I. Introduction
The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference will be held in 13 – 18 December 2005.
Delegates from 148 countries, representatives from non-government organizations and
reporters from the international media will come to Hong Kong. Such a current and hot
issue provides a good opportunity for students to engage in some exploration and to discover
things of interest to discuss. As we can look at this issue from different perspectives, it
provides a good cross-curricular project learning topic for students.
II. Aims and Objectives
Through doing this project, students are able to:
1. look at an issue from multiple-perspectives;
2. apply the knowledge they have learnt from different subjects in the PSHE KLA;
3. practise various project learning and generic skills;
4. develop a sense of concern for events happening around them.
III. Level
S2 – S3
1
IV. Content of this set of learning and teaching materials
This set of learning and teaching materials consists of two parts.
Part
Notes to Teachers
Purposes
 State the learning objectives of this set of materials.
 Provide guidelines for teachers to lead this project learning
activity.
 Provide references on how to conduct project learning.
 Provide ways to assess project learning.
Students’ worksheets
 Provide sample worksheets that can be given to students when
doing the project.
 Give some instructional guidelines to students.
2
V. Suggested procedure
There can be four stages in the whole process.
They are:
A. Preparation Stage
Procedure
Objectives
Suggested Activities
1. Briefing on 
the aims and
objectives of
To understand the aims 
and characteristics of
the project.
To allow students to view the
videos
/
PowerPoint
presentation related to project

To understand the
general procedure for 
conducting the project.
learning.
the project
2. Grouping
To discuss with students what
roles they should play during
project learning.

To plan the schedule of
the project.

To enable students to 
practise
different
Groups of 4-5 students,
preferably of mixed ability.
generic
skills, 
especially
communication
and
Teachers can allow students to
form into groups of two freely
and then teachers combine
3
Students’
worksheets
References
For details, please refer to P.27-29 of
Teachers’ Guide Project Learning
Manual
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=10
Procedure
3. Motivation
Objectives

Suggested Activities
collaboration skills.
two groups
ability.
To understand some 
background
information about the
WTO Hong Kong
Ministerial Conference. 
Use
some
newspaper Students’
headlines to draw students’ Worksheets
attention to the WTO Hong Task I (P.2-3)
Kong Ministerial Conference.

4. Formulating 
the
project
topic

To understand methods 
in choosing a topic.
To formulate a research
topic.
of
Students’
worksheets
References
different
Ask students to collect
background information about
this conference.
Official Website of the WTO Hong
Kong Ministerial Conference
“WTO
Hong
Kong
Ministerial
Conference – Website of the Host
Government”
http://www.wtomc6.gov.hk/
Discuss with students the
information
they
have
collected so as to give
students a picture of what’s
happening in Hong Kong.
“The World Trade Organization – At a
Ask students to brainstorm Students’
keywords or ideas relating to Worksheets
“the WTO Hong Kong Task II (P.4-5)
For the other ways of formulating the
project topic, please read P.30-32 of
Teachers’ Guide Project Learning
Ministerial
Conference”.
Categorize these keywords or
ideas into different topics and
Manual and P.3 – 13 of Students’ Guide
Project Learning Manual
4
glance”
http://www.wtomc6.gov.hk/download/
media/ataglance_eng.doc
Procedure
Objectives
Suggested Activities

References
make proper connections
between the ideas by drawing
a graphic organizer.
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=10
Choose one particular aspect
as the sub-topic. Under this
sub-topic, asked students to
create a project title.
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=11
To be able to organize 
a work schedule and
work plan.
Discuss with group members Students’
the work schedule and work Worksheets
plan and discuss their division Task III (P.6-8)
An exemplar of ‘A Plan for the Project’
can be seen in P.81 – 84 of Teachers’
Guide Project Learning Manual
To develop students’
ability in planning.
of labour by filling in the
form ‘A Plan for the Project’.

5. Formulate a 
plan for the
project
Students’
worksheets

To foster team spirit
through division of
labour.

To
practise
communication
and
collaboration skills.
5
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=10
Suggested Project sub-topic and title:
Sub-topic
Project title
Points to note
Effects of organizing the Are Wan Chai Sports Ground and the cargo 
WTO
Hong
Kong handling area nearby a good choice as area for
Students can judge their suitability from a geographical
point of view by analysing their geographical setting and
Ministerial Conference
the infrastructure provided in the surrounding
environment. Some geographical skills such as
map-reading skills can be applied. Fieldwork can also
be conducted to let students observe the environment.
Students can also look at the question from a social
point of view by looking at the views of the residents or
the people in this community. They can conduct
protest?


Wan Chai shopkeepers’ views on organizing the 
WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference

6
interviews to collect information.
Students can also try to understand the decision from the
government’s viewpoint.
Students can look at the problem from an economic
point of view to see whether the organization of the
WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference will bring
economic returns or harmful effects to the business of
the shops in the Wan Chai area.
Data can be collected by interviewing shopkeepers in
order to look at the topic from a social point of view.
Sub-topic
Project title
Points to note
Teachers and students’ views on whether organizing 
the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference can
boost the image of Hong Kong.
China enters WTO
Students should look at the definition of “image of Hong
Kong”, as it may be perceived differently by different
people. Students need to arrive at a clear definition or
find one by collecting the views of teachers and other

classmates. This will bring out the point that “image”
can be interpreted socially, economically and politically.
Students can look at the viewpoints of the government
by collecting second-hand information from government
websites or press releases.
Is it necessary for China to enter WTO? How 
does the trade policy in China change recently and
Students need to find out the changes in trade policy of
China in the past and recently. In the past, China
why?
adopted her ‘Close Door Policy’. However, with the
development of new technology and the emergence of
globalization, China has found it beneficial to open its
doors to the western world. Students will learn
changes due to time and context.
They can look at the issue in terms of changes in the
resources available to China, the economic structure of


7
the world and the development of technology.
This topic may be a bit difficult for S2/3 students and
therefore more guidance is required from teachers.
The project titles listed in P.7 are good because:
 they are multi-disciplinary. Students will be able to consider the topic from different perspectives.
 they allow students to apply the knowledge and skills that they have learnt from different subjects.
 they are manageable.
 they are relevant to real life situations.


they help to develop students’ generic skills and higher order thinking skills.
they are interesting.
B. Implementation Stage
Procedure
Objectives
1. Collecting 
information

To be able to access 
information
through
different means.
To develop the skills of
literature
reviewing
and
searching
for
information
through
Suggested Activities
To arrange students to carry out
the following tasks in groups
whenever necessary:
 Visits and field studies*;
 Surveys and interviews*;
 Literature review;
 To search for information
the Internet.

through the Internet.
To master different * For safety reasons, students should
methods
of
data not conduct interviews or visits near
collection.
Wan Chai at the time near or when
8
Students’
worksheets
Students’
Worksheets
Task III
(P.6-8)
References
For the sources of information, the
design of a questionnaire and ways of
conducting an interview, please refer to
P.18 – 27 of Students’ Guide Project
Learning Manual
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=11
Procedure
Objectives
Suggested Activities
the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial
Conference is held (13 – 18
December 2005).
9
Students’
worksheets
References
Procedure
Objectives
2.
Collating 
and analysing
information


Suggested Activities
To learn how to review, 
collate
and
keep
information
To arrange students to do the
following tasks through group
discussion:
systematically.


To develop students’
ability to judge the
usefulness
of
the
information collected.
To be able to analyse
the information.







To sort out information.
To judge the authenticity
and usefulness of the
information.
To
recognize
biased
information.
To differentiate between
fact and opinion.
To comment on the
validity of the source of
information.
To make use of IT to
process data.
To clarify values and
analyse them.
To do statistical analysis.
To produce and explain
charts and maps.
10
Students’
worksheets
References
For details, please refer to P.28 – 44 of
Students’ Guide Project Learning
Manual
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=11
Procedure
Objectives
3. Synthesizing 
information
and
drawing
conclusions

Suggested Activities
To master the skills of 
summing
up
and
applying knowledge.
To cultivate students’
inquisitive mind.
Students’
worksheets
References
To arrange students to discuss
the following items in groups:
 Answers to the project

title.
Conclusions
implications.
and
C. Concluding Stage
Procedure
Objectives
1. Preparing for 
the final product
and making a
presentation

Suggested Activities
To be able to present the 
results by different methods,
such as reports, PowerPoint
presentation,
role-play 
presentation,
drama
performance, etc.
To
develop
communication
collaboration skills
References
To brief students on the things that they Refer to P. 45 – 46 of Students’ Guide
need to pay attention to when doing the Project Learning Manual for report
various types of presentation.
writing
Let students present their results in
class.
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
english/resources/resources.asp?id=11
students’
and
11
D. Assessment
Three kinds of assessment can be carried out.
They include:
1. Self assessment
Objectives
Suggested form of
assessment
 To
allow  Self-assessment
students
to
form
reflect on what
they have learnt
from
this
project.
 To make room
for improvement
when they do
another project
next time.
References
 Sample assessment form: P.89 – 90
of Teachers’ Guide Project Learning
Manual
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk
/english/resources/resources.asp?id=10
2. Peer assessment
Objectives
Suggested form
References
of assessment
 To allow students  Peer assessment  Sample assessment form: P.93 - 94 of
to give feedback
form
Teachers’ Guide Project Learning
to
their
Manual
classmates, so as
to give room for
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/
improvement.
english/resources/resources.asp?id=10
 To judge whether
their peers have
met the criteria.
3. Teacher assessment
a. Objectives
i.
To assess students’ progress in the course of project learning and give them
immediate feedback for improvement.
ii.
To identify the difficulties students encounter so as to provide them with
remedial support.
iii. To assess the degree of students’ mastery of expected learning outcomes at
the end of project learning.
12
b. Establishing Assessment Criteria and Standards
i. Assessment criteria are used to describe what students are able to do in
different aspects of learning. These can be presented in the form of bands or
levels.
ii. Owing to the multiple outcomes from a project, criteria must be set in many
areas, including:
(a) selection of the questions to be investigated
(b) research skills
(c) report writing
(d) designing and making a product
(e) oral presentation
Throughout these areas, criteria must also be established for level of
thinking, certain generic skills and students’ learning attitudes.
iii. Teachers can also set assessment criteria for different areas as follows:
(a) research skills, including criteria for:
i) accessing information
ii) selecting information
iii) processing information
(b) writing the report, including criteria for:
i) judging the report, e.g.
­ whether questions are stated clearly,
­ whether research procedures are described in details,
­ whether there is good organization, analysis and
synthesis of the information collected, and
­ whether the conclusions drawn are valid
ii) assessing higher-order thinking skills, e.g.
­ whether questions for investigation and suggestions
made are of high quality,
­ whether the arguments are relevant to the theme, and
­ whether there is adequate supporting information
13
In fact, students should know the criteria before writing
the report. They use them to assess their own report and
then to revise it as required. Later on, peers can evaluate
the revised report, so as to observe and learn from each
other. Students can revise their reports at any time during
this process.
(c) designing and making a product
The research report might be a poster, model or something other than
a written report, such as drama, video, etc. This can be assessed,
based on the criteria relevant to academic and technical skills
(d) oral presentation
It is expected that students give an oral description of the procedures
and findings. This can be assessed, based on the criteria relating to:
i) communication skills,
ii) oral skills, and
iii) quality of the visuals.
iv. It is necessary to set the standards for each item, when the assessment criteria
are prepared.
(For samples of rating scale, please refer to P.65 – 71 of the Teachers’ Guide Project
Learning Manual
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/english/resources/resources.asp?id=10)
14
c. Proposed Framework for Assessment Strategies in Project Learning
Stages
During
project
stage
End
project
Objectives
 To give students’ feedback and
set short-term targets.
 To diagnose and correct errors /
misconceptions.
 To facilitate future planning.
 To monitor students’ progress in
the short term.
of  To make judgments about
whether they themselves or their
peers have met the criteria.
 To give feedback to students for
improvements.
 To inform students and parents
of their results.
 To
review,
monitor
and
formulate targets of project
learning for improvement.
15
Assessment strategies
 Questioning
 Informal discussion
 Teachers’
observation
students’ work
 Students’ self-assessment
 Peer assessment
of
 Students’ self-assessment
 Peer assessment
 Portfolio assessment
 Using the assessment rubrics
to summarise attainment
VI. References on Project Learning
A.
Books, journals and websites
1.
上海市教委教研室編。 «高中研究型課程: 實施案例選編»。上海:上海科技
教育出版社。
2.
香港中文大學社會學系。 «社會研究入門手冊»。
3.
章淳立。<學校開發和實施研究型課程的基本思路>。上海市教委教研室編。
«高中研究型課程: 實施案例選編»。上海: 上海科技教育出版社，11-17。
4.
鄭小麗。«研究性學習指導手冊»。上海: 上海科技教育出版社。
5.
課程發展議會 (2001)。«課程發展路向: 學會學習»。香港: 政府印務局。
6.
霍益萍 (2001)。«研究性學習:實驗與探索»。南寧: 廣西教育出版社。
7.
Barron, B.J.S., Schwartz, D.L. and et al. (1998). ‘Doing with Understanding:
Lessons from Research on Problem- and Project-based Learning’. The Journal
of the Learning Science, 7, 271-311.
8.
Bartscher, K., Gould, B. and et al. (1995). Increasing Student Motivation
through Project-based Learning. Master’s Research Project, Saint Zavier and
IRI Skylight.
9.
Boaler, J. (1997). Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex and
Settings. Buckingham: Open University Press.
10. Diehl, W., Groube, T. and et al. (1999). Project-based Learning: A Strategy for
Teaching and Learning. Boston, MA: Center for Youth Development and
Education, Corporation for Business, Work and Learning.
11. Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind. New York: Basic Books.
12. Haines, S. (1989). Projects for the EFL Classroom: Resource Materials for
Teachers. Harlow, Essex: Oxford.
13. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (1998). Center of Problem Based
16
Learning.
【on-line】http://www.imsa.edu/team/cpbl/problem.html
14. Katz, L.G. and Chard, S.C. (1989). Engaging Children's Minds: the Project
Approach. NJ: Albex.
15. Gronlund, N.E. (1998). Assessment of Student Achievement. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
16. Lee, M.M.T., Li, B.K.W. and Lee, I.K.B. (1999). Project Work: Practical
Guidelines. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.
17. Morris, P. (1996). The Hong Kong School Curriculum: Development, Issues and
Policies. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
18. Philips, D., Burwood, S. and et al. (1999) Projects with Young Learners. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
19. Rothenberg, D. (1998). Internet Resources for Project Work. In the Project
Approach Catalog that accompanied the Project Approach Study Group’s
presentation at the 1998 annual meeting of the National Association for the
Education of Young Children in Toronto, Canada.
20. San Mateo County Office of Education (1997 – 2001). Challenge 2000
Project-based Learning (PBL) with Multimedia. 【 on-line 】
http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/topics-main.htm
21. Shepherd, H.G. (1998). The Probe Method: A Problem-based Learning Model’s
Effect on Critical Thinking Skills of Fourth- and Fifth-grade Social Studies
Students. Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A; Humanities and Social
Sciences, September 1998, 59(3-A), p.0779.
22. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. (2000) Thinkquest
17
B.
Resources relating to Project Learning
1.
教育署個人、社會及人文教育組 (2002) 專題研習光碟
2.
Education Department (2002). Project learning Manual 【 online 】
http://www.pshe.inquirylearning.edu.hk/english/resources/resources.asp?id=9
3.
Education and Manpower Bureau – Project Learning Website
http://cd1.emb.hkedcity.net/cd/projectlearning/index_e.html
18