Creativity, Activity, Service

Exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance 

• Does not include appreciation of the creative efforts of others (attending a concert or art exhibition) 

Examples:

• Visual (painting) and performing arts (acting)

• Digital design

• Writing

• Film

• Culinary Arts

• Composition (music)

• Developing a website

• Learning a new language?

• Can showcase through recording, presentation, exhibition, social media, shared discussion 

• Ongoing creativity: If already doing it, can define new challenges and objectives to extend involvement and deepen skill level)

  • Musician can compose and perform guitar solo

  • Artist may create a new sculpture or photographic series

  • Actor may present an original dramatic piece

Action: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle

• Team sports, aerobic exercise, dance, outdoor recreation, fitness training

• Ongoing: should set personal goals to further extend and develop their participation

Service: collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need

1. Direct service: interaction involves people, environment, or animals

   • 1 on 1 tutoring, developing a garden in partnership with refugees, working in an animal shelter

2. Indirect service: don’t see recipient, but actions with benefit the community or environment

   • Re-designing a non-for profit website, writing original picture books to teach a language, nurturing tree seedlings for planting

3. Advocacy: speak on behalf of a cause or concern to prompt action on an issue of public interest

   • Awareness campaign on hunger, performing a play on replacing bullying with respect, creating a video on sustainable water solutions

4. Research: Students collect information through varied sources, analyze data, and report on a topic of importance to influence policy or practice

   • Conduct environmental surveys to influence their school, contribute to a study of animal migration, compile effective means to reduce litter in public spaces, conduct social research by interviewing people on topics such as homelessness, unemployment or isolation

   • Ongoing service

   • School-based service

   • Community-based service

   • Immediate need service (disaster relief)

   • Fundraising

   • International service

   • Volunteerism

   • Service arising from the curriculum

• Show evidence demonstrating achievement of 7 CAS learning outcomes

• Pictures, digital, online, diary, journal, scrapbook, video log, blog, school-organized website or blended

• Reflections

• Could be structured:

  • Profile: interests, skills, talents, plans, and goals for CAS against the 3 strands

  • Experiences: reflections, learning moments, personal achievements, how they utilized the CAS stages

  • Evidence: planning documents, letters, emails, certificates, acknowledgements of participation and achievements, photographs, videos, etc

• Students must show evidence in their CAS portfolio of having achieved each learning outcome at least once through their CAS programme

• Reflections show Evidence of achieving the seven CAS learning outcomes 

• Not all CAS experiences lead to a CAS learning outcome

1. Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

   • Show regular involvement and active engagement in CAS

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

   • Can discuss both benefits and challenges of collaboration

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

   • Identify, demonstrate understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action to the issue either locally, nationally, or internationally

7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

   • Show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions of doing CAS experiences

• Must involve one of more of the 3 CAS strands

• Can be a single event or may be an extended series of events

• Must be distinct / separate from regular course study of Diploma courses (can’t submit as a school project and then also CAS)

• Develop attributes of learning profile

• Based on personal interest, skill, talent

• Can be: Ongoing (already doing it), School-based (school clubs or teams), Community-based, Individual

CAS Experience examples

• Mountain hike - singular experience (Activity)

• A student plans a number of visits to a nursing home - series of CAS experiences (Service)

• Group of students plan and stage a basketball tournament for the local community - Series of CAS experiences (Activity, Service)

Choose CAS experiences

• Is it enjoyable?

• Does it allow for development of personal interests, skills and/or talents?

• What new possibilities or challenges could the experience provide?

• What are the possible consequences of your CAS experience for you, others, and the environment?

• What CAS learning outcomes may be addressed

• Minimum 1 month duration

• Show initiative, perseverance, collaboration, problem solving, and decision making

• Can address any single strand of CAS or combine 2 or all 3 strands

  • Creativity: A student group lans, designs, and creates a mural

  • Activity: Students organize and participate in a sports team including training sessions and matches against other teams

  • Service: Students set up and conduct tutoring for people in need

  • Creativity and Activity: Students choreograph a routine for their marching band

  • Service and Activity: Students plan and participate in the planning and maintenance of a garden with members of the local community

  • Service and Creativity; Students identify that children at a local school need backpacks and subsequently design and make the backpacks out of recycled materials

  • Creativity, Activity, and Service: Students rehearse and perform a dance production for a community retirement home

1. 1st interview at the beginning of the CAS programme

   • Understand CAS requirements, learning outcomes, how to achieve these outcomes

   • Discuss student’s interests and ideas for CAS experiences

   • What CAS portfolio would look like and reviews CAS stages

2. 2nd interview at the end of the first fiscal year

   • Assess progress

   • Check if student is committed to a range of CAS experiences and are achieving CAS learning outcomes

   • Should have completed or started planning their CAS project

3. 3rd interview at the end of the CAS programme

   • Summative interview just before the DP finishes

   • Student outlines how they achieved the CAS learning outcomes

   • Discuss and evaluate their overall CAS programme

   • Reflect on personal growth

   • CAS portfolio can be used as a reference

• Focused on reflection informing student learning and growth, exploring ideas, skills, strengths, limitations, and areas for further development, as well as how they may use prior learning in new contexts

• Writing, photos, blog posting, poster, brief narrative, art, music

1. Describing what happened

2. Expressing feelings

3. Generating ideas (rethinking or re-examining choices and actions)

4. Asking questions

Example Questions

• What did I do? could become: 

  • Why did I make this particular choice?

  • How did this experience reflect my personal ideas and values? 

  • In what ways am I being challenged to think differently about myself and others? 

• How did I feel? could become: 

  • How did I feel about the challenges? 

  • What happened that prompted particular feelings?

  • What choices might have resulted in different feelings and outcomes?

Help figure out what you want to do, make plans, and then do it.

1. Investigation

   • Identify interests, skills, talents to be used (considering opportunities for CAS), and ares for personal growth and development

   • What need do you want to address?

2. Preparation

   • Clarify roles and responsibilities, develop a plan of actions to be taken, identify specified resources and timelines, acquire and skills needed to engage in the CAS experience

3. Action

   • Implement idea/plan

4. Reflection

   • Describe what happened, express feelings, generate ideas, raise questions

   • What did you learn, assist with revising plans, make connections between growth accomplishments and learning outcomes

5. Demonstration

   • Express what and how you learned, what you accomplished

   • Sharing CAS experience through CAS portfolio