Evaluating Learning - Grade Two

There are no formal tests with these lessons. But it is possible to evaluate the learning of the group as a whole by holding a focus group discussion before and after the lessons. The purpose is to find out what pupils think. We propose separate focus group discussions for the food chapters and for the health chapters, giving two "sandwiches":

Sandwich One

Hold focus group discussion on FOOD AND DIET

Teach Chapters 1, 2 and 3 - Our Food, Food for Living, Food for the Day

Hold follow-up focus group discussion on food and diet and compare answers.

Sandwich Two

Hold focus group discussion on HEALTH

Teach Chapters 4, 5 and 6 - Keeping clean, Diarrhoea, Malaria

Hold follow-up focus group discussion on health and compare answers.

The first focus group of each sandwich should be held before the lessons begin. It can be led by the teacher or by any capable and interested adults (e.g. community workers, school inspectors). A suggested framework of questions for discussion is given on the following pages.

Conduct the discussion in the children’s first language. If possible, break the class up into smaller groups. Create an informal atmosphere so that children will feel free to say what they think. For example, go outside the classroom; sit in a circle; have some friendly adults or older children present as well as the group leader.

Do not give your own opinions or "right answers", but welcome all contributions. Encourage children to expand what they think by asking interested questions. Remember the purpose is not to "teach" but to find out. Note down what children say so you can compare it with what they say at the end of the lesson series. If possible, have one person to lead the discussion and another to make notes.

In the second focus group of the sandwich, do the same. Compare the answers with the answers in the first focus group. Some criteria for the answers are given. N.B. We are not only looking for knowledge of facts. If children are more aware, can discuss the question, have more ideas, can give more examples, are more confident and are beginning to change what they do (or just to think about changing), the lessons will have been a success.

Focus group discussions on FOOD AND DIET (Chapters 1 to 3)

Use the questions below to guide the discussion. Note down what the children say so you can compare it with what they say at the end of the lessons on food and diet.

After the first three chapters on food, hold another focus group and ask the same questions. Some criteria for judging the answers are given in the second table.

Question	Notes on children’s responses
Warm-up We’re going to talk about food and what you eat. Do you like eating? What is your favourite food?
Can you tell us some foods which come from animals?
And some foods which come from plants?
Which is better - food from plants or food from animals? Why do we need food?
What foods help you work and play?
What foods help you to grow?
What foods keep you healthy?
Which is the best food - nshima, meat or pumpkin leaves? Which is better food - beans or meat?
Cassava leaves, pumpkin leaves, sweet potato leaves - is it important to eat these foods often? Why/Why not?
What about bananas, paw-paw, oranges, mangoes? Is it important to eat these foods often? Why/Why not?
Is it enough to eat nshima and fish every day?
Is it important to have breakfast?
You can eat often in the day, a little each time, or you can eat a lot just once. Which is better?
How do you wash your hands before eating? Why do you do it this way?
Is it good to have your own plate when you eat? Why?/Why not?
Do you think it would be good to eat other foods often? What? Why?

CHECKLIST FOR COMPARING RESPONSES OF FIRST AND SECOND DISCUSSIONS

Question	Children should -
Warm-up We’re going to talk about food and what you eat. Do you like eating? What is your favourite food?	be ready and willing to talk about food
Can you tell us some foods which come from animals?	give quite a lot of correct answers
And some foods which come from plants?	give quite a lot of correct answers
Which is better - food from plants or food from animals?	know that both plant and animal foods are good and important
What foods help you work and play? How does it do this?	name some high-energy foods (e.g. sweet potatoes, cassava, sugarcane, maize, groundnuts) and say they give you energy
What foods help you to grow?	name some high-protein foods (e.g. beans, meat, fish, caterpillars, groundnuts, peas)
What foods keep you healthy?	name a large number of the foods in Chapter 2, Lesson 4, including dark green leafy vegetables, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, peas, beans, red palm oil, kapenta, eggs, milk, grasshoppers. (In fact, all foods keep you healthy, but children need to recognize the value of some foods which are not generally highly valued.)
Which is the best food - nshima, meat or pumpkin leaves?	show they are beginning to understand that ALL are very important
Which is better food - beans or meat?	show they are beginning to understand that both are very good foods
Cassava leaves, pumpkin leaves, sweet potato leaves - is it important to eat these foods often? Why/Why not?	say that these foods are important because they keep you healthy
What about bananas, paw-paw, oranges, mangoes? Is it important to eat these foods often? Why/Why not?	say that these foods are important because they keep you healthy.
Is it enough to eat nshima and fish every day?	show that they know other foods are necessary and what is most important is variety
Is it important to have breakfast?	explain that breakfast is necessary to give energy for the day’s work
You can eat little and often in the day, or you can eat a lot just once. Which is better?	show that they realize the importance of eating several times in a day - mention snacks
How do you wash your hands before eating? Why do you do it this way?	explain how they wash their hands and say why they do it this way
Is it good to have your own plate when you eat? Why?/Why not?	show they can think of reasons (for or against)
Do you think it would be good to eat other foods often? What? Why?	give a few suggestions which would genuinely improve their own diet (e.g. eating more fruit and vegetables, eating more often) and give good reasons

Focus group discussions on HYGIENE AND HEALTH (Chapters 4 to 6)

Use the questions below to guide the discussion. Note down what the children say so you can compare it with what they say at the end of the lessons on food and diet.

After working through Chapters 4, 5 and 6, hold another focus group and ask the same questions. Some criteria for judging the answers are given in the second table.

Questions	Notes
Warm-up We’re going to talk about being clean and healthy. Do you like being clean? and healthy? What things do you think make you sick?
Hygiene
What things need cleaning? Why?
Do you clean and wash things? What?
If things are dirty, how do you know?
Is it bad for your clothes and body to be dirty? Why? What about hair, teeth, nails?
Can dirt make you sick? How?
When should you wash your hands? Why? How should you wash your hands?
What makes food dirty?
How does water get dirty?
How should you carry water? How can you make water clean?
What should you do with rubbish? Why?
Diarrhoea
Do you know diarrhoea? (use local name) Describe what it is like.
Is it dangerous? Why/Why not?
How should you treat it? What should you do if you have diarrhoea? Why?
How do we get diarrhoea?
Can we prevent diarrhoea? If so, how?
If someone in the family has diarrhoea, can they give it to others in the family?
(If yes) How can we prevent this happening?

Focus group discussions on HYGIENE AND HEALTH (Chapters 4 to 6)

Questions	Notes
Malaria
What do you know about malaria? Do you know this disease? How do you know if someone has malaria?
Is malaria a bad disease? Is it dangerous?
How do you get malaria?
How can we prevent malaria?
What do you do to avoid malaria? What should you do if you think you have malaria?

CHECKLIST FOR COMPARING RESPONSES OF FIRST AND SECOND DISCUSSIONS

Question	Notes on childrens’ responses
Warm-up We’re going to talk about keeping clean and being healthy. Do you like being clean? Do you like being healthy? What things do you think make you sick?
Hygiene	Children should...
What things need cleaning? Why?	give a lot of answers (e.g. clothes, body, hands, nails, hair, floor, pots and pans) show some understanding that dirt is dangerous and carries disease
Do you clean and wash things? What?	show personal responsibility for keeping self and other things clean - the more the better
If things are dirty, how do you know?	mention that they look dirty, and smell, but also show understanding that things can look clean and be dirty (e.g. hands, water)
Is it bad for your clothes and body to be dirty? Why? What about hair, teeth, nails?	give a lot of reasons, including looking and smelling nice, the danger of parasites, the danger of sickness
Can dirt make you sick? How?	show understanding that "dirt" (i.e. bacteria) can make you sick if it gets into your mouth, and that it can be carried by hands or by flies sitting on food
When should you wash your hands? Why? How should you wash your hands?	give a lot of answers, especially mentioning after going to the toilet and before eating and explaining that it is important not to get dirt on food give detail, emphasizing soap and running water
What makes food dirty?	give several answers - e.g. old food can rot, dirty hands, flies and mice
How does water get dirty? How should you carry water? How can you make water clean?	give several answers - especially mentioning defecating near to water sources show or say how to carry water without getting it dirty show some knowledge of how water is purified
What should you do with rubbish? Why?	say that you should bury it or burn it give some idea of how dirt from rubbish is conveyed to houses (flies, mice etc.)

CHECKLIST FOR COMPARING RESPONSES OF FIRST AND SECOND DISCUSSIONS

Question	Notes on childrens’ responses
Diarrhoea	Children should...
Do you know diarrhoea? (use localname) Describe what it is like.	give several symptoms, including loose/watery stools, frequent visits to toilet, pain, weakness
Is it dangerous? Why/Why not?	show awareness that diarrhoea can be very dangerous, because the body losesfood and water very rapidly
How should you treat it? What should you do if you have diarrhoea? Why?	say that you should drink a lot and eat, to replace the food and water lost; also that you should go to the clinic
How do we get diarrhoea?	say that diarrhoea can be carried fromfaeces by hands, flies etc.
Can we prevent diarrhoea? If so, how?	give several ways of preventing diarrhoea, in particular using the latrine, washing hands, washing fruit and vegetables, covering food
If someone in the family has diarrhoea, can they give it to others in the family?	show that they recognize that others canbe infected
(If they say yes to the above question) How can we prevent this happening?	suggest several ways of preventing thespread in the family (e.g. handwashing, not allowing the infected person to share or prepare food or deal with babies, separate plates)
Malaria
What do you know about malaria? Do you know this disease? How do you know if someone has malaria?	give a range of (accurate) information mention as symptoms high recurring fever (feeling hot and cold), sweating, weakness
Is malaria a bad disease? Is it dangerous?	show an awareness that malaria can kill, especially young children
How do you get malaria?	explain that mosquitoes carry malaria from sick people to healthy people
How can we prevent malaria?	mention a range of preventive actions, e.g. filling holes, burying rubbish, slashing grass, spraying water, wearing long clothes, using mosquito nets, closing windows at night etc.
What do you do to avoid malaria?	mention one or two things which contribute to avoiding malaria (e.g. mending mosquito nets, staying under mosquito nets, closing windows, burying cans, helping parents with other preventive actions)
What should you do if you think malaria?	say that you should go to the clinic immediately