THE NEW BAGRUT

1. THE NEW BAGRUT Rina Akotonas Access Director, Amal Network

2. What’s new? • For the last 3 years , we have been witnessing “changes “in the Written Bagrut ,mostly in Module C and E: • 1. the topics are esoteric – unfamiliar to our students and there is no significant difference between the levels of the texts chosen • 2. There are fewer questions on content • 3. Most questions demand high order thinking skills .(HOTS)

3. Examples from MODULE C Topics Mindless Eating Why Write a Diary? Daydreaming From the titles we can see that the texts deal with sociological, psychological or philosophical points of view.

4. Examples from MODULE E Topics Thrills on Wheels A Game to make you Dance from the NEW YORK TIMES Keeping an eye on Museum Visitors From the WALL STREET JOURNAL Same as in C

5. What kind of Questions? HOW WHY COMPLETE A SENTENCE (WHEN ONLY 1 OR 2 WORDS ARE GIVEN) No longer – WHEN, WHERE or WHO A few WHAT

6. Where’s the problem? • The books we use hardly offer any text dealing with those kinds of topics • The questions which are asked in the Bagrut are less focused on content but more focused on the skills of • Drawing conclusions • Inference • Rewriting Skills once practiced in F and G

7. EXAMPLES In lines 6-19 Wansink mentions several factors that cause overeating and suggests ways to avoid them. Give TWO factors that cause overeating, and the way to avoid each one of them. (1) (i) The factor: ................................................................................................. . (ii) Way to avoid it: ............................................................................ ................................................................. . (2) (i) The factor: ................................................................................................. . (ii) Way to avoid it: ............................................................................

8. How did David feel about writing a diary before the project and how does he feel about it after the project? COMPLETE THE SENTENCES. (1) Before the project, he ..................................................................................... . (2) After the project, he ......................................................................................... ....................................................................... . (2x9=18 points) How have the laws against smoking affected the habit of chewing gum? (lines 10-16) ANSWER: ................................................................................................................... (10 points ) Give TWO ways in which skateboarding competitions have changed since 1975. Take your answers from two different paragraphs. (1) ............................................................................................................................. . (2) ............................................................................................................................. . (2x8=16 points)

9. BAGRUT 2011 – MODULE C Topic : DAYDREAMING 10 QUESTIONS 3 QUESTIONS OF HOW 2 QUESTIONS OF WHY 2 QUESTIONS which demand explanations 2 QUESTIONS which imply drawing conclusions

10. So , what can we do ? We must prepare for those kinds of texts and those kinds of questions. WHY ? We have no choice HOW? • By selecting texts of higher level • By teaching how to think • By practicing the types of questions now expected

11. That is going to be the main theme of our meetings next year. GOOD LUCK !!!