomes have been achieved? 3. Check for Approval. If you have not received approval for your experience within a week, please send an to your CAS coordinator and ask for this to be done. 4. If it has not been approved you may not have written in enough detail or answered all the questions above. 5. You cannot start your CAS experience until it has been approved. Action - Maintaining records (DURING STAGE) Your CAS experience record on ManageBac is checked regularly by the CAS co-ordinator. This tracks the number of experiences that you have completed and lists experiences you intend to participate in. You should also be: Writing short bits of information on how you felt, what you did, how things worked as you progress through the experience. Collecting and uploading photos, videos, documents etc as evidence. Reflections and Supervisor Report (AFTER STAGE) Once you have completed your CAS experience you are required to: Send your Supervisor the Complete Supervisor Review form by either or print within 2 weeks of finishing the experience. Upload this Supervisor Review once completed to ManageBac. Finalise your CAS experience by completing your Reflection focusing on how the experience made you feel and think. The following questions can be used to guide your reflection. It must be detailed and show how you have grown from your CAS experience. What did you observe during the experience? Who did you mainly interact with and how did they make you feel? Did I achieve what I had planned to do? If not then explain why you didn t. How did you feel about achieving/not achieving your outcome? What did you think about the experience? You may not have liked it and that is ok to discuss. What did the experience mean to you? Were there any issues that arose during the experience? Was the experience worthwhile doing? I.e. would you recommend someone in your previous situation to do it? What did you learn from this experience and how could this learning be applied to another situation?

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11 MAJOR CAS PROJECT The primary purpose of the CAS project is to ensure participation in sustained collaboration. Through this level of engagement students may discover the benefits of teamwork and of achievements realized through an exchange of ideas and abilities. A CAS project challenges students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as those of cooperation, problem-solving and decision-making. A CAS project involves collaboration between a group of students or with members of the wider community. Students work as part of a team, with all members being contributors. A CAS project offers students the opportunity to be responsible for, or to initiate, a part of or the entire CAS project. Working collaboratively also provides opportunities for individual students to enhance and integrate their personal interests, skills and talents into the planning and implementation of CAS projects. All CAS projects should use the CAS stages as a framework for implementation to ensure that all requirements are met. A CAS project can address two or all three strands. The stages of the CAS process that need to be followed for you major project. 1. Investigation: Students identify their interests, skills and talents to be used in considering opportunities for CAS experiences, as well as areas for personal growth and development. Students investigate what they want to do and determine the purpose for their CAS experience. In the case of service, students identify a need they want to address. 2. Preparation: Students clarify roles and responsibilities, develop a plan of actions to be taken, identify specified resources and timelines, and acquire any skills as needed to engage in the CAS experience. 3. Action: Students implement their idea or plan. This often requires decision-making and problem-solving. Students may work individually, with partners, or in groups. 4. Reflection: Students describe what happened, express feelings, generate ideas, and raise questions. Reflection can occur at any time during CAS to further understanding, to assist with revising plans, to learn from the experience, and to make explicit connections between their growth, accomplishments, and the learning outcomes for personal awareness. Reflection may lead to new action. 5. Demonstration: Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have accomplished, for example, by sharing their CAS experience through their CAS portfolio or with others in an informal or formal manner. Through demonstration and communication, students solidify their understanding and evoke response from others. HEALTH AND SAFETY Students participating in experiences at venues beyond the school are covered by the school s insurance in the event of an accident but only when; an Experience Proposal has been entered on Managebac, the CAS Supervisor has approved the CAS experience, the Cairns High School risk assessment procedures have been completed. (where appropriate).