---------------------------------------------------- 6 RESILIENCE 3 ' 2013 ----------------------------------------------------------
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
- Nelson Mandela
It is the end of the school term for 2012. How time really flies. I would just like to take this chance to end off with one last post for this blog for the year.
I still remembered the first time I met the 34 of you before Alan joined the class to make it 35 of you! We set rules, went through our top 5 rules of which you would repeat everyday and remember very well. Through all the laughter and scoldings, I saw the change and progress in each of you. Some of you matured faster while some of you took a longer time to mature. The truth is that I saw a change in all of you, no matter how small it might be.
You may feel that I am very strict, especially when I shout at you when you misbehave but there needs to be a figure of authority that you guys must have in class. Being your form teacher, I believe that I am not here to win your popularity vote but to make sure that you guys are disciplined and do well in your studies and character education. It is also important that you not fear me but respect me. That is the key thing at the end of the day, to earn your respect so that you do want to learn from me.
Our class has really wonderful teachers - teachers who gave their all to give you extra lessons and revision notes. We believe in you no matter how long it might take for you to open up, to realise your potential and to make the push to excel. It is a long process. We are not going to expect instant rewards such as you improving by 50 marks over night. We accept that it will take time and as such, our patience towards you never ends.
Despite some of your continual misbehaviour, I believe that with time and guidance, your discipline can be corrected. As rule #1 says, we are a family and a family does not abandon its members. Very importantly, class spirit has to be cultivated and we need to work as a class in order to facilitate learning and help one another. Some of you studied together throughout the year and helped one another out which is very important. Tap on one another's strength and motivate one another.
You all are a very lovable and teachable batch. We have good praises for you but of course, I cannot be praising you all the time if not, it will make you feel complacent. We need to be down to earth and learn the value of humility. I am very glad that you all do accept feedback and criticism very readily and do try to work on what you need to improve.
The notes for you are to encourage, guide and motivate all of you. It's these little things that will count and when you look at them, you know that your teachers care about you and hope to see you excel and correct your mistakes.
One issue is your ability to really focus and retain your knowledge/content/concepts learned. You guys have the tendency to forget very easily, as such you need to constantly practise and make sure that you never lose track of what you have learned. Apply your knowledge and spend time revising through your P3, P4, P5 work this holidays!
To all of the parents, I am very happy to have such supportive parents through this journey with the kids. Without all your feedback, suggestions and conversations, I would not be able to truly guide your kids to higher grounds. It is always a two way communication channel and forgive all the teachers of the class if we do take a longer time to get back to you and have forgotten about some of your requests. It is indeed long days for us most of the time and things may have slipped off our minds. But do know that we do our best to understand your child and to develop him holistically.
In ending off, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you for it is you who shaped me to be a better teacher and to care for you in the best possible way to benefit all of you. I do sincerely hope that you (at this point) have started to realise the importance of next year's big major exam and start to work hard and really tell yourself that "when I am at my best, I am a 'A to B' student at least!' I believe in all of you. Happy holidays and good health to all of you.
PS: If you need help in any questions in your daily life or revision/assessment questions, feel free to email, sms or call me. I am still your teacher for 2012 :)
Thank you parents for your feedback and queries about the calculation of the students' final marks and the breakdown of their scores. Here is a detailed explanation of how the breakdown is done to tabulate the overall mark in the report book.
CA1: Not counted for overall marks.
SA1: Worth 30%
CA2: 28.6% of the marks for the subject will be calculated.
SA2: 71.4% of the marks for the subjects will be calculated.
These 28.6% of CA2 will then be added to the 71.4% of SA2 to get an overall mark for 'Combined Semester 2'
This combined overall mark for Semester 2 is worth 70% and this mark will then be added to the 30% of the first semester (SA1) in order to arrive at the overall score.
Let me state an example:
In the subject of English, Student A scores 50 for SA1, 60 for CA2 and 40 for SA2. SA1: 30% x 50 = 15 CA2: 28.6% x 60 = 17.16 SA2: 71.4% x 40 = 28.56 Second Combined: 17.16 + 28.56 = 45.72 70% x 45.72 = 32.004 Overall: 32.004 + 15 = 47.004 (Rounding up, it will be tabulated as 47 for the Overall marks)
Hope this helps you in understanding how the scores are being arrived at. Do take time to explain to your children too and help them set targets for next year. :)
While you are having your rest at home, here are some reminders for you:
Bring your rags and pails for 'Use your hands campaign' next week. Please do so by Monday.
I will you to bring all your Science SA2 Papers, Booklet A and B tomorrow to go through a question again.
Please turn up next Monday as you will be getting back your report books.
Now that the examinations are over, here are some feedback and thoughts for you to ponder about:
Most of you have put in effort to do your best and improve upon your results. First, have you reached the targets I have personally sent out to you to achieve? If you have, good job. If you have not, there is much more work to be done.
I can see effort being put in to want to do better. That is commendable but for many of you, your overall marks were pulled down by your earlier results in CA2 or SA1. Your overall results is a combination of your whole year's effort so do not repeat your mistakes in Primary 6.
Keep your confidence up! Use your improvement as a platform for you to continue to improve for next year and do well. The standard of the school examinations is very high and the purpose is to make sure that you are well prepared for your PSLE. Do not give up. Press on!
For your end of the year holidays, it is time to do some work and revision too. Take out your P3 and P4 work, especially for Maths and Science and start doing revision and assessments. It is good to recap and refresh. Many of you are weak in your basic concepts and foundations so take this time to master them rather than attempting to climb a level higher in going on to try out P6 questions. Your focus should be on mastering your basic concepts and then go on to try the P6 topics once you are familiarized.
For English, work on grammar and vocabulary and Comprehension open-ended!
Hang in there. You are coming to the end of the examinations. You can do it! There is Science Supplementary lessons tomorrow from 1.30pm - 3.30pm. I will extend by another 1 hour to 4.30pm for those of you who need the extra lesson.
I just want to make a short note for all of you now. You may find that I am harsher these few weeks but it is definitely necessary to help you all be disciplined. I am still disappointed to find a handful of you forgetting to bring your revision papers when you know that you need to go through the papers and these papers were the SA2 papers for last year so you have a rough idea of how the standard is. Some questions may come out again or similar questions at least.
As I was marking through some of your revision papers, I still have people who handed up blank answers and this is simply not right, considering that you have come to the end of the year and this examinations truly matter! It constitutes most of your overall marks.
Of course, it is only a small portion of you so I am glad to see that most of you do want to put in effort. You have 2 more papers so make the most of it. I know that you are nervous and some of you really want to do well badly so continue to keep the faith and hard work. I am sure you can do it.
Notes for Science:
Identify the topic of each question first.
Highlight the key words (Not all of you highlighted key words for your English. Thank you to those who highlighted!)
Identify the concepts (I will complete the revision of concepts and processes tomorrow)
Use key words please!!! Go through the list of vocabulary words in your notes for each chapter.
Note your spelling!
Target for MCQ (40 and above upon 60, so you can only afford to have 10 questions wrong.)
Target for Open-ended (20 and above upon 40, so make sure you pass the paper.)
Here are the extra Science notes that I am talking about. You can jot down or it would be good if you can print it out and revise. The (X) represents that these are the commonly wrong way to answer the questions and the answers are too general. The tick represents the correct way to answer the questions and the use of concepts and KEY words. The difference between a correct answer from a wrong answer can sometimes be down to one key word being used or not used, so make a point to remember the correct answering methods.
Click on the images to make it bigger. I will go through them in class if we have additional time left. These are extra notes for you.
As we finished up on our revision practice paper today, an important issue to highlight from the comprehension open-ended passage is about racism and the equality of races. Some of you mentioned that the theme is about racism and you are affected by the story. This story here is an actual fact that really teaches us about the reality of life and important values to be learnt. Racism is very real in the world. It is still ongoing and was evident in the United States of America in the early years. What Rosa Parks did was a great act that helped spark the Civil Rights Movement to abolish racism. You can watch the video of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Junior below.
Two points to make:
We learn the value that all human beings are equal and that we need to live in harmony.
No matter what the theme of topic of the comprehension passages may be, approach it with a objective and calm mind. You may not like the topic but this doesn't mean that you put in less effort to complete the questions. All passages let you learn something new so be receptive and do your best!
Here is the grading system of what I have stated in class earlier this morning.
A* 91 – 100
A 75 – 90
B 60 – 74
C 50 – 59
D 35 – 49
E 20 – 34
U 0 - 19
Ideally, you should end up with a grade C and above but as what I have mentioned, lets' be realistic. If you are very weak in a subject and not doing as well, the minimum you can go should at least be a D to be on the safe side. There is no fixed way of telling you how you would end up in foundation. We will be looking at your overall results and you should NOT have a U grade for any one subject.
If you are weak in a subject, make sure you try to get at least a D and the rest of the subjects should all pass. Know your own weakness and strengths and work hard. Now, you have a better idea of how it is like and the difference between foundation and standard. It is a blessing and your own hard work that got you to studying 4 standard subjects so do not waste it and drop into foundation. It is important that you all know the reality now and start to study hard.
For those who are not doing well in certain subjects, the best advice would be to make sure that you are 35 marks and above. Push your marks as high as you can.
I sincerely hope that all of you will do well for this SA2. These few weeks still have not shown me that all of you are serious about this examinations - the half-hearted efforts you have shown in your daily practice and listening attentively in class. You have one week left to change your studies for the better so make full use of it.
This weekend, I will be uploading some revision notes on Science - the common WRONG way of answering certain questions and the CORRECT way of answering. Compare these two and make sure that you do not make the mistake. You can print the notes out. It will be useful for your revision. It will be rather long.
Go through your practice papers as they are last year's SA2 papers and of high importance to you. Do it again and again until you are really familiarized with the topics and the ways of answering.
Here some tips and practice with model answers provided. All the best for your Chinese and English Oral for the next 2 days.
Tips Reading Aloud:
Read with clarity, proper pronunciation and expression, especially during the conversations or speeches.
Take your time and read the words carefully first.
Picture Description:
Use the 'DIEO' method to describe the picture
D - Describe (the appearance, setting and actions of the people/scene)
I - Interpret the feelings of the people (is he sad or happy? angry? disappointed? worried? excited?)
E - Explain and elaborate on why the character(s) is feeling that way. What are the reasons for it?
O - Give your own opinion and feeling(s).
Describe in a systematic manner (starting with the top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right hand corner of the picture, etc)
Introduce your picture first (This picture depicts/shows a scene at the [place]. It could probably be [time of the day] because [reasons to support your answer])
Use the DIEO method to describe the picture
Give a conclusion (In conclusion/Overall, this picture shows ............. and we can learn that .............)
Conversation:
Be clear with your speaking and pronunciation of words.
The examiner is also looking out for your grammar and speaking so do not use short forms, singlish or informal language. Complete sentences and formal language is needed!
Look up at the examiner while you are speaking (even if you are shy and afraid, do not let the examiner know. Your next 5 minutes will determine how much you score so make full use of these 5 minutes)
Be confident in your speaking or least, try and show it. Smiling will help! A bit of humour in your conversation will lighten up the mood.
Introduce your topic first.
Talk about the main events/points.
Conclude your topic.
It is like writing a composition but translating it in words.
You need to be quick in thinking and do not have long pauses in between.
One clue for your conversational topic will be from the passage and picture so try to identify the theme while you are preparing for that first 5 minutes before it is your turn.
Practice with model Answers
Introduction: This picture depicts a scene at a public library. It is probably at weekend as there are young children and adults.
Describe 1: At the left side of the picture, there is a mother with her little daughter. The little girl seems to be making some sounds and speaking loudly while the mother has a finger to her lips to indicate to her to keep quiet.
Interpret (feelings) 1: The little girls seems happy and excited judging from her expression on her face. Meanwhile, her mother seems worried and upset in trying to keep her quiet.
Explain and elaborate 1: The mother seems to feel embarrassed as this is a public library and all should maintain silence at all times. The little girls seems to not know of her social responsibility and just want to have a fun time.
Opinion 1: We should be considerate for others in the public, especially in the library. If I was the mother, I would feel upset and embarrassed today. The people around her might feel that she has not brought up her daughter well.
Describe 2: At the bottom of the picture, there are 3 people sitting around a table, silently reading on their own. One of the people has his hands covering his ears.
Interpret (feelings) 2: That man seems annoyed and upset about the noise caused by the little girl.
Explain and elaborate 2: He cannot seem to concentrate on his reading and thus, feels annoyed that the peace of the library is interrupted by the inconsiderate little girl. As a result, he is trying to block off the noise by covering his ears with both hands.
Opinion 2: If I was the man, I would feel equally annoyed too. I will go up to a librarian or the little girl to ask her to keep quiet, but in a polite tone.
Describe 3: At the middle of the picture, there are 2 people sitting on a rectangular bench and doing their own reading. There is a lady and a boy. The boy has left his bad on the floor beside him.
Interpret (feelings) 3: The both seem engrossed in their reading and the boy seems to enjoy his reading very much, judging from the smile on his face.
Explain and elaborate 3: The both seem engrossed in their reading as they do not seem to be affected by the little girl's noise unlike the annoyed man the bottom of the picture. What they are reading must have seem to be very interesting or the two people must have a higher tolerance level for noise.
Opinion 3: I think that the two people are doing the right thing by reading quietly. However, the boy should be more aware of his personal belongings. He could probably keep the bag nearer to him so that there is more space for others to sit down. This is being gracious.
Describe 4: At the top right corner of the picture, there is a boy searching for a book at the bookshelf. He seems to be reaching for a book.
Interpret (feelings) 4: He might be feeling relieved or happy.
Explain and elaborate 4: The reason why he is feeling relieved of happy is because he might have finally found the book he has been searching high and low for.
Opinion 4: If I was the man, I would feel relieved or happy too if I manage to find the book that I am looking for.
Conclusion to the picture: In conclusion, this picture shows a scene at the library. We can learn that it is important to be gracious and considerate to others in the public area. The important rule of a library is to maintain silence at all times as others are reading. As such, what the little girl is doing in the picture is a wrong act.
Conversation:
Question: Tell me about an experience you had at a library.
Introduction: I have been to many libraries and I enjoy going there to read books and to borrow books. I will go to libraries every once a week with my parents.
Main points: There was one particular incident at the library which I will always remember. It was at the Hougang Public Library on a weekend when I experienced a rude person. He was a old man with moustache all over.his face. I was sitting down at one of the tables to read a book . About 10 minutes into my reading, the man came over to a seat beside me and sat down. He was then digging his nose and sneezing very loudly. I felt disgusted and angry with him. As I was afraid of telling him off, I then walked away to find my parents. Many people around him seemed disgusted with him too. I saw one of the people telling a librarian about the man. The librarian then went up to the man to talk to him politely. After that, the man left the library angrily with a word.
Conclusion: We should be considerate and gracious in public. By digging his nose and sneezing loudly, the old man has no personal hygiene and this will cause germs to the people around him. This incident is etched in my mind as it is the first time I have come across such an inconsiderate person in a public library.
HAPPY REVISION! :) Be confident and show it. Express yourself well and your should always target to score 20 and above for your oral. It is upon 30. All the best everyone!
All the personal targets and messages have been sent to your personal LEAD.COM.SG email so please check. All the best for tomorrow's paper. Please revise through your composition papers, key phrases and format for situational writing (report writing and the letter).
Use formal language and tone. Do not use 'How are you?' Do not add in your own information. Stick to simple sentences and phrases for both composition and situational writing to minimise your mistakes. No short forms or informal words please!
Answer the points directly and specifically! There must be a flow and link. Take note of how you start off for your report writing and letters.
See you all tomorrow.
Finish up your practice papers for english and science to be handed up tomorrow.
Hope that the emails about your personal targets and motivation messages have been well received by you. By now, I would have send out emails to your lead.com.sg accounts so please read them and please sms the rest of your classmates who are not active on the internet to go and read them. It tells you what to focus on and what are the targets for your english and maths. My target and your target may be different but it gives you a score to aim for. The targets I have set are based on what you have scored over the 3 terms so it is an average of what you need to hit.
Do let your parents know too so that they can work with you. I zoom into what you need to really focus on instead of just a general feedback so take this and work on it. Happy revision! Those who have not received your emails, the remaining batch will be sent out tomorrow.
I am back with more tips for your paper 1. It is very important that you watch your language and keep it simple, formal and in complete sentences for your paper 1. After the PSLE marking, I observed that language is an important component that will pull the scores down. If your language is poor, it will affect how the marker understand your writing and that affects content too. So even if you have wonderful ideas but you are writing them poorly in terms of your language, your overall marks will not be good.
All your targets are to pass paper 1, both situational and composition writing. Remember to leave a line for your composition and indicate two finger spacing for each paragraph! There should be at least 4 paragraphs - one for introduction, two for the events and one for conclusion.
[Report Writing] Model Answer Sample
Date: Friday, 10 November, 2012
Dear Mr Lee,
Report On Accident Involving Jamie
I was at the school field on 10 November at 10.30am when an accident involving Jamie happened. It was the end of the first recess and pupils were making their way to the school hall. As Jamie was about to step off the field, a Primary Six boy suddenly dashed out of nowhere and crashed into him. Upon the impact, Jamie fell backwards and hit his head on the drain.
There was a huge wound on his head and he was bleeding badly. Many pupils gathered around him. I immediately ran to the general office to Mr Wong. We rushed towards Jamie and Mr Wong treated his wounds. He then called the ambulance and accompanied him to the nearest hospital. At 11.30am, I went to your office to make a report.
Reported by: James Chua
Prefect of Class 4C
[Composition]
Leave a line in between sentences.
Leave two finger spacing to mark a new paragraph.
4 Paragraphs at least!
Complete sentences and formal language.
Open and close inverted commas for a conversation.
A fullstop to mark the end of a sentence
Introduction
Introduce the time, place, weather and characters.
Events (2nd and 3rd paragraph)
Talk about the main plot. What happened? The reasons for it happening. Any complications of twist in the story? DESCRIBE THE FEELINGS OF THE CHARACTERS, DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERS AND WHY THEY FEEL THAT WAY? (These are what you guys are weak in).
Conclusion
Have an ending to the story. Do not leave the marker guessing what happened in the end. Any lesson(s) to be learnt?
Let us all be realistic. I know for most of you, writing is a big issue. Stick to simple language and sentences. Do not try to be fanciful because simple and correct language will help you pass and get the marks.
Simple sentences and phrases that are good:
The blazing sun shone brightly in the sky.
I was perspiring profusely.
Thunder roared and lightning flashed across the sky.
I was soaking wet.
The man was muscular, tall and mysterious-looking.
Disappointment filled me.
I walked swiftly to the place.
All was well in the end.
They nailed the robber to the ground.
The unusual sound grew louder and louder.
It was a mystery as to what had happened.
1) She laughed heartily.
2) He burst into fits of laughter.
3) He was all smiles when he saw his results.
4) They were saturated with happiness.
5) The winner jumped for joy.
More complex sentences and phrases that you can use if you are confident:
The boys ran helter-skelter for shelter.
This event would forever be etched in my memory. (good phrase for last sentence and conclusion)
Ominous dark clouds filled the overcast skies.
My heart palpitated wildly as I anticipated what would happen next.
The tyres of the car screeched as it came to a sudden halt.
Happy Revision! I will see you guys on Friday. Good luck for your exam paper 1! Listen carefully to the listening comprehension text.
It's revision week with the 4 days break for PSLE marking. Here is a comprehensive revision notes for your situational writing.
Focusing on letter of compliment / complaint and report writing,
[Letter of Compliment]
Your purpose would be to praise / thank someone or a group of people, as such the language should be formal and positive.
Date: Dear (name), Title (Underline the title) Answers Yours sincerely, (name)
Examples of a good title:
Letter Of Compliment Of The Positive Work Attitude Of Mr Tan
Letter Of Compliment Of Your Company Letter Of Compliment Of The Quality Of Your Products
A good way to start off your letter of compliment is "I am writing this letter to thank/praise/compliment (name of the person) for his/her (what the action/act is). I was at (place) on (date) at (time)." e.g I am writing this letter to thank Mr Paul Tan for his kindness in returning my lost wallet. I was at ABC Library on 2 May at 4pm.
Remember, you need to start this way to have a flow to the story and writing. You always introduce the time, place, setting and characters first before elaborating the main event and then conclude.
[Letter of Complaint]
*note that the word 'complain' = verb (action word) and 'complaint' = noun
Date: Dear (name), Title (Underline the title) Answers Yours sincerely, (name)
Examples of good title: Letter Of Complaint Of The Work Attitude Of Mr Tan
Letter Of Complaint Of Your Company Letter Of Complaint Of The Quality Of Your Products
A good way to start off your letter of compliment is "I am writing this letter to complain about (name of the person) for his/her (what the action/act is). I was at (place) on (date) at (time)."
e.g I am writing this letter to complain about Miss Francine Lee for her rude behaviour towards a customer at your store. I was at XYZ Shop on 4 May at 12pm when the incident happened.
[Report Writing]
Date: Dear (name), Title (Underline)
Answers Reported by: (name) (position if any)
Examples of good title: Report On An Accident Along Hougang Avenue 1
Report On An Accident Involving Paul Tan Report On An Incident At The Canteen Report On A Robbery At ABC Shop
You need to state the purpose for the report writing. Your title is your purpose as such your title needs to be grammatically correct and specific. A good way to start off your report writing is "I was at (place) on (date) at (time) when the incident/crime/accident happened."
e.g I was at XYZ Shop on 4 May at 12pm when the robbery happened. Example of Letter Of Compliment
*Written from the point of view of a parent
Date: 4 May 2012
Dear Principal of ABC Primary School,
Letter Of Compliment Of ABC Primary School's Extra Chinese Lessons
I am writing this letter to compliment your school for the extra Chinese lessons. My son, Robin Chong of 5C, is attending the lessons at the school hall every Wednesday from 2pm - 4pm and he greatly enjoys the lessons. The lessons have helped him improve his Chinese language through the use of drama and music to teach Chinese.
The instructors have been very patient and understanding towards my son and he often tells me how happy he is when he comes home after the lessons. I am happy to see that he has improved in his test results for term 3 and would like to request for you to continue with the classes until next year. More classes could be opened up for the lower primary students so that they can also benefit from the lessons. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Chong See Wen
*Written from the point of view of a student
Date: 5 May, Thursday
Dear Sergeant Low,
Letter Of Compliment Of Corporal Lee Ming Ming's Bravery
I am writing this letter to compliment one of your staff, Corporal Lee Ming Ming. I was at Hougang Street 22, Block 274's void deck on 4 May at 9pm when an incident happened. I was walking home from tuition towards my block's lift when two men rushed towards me. They were holding knives in their hands and were shouting vulgarities at me. They were about to attack me.
Corporal Lee Ming Ming was patrolling the area when he heard the commotion. He immediately rushed towards me and shouted at the two men. They were shocked and stared at Corporal Lee Ming Ming. Corporal Lee Ming Ming rushed up to the two men and tackled them to the ground. He handcuffed them and brought them back to the police station. However, he also suffered a deep cut on his right elbow in his struggle with the two men.
I followed Corporal Lee Ming Ming back to the police station to record my statement. I will like to thank him for his bravery. He is a role model for your neighbourhood police post.
Yours sincerely,
Samuel Gan Teck Meng
More practice and model samples will be given to you tomorrow. Note that the language is formal and in complete sentences. You also need to be courteous if you are writing from an ordinary position to a higher position of rank/authority.
Dear parents,
I have told the kids that I will be giving them their targets for SA2 through their MConline emails. I will be sending out the first batch either tonight or tomorrow so do get them to check their emails. All the best in your revision.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Dear all,
Answers for the Science worksheet that I posted up the previous time.
1. Bulbs A and B only. A and B have both lightbulbs connected through the metal tip and metal casing where else in C, both wires are connected through the metal casing only. The metal casing is a conductor of electricity and allows the current to flow through but it will not light up because it is only connected properly.
* Note that electricity flows from the negative end of the battery to the positive end.
2a. For burning to take place, oxygen is needed. After a while, the candle would have used up the oxygen in the tank. The cover prevents oxygen from coming in and as such, there is no oxygen left for the flame to continue burning.
2b. Yes, it will burn for a longer time. During the day, plants photosynthesize, taking in carbon dioxide produced from burning of the candle and giving out oxygen. As such, there is enough cycle of the oxygen gas for the candle to continue burning.
3a. The water plants will wither and die.
3b. The layer of oil blocks off air from entering and blocks off sunlight from entering to reach the plant. As such, plants cannot photosynthesize and respire. It will die and wither.
3c. Plants need carbon dioxide, chlorophyll, water and sunlight.
Today's important concepts:
-Magnet always rests in a north-south direction when stationary.
-Darker coloured objects absorb more heat than lighter coloured objects.
-Shiny materials reflects away more heat than darker coloured objects.
-Warm water vapour rises and condenses into water droplets when it touches a cooler surface.
-Nose hairs filters dust particles to keep the air in our nose warm, moistened and cleaned.
-Boiling takes place at a higher temperature than melting/freezing. Lines on the graph will be constant (at a constant temperature) to indicate these processes.
-States of water refers to the gaseous, liquid or solid state!
-Limewater turns chalky/milky/cloudy under the presence of carbon dioxide.
[English]
We covered some important points today:
Synthesis and Transformation:
When changing from direct to indirect speech, here are the steps to note:
1. Look at the verb outside the speech first. If it is present tense, then we need not change the tenses/verbs in the direct speech. You only need to change the rest of the words such as the time. If it is in the past tense, we will then need to change the tenses/verbs.
From present tense to past tense.
From past tense to past perfect tense.
2. Is the statement in the direct speech an universal fact? If it is, retain the sentence as per its original form. Do not change anything at all!
3. If it is a question for the direct speech, when changing to the indirect speech, you have to make sure that the subject comes first followed by the verb.
e.g "What did you do today?" asked Mum.
Subject --> 'you'
Verb --> 'did do'
Ans: Mum asked what Ihad donethat day.
Next, for the structure of Despite and In spite of:
You are advised to use the words 'the fact that' to answer the question. It is much simpler and you need not change or add any of the words in the original sentences.
e.g
Although he is strong, he cries at the sight of a cockroach.
Despite the fact that he is strong, he cries at the sight of a cockroach.
He cries at the sight of a cockroach in spite of the fact that he is strong.
Happy Revision,
Finish up your Section A revision paper by tomorrow!
With the intense revision kicking in soon, lets' work hard for this final lap of your Primary 5 life. Here are some more exercises for you to complete for both English and Science:
[English] Grammar Items:
1. Tom made Peter _______ the cake.
a) eats
b) eat
c) eaten
d) ate
2. Either Peter or Tom _______ to clean the room.
a) have
b) having
c) has
3. He has to ________ a decision now.
a) makes
b) made
c) make
4. Tom, together with the boys, _________ running at the field now.
a) are
b) were
c) is
d) was
*The focus for Situational writing for SA2 is either on Letter of Complaint or Report Writing so make sure you zoom into these 2 formats and structures!
Today's learning points:
it's and its are 2 different words. Do not use 'it's' as it is an informal word. 'it's' refer to it is in short form that we used mainly during conversations.
Make sure you sue complete and formal sentences when answering comprehension open-ended questions. English is not Science. Language is important and it has to be formal. English is not about reading stories or speaking words. You have to work on your basic grammar rules and skills and that is why I am always going through grammar rules and skills with you in class. Alot of you lack that concept such as knowing what a verb, noun, subject, object, adjective, pronoun, etc is. Go and revise through them. This is important when we are talking about English. These components form sentences, phrases and what we write and speak correctly.
English Grammar Answers:
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. c
[Science]
We have completed corrections for both science and english workbooks. Here are some science questions for you:
It's week 5 and we have 5 more days before you are start your mini break next week in your revision and you first paper on the 19th October (Friday).
Over next week, I will be posting some paper 1 exercises and useful tips and phrases for you.
For now, we have completed the syllabus for the workbooks for Science and English today. They will be returned tomorrow for corrections and for you to take them home by this week for your revision. Now, the focus is on revising for the whole year and practice papers for you to complete!
What we have learnt for English today:
After the words 'Despite' and 'In spite of', the first verb that comes after it should be in the continuous form with the (ing) added.
Remember! The verb need not always come directly after 'Despite' and 'In spite of'.
e.g Despite never taking care of little kids before, he did a good job in taking care of the three-year-old boy.
In spite of not having eaten vegatables, he enjoyed it for the first time while eating.
Here are some example for you to try out: (Answers will be posted at the end of the post)
1. Although Tom was strong, he could not lift the heavy rock from the ground.
4. If you finish up the food, you will be given a sweet.
_______________________________ as long as ____________________________________.
5. Horace can be mean at times but he is a helpful friend.
In spite of ____________________________________________________________________.
What we learnt for Science today:
Graphs are highly important for both Maths and Science. You need to be able to read them accurately and intepret correctly. Sometimes, you may be also asked to draw a graph. Here are some tips to read a graph and interpret it accurately.
We also learned that we pant more and breathe in more oxygen when we exercise. In expaining why, it is because our heart needs to pump more oxygen to oxidize the digested food in our body to produce energy for our cells around the body.
Answers for Synthesis and transformation Practice:
1. Despite being strong, Tom could not lift the heavy rock from the ground.
2. In spite of having a phobia of fire, Mr. Tan ran into the burning house to rescue the victims.
3. Unless Timo digs deeper into the tunnel, he cannot rescue the trapped workers.
4. You will be given a sweet as long as you finish up the food.
5. In spite of being mean at times, Horace is a helpful friend.
It's the start of week 4! Officially, we have 8 days of school before you start your first SA2 paper. Times does fly by quickly. How's your progress for your revision?
We started on our last unit for English today, "Robinson Crusoe".
You can read a quick summary of the story here --> Crusoe
I have uploaded the show courtesy of YOUTUBE in case you do want to follow the story. Through the character, we learn how his quick thinking helped him to get out of trouble. Even through the obstacles, he is able to think rationally and jot down the positive and negative points and with hope, it carried him through the tough times. That is one good learning point.
This unit will concentrate on comprehension open-ended practice. Remember to highlight the key words, spot the clues in the passage and answer in complete, formal sentences!
English supplementary and remedial is on tomorrow and Unit 12 dictation test is on Wednesday.
[Science]
We have almost come to the end of the last topic for Science, "Human Circulatory System".
You can visit this site for videos and quizzes. HCS
Do take that oxygen goes in to the body to the lungs to the heart and to the rest of the body while carbon dioxide comes out through the rest of the body to the heart to the lungs and out of your nose.
Take note of the flow and arrows.
The heart, blood and blood vessels work together with the lungs for the circulatory system to function.
Blood vessels contain blood. There are 3 types of blood vessels - Arteries (Carry blood rich in oxygen), Capillaries (exchange of waste materials take place) and the Veins (carry blood rich in carbon dioxide out of the body)
Systems are all interlinked together such as the digestive system, muscular and skeletal system, respiratory system and circulatory system. Study the topics together! Also, study cells as you link the topics all together under the theme of system!
All the best for your revision.
[Supplementary Dates]
2nd Oct: English
9th Oct: English
12th Oct: Science
30th Oct: Science
Those are the dates for the last 4 supplementary lessons for the year.
Congratulations to Felicia for winning student of the month, Celest for winning group leader of the month, Samuel for winning inquisitive student of the month and Yilin's and Felicia's group for groups of the month.
Work hard for the last super group points rewards!
It's been a busy week and before I recap the events and work for the week, lets' go through the answers for the questions given for Science.
Similarity: Both take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.
Difference: Man breathes in through lungs while fish breathes in through gills.
Explanation: The function of the respiratory system is to take in oxygen for the body. Man live on land and breathe in oxygen and air. They make use of lungs to obtain oxygen from the air. Fish live in water. They use gills to absorb oxygen dissolved in the water.
(A) The limewater in Jar Q would become more chalky or milky than the limewater in Jar P.
(B) Air exhaled by the hamster passes through the tube into Jar Q and it contains more carbon dioxide than the air passing through Jar P from the surrounding air.
Explanation: Limewater is used to test for the presence of carbon dioxide. In the presence of carbon dioxide, limewater turns milky or chalky. *Note that limewater is not the same as lime juice. Do not mix them up. Exhaled air contains more carbon dioxide than the air in Jar P which is air drawn from the surrounding air. Thus, the limewater in Jar Q turns more chalky than that in P.
[Science for the week]
We concluded on the topic of Respiratory system of animals and plants. Note the parts of the respiratory systems of different animals and for plants, it is simply the stomata where gases exchange take place. Stomata are usually found on the underside of leaves to prevent water from evaporating.
We had two practice worksheets on the plant transport system.
Today, we started a brief introduction on the Human Circulatory System. Video for the topic can be found here.
The circulatory system is an extensive body system that is composed of three main parts--the heart, blood and blood vessels--which function together to transport nutrients, oxygen and water to cells and remove waste products such as carbon dioxide from the body.
Heart
The heart is the main organ of the circulatory system. The heart is the driving force responsible for pumping blood throughout the rest of the circulatory system. Without proper heart function, the other components involved cannot function as they should.
Blood
The heart pumps blood, the medium in which nutrients, water and oxygen are carried to the cells of the body.
Blood Vessels
There are three main types of blood vessels that each has a different function. Arteries are responsible for carrying blood away from the heart, veins carry blood back to the heart, and capillaries connect arteries and veins to one another. The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that resembles a highway system.
Blood Flow
Blood flow throughout the body is a continuous cycle that is directed by the heart. Blood is pumped from the left side of the heart into the arteries, which carry blood away from the heart. This blood contains oxygen and food for the body's cells. Oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the cells through the capillaries. The de-oxygenated blood travels back to the heart by way of veins, and the entire process begins again.
Keywords, Keywords, Keywords! Please remember to use the keywords for science when you are writing your answer.
Light is a worrying topic as we did the recap worksheet. Please go and revise through your past year topics.
[English for the week]
We have now finished unit 10 and 11. The composition for Unit 9 was not well done. Please note the following when you are writing your composition:
4 Paragraphs at least.
For picture compositions, make sure you include all the characters.
Add FEELINGS for the characters instead of just describing.
Elaborate and be specific.
Formal language is needed for your writing. No short forms like 'don't', 'won't', etc.
Stick to simple sentences if you are not confident in your language.
Tenses should be in the past.
Punctuation is important. Remember to have your full stops. A simple sentence should have more than two phrases joined together.
Past (adverb) - beyond
Pass (verb) - the act of going past / through a location
When a verb is used after these words 'would, will, could, can, should, shall, may, might', the verb should always be in the base form (present tense, plural form).
Today, we were introduced to the format of Letter of Complaint for situational writing. Please take note of the structure.
For situational writing, please note:
Your language should be formal when it comes to formal memo, email, note, letter or report writing.
Take note of your role and target audience (who you are writing to)
Write down the purpose in the first sentence.
Formal situational writing does not start with "How are you?" so skip that portion.
Be straight and clear to the point. Do not add in your own details unless you are told to do so. This is not composition writing.
Situational writing is a key life skill. In the future, when you are writing letters, emails, reports or complaint letters, these skills will be crucial. See it as a skill rather than something you simply just to go through. Then, you will find learning meaningful.
[Homework]
Composition for Unit 10 is to be passed up next Monday. Please complete on time. We have only 2 more weeks to go before you sit for your exams.
[Note for Parents]
Dear parents,
I am going to update about the progress of the students' academic work. We are left with one more unit for English which I will finish by next week and then concentrate on oral and revision papers.
For science, I have started on the last topic and following that, it is revision papers all the way.
Filing has been done this week so it is a steady progress for the students.
Don't worry. You have my word that your child is safely progressing in their work. The syllabus will be covered in time and with quality of course. Whatever is important, I will elaborate to the students and get them to take down in their papers or note book.
Files will be given back in week 5 for the pupils to revise, together with their workbooks.
Get them to go through the files and practise the questions again for familiarization.
One of the greatest weakness that I have observed after these 9 months is the issue of the kids easily forgetting the concepts and skills. They tend to make the same mistake again, as such repetition is needed. Don't worry about exposing them to tons and tons of questions. Instead, focus on having them redo and repeat questions they have done or similar questions to get them fully familiarized and having memorised what the key skills and concepts are. They are lacking in this aspect.
Lets' work hard together for their final lap!
[Class Issues]
As stated in the classroom, these few weeks have not been exactly pleasant. A week of ups and downs. You were being praised by certain teachers but also complained by certain teachers. Consistency is needed. I don't wish to be shouting at you and having to remind you of how you should behave. It's the last lap to the end of the year. You must work hard and stay disciplined.
A disciplined students know what to do at the right time and with that, he is able to excel in their studies with hard work and self control. It is easy to say but difficult to do. You need all your patience and self control at this period of time now. There is no more time to waste.
The subject combinations you will get next year is now dependent on your results and fixed by the school for next year. It is no more chosen by your own or your parents choice. For some of you, you are greatly in risk of dropping to take foundation subjects if you do not pull up from your U grade, as such you know what you have to do to make things right.
I know some of you are really weak and disinterested in certain subjects. The key here is not to lose heart and give up. Once you have given up, there is no more hope. Hope keeps you going. I don't believe that we will fail forever. There will come a time when passes can be achieved, so keep going.
I have told some of you here that the best choice now is to pass all subjects if you can. If not, focus on pulling up your weakest subject(s) to 40 - 50 and do well for the rest of the subjects.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
See you if you will be attending the festival in school tomorrow.
The situational writing for unit 10 was not well written. As such, I feel the need to revise one more time and to go through the essential points.
Always remember your role that you are writing as and who you writing to (your audience)
If it is a formal memo, letter or note, you need not start with "How are you?" Your tone of writing and language must be formal and to the point. Do not add in informal speeches or any short forms. Do not write as if you are writing to a friend or penpal. It must be formal if it required.
Do not ever use short forms in your writing.
State the purpose in the first sentence.
This is important. Your purpose of writing must be clearly stated in the first sentence as that is the most important part to what your note/letter/report/memo is about.
Set paragraphs for your writing with two finger spacing from the left hand margin to clearly indicate paragraphing.
Be straight to the point and do not add in unnecessary details or your own details! Follow the points given in the question strictly!
We have moved on from the air and the human respiratory system to learning about the respiratory system of fish.
There is a difference between the respiratory system of humans and animals but among animals, there are differences in how they breathe too. We will take a look at it in the coming weeks. But for now, here is the introduction to how fish breathe.
They make use of an important part known as gills, found near the underside of the head.
However, do note the difference. For fish, the gills work in the presence of water where oxygen dissolves. Thus, they do not work when the fish is on land and water is absent. As a result, the fish will suffocate without oxygen and die.
For mushrooms, the gills are found on the underside of the plant and it is where spores are formed to help the plant reproduce. (Think back on your topic of reproduction of plants)
Thus, both are the same words but they serve different meaning.
Do take note that the fish FIRST take in watet through the mouth and the water passes through to the gills in which the DISSOLVED OXYGEN IS ABSORBED through the blood / blood vessels to the heart and rest of the body to keep the fish alive. On the other hands, carbon dioxide is removed through the gills too.
You need to know where the gills are located on the fish and HOW IT HELPS THE FISH TO BREATHE.
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