Tutor Niedino: Pri Science Questions and Concepts

[starlight1968sg]

Vanilla Cake:

Hi atutor2001,
Thks for your helpful replies. This year's PSLE 2010 Science will be an interesting one to watch:

(1) 20% contention reduction.
(2) OE questions reduced from 16 to 14.
(3) Process skills are made explicit:
(a) Inferring (Generating - draw inferences)
(b) Predicting (Generating - making predictions)
(c) Generating possibilities (Generating - suggest ideas)
(d) Formualting hypothesis (Generating - construct a hypothesis)

and my younger sister will be the 2nd batch of PSLE students to take this revised PSLE Science in 2011.

I am confused; isn't 40% for sect b in PSLE Science 2011?
Thanks.

[Vanilla Cake]

atutor2001:

By the way, with the reduction in the number of open end questions, will it still remain as 40 marks or less. If it is less, then it will be good for most students because they are usually better with the MCQ.

Hi atutor2001,
From the talk by my younger sister's Primary school last year if my mum remembered correctly,

In 2010, PSLE Science will have 30 MCQ questions (unchanged) and 14 open-ended questions (changed from 16).
The question type and skills tested remain the same, though there is some content reduction.The figure - about 20% content reduction was mentioned.

You are absolutely right, take the case of my younger sister's recent P5 SA1 Science exam. She scored perfect marks for MCQ but lost 9 marks in the OE section. Two OE questions were awarded zero marks and her teacher was kind enough to mark zero mark instead of a big cross.

I think it's close to impossible to score perfect marks for PSLE Science.So, I am surprised that http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10918&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30 mentioned that he had scored 100/100 for his P6 2010 SA1 Science.Hope that he can share with us his skill or art in achieving this remarkable feat.

starlight1968sg:

I am confused; isn't 40% for sect b in PSLE Science 2011?
Thanks.

Hi starlight1968sg,
Sorry for the confusion. Pls refer to my reply to atutor2001,

30 MCQ questions (unchanged) - 60%
14 open-ended questions (changed from 16). - 40% (Note sure how the 40% is distributed among the 14 OE questions)

Content reduction refer to the Science topics examined.I think these topics are omitted:
(1) Day & Night Cycles inclusive of solar system
(2) Simple machines
(3) Skeletal/Muscular systems
(4) Environmental Impact (Biotechnology)
and a couple more topics.(If you know them, pls add to the list)

Thanks.

[starlight1968sg]

Thanks Vanila cake for sharing.

Yes, sect b is the killer for Science.

[caroline3sg]

My ans to Vanila Cake’s Q3.


a) The aim of the experiment is to find out which of the 4 types of food is the mealworm’s favourite food.
b) It is to ensure a fair test as distance from the centre to the 4 corners is the same.

[caroline3sg]

My ans to Vanila Cake's Q6


1) Sun is our primary source of light. Plants give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis (in the presence of sunlight). This exchange of gases ensures sufficient oxygen for all living things.

2) Earth is the only planet that has the correct amount of air, sunlight, water to sustain life.

3) God created the Earth as such :love:

[Tang]

atutor2001:

Hi Vanilla cake


I love pri science because sometimes the answers can be so silly. I remembered encountering a question asking \"why Mary kept a pregnant female guppy for some times but it did not lay eggs\". My kid thought the eggs were not fertilised but was wrong. The correct answer was that the time was not long enough and the eggs were not developed yet. We had a good laugh when she came back with the answer.

By the way, with the reduction in the number of open end questions, will it still remain as 40 marks or less. If it is less, then it will be good for most students because they are usually better with the MCQ.

Given sufficient time, the female guggy will give birth to live young and not lay egg.

[atutor2001]

Tang:

atutor2001:

Hi Vanilla cake


I love pri science because sometimes the answers can be so silly. I remembered encountering a question asking \"why Mary kept a pregnant female guppy for some times but it did not lay eggs\". My kid thought the eggs were not fertilised but was wrong. The correct answer was that the time was not long enough and the eggs were not developed yet. We had a good laugh when she came back with the answer.

By the way, with the reduction in the number of open end questions, will it still remain as 40 marks or less. If it is less, then it will be good for most students because they are usually better with the MCQ.

Given sufficient time, the female guggy will give birth to live young and not lay egg.

Sorry Tang, the female guppy will lay eggs if the eggs are not fertilised. I used to keep guppies and I would separate the male from the female to make sure that the male fishes would grow faster and bigger. Those female fishes without the male fish will lay unfertilised eggs.

[hamsterss]

Hi all,

Is mindmap useful for primary school subject like science? If no,is writing notes in pointform better when revising?
Thanks

[MdmKS]

Vanilla Cake:

[

Hi atutor2001,
Thks for your helpful replies. This year's PSLE 2010 Science will be an interesting one to watch:

(1) 20% contention reduction.
(2) OE questions reduced from 16 to 14.
(3) Process skills are made explicit:
(a) Inferring (Generating - draw inferences)
(b) Predicting (Generating - making predictions)
(c) Generating possibilities (Generating - suggest ideas)
(d) Formualting hypothesis (Generating - construct a hypothesis)

and my younger sister will be the 2nd batch of PSLE students to take this revised PSLE Science in 2011.

Vanilla Cake and all, any good assessment or test papers which meet the needs of above test type (3)?

[Niedino]

[quote]I remember that animals can move about from place to place on its own while plants are not able to do so although plants can move by themselves because they are living things. Is \"move around freely\" acceptable since plants can \"move freely\" (subjective) by themselves too I suppose but not from place to place? I prefer to stick to \"animals being able to move about from place to place on their own\" while plants are unable to do so.[/quote]
Hi JamesAng,

Sorry for the late reply ... your answer is more detailed but usually if a child writes \"a plant cannot move freely\", we'll accept that the child understands the concept. [/quote]