1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Today you finish one file your teacher can keep as your finished investigation work for the Specialism.
- What it has to do: set out what your investigation found, in a clear digital format, with proper references, written for a real audience.
- What you open: your {{code:sm4}} folder, with your search log, references and notes — whatever you have in there already.
- What you save: {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation}} and a matching PDF archive copy, both in {{code:sm4/}}.
If your folder is thin, open {{code:sm4}} now and see what is actually there. If you only have a few references, pick your best three sources and keep moving, because you will get a long working block later in the lesson to build the list up. The worst thing you can do today is stall over a missing source.
What you will be able to do by the end
- Set out what you found in a digital format that suits the people who will read it, with references they can check
- Choose that format with your teacher, for an audience you can name
- Save both the editable file and a PDF archive copy in {{code:sm4/}} so the work is finished and safe
Warm-up
Before you write anything, open your folder. Then answer one question out loud: who might actually open your findings? It could be the class at a share-back, a community group, your Work Experience supervisor, a sponsor, or someone else — but name a real person or group, and name them after you have seen what is in the folder, not before.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
A finished KA1 pack is bankable when the investigation is real, the format fits a named audience, and every checkable claim is referenced.
What a finished KA1 pack looks like
Worked example shape (fictional topic: "What does a first-year apprentice electrician typically earn and need in Ireland?") — use this as a shape guide only; your pack uses your Module 4 investigation:
- Format: two-page findings document (audience: Vocational Preparation teacher and a local ETB contact)
- Structure: title + investigation question; three key findings with short evidence notes; one bias/authenticity caution; one practical recommendation; reference list of five sources
- Files: {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation}} (editable) plus {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation.pdf}} inside {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm4/}}
If you later add an optional Canva infographic or CapCut clip, the same five content blocks still appear, with sources on a footer or end card (organisation, title, date) so a reader can check them.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriate digital format — the medium that best carries your findings to the people who need them | The SEC asks for an appropriate format, not the fanciest one. A clear two-page findings document can beat a half-finished video. | A Work Experience report on safe lifting becomes a referenced one-pager for the supervisor |
| Proper referencing — every borrowed fact, quote, image, or figure names its source | Without references, the presentation is opinion. With them, it is investigation evidence the teacher can bank. | Author or organisation, title, source, date, URL, date accessed — e.g. a Citizens Information page on employment rights under a claim about breaks at work |
| PDF archive copy — a finished, non-editable snapshot beside the editable source | Editable sources stay for revision; the PDF is stable KA evidence. | {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation.pdf}} saved in {{code:sm4/}} |
3 - Assemble the KA1 Scaffold ~10 mins
This step is structure only, so do not write your full findings yet. Follow your teacher on screen as you create the file inside {{code:sm4/}}, type in your own investigation question, and set up the Heading 2 sections. Under Key findings you paste one sample line, and that is only there to show you the shape. You will fill in the audience, your three real findings, the caution, the recommendation, the full reference list and the PDF export in the long working block later in the lesson.
Use your own investigation from the very start, for both the title and the question. The electrician pack on screen shows you the shape, and none of its content belongs in your file.
If you have no {{code:sm4_references}} file, make one now in {{code:sm4/}} with at least three full references, each giving the organisation or author, the title, the date, the URL and the date you read it. You can build that up to five later.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
This table stays on screen while you work, so use it the moment you get stuck rather than waiting until the end of the class.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I only have three weak sources | Do one quick targeted search for two stronger sources (prefer primary or official pages you can verify). Update {{code:sm4_references}} before you finalise. Three solid sources beat five thin ones. |
| My references are bare URLs | Rewrite each one with organisation or author, title, date, URL, and date accessed. A bare link is not enough for KA evidence. |
| The PDF downloaded to Downloads instead of my portfolio | In OneDrive or Google Drive, open {{code:sm4}} and upload or drag the PDF in. Confirm both the editable file and the PDF sit in the same folder. |
| I want Canva, CapCut, or audio as well | Bank the document + PDF first. Optional extras only after that: Canva — export PDF into {{code:sm4/}} as {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation.pdf}} (or a clearly named second PDF) with sources in the footer; CapCut — export MP4 plus a one-page Docs/Word reference sheet PDF with the same base filename; audio — MP3 plus reference PDF in {{code:sm4/}}. Same five content blocks must be visible. |
5 - Portfolio Build: Teacher-approved KA1 Pack ~25 mins
Portfolio Build
Optional non-document transfer (only after the document pack meets the checklist, and only if your teacher approved it): (1) copy the same five content blocks onto the canvas, script, or end card; (2) make sources visible (footer, end card, or companion sheet); (3) save PDF or offline archive (MP4/MP3 + reference PDF) into {{code:sm4/}} using the patterns in Common Issues.
- {{code:sm4_ka1_investigation_presentation}} (editable source) and a PDF archive both sit in {{code:sm4/}}
- The piece names a real audience and answers one clear investigation question
- At least three findings are supported by checkable references
- A reader can find sources, a caution, and a practical recommendation without hunting
Coach notes while you write: One honest limit under Caution is enough — teachers prefer a real doubt over a perfect-looking pack. Under Recommendation, name one practical next step a real reader could take (a form to open, a person to contact, or a cost figure to check).
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