Primary / Secondary Academic Learning Tips and Resources: Science

The following article is sourced from EPH website:

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=25

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=26

As the examinations draw near, parents and pupils would understandably be nervous. For those who are having difficulty in Science or wonder how to improve in the subject, here are some tips to achieve your ideal grade in the subject.

Good Study Habits

Adopting good study habits will motivate you in learning Science. Pay attention in class and revise what you had learnt in school at home. Submit your homework on time and practise more questions on your own during your free time. Always clarify any doubts immediately with your teacher. Practise questions that are more challenging so that you can learn more than what is required. Be curious. Always inquire how things work around us.

Learning Science can be interesting and amazing if you can understand the different concepts behind it.

Examination Preparation
Examination preparation should start as early as possible. It is important to familarise yourself with the examination format so that you know what is expected. Practise past year papers to familarise yourself with the examination format and the trend of the questions asked during the examination. Memorise important keywords and facts that are useful in the various topics and are commonly used in answers. Make mindmaps or revision cards to help you memorise the words.

Examination Techniques
There are two types of questions in the PSLE Science examination. They are multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

Read all the instructions carefully before attempting the questions. Attempt those questions that you have confidence in answering first. Remember not to leave any questions unanswered, especially for the multiple-choice questions. Check all your answers to minimise spelling errors. Write legibly and neatly so that you will not be penalised for untidy handwriting. Be concise in answering the questions; know which keywords are required for the answer. Do not panic if you cannot answer some questions. Attempt them again after you have finished those questions you can answer.
Time allocation for each question is important. Do not spend too much time on multiple-choice questions as open-ended questions usually require more time for thinking and answering. Take note of the marks allocated for each open-ended question too. Do not spend too much time on questions that are worth only a few marks.

MCQ Questions

To tackle multiple-choice questions, first, identify those factual questions that require you to recall the facts you have learnt. These questions are straightforward and you can usually answer them immediately without looking at the other options.

Example:

Which of the following is not found in an animal cell?
(1) Nucleus
(2) Cell wall
(3) Cytoplasm
(4) Cell membrane
The answer is (2). This type of question requires you to recall the learnt facts learnt and should be answered quickly.

Questions that have more than one answer can be tackled by using elimination.

Example:

Which of the following processes made up the water cycle? I.                   Radiation
II.                Collection
III.              Evaporation
IV.              Precipitation
V.                Condensation
(1) I, III and IV only
(2) II, III and V only
(3) II, III, IV and V only

(4) I, II, III, IV and V

Radiation is a process of transferring heat and it has nothing to do with the water cycle.

Hence, by understanding that option I is not the correct answer, we can eliminate (1) and (4). The difference between (2) and (3) is the additional option of precipitation. Precipitation includes rainfall, which is part of the water cycle. Hence, the answer is (3).

By doing elimination, we do not have to study each option thoroughly and this reduces a lot of time in answering the question.

Open-ended Questions

For open-ended questions, circle the keywords in each question to help you to focus on what is being asked. It is important that you understand the question.

Example:
What are the products formed during photosynthesis?

To answer such a question, first, identify the keywords. The keywords are ‘photosynthesis’ and ‘products’.

When you see ‘photosynthesis’, you should recall what this word means. Photosynthesis is a process whereby plants make food in the presence of sunlight. The question is asking about the products of photosynthesis. This means that you have to provide more than one answer to the question.

Recall that food (sugar) is made in plants and oxygen is given out during photosynthesis to replenish the air. Hence, the answers are sugarand oxygen.

Note the question terms used in the question. This will help you understand what answer is required of you in order to score full marks for that particular question.

Example:
When a magnet is placed near object X, object X does not move. When the magnet is placed near object Y, object Y moves away from it.
(a) Explain why object X does not move when the magnet is placed near it.
(b) State the possible materials that can be used to make object Y.

For (a), the question term used is ‘Explain’. ‘Explain’ means that you have to give reasons for the observation stated.

The observation is that object X does not move. Object X does not move because it is neither a magnet nor an object made of magnetic material. If object X is a magnet or a magnetic material, it will either be attracted to or be repelled by the magnet.

Thus, the correct answer is ‘Object X is made of a non-magnetic material, hence it is not affected by the magnet.’

For (b), the question term used is ‘State’. State means that you only need to write short answers, meaning a few words or short phrases.

Since object Y moves away from the magnet, object Y is also a magnet. Magnets are made of or can be made by one of the four types of magnetic materials. Hence, the answer for (b) is ‘Iron, steel, nickel or cobalt’.

It is always good to be concise in your answer. Using the correct keywords in your answer will help you score the marks allocated.

Example:
50 cm³of air is being pumped into a 30 cm³ container.
(a) What is the volume of air inside the container?
(b) Explain your answer in (a).
For (a), the question asks about the property of air (gas). Recall that air does not have a fixed volume and a fixed shape and so the volume of air inside the container is 30 cm³ instead of 50 cm³.

For (b), the question is asking for a reason. As mentioned earlier, air does not have a fixed volume and a fixed shape. We can only see the shape of the air changing when it is being transferred from one container to another of a different shape. Hence, we cannot write ‘Air does not have a fixed shape’ as the answer.

Air does not have a fixed volume, hence its volume changes from 50 cm³ to 30 cm³. Writing ‘Air does not have a fixed volume’ as the answer is not wrong, but there is a better word to use for this question. The keywords are ‘can be compressed’ or ‘compressible’. Air does not have a fixed volume and hence it can be compressed.

The concise answer to this question would be ‘Air can be compressed’ or ‘Air is compressible’.

Do note that constant revision is also essential in preparing for the examination. Hopefully, with these tips in mind, you will find that Science is not as difficult as you might think and will be on your way to achieve your ideal grade.

Written by: Tan Chiang Heng

Primary / Secondary Academic Learning Tips and Resources

Primary Science Syllabus 2014

How to Answer Data-based Questions

How to score A or A* in PSLE Science

MW Tuition resources

Free Test Papers from Old School

Tutorial World: Free Science worksheets for Primary 6

Tutorial World: Free Science worksheets for Primary 5

Tutorial World: Free Science worksheets for Primary 4

Tutorial World: Free Science worksheets for Primary 3