Q&A - P3 Science

[mrswongtuition]

scenic98:

feels better to know other parents are facing the same problem .

Honestly, if we parents are here discussing about all these science questions meant for 9 to 10 yr olds, can we imagine what is going through the minds of our kids? what is MOE trying to proof by raising the level of science (and math) to such a level that is almost killing the kid's interest?

I think what is being taught is fair, but the way the questions are asked, it's beyond the cognitive level of a 9/10 year old.

if the only way of mastering the subject is by doing 30 to 40 past test papers and assessment books, MOE has to realise that the original intention of getting our kids to think critically has failed.

any idea how we can have a dialogue with MOE? going through the schools is useless. :?:

pardon my mini outburst here.

Actually it depends alot on how the kids are taught. When I tutor my students, I do not force them to memorise. They are taught how to THINK & analyse experiments. What MOE wants to develop are THINKING MINDS.

However, there are of course basic facts they must memorise. The main topics which I feel needs alot of memorisation are Plants, Life Cycles, Solar System (P5 topic), Human Systems and Pollution (P6 topic). The other topics are generally 'easier' to tackle if the kids can use logical thinking to think through the experiments given.

Knowing the science is one part. The next part is being able to answer the questions the 'scientific way'. I have students who give answers which are logical, but their wording & phrasing is not the 'scientific way' that the teaching is looking out for, therefore they do not get the marks.

Example:
Why did John use a plant of the same type & size?

Answer given by student:
So that we can compare the two plants after the experiment without wondering which plant was bigger first.

Answer expected by the teacher:
To ensure a fair test as different plant sizes at the start of the experiment would affect the final results of the experiment.

In this case, the child understood the concept of making it a fair test, but could not phrase his answer properly and resulted in the loss of marks.


The topics that are tested are suitable for cognitive level of 9/10 yo. Many kids do not have trouble understanding or applying the concepts (sometimes the questions are also not phrase clearly).

The main problem is how they answer the question. Not all children have strong linguistic skills to answer the question to the teacher's expectations.

Due to this, I also include 'ideal phrases' commonly expected in answers when revising with my tutees. & with these 'ideal phrases', they score better (although they told me sometimes they really do not know the answer, so they just try the 'ideal phrase' which they think is most applicable to the question instead of leaving blank).

& another problem is that there are many science TBs in the market now. All of which have varying content. There is not 'standard' content to follow & it makes it really hard as some books really do not cover much & if the teacher is not hardworking in creating their own extra notes for the students, the students really lose out! In the past we only had ONE science TB (I remember the first P3 topic was MATTER!). It was much easier then as all we had to do was make sure we knew the content from that textbook!

Even if you take a look at MOE's syllabus, it is not specific. One example would be the type of plants which are flowering plants. We can't expect the child to know ALL the flowering plants in the world! There should be a fixed list of plants which they must know (maybe the common ones in SG/Asia for a start).

[Tang]

Removed - housekeeping.

[mrswongtuition]

Tang:

I am surprised that as a tuitor, you have been qualifying that \"but I may be wrong!\"

How could you then assure parents that you are a good qualifed tuitor and that their kids are in your good hand?

You are either Right or Wrong, unless the question itself does not make sense. So please answer confidently that your Option 1 is correct and your reasoning is logical.

No human is perfect and I do not tell parents that I'm perfect too. & I always tell my students that they have the right to think that my answers may be wrong. Then we'll discuss the answer in depth & explore all possibilities. This makes the child THINK & question/reason instead of living in a world where 'teachers' answers are always right'. My purpose in teaching is to cultivate thinking & inquisitive minds, not just to produce academic results. With a thinking mind, they can progress to further studies without a tutor constantly beside them.

And, in the 'chinese mindset', it's being 'humble' by saying 'I may be wrong'. As I'm 'opposing' someone's view, it's not nice of me to say \"My answer is right\" cos I'm implying Tianzhu's answer is wrong, which is not polite at all (esp since Tianzhu has been very helpful in this forum with answering alot of difficult questions for parents). I'm not trying to be boastful or impress on others that I'm 'smart' by giving a differing opinion for the answer of the question I'm just sharing my view but do not want to offend others in the process

In terms of the question posted, I may really be wrong because it depends on your perspective for that question. Tianzhu's explanation is also logical (need to brave the weather) but my explanation differs. Depending on how you think, my answer may be wrong & it's good if someone can point out another logical explanation here.

We are here analysing answers, trying to find logical answers, not here to point out to say someone is totally wrong

[Tang]

Removed - housekeeping.

Forgive and forget. Preparing for 2010.

[tianzhu]

mrswongtuition:

My reason:
Gates (assuming they are out in the sun/rain & not the type in HDB flats that hardly see 'sunlight') should not be able to conduct heat well.

Imagine this:
Hot day, sun beating down on the gate. The gate is a good conductor of heat, therefore will absorb heat energy fast. When you come home & decide to open the gate, it is HOT & you can't open it without 'burning' your hands.

The questions asks for SUITABLE PROPERTIES. Therefore, we should choose properties that are most desirable.

However, in real life, our gates are made of metal which is a good conductor of heat. But is that a desirable property? Do we love it when our gates are hot to touch & opening it is like 'torture' (you know it's hot but you just have to touch it!).

A poor conductor of heat will not be so hot & will not heat up so quickly also

Hi Mrs Wong

Thank you for your reply.
I am trying to understand how does the metal gate get hot.What is the mode of heat transmission you have in mind when you crafted your answer?

[tianzhu]

Tang:

But having given my reason for choosing the Option, I believe Uncle Tianzhu will be wise enough to review his answer and he reserves the right to believe that his answer to him or in his view is \"totally correct\" and I have given nonsense to justify my Option.

As I enter into the big 50 in my life, I have more grey and white hairs in my thinning hairs. Does this make me wise enough?

I am wise enough to know that you’re an intelligent and helpful boy. Your maturity is definitely beyond your age. Many parents would like to have a son like you. Mothers would be very happy if their daughters bring home a boy like you in the future.

Keep up your good work in the various forums helping others in their homework.

[tianzhu]

The tranquil environment in this quiet thread has been disturbed by two of my answers yesterday. Please forgive me for causing ripples in the calm water.

First, I am not a trained teacher. I am just a father trying to keep in touch with primary science syllabuses so that I can guide my child when he needs it. I am also kaypoh and perhaps, brave enough to post my imperfect answers so that others can learn from my shortcomings. [quote]My purpose in teaching is to cultivate thinking & inquisitive minds, not just to produce academic results. With a thinking mind, they can progress to further studies without a tutor constantly beside them. [/quote]I totally agree with you that kids should be taught to be thinking and independent learners. They should be able learn without too much hand holding.
[quote]We are here analysing answers, trying to find logical answers, not here to point out to say someone is totally wrong [/quote]Let’s take this thread as a learning platform where parents and students exchange their ideas freely and learn from one another. We may not always come up with the so called model answers, but may offer some tips where another can tap to expand the ideas further. Along the way, mistakes will be made, but at least, we know that they are made with good intentions. We just want our kids to grow to their fullest potentials.
[quote]No human is perfect and I do not tell parents that I'm perfect too. [/quote]The answers we give in KSP are just like mirrors in the world we live in.How can there be perfect answers when we are living in an imperfect world?

[ChiefKiasu]

tianzhu:

... The answers we give in KSP are just like mirrors in the world we live in.How can there be perfect answers when we are living in an imperfect world.

Very deep, tianzhu! Your years of wisdom is definitely showing Thanks for your insights.

[tianzhu]

mrswongtuition:

I'm not sure if I'm right, but this is my conclusion:


Answer: Option 1
Reason:
Items in group A are all made of ONE MATERIAL ONLY (stated specifically for each item):
cotton towel - cotton
plastic box - plastic
paper bag - paper
Metal spoon is made of 1 material only (as stated specifically, METAL spoon).

Items in group B are made of 2 or more materials:
bicycle - metal, rubber
watch - metal, plastic, sometimes glass
umbrella - metal, fabric (nylon)
Television is made of more than 1 material (metal parts, plastic, glass)

Hope my answer is logical

Hi, Mrs Wong
Thank you for the guidance. My son and I learned something new yesterday. That’ll be two marks in the bag if this question were to appear in PSLE. A big Thank You

The consolation is we managed to get the right answer despite being clueless on the heading.I guess we are just lucky with our choice.

[tianzhu]

ChiefKiasu:

Very deep, tianzhu! Your years of wisdom is definitely showing Thanks for your insights.

Thank you for taking time to read my post.

As more MRT lines appear on face, my wife has been dropping hints that I am becoming more lor soh.

I am wise enough to recognise that life is transient, it is fragile and unpredictable. Our last breath may be taken away from us unexpectedly.I am also wise enough to know that behind every username or nick, there is a unique individual who has his/her view. They need to be treated with respect, care and dignity.

Success creates its own problems, amid growing traffic in the highly popular KSP forum, I am wise enough to know that we should be socially responsible to post answers that will guide our kids in their young journeys.

I think I better stop now, otherwise, you will be complaining, besides my wife.