Our Lady’s Bower
Subject Options Junior Cycle

Apart from the core subjects (Irish, English & Maths) all OLB students study Religion, C.S.P.E, Physical Education and S.P.H.E.
In addition you can consider taking:
Languages (Must choose at least one, either French or German)
Brief Description:
The modern languages you can learn for Junior Certificate are French and German. You must choose one but can choose two.

What will I learn in a modern language?:
• how to speak in the language about yourself, your family and friends, your hobbies, your school, etc. This will help you to talk to people who speak the language
• the skills of listening to, reading and writing in the language
• the grammar of the language
• information about the countries where people speak the language, and their way of life.
How will French/German be useful to me?
You will find modern languages useful in your personal life for travelling and in many careers including tourism, catering, education, business and translation services.
What are the modern languages Junior Certificate exams like?
In each of the two modern languages:
• You will listen to and answer questions on conversations, news items, etc. in the language
• You will read and answer questions on texts like advertisements, articles, recipes and celebrity profiles in the language
• You will write texts like notes, cards and postcards in the language.
You can take each exam at Higher or at Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best.
Subject Requirement for 3rd Level?
It is a requirement for the NUI Colleges. However in some colleges eg DCU, UL and the Institutes of Technology you do not need a language if it is not an essential part of the course.
Home Economics
Home Economics is a subject where you will learn how to take care of yourself, others, your home and your environment. As Home Economics is a very practical subject, you will carry out a lot of activities in school and at home.
What will I learn in Home Economics?
• your body – what is good to eat and how to keep healthy
• food – how it nourishes your body, how to choose it, store it, and how
to prepare and cook it
• using money – how to spend it wisely, how to save it, and how you are protected as a consumer
• your home – about design in the home, about safety and hygiene

• design and craftwork, child development, textiles – you will carry out a project in one of these areas.

How will Home Economics be useful to me?
You will be able to use information you have studied in your everyday life;
from looking after yourself, to shopping and caring for others.

You will be more experienced at managing your resources and your time.

There are many jobs and careers that you can work in, e.g. chefs/cooks, catering, fashion and textiles, child care, teaching, food industry, tourism, health and nutrition, sociology, hotel and catering management etc.

What is the Home Economics Junior Certificate exam like?
In Junior Certificate Home Economics you will be examined in three ways:
• coursework – with help of your teacher, you will choose a project from one of the following areas: Child Development, Design and Craftwork or Textiles Skills
• a practical cookery exam – you will have a one and a half hour practical cookery exam which involves preparing and cooking food
• a written examination – you will also have a written exam, which you can take at

Higher or Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will
help you choose the level that suits you best.

Business
Brief Description:
Business Studies helps you to make more informed decisions in the everyday business of living. It gives you a better understanding of the world of work. It encourages you to think about how and why people start up in business and why you too might also consider starting a business.
The Junior Certificate Business Studies course covers the everyday business of living, contributing to an understanding of the world of business and encouraging a positive attitude to enterprise and developing appropriate skills.

What will I learn in Business Studies?
• good communication skills such as letter writing and report writing
• how to collect, organise and record financial information for yourself, your
family, for clubs you may be a member of and for businesses you may be
employed with in the future
• what your rights and responsibilities are as a consumer (someone who buys or uses goods and services – that’s you!)
• how to calculate your wages when you start working (including the minimum wage)
• about why our membership of the European Union is so important to our economy.

How will Business Studies be useful to me?
Business Studies helps you to make wise decisions about saving and spending your money now and throughout your life. You will learn about the world of work which will introduce you to many possible careers such as: accountancy, finance, sales, marketing and management. It also gives you a good foundation for the three Leaving Certificate business subjects.

What is the Business Studies Junior Certificate exam like?
Ordinary level students are required to sit one written exam. They are required to answer twenty short answer questions and five long answer questions.
Higher level students are required to sit two written exams. Paper I examines students on household and personal questions, which consists of twenty short answer questions and four long questions. Paper II examines students from a business perspective and consists of four long questions.
You can take the exam at Higher or at Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best.

Technical Graphics
Brief Description:
In Technical Graphics you will learn how to represent 3-D objects on paper and on computer. You will develop problem solving and creative thinking skills through the solution of graphical problems.
What will I learn in Technical Graphics?
• how to produce drawings using drawing equipment, freehand sketches and computers
• how to read and interpret drawings and diagrams
• how graphics relate to the design and manufacture of products.

How will Technical Graphics be useful to me?
Technical Graphics helps you to think in a more logical and creative way. You will be able to communicate information using diagrams and sketches. You will have learned how to present information in a neat and organised fashion. This subject will be of use to you if you want to progress into career areas such as engineering, computer software engineering, architecture and architectural technician.

What is the Technical Graphics Junior Certificate exam like?
You will sit a three hour examination paper. It is made up two sections:
• short answer questions which you complete on the sheet provided and
• longer questions which require more detailed answers. The longer questions allow you to show, in greater detail, the drawing and problem solving skills you have learned.
You can take the exam at Higher or at Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide,
your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best.

Art, Craft and Design

Brief Description:
In Art, Craft, Design you will have the opportunity to create images and objects using a variety of tools, materials and special equipment. To understand Art, Craft, Design it is important to make things yourself so that you learn and understand by doing.
What will I learn in Art, Craft and Design?
In Art, Craft, Design you will:
• investigate by looking and recording your observations and experiences
• learn a variety of new crafts
• learn to work in 3-D e.g. construction, sculpture or clay work
• learn about the design process and how to use it to create new design objects and images
• learn to make links between your artwork and that of other artists, craft workers, architects and designers from different countries and historical periods.

How will Art, Craft, Design be useful to me?
Many of the skills you learn while studying Art, Craft, Design are very useful outside of school and in whatever job you choose to do in the future. There are many career opportunities in Art, Craft, Design – areas such as: photography,
illustration, interior/industrial/fashion design, education and architecture.

What is the Art, Craft, Design Junior Certificate exam like?
In Art, Craft, Design, you will be examined in two ways:
• course-work – in third year, you will do a school-based project, chosen from a list of themes. You will research your theme, do preparatory work and complete a painting or graphic design, a craft piece, and a 3-D piece. You will relate your work to other artist’s work.
• an examination in which you will draw an object and a person.

You can take Art, Craft, Design at Higher or at Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best.

Music
Brief Description:
Music is an important part of everyone’s life. In Junior Certificate Music, you will sing and possibly learn how to play an instrument. You will listen to many types of music such as pop, classical and traditional Irish music. You will also start composing.
What will I learn in Music?
Some of the things you will learn include:
• about many types of music
• how to read and write music
• how to sing songs and maybe how to play an instrument.

You can join Our Lady’s Bower choir or Orchestra.
How will Music be useful to me?
Some people may decide to take up a career in music in areas such as education
(teacher, lecturer), business (sound engineer, lyricist, reviewer, therapist) and performance (composer, performer, conductor).

What is the Junior Certificate Music exam like?
In Music you will be examined in two ways:
• a practical exam – you can sing or play an instrument for this exam – on your own or as part of a group
• a combined aural and written exam in composing and listening to music.

You can take the exam at Higher or at Ordinary level. When the time comes to decide, your teacher will help you choose the level that suits you best.