last minute reminders and tips

Dear all,

Here are the answers for the last 5 questions of the specimen paper we have done.

40a. The water treatment plant removes pollutants / chemical wastes in the river so that water is safe for drinking in homes.

40b. Some of the waste of the factory may have flown into the soil near the farm and contaminated the crops.

40c. Mark 'X' just in front of the factory.

41a. Liquid Z is a conductor of electricity.

41b. The nichrome wire becomes hotter.

41b. More electricity flows through the circuit and more electrical energy is converted to more heat energy which makes the wire become hotter.

42a. It enables the results to be more reliable.

42b. Air can escape from the bottle in B. The oil can now occupy the space previously occupied by the air.

42c. He could lift up the funnel in set-up A (so that air can now escape).

43a. Rod B. The bulb lights up when placed across PQ.

43b. B is the best conductor of heat and A is the worst conductor of heat.

43c. A good conductor of electricity is also a good conductor of heat.

44a. The direction of the moving ball is changing.

44b. *as long as you draw the arrow of the Y higher than the original arrow*

44c. Some of the energy is converted to heat and sound energy during the first bounce.

**REMEMBER TO use COMPARISON words tomorrow when you are comparing between 2 items and more. (refer to last post)

Dear all and Parents,

Tomorrow will be the last paper for all of you and I am happy to say that we have all done it together. Thank you for your support for the past 2 years for all parents. I cannot do this without you for sure. Please give your all for tomorrow and it is time to finally relax and enjoy. However, safety comes first. Please alert your parents of your whereabouts and please do not lie about where you are. Gain permission and respect your parent's wishes. Parents, do take note of your kids' whereabouts and there will be no more supplementary lessons unless told otherwise to you personally by me. The kids need not stay back anymore so they will not be required to stay in school after curriculum hours.

There will be no school on Wednesday due to the higher chinese paper.

School resumes on Thursday.

Be safe and take your well-deserved break.

*I will see you all for the early morning lessons from 6.40am - 7am tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Counting down to the end of PSLE and Science Notes

Dear all,

Thank you to all who came for Saturday's morning lesson. Hope it was fruitful for you in what we have gone through for the PSLE booklet. We have almost come to the end of the physical science section. We will finish up some of the last few and the specimen paper on Monday's extra lesson from about 12.45pm - 2.30pm.

I will be uploading the answers for mcq and open-ended for physical science so that you can go through, make notes and revise. I will also finish up with the remaining notes, part 5 of your Science.

Part 5 Science Revision Notes

Primary 6
The Environment

• Organisms (living things such as insects, animals, plants, bacterias)
• Habitat (place that the organisms live in) (such as garden, seashore, rotting log, field, tree, pong, mangrove swamp)
• Community (when two or more organisms live together)
• Population (size of a particular organism)
• Organisms are affected by temperature of a place, amount of light, amount and quality of air, amount of water, type of soil and other types of organisms present.
• Watter lettuce have hairy leaves. Water hyacinth has waxy leaves. 
• These leaves enable the water plants to stay afloat by prevent water from staying onto the leaves. The water runs off the leaves. 
• Water Hyacinth has swollen leaf stalks filled with air spaces. Air is lighter than water, enabling the plant to stay afloat.
• Organisms migrate to other habitats if their own habitats are unfavourable to live in.
• Earthworms like dark and damp place. 
• Organisms are interdependent on one another for survival. 
• Plants help to produce oxygen during photosynthesis for animals to breathe. Animals give out carbon dioxide which is essential for plants to make food.
• Plants also help to provide shelter and a habitat for some animals to live in and to lay their eggs. 
• Plants provide food for animals. They become a source of food for animals. 
• Animals also provide nutrients as fertilizers from their wastes for plants. These wastes enrich the soil and allow plants to grow more healthily. 
• Decomposition is the process of breaking down dead matter and animal wastes into simpler substances such as mineral salts and carbon dioxide. Decomposition takes in oxygen and gives out carbon dioxide. 
• Earthworms helps to loosen the soil by burrowing through the soils, opening up more spaces and spreading out the soil. This helps to improve the growth of grass and plants in the soil. 
• Plants like hydrilla are completely submerged in the water. If there are many floating plants at the top, it would block off sunlight from reaching these plants and they will eventually die off. 
• Fully submerged water plants - Hydrilla, elodea
• Partially submerged water plants - Cattail, Lotus, Arrowhead
• Floating plants - Duckweed, water lettuce, water hyacinth
• A seed can germinate on a wet cotton wool but when it grows into a plant, it will eventually die if it remains on the cotton wool as the cotton wool has no nutrients unlike the soil which the plant needs. 

Interactions - Food chains and webs

• Food producers (plants) which trap sunlight from the sun to photosynthesize and make food. Are a source of food for other organisms. 
• Consumers are any organisms that consumes (eats) any other organisms.
• Decomposers (fungi and bacteria)
• Predators (Organisms that eat other ANIMALS only)
• Preys (ANIMALS that are eaten by other ANIMALS only)
• Food chain shows one path.
• Food web shows multiple or more paths. 
• Always check for the food producer in a food web or chain. There can be more than 1 producer.
• In a food pyramid, the bottom (base of the pyramid) is the largest and that represents the food producer (plants). The top is the smallest and represents the predators.

Adaptations 

• Can be structural or behavioural
• Structural adaptations (physical features found on the body that helps an organisms to survive)
• Behavioural adaptations (how an organism behaves that helps it to survive)
• Adaptations help an organisms to find food, hide from predators and catch preys, protect from predators, reproduce by finding a mate or dispersing and cope with physical factors of the environment such as extreme temperatures and amount of water.
• Birds have feathers to keep them warm and to help them fly. They also have light, hollow bones that enable them to fly.
• Penguins cannot fly but they have a layer of fats under their skin to keep them warm in the extreme cold temperatures. Their back is also black and its back faces the sun to absorb the warmth from the sun as darker colours are good absorbers of heat compared to lighter colours. 
• Penguins have fins to help them swim easily in the water and reduce water resistance.
• Ducks, Pelicans, Swans all have webbed feet which help them to move/swim easily in the water. 
• Ostrich has long, powerful feet to help them move quickly and overcome friction on land. Longer legs help them to take bigger steps and cover a larger distance on land. Powerful legs help them to run quickly and further. 
• Eagles have strong, powerful and sharp claws on their feet to help them catch and wrap their preys tightly. Only the legs are responsible for catching prey. The beaks are not responsible. They are responsible for tearing the flesh and eating the prey. 
• Crocodiles, lions, tigers are some of the animals that have strong powerful jaws and teeth to tear apart the flesh.
• The male peacock has beautiful feathers which it opens up to attract a mate for mating and reproduction. 
• Fireflies light up in the dark in order to attract mates.
• Climbers - plants that climb upwards around a support to reach for sunlight through tendrils (have curls at the end) (passion fruit, grapes), hooks and thorns (rose plants), twinning (morning glory, pole beans) and clasping roots (pepper plant, ivy plant). 
• Creepers - plants that creep along the ground to spread its roots and shoots as wide as possible to gain sunlight and water. example: grass.
• Mangrove trees have aerial roots which hang above the water to gain moisture and air. The mangrove swamp can be too muddy at times and there might not be enough nutrients, water and sunlight if the roots grow inside. 
• Some animals who live in the water have streamlined body shape (broad the middle and narrow at the ends) to help overcome water resistance to move quickly in the water. 
• Fishes have fins to help balance them and propel them forward in the water.
• A crab has gill chambers that help store water with dissolved water in them to help them breathe on land but a fish does not and cannot survive on land. 
• Breathing tubes - water stick insect, wrigglers, water scorpion
• Air bubbles - Great diving beetle, water spider
• Blowholes - Dugong, whales
• Lungs - Mammals and humans
• Skin (moist) - Frogs, mudskippers 
• Some animals have stripes on their body coverings to blend in with the environment to camouflage and hide from predators or to catch their preys unaware.
• Plants have different ways of seed dispersal to help reproduce their own kind.
• Water - Fibruous husks which are light and trap air to float and move on water such as the coconut. Seeds dispersed by water flow in one direction downstream or down a river. 
• Animals - Hooks and thorns to stick onto the fur of animals to help carry them away. Can be scattered anywhere. Not dependent on direction of wind. Fruits can be edible, juicy and fleshy to attract animals to eat them. Can contain seeds that are big and inedible and are thrown out or spit out by the animals. Can also contain small seeds that are edible and passed out through wastes of animals for dispersal. 
• Wind - Light, wing-like structure and be float in the air for a long time to disperse as far as possible. Can be dispersed anywhere by dependent on direction of wind. 
• Explosion - Light pods in the fruit which opens up and explodes when ripe. Only scattered around the parent plant. 
• In a hot and dry desert, plants like the cactus have small, needle-like leaves to reduce the surface area that prevents too much transpiration that loses water. Also, it has a thick juicy stem that helps store lots of water for the plant. The cactus also spreads out its root over a wide surface area to reach out for as much water as possible. 
• The amount of water loss increases when the surface area of leaves increases too.
• Camels have large padded feet which help them to move easily on the sand as it increases the amount of exposed surface area of the feet to the sand, increasing the amount of friction between the feet and the sand and enable the camel to move without sinking into the sand. 
• Camel's humps store fats, not water. 
• They have thick and long eye lashes to prevent sand dust from blowing into their eyes.
• They can drink up alot of water at one go to prevent dehydration. 
• Polar bear has thick layer of fats underneath their fur to help keep them warm against the cold temperatures. 
• When we cut the middle of the swollen air stalk of a water hyacinth, we can see air bubbles escaping from the cut portion if we immerse the air stalk into the water. 

People and the Environment

• We can have a positive or negative impact on the environment. 
• Positive impact such as reforestation, recyling, reducing and reusing helps conserve the environment. 
• Negative impact such as increasing burning of fuels, deforestation and using of CFC products can harm the environment. 
• Deforestation leads to global warming, NOT THINNING OF OZONE LAYER. Deforestation is the cutting down of trees. Trees provide oxygen and reduces carbon dioxide in the air through photosynthesis. Thus, when we cut down trees, the amount of carbon dioxide increases. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse effect and it traps heat, causing the world to get hotter. When the world gets hotter, the temperatures at the arctic increases. Ice caps will melt and there will be flooding. Animals, humans and houses will be affected. Burning of fuels also uses up oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide, leading to global warming.
• Using of CFC products will harm the environment as these chemicals will cause the ozone layer to be thinner and the harmful UV rays will shine onto the earth, causing skin cancer. 
• Deforestation also causes soil erosion. Without trees and roots to hold the soil in place, soil will be washed away during rainfall and these soil can flow down into rivers and pollute the rivers. 

Forces and energy 

• Forces can be a push or pull.
• Forces can move a stationary object.
• Forces can speed up or slow down or change direction of a moving object.
• Forces can cause a moving object to stop.
• Forces can change shape of objects. 
• Frictional force is a force that slows down a moving object and acts in the opposite direction to the moving object. Friction can be useful and not useful in our lives. Friction enables us to move about without slipping but it also causes wear and tear of objects. 
• Friction can be reduced by applying oil, powder, lubricants onto the surface in which an object is travelling. 
• Friction is important for tyres as without friction, the tyres will wear out and cars will crash and skid. 
• Elastic Spring Force is the force that measures the elasticity of a spring. The more elastic spring force there is, the more kinetic energy there is. 
• Remember that a rubber band DOES NOT HAVE ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY. Only a STRETCHED rubber band has elastic potential energy.
• Gravitational force is a pulling force that acts between any two objects. 
• The amount of gravity force that acts on an object depends on its weight.
• Example: If I place a pencil 10m above the ground and the same identical pencil 20m above the ground, the amount of gravity force that acts on them is the same BUT THE PENCIL AT 10m above the ground will HAVE LESS GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY than the pencil at 20m above the ground.
• Example: If I place an elephant at 5m above ground and a feather at 5m above ground, the amount of force acting on the elephant will be greater than the feather because it weighs heavier but both have the SAME amount of gravitational potential energy. 
• Magnetic force is the force exerted by magnets (refer back to the topic of magnets for precise information)
• Kinetic energy - found in moving objects. 
• Gravitational potential energy - Stored when an object is above ground level. 
• Chemical potential energy - Stored in dry cells and fuels before use
• Electrical energy -  Electricity flow through circuits in objects. 
• Heat energy - Measures heat for different purposes
• Light energy - Measures light for different purposes
• Sound energy - Measures sound for different purposes. 
• The more gravitational potential energy, the more kinetic energy there is.
• The more elastic potential energy, the more kinetic energy there is. 
• Energy is converted into many different forms. Energy loss occurs when energy is converted into other forms. 
• The higher an object moves, the more gravitational potential energy it has and lesser kinetic energy it has.
• When an objects moves downwards, it has more kinetic energy and less gravitational potential energy. 

That's it for your revision. Study hard for your Chinese tomorrow and for your Science on Monday. :)

Answers for PSLE Physical Science Section

MCQ 

Open-ended

12a (i) South pole

       (ii) North pole

12b. A magnet cannot have the same poles at each end.

13a. Vary amount of water in the bottle / Have specific amounts of water (50ml vs 100ml) / Roll an empty bottle vs one with water 

13b. There is more gravitational force at a greater height (or) Only one variable can be changed at any one time.

14a (i) Different metal bars expand to different lengths (or at different rates) after heating.

14a (ii) Less than 210mm. A thicker rod will take a longer time to heat up than a thinner one so it will expand less. 

14b. The bridge will buckle/ bend/ crack/ break if there were no gaps to allow for expansion on hot days.

15a. Circuit P - 3        Circuit Q - 2 

15b (i) Smallest number of bulbs remaining lit --> 0

            If bulbs 1 of 4 blows, there would not be a complete path for electricity to flow. (must identify 

            the bulbs)

15b (ii) Largest number of bulbs remaining it --> 3

            If bulbs 2 or 3 blows, there would still be a complete path for electricity to flow.

16a. More water adds weight (or gravitational force) and causes the test tube to sink. 

16b. Empty/remove water from the water tanks

17a. The plastic bottle occupies space / has volume so that less water is needed to fill the tank back to water level L.

17b. Matter occupies space / has volume. 

18a. There was still kinetic energy in the car.

18b. Use 2 or more balloons. / Pump more air into the balloons. / Use bigger balloons / Apply lubrican on wheels or floor / Give toy car a push at the starting position.

19a. The ends/poles of the magnet are stronger.

19b. Rod P. The ends of rod P have a stronger force of attraction than the middle of the rod.

20a. Reason 1: Larger exposed surface area results in higher rate of evaporation.

        Reason 2: Water can drip/flow down as plates are placed vertically. 

20b. Put the plates in the sun / windy place / dish dryer / switch on the fan.

21a. Pin Q moved towards the iron rod W (1 mark) when iron rod W becomes magnetised or an electromagnet (1 mark).

21b. The circuit is open / incomplete. / There is a break or gap in the circuit.

21c. To save or conserve electricity.

22a. The large sand particles have more/larger air spaces/gaps. OR The fine sand particles have smaller/lesser air spaces.

22b. Fine sand can trap more dirt/impurities OR Find sand can filter water BETTER.

22c. No. There may be poison / harmful substances / bacteria / germs / pollutants. / Water is polluted.

23a. Spring P. The increase in length for P is more for the same mass hung on the spring.

23b. 4cm. (No units of measurement --> no marks is given for the question) It has reached its elastic limit. OR The spring has lost some of its elasticity. 

24a. The temperature of the water decreases as time increases. 

24b. The temperature of A decreases at a slower rate compared to B. 

24c. Air is a poor conductor of heat. 

25a. B. It is able to stay the longest in the air. 

25b. Weight / Mass / Size of the paper aeroplane. Wind-free environment. 

26a. It is a good conductor of heat. 

26b (i) The wire will melt.

26b (ii) Circuit is incomplete / broken. 

27a. Place the magnets at the same height / distance from the pins.

27b. Observation 1: It will attract more pins.

        Observation 2: Magnets A, B and C may be attracted or repelled by Magnet X.

28a. Evaporation of water (1mark) removes heat (1mark) from the surrounding. 

28b. The fans add wind OR The fans blow the mist over a larger area. 

29a. Q can be seen at the furthest / longest distance. OR Light is reflected from the furthest distance. 

29b. Light sensor is more accurate / more reliable. 

30a. (Gravitational) Potential energy --> Kinetic energy --> Electrical energy

30b. Advantage: More electrical energy can be produced. 

        Explanation: there is more gravitational potential energy.

***** Remember to use comparison words such as 'GREATER' 'MORE THAN' 'LESS THAN' LEAST' 'MOST' GREATEST' 'LONGEST' 'SLOWER' 'SLOWEST' 'HOTTER' 'HOTTEST' 'COLDER' 'COLDEST' when you see more than 2 items. You are always comparing and these words are important!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

1 down, 3 more to go

Dear all,

English is over! Hurray! It was a slightly easier paper compared to last year for Paper 1. That is based on my own opinion of course. Hope that it was easy for you or manageable. The format was a formal email and the picture had lots of ideas to talk about. Anyway, English is officially over and you have 3 more to go.

Here's the notes for Science Part 4.

Primary 5

Reproduction in Plants

• Seeds -> Seedling --> Adult plant --> Flowers --> Fruits --> Seeds (Reproduction in FLOWERING PLANTS)
• For non-flowering plants, they can reproduce by spores like the mushroom and ferns.
• Spores are found on the underside of the leafs and the mushroom cap.
• Seeds --> Seedling (Germination) Germination requires air, warmth and water. In specific, it requires oxygen for respiration because it does not have leaves to photosynthesize yet. It does not need light (Please remember!)
• During the growth of the seed, the seedling gets the nutrients from the seed leaf so the size of the seed leaf will gradually decrease together with the seed coat as nutrients is used up to make way for the eventual growth of the plant and the adult leaves. 
• Roots will grow first, downwards and then the shoot grows upwards to reach towards the light.
• Plants grow towards the direction of the light.
• Pollination is the process in which pollen grains is transferred from the anther to the stigma. For plants with their antler and stigma hanging out of the petals, it is usually pollinated by wind. 
• During pollination and fertilisation, the most important part that cannot be missing is the STIGMA.
• Ovary becomes the fruit and the ovules become the seeds. 
• Anther can be compared to the testes of the human part as both are male parts that produce the pollen grains and sperms respectively. 
• Stigma and vagina are similar as they received the pollen grains and sperm respectively for fertilisation. 
• If overcrowded, seeds will compete for water, nutrients and sunlight. Air is all around so they would not compete for air. If plants grow taller, it is usually in search of light as they are competing for it.

Water Cycle

• Water cycle involves water which is a matter. It has mass and occupies space. Water can take the form of solid, liquid and gas.
• Solid -> Ice
• Liquid -> Water, Clouds, Water droplets, Steam (can be seen)
• Gas -> Water vapour
• Water can go through melting, freezing, evaporation, boiling and condensation.
• Melting (Solid to liquid) Ice to water. For ice to melt, it is usually at 0 degrees celcius. Ice remains at 0 degrees celcius until all of it has melted completely. Even if it is melting halfway, it is still at 0 degrees celcius. For melting, the ice gains heat. To slow down melting, we can apply sawdust or wrap newspapers or poor conductors of heat around the ice. Poor conductors of heat do not gain heat quickly for the ice and can conduct the heat away. 
• Freezing (Liquid to Solid) Water to Ice. For water to freeze, it is usually at 0 degrees celcius. Water remains at 0 degrees celcius until all of it has froze completely. Even if it is freezing halfway, it is still at 0 degrees celcius. For freezing, the water loses heat. 
• Boiling (Liquid to gas) For water to boil, it takes place at 100 degrees celcius. Water with impurities in it will boil at a higher temperature. 
• Evaporation (Liquid to gas) For evaporation to take place, it takes place at any temperature. However, the higher the temperature, the faster the rate of evaporation. The more the wind, the lower the humidity (amount of water vapour in the air) and the more the EXPOSED surface area of the object, the HIGHER the rate of evaporation. 
• Condensation (Gas to liquid) For condensation to take place, the warm water vapour from the surrounding air condenses on the cool surface into water droplets. WCCW
• Water cycle involves water from the rivers and the grounds to evaporate into water vapour into the air which will then form clouds (liquid form, tiny water droplets) through condensation. Then, these clouds will form and fall as rain (liquid) through the process known as precipitation. 
• How to show that water has mass? Take two identical dry clothes and put them onto a Beam balance, one on each side. They will be at the same height initially. then, soak one cloth with water. You will observe that the cloth with water will dropped lower, showing that it is heavier than the other dry cloth. This shows that water has mass. 
• How to show that there is air in water? Heat up a beaker of water wit ha bunsen burner. You will observe air bubbles being produced in the water. 
• How to show that there is water in plants? Cover a potted plant with a plastic bag. You will observe water droplets formed on the inner surface through condensation. Plants will transpire through the leaves and water from the soil will also evaporate and condense on the inner cool surface. 

Cells

• Cells are the basic unit of life.
• Cells can be from animals or plants.
• Animal cells include nucleus, cell membrane and cytoplasm. 
• Nuclues controls the activities in the cells and passes down genetic information to the next generation. It also helps in the repair of damaged cells. 
• Cell membrane allows the movement of objects in and out of the cell. (Allows nutrients and air to enter and waste to leave)
• Cytoplasm allows for movement in the cell. 
• Plant cells include nucleus, cell membrance (Allows nutrients and air to enter and waste to leave), cytoplasm, CELL WALL and CHLOROPLAST.
• Cell wall gives the cell its shape and protects the cell.
• Chloroplast contains chlorophyll to trap sunlight to photosynthesize for the plant.
• Photosynthesis requires sunlight, carbon dioxide and water and in turn, produces oxygen and sugar (starch) which is stored in the roots of plants. 
• In some cells of plants, you might will find the chloroplast like the root hair and stems because these parts do not photosynthesize. However, all parts of the plants contains the cell wall. 

Air 

• Originally, air is made up of many gases with nitrogen being the most (78%), Oxygen (21%) and carbon dioxide and other gases (less than 1%)
• Water vapour is also part of air. 
• Plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen during photosynthesis which is important for mankind. However, they only photosynthesize in the presence of light and mostly during the day. 
• Plants also respire all the time and take in oxygen and give our carbon dioxide, although lesser in the day compared to the night. They do this through their stomata, tiny openings found on both the upper and under side of the lead. However, there is more stomata on the UNDER side. 
• So, if you were to coat the underside of the leaf, the leaf will not be able to transpire and respire as much. 
• Fish take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide through their gills. 
• Humans take in oxygen and give our carbon dioxide through our respiratory system consisting of the nose, windpipe and lungs. 
• When we burn items, oxygen is need for burning and carbon dioxide is produced. 
• Limewater turns chalky in the presence of limewater.
• How do we know that humans and animals breathe out carbon dioxide? Place a jar of limewater in an enclosed area. Breathe out and observe that the lime water turns chalky. 
• a candle in an enclosed tank will not burn after a while as the oxygen is used up and not replenished. 
• When we have a HOLE in the straw, we cannot drink the water in a cup as the hole in the straw allows air to escape and there is not air pressure to PUSH the water up the straw. 
• Water plants will produce air bubbles when they respire or photosynthesize as air escapes from the plant through air bubbles.

Plant Transport System

• Plant transport systems consist of Food carrying tubes (Phloem tube) and Water carrying tubes (xylem tubes)
• Remember the concept of PX (P on the outside and X on the inside)
• The outer ring of the stem is the food carrying tube.
• The inner ring of the stem is the water carrying tube. 
• If you cut the outer ring of the stem, food cannot be carried downwards from the leaves to the roots. Thus, the stem above the cut area will swell as food is stuck there!
• Food is transported downwards from the leaves to all parts of the plant.
• Water and minerals are transported upwards from the roots to all parts of the plant. 
• A plant will turn red if it is placed in a container of red dye as the roots absorb the colouring and transport the coloured water up the stem to all parts of the plant. 

Electricity 

• Electric circuit can be open or closed. If it is open, there is a gap and electricity cannot flow through. If it is closed, there are no gaps and electricity can flow through.
• Closed circuits can be series or parallel
• Electric circuit consists of batteries, wires, light bulbs, switches. Brightness is affected by arrangement of bulbs, number of bulbs and number of batteries. 
• There are no GOOD CONDUCTORS OR POOR CONDUCTORS OF electricity!
• An item is either A CONDUCTOR or NON-CONDUCTOR (Insulator)
• In a parallel circuit, the bulbs will receive the same amount of voltage and be as bright as the total number of voltage of the batteries. For example. there is 1 battery of 10 Volts and there are 3 bulbs connected in parallel. Each bulb will be as bright as each other with 10 Volts of brightness each.
• In a series circuit, the bulbs will split the amount of voltage from the battery. For example, if there are 3 bulbs and 1 battery of 9 Volts, then each bulb receives 3V of brightness each. 
• Thus, bulbs in parallel tend to be brighter than series.
• Also, in series, when one bulb fuses, the other will not be able to work as there will be a gap.
• In parallel, when one bulb fuses, the others can still light up. 

That's the end of the the P5 topics. Your next post will be your last post on the revision notes for P6 science. There will be extra lessons on Saturday from 8 - 10.30am in school. Wait for me at the canteen. I require everyone to stay back on Monday too for extra lessons. I will give you the timings tomorrow. 

All the best for Maths tomorrow. Bring your calculators and Maths instruments with your rulers. :)

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

English Revision for PSLE

Dear all,

Keep Dean in your prayers and we hope for a speedy recovery and for strength in this period of time for his family and loved ones. We look forward to him coming back for the end of the year party :) Take good care of your health everyone and stretch yourself a little these coming few days for your last lap.

English Revision Notes 4

We went through another format of Letter writing for situational writing and it can be formal and informal. For informal, it is like writing an email or note.

Dear Peter,

     How are you? State purpose. Points 1 - 3.

     Points 4 - 6.

Regards/Your friend, 
(Name)

For formal,

Dear Mr Lee,

      (State purpose) (Points 1 - 3)

      Points 4 - 6.

Yours sincerely,
(Name)
(Position if any)

• Always remember your role (who you are? gender?)
• Audience (who you are writing to? formal or informal?)
• Format 
• Purpose (Aim of the writing)
• Highlight and identify the six points first. 

For composition,

It is always safer to stick to the picture composition for you will not need to break down difficult words as given in the situation composition writing.

Note the:

• main characters (choose the main character in the picture to write as)
• side characters (other useful characters? good? bad?)
• place
• time
• weather
• Link your ideas together and explain.
• Logical story. Keep it simple and in the Singapore setting as far as possible
• End off your story by solving the problem (happy ending). Do not leave the story without any proper conclusion. 

DO NOT:

• Write about dreams, bombs, terrorist attacks, other plants, Hollywood, Korean or cartoon characters. 

Watch your tenses (past), punctuation and handwriting!

Grammar items

• Will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, do, did --> The verb that comes after these words are always in the 'PRESENT' + 'PLURAL' form.

• will eat, would eat, can eat, could eat, shall eat, should eat, may eat, might eat, did eat, do eat. 

• Neither of
• Either of
• None of
• Not one of 
• No one
• One of 
• Each
• Every
• Everybody/Everyone
• All these words are in the SINGULAR form

• The flock of birds, The group of boys, The pack of cards, The box of toys, The bouquet of flowers
• These phrases, we look at the main noun which is flock, group, pack, box and bouquet which are in the SINGULAR form

• Verb (Noun/Subject) Verb (Present + Plural)
• Made him run, Heard him sing 

• You (Plural form *Special word)
• I + am 

• 'Has', 'Have' --> The verb that follows after that is usually in the perfect tense.
• Has done his homework
• had gone to work
• has slept soundly
• had flown away 
• Had I done this, .......
• Has he completed his work yet?
• Has he gone there yet?

• 'I wish' and 'If I' --> Verb that follows is in the past perfect form
• I wish I had done it
• I wish I had eaten that sweet.
• If I had gone there, .....
• If I had flown to India, ........

Synthesis and Transformation

• Direct to Indirect speech 
• Always look at the tense of the verb OUTSIDE the speech first. if it is in the past tense, change the tenses in the speech
• Present --> Past
• Past --> Past perfect (always starts with a 'Had')
• If it is a question (?), then remember that the subject/noun comes first followed by a verb
• now --> then 
• yesterday --> the previous day
• last night --> the previous night
• tomorrow --> the following day
• next week --> the following week
• is, are, was, were --> VERBS
• Q. "Where was Mary" asked Mother.
• Ans: Mother asked where Mary had been.

• Because of
• In spite of
• Despite
• Owing to 
• For these above phrases, I can use the words 'the fact that' after that.

• Much to (pronoun) (noun)
• Pronouns include:
• her / his / their / my / your / John's / the boy's / the boys'
• boy's (singular) 
• boys' (plural)

• Unless (is followed by a positive statement), (negative)

• Not only........., but also ..............
• either ............... or ................
• Look at how many verbs there are in the original sentence.
• If there is only 1 verb, the verb comes BEFORE the words 'not only' and 'either'
• He visits either the park or the playground. 
• He visits not only the park but also the playground.
• If there are 2 verbs, the verbs comes after the words 'only' and 'also' / 'either' and 'or'.
• He not only visits the park but also plays at the playground.
• He can either visit the park or play at the playground.

Comprehension MCQ & OE

• Take note of doing your pre-reading first and make notes.
• Highlight key words in the questions.
• Look out for tenses
• When you quote, make sure your copy correctly. 
• Answer in complete sentences. 
• Do not lift directly from the passage. 

Vocabulary cloze and MCQ

• Read the questions and passages first.
• Highlight key words.
• Eliminate answers not possible to narrow down the range of answers possible.
• Identify if the clue is in the negative or positive sense. 

Grammar Cloze, Editing and Comprehension Cloze

• Read first.
• Get the main idea of the passages
• Highlight key words and look for clues
• Look out for Singular/Plural and Present/Past/Past perfect/Continuous tenses

All the best for Thursday's paper. You will do well because I will be rooting for you. Your parents will be rooting for you. I will be praying hard for all of you. 6 years of hard work and these 2 years of extra hard work will all be given back to your exams. 

Eat well, rest well and study well. 

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

PSLE Written Papers Week

Dear all,

As we embark into the new week, please work hard with your targets in mind. Aim a little higher but do not stress yourself out. It is very important to make sure your are emotionally strong and physically healthy.

English Notes Part 3

Paper 1:

• Go through the format of report writing and letter of complaint and compliment. 
• Know your role and who you are writing to (Audience)
• Note the formality. 
• Jot down the six points for the content before you start. 
• For report writing, sign off with Reported by: 
• For letter of complaint/compliment, sign off with Yours sincerely, 
• For more on the format, you can always run a search on this blog for situational writing.

Report Writing Format

Date: ___________

Dear ___________,

Report on an Accident at Hougang Street 22

I was at (place) at (time) on (day) when an accident/incident happened. Points 1 - 3.

Points 4 - 6.

Reported by: 

___________

Letter of Complaint / Compliment 

Date: ____________

Dear ____________,

Letter of Complaint/Compliment about the Behaviour of Mr Tan

I am writing this letter to praise/complain about (person/actions). i was at (place) at (time) on (day) when an accident/incident happened. Points 1 - 3.

Points 4 - 6.

Yours sincerely, 

___________

• For composition, common topics include 'Fire', 'Accident', 'Robbery/theft' and 'Bullying'.
• Stick to the picture composition as it is the safer option. Remember the write about all the events in the pictures and the characters.
• Describe the characters, actions and feelings of characters. 
• Elaborate your actions and explain clearly. 
•  You can always end off your composition with 'This incident would forever be etched in my mind/memories."

Paper 2: 

Verb Noun Verb (Plural and Present tense)
Made him go (plural and present tense)

Had I (Verb) --> Perfect tense because of the word 'had' at the front.
Had I know about it,
Had I gone there,
Had I taken the item,

Neither.......... nor ..................
Always look at the second subject (noun) for the singular/plural form.

Neither Peter nor the boys ARE going home.
Neither the girls nor the boy IS going home.

Everything (singular form)
Everything belongs to him.
Everything in the boxes belongs to him.

'The key word is everything despite the word 'boxes' and thus everything inside the boxes is singular.'

Direct to indirect speech,
Step 1: Look at the TENSE (past or present) of the VERB outside the SPEECH first!

Step 2: Look at the PUNCTUATION. If it is a question mark, please, in your answer, write the SUBJECT (NOUN) first followed by the VERB.

Step 3: Change the keywords and tenses. 

Was, is, are, were --> VERBS!!!

Example: 

Peter asked his son, "Did you eat your breakfast this morning?"

Step 1: The verb outside is 'asked' (past tense). Therefore, I need to change the tenses in the speech.

Step 2: There is a punctuation mark, so the subject comes first before the verb. Subject is 'you' and verb is 'did eat'. So I have to change the tenses too.

Answer:
Peter asked his son if he had eaten his breakfast that morning.

• For more information on synthesis and transformation rules, do a search on the blog on 'synthesis'. 

- For comprehension Open-ended, please do your pre-reading activity first in point forms and understand the story through the questions. Check your tenses and spelling please!

- For grammar cloze, editing and comprehension cloze, remember to read first, state the main idea of the story and then highlight the key words and identify the tenses/singular or plural.

Science Part 3:

P4:

Magnets 

• A loadstone is a natural magnet. Magnets will point towards the North-south direction when hung freely. 
• The magnetism strength is the strongest at the two end where the poles are (North and South) and weakest in the Middle! 
• Unlike poles attract. Like poles repel.
• Magnets attract magnetic objects. Magnets can also attract and repel other objects. We know that an object is a magnet if it has the ability to also REPEL! 
• An object that only can be attracted is a magnetic material. magnetic materials do not have the power to attract other items. THEY CAN ONLY BE ATTRACTED to magnets. 
• However, magnetic objects can be used to make temporary magnets through the 'stroking' method (The more strokes, the more the magnetism strength) and the 'electro-magnetism' method (the more coils of wire around the object and more electricity that passes through the object, the more magnetism strength).
• Not all metals are magnetic. Only Iron, Cobalt, Nickel and Steel are! 

Light 

• Light is a form of energy. Helps people to see and plants to make food. 
• Source of light include the sun, fire, kerosene lamp and fireflies. 
• Light is reflected off an object into our eyes to enable us to see the object (Note the flow and sequence). Our eyes DO NOT reflect the light to the object!
• When light is blocked by opaque objects, shadows are formed. 
• Opaque objects do not allow light to pass through at all. 
• Translucent objects allow some light to pass through.
• Transparent objects allow all the light to pass through. 
• When the object and the light source are NEARER to each other, the size of the shadow on the screen becomes LARGER but BLURER. 
• When the object and light source are FURTHER from each other, the size of the shadow on the screen becomes SMALLER but CLEARER. 
• A periscope reflects the light from the object to the mirrors (at 90 degrees angle in straight lines) to a person's eyes. 
• A magnifying glass allows light to pass through which focuses the light energy and heat energy from the sun that can cause objects to burn such as leaves and paper. 
• light travels in straight lines and do not bend at corners. That is why we cannot see what is around a bend/sharp twisting corner. 

Heat 

• Heat helps us to stay warm and dry and cook. 
• Sources of heat include the sun, burning of fuels and electricity. 
• Heat passes easily through good conductors of heat. It cannot pass through easily through poor conductors of heat.
• Heat causes matter to EXPAND when heated. 
• Good conductors of heat absorb heat quicker and more easily but it also LOSES heat quickly. 
• Poor conductors of heat absorb heat slower and less easily but it RETAINS the heat. 
• Good conductors of heat include metals in general. 
• Poor conductors of heat include wool, rubber, wood, glass.
• To prevent ice from melting faster, we reduce the amount of heat flow and methods include covering the ice with sawdust. 
• Air is a poor conductor of heat.
• Good conductors of heat conducts heat away from poor conductors of heat. 
• If i pour hot water into a plastic cup and metal cup, the plastic cup will retain the heat of the hot water for a longer period of time because poor  conductors of heat retain more heat than good conductors of heat. 
• Remember that poor conductors of heat still conduct some heat but less than good conductors of heat. 
• There are gaps in between rails on railway tracks and gaps in between tiles on the floor so that during a hot day, when they expand due to the heat, there is space and they will not crack. This is also why electric lines are also hung loosely in between each other. 
• Paper is a poor conductor of heat. In order to keep an ice in solid state longer, we can use layers of paper to wrap around the ice so that the ice do not lose heat faster. Air will also be trapped in the layers of paper and air is a poor conductor of heat. 
• When we heat a bottle with a stopper, the air inside the bottle will be heated up and expands, causing the stopper to pop out. 
• After getting out of the swimming pool or after a bath, our bodies will feel cold because we lose heat as the water on our body loses heat to the surrounding air. The water droplets on our body evaporate and our body lose heat. 

This concludes it for the lower primary revision. Let us move on to some parts of your P5 work. 

P5

Heredity and Reproduction.

• We reproduce to ensure continuity of our own kind to prevent extinction. 
• Reproduction can be through laying of eggs or giving birth. 
• Sexual reproduction occurs in humans.
• Parts of the male reproductive system includes the testes and the penis.
• Parts of the female reproductive system includes the ovary, womb and vagina. 
• Ovary produces the egg while the testes produces the sperms. 
• Only one egg and one sperm will fuse together (process called fertilisation) in which the baby will be formed in the WOMB, NOT STOMACH. 
• Heredity is passing on of characteristics from parents to the young (future generations).
• In humans, the baby is formed through Internal fertilization.
• Birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians like the frogs, insects all fertilize their egg externally. 
• Single cell organisms such as bacteria, amoeba and paramecium only have one cells and they reproduce through binary fission or in some cases, budding in which their cells split into two each time. 
• The baby in the womb gets its nutrients, food and water and oxygen from the umbillical cord. 
• Also, in return, the umbillical cord also transport carbon dioxide and waste from the baby (embryo) to the mother to pass out. 
•  **Just a side note here, Mothers are indeed great for they go through so much just to give birth to you :)

See you all tomorrow. It is the last lap already. All the way! 

Parents, do give your kids constant encouragement and positive remarks at home. Try not to stress them too much as I do realise that many of the kids have been feeling the strain lately and need our constant encouragement and reassurances. Prepare them mentally well too :)

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

PSLE Listening Comprehension Week

Dear all,

As the time ticks by towards your PSLE papers, here are some important reminders and notes for you.
There are a total of 2 more supplementary lessons (tomorrow and next tuesday) left and 1 more remedial (This Thursday).
There will be 2 optional extra lessons on Saturday (This coming and next). Check your schedule given to you.
Extra morning lessons from 6.50am - 7.15am will run from tomorrow all the way until next Wednesday morning up at the classroom.
I will hold other extra lessons and that would be confirmed again later this week.

Please take good care of yourself during this period of time and remember to drink lots of water and stay healthy for this crucial period. It is the last lap.

Science Notes Part 2

P3 

Life cycle of plants

• Seed -> young plant --> adult plant 
• For flowering plants, seed --> young plant --> adult plant --> flower --> fruit 
• A seed needs air, water and warmth for germination. (does not need the presence of light yet because there are no leaves to make food)
• A seed needs the gas of oxygen for respiration (does not have leaves yet and thus, need not take in carbon dioxide to make food yet)
• In the seed, the root grows first followed by the shoot. 
• A plant will grow towards the direction of the light. 
• The mass of the seed coat and seed leaves will gradually decrease the seed grows out and the seed uses the nutrients from the seed leaves. 
• Seed leaf stores food.
• Root grows downwards and absorbs water.
• Shoot grows upwards towards the light. 

Reproduction in plants

• by suckers - Banana, bamboo, pineapple
• by leaves (leaf-cutting) - African violet and Begonia
• by underground stems - onion, ginger, potato
• by seeds - most flowering plants such as mango trees, rubber trees, african tulip
• by spores - ferns and mosses 

P4 

States of Matter 

• matter has mass, volume and occupies space. 
• Matter can be grouped in solid, liquid and gas. 
• Solid has definite shape and volume. Solid cannot be compressed except for certain kinds such as plasticine and bread (can be compressed a little).
• Liquid has definite volume but no definite shape. Liquid cannot be compressed.
• Gas has no definite shape and no definite volume. Gas can be compressed. 
• In order to measure a volume of an object like a marble, we can fill a container with an amount of water. Then, lower the object into the container and record the increase in the volume of water. New volume - original volume = the volume of the object. 
• Cotton is in the solid state. However, it is possible to squeeze a plastic bag full of cotton so that the bag occupies less space. There is air trapped in the cotton and when the bag is squeezed, the air trapped in it is compressed and some escapes, thus the bag occupies less space. 

Body Systems 

• Respiratory system - takes in oxygen from air and remove carbon dioxide. Consists of nose, windpipe and lungs. As oxygen is taken in and we inhale, our chest expands and move outwards and our diaphragm moves downwards. As we exhale, carbon dioxide is released and our chest contracts and move inwards and our diaphragm moves upwards. Nose -> Windpipe -> Lungs -> Rest of the body (inwards oxygen)
• Circulatory system - carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. Removes carbon dioxide and wastes from all parts of the body. Consists of lungs, heart, blood and blood vessels. Lungs -> Heart -> All parts of the body (IN) All parts of the body -> Heart -> Lungs (OUT)
• AO (arteries contain oxygen and nutrients) INTO THE BODY
• CV (Veins contain carbon dioxide and wastes) OUT OF THE BODY
• Skeletal system - supports the body, protects the internal organs and works with muscles to enable movement. Consists of the bones, sockets and joints. 
• Muscular system - allows movement by causing muscles to contract and relax. Consists of the muscles. 
• Skulls protect the brain. Ribcage protects your ribs, heart and lungs. 
• Digestive system - breaks down food so that it can be used by the body. Removes solid wastes. Consists of mouth, gullet, stomach, small and large intestines and rectum/anus. Mouth -> Gullet -> Stomach -> Small intestine -> Large intestine -> Rectum/anus
• Food is digested in the mouth first (least amount of food digested) and then in the stomach and finally completed in the small intestine (most amount of food digested). No food is digested in the gullet and large intestine. The large intestine absorbs the water and pass out the wastes to the rectum/anus. 
• Digestive juices help to break food down into smaller pieces for digestion. Digestive juices can only be found in the mouth, stomach and small intestine. 

Plant System

• Roots - hold the plant in the soil, take in water and nutrients and store food for the plant. 
• Stem - holds the plant upright, transports water and food to other parts of the plant and hold the leaves up. PX (Phloem (food) tube on the outside and Xylem (water) tube on the inside). Phloem tube transports food from the leaves downwards to the roots. Xylem tube transports water upwards from the roots to the other parts of the plant such as the leaf. 
• If you cut away the outer layer of the stem, the phloem/food tube is cut off and thus, the part above the cut off part will SWELL as food is stuck at that region and cannot be transported downwards. 
• Leaves - trap sunlight to make food (photosynthesize) for the plant. Have stomata (on both sides of the leaf but MORE on the UNDERSIDE) to help in the exchange of gases and to transpire. Oxygen take in and carbon dioxide given out when respiring (night or no light). Carbon dioxide take in and oxygen given out when photosynthesizing in the presence of light, carbon dioxide and water. 
• Leaves consist of blades, stalks and veins. 
• Non green leaves can sometimes make food still because they contain green pigment of chlorphyll under the colours. 
• ***If I place a few leaves into a beaker of water, I will observe bubbles coming out of the leaves after some time. This is because the stomata on the leaves will exchange gases and air bubbles can then be seen. 
• Money plants have clasping roots to grasp tightly onto supports to reach for sunlight. 
• Banyan and mangrove trees have breathing roots that help them breathe. 
• Orchid plants have aerial roots to help them breathe and take in moisture in the air. 
• Sweet potato, carrot, radish and turnip plants contained stored food in their roots which will swell.  

English notes Part 2 

Grammar 

• Past perfect tense - Always start with the word 'had' or 'were' or 'had been'. 
• e.g He has gone there before. They were taken away by the robbers. he had been taken away by the robbers. 
• Singular (one item)
• Plural (more than one item) 
• 'I' is in the plural form and 'You' is also in the plural form. These two words are the exception.
• e.g I am doing this. If I were to do this......... You are to do this right now. You were lazing around, weren't you?

Vocabulary 

List of words to substitute simple words for composition writing

Happy

• elated 
• euphoric 
• exuberant 

Sad

• crestfallen 
• downcast 
• grief-stricken 

Nervous

• distressed
• tense
• uptight

Worried

• perturbed
• frantic 

Upset

• distraught 
• hysterical 
• dismayed 

Disappointed

• despondent 
• disheartened 

Scared 

• aghast 
• panic-stricken
• petrified 

Here is the upload of the new timetable for this term

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Ending of the school holidays

Dear all,

Hope you enjoyed pizza and learnt and revised through the 4 days of extra lessons. You have tomorrow to rest up and don't forget to push hard for the next 3 weeks as PSLE draws near. Don't give up and doubt that you will never be able to do well. As shown by Mrs Liu during her class talk, there are jumps from Ds and Es to grades like A, B and C. So it is definitely possible if you keep the faith and WORK HARD with it.

English Notes for PSLE Part 1

Grammar 

Noun - is the Object, Person, Name
Verb - Action Word (word that shows an action). "IS", "ARE", "WAS" and "WERE" are verbs too!
Adjective - Describing word of the noun
Pronoun - words like his, her, their, our, ours, your, mine, my, they, she, he, theirs, those, he, she, it, its, pupil's, pupils'.....

None of, Neither of, One of, Each, Every, Either of 
---> These words are in the singular form!

Prefers ________to _________Rather ________than ____________

Not only (verb) (noun) (verb), ................ also .....................

After the words 'Not only', it is followed by a verb which takes the form of either:

• has/had/have
• did/do/does
• was/were
• are/is
• can/could/shall/should/will/would/may/might/

example: Not only could John lift the table, he could also lift the heavy rocks.

Verb - Noun - Verb (Present and Plural)

made him eat the cake.
made him run around the park.

to - verb (present and plural)

to eat, to take, to run, to study

Neither .......... nor ................
Either ........... or ...............

Look at the second subject for plural or singular

Neither Peter nor the kid is able to kick the ball into the net.
Either Tim or the boys have to eat the cake.

Should/Shall/Can/Could/Will/Would/May/Might + VERB

The verb that comes after that is Present and Plural.

should complete, can finish, may eat, will study.

Subject (Noun), together or along with ............. ,

Look at the first subject (noun) for singular or plural.

Homework for the weekend:

English PSLE Booklet Comprehension OE Page 64. 

Finish up as much as you can for PSLE Science Booklet

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

End of term 3

Dear all,

As we come to the end of term 3, it is ever so close to your PSLE. We will have intensive revision for your listening during the holidays and when we come back. The reason is that you will learn the skills and remember them better rather than me giving you listening now. Many of you have problems with retention of what has been taught so this would be a better strategy.

We have more or less finished all the practice papers for English with one more practice paper left for Science. Please ensure that you complete your Science PSLE booklet as we will be going through during the holidays.

One final composition test was given just recently based on last year's questions. That would be marked and returned during the holidays. You have done your situational test based on last year's question and generally, the results are good.

Here is part 1 of your Science revision:

P3

Living things and non-living things

• Living things need air, food and water
• Can move by themselves
• Can respond to changes around them
• Able to reproduce

Classification of animals 

• Mammals, birds, fish and insects
• Mammals have outer covering of hair of fur, give birth to young alive EXCEPT Spiny Anteater and platypus***. 
• Birds have feathers, lay eggs with shells and have a beak, two wings and two legs. Penguin and ostrich cannot fly! ***
• Fish have scales, live in water and have a tail, fins and breathe through gills. Guppies give birth to young alive ***
• Insects have 3 body parts and six legs. Two antennae help to find their way. 

Classification of plants

• Plants have roots to hold the plant upright and take in water and mineral salts (nutrients) **
• Plants have stems to help support the plan and transport food and water to all parts of the plant. **
• Plants have leaves to help photosynthesize to make food and also to transpire (lose water) and respire (take in oxygen/carbon dioxide) **
• Plants can be grouped according to flowering or non flowering plants.
• Flowering plants reproduce from seeds. 
• Seed -> seedling --> adult plant --> flower --> fruit --> seeds again
• Non flowering plants reproduce from spores such as ferns. 
• African violet reproduces from leave cutting! ***

Fungi and Bacteria 

• Fungi feeds on dead plants and animals
• Fungi reproduces from spores
• Example is mushroom which obtains its nutrients from dead plants and animals. 
• Bacteria can be found in soil, river, lakes, air and our body.

Materials 

• Glass (man made)
• Cotton from the cotton plant (natural)
• Wool from sheep (natural)
• Silk from silkworms (natural)
• Ceramic (man made)
• Rubber from rubber trees (natural)
• Metal (can be natural or man made)
• Wood from trees (natural)
• Plastic (man made)
• Flexibility / elasticity of a material - ability to bend without breaking
• Strength - ability to withstand weights without breaking 
• Hardness - ability to withstand scratches 
• Plastic, wood, cotton, glass, rubber, ceramic are poor conductors of heat. 
• Metal is a good conductor of heat. 
• A glass filled with water will sink when put into a container of water. However, an empty glass will float when put into a container of water because the inside is filled with air and air is lighter than water, allowing the empty glass to float above the container of water.

Life cycles of animals

• 3 stages (egg -> young -> adult) like frog, chicken, cockroach, grasshoppers.
• 4 stages (egg -> larva -> pupa -> adult) like moth, butterfly, beetle, housefly, mosquito and mealworm beetle.
• The young of a cockroach -nymph- resembles the adult but it does not have wings unlike the adult. 
• During the larva stage, the insect eats alot on food like leaves. During the pupa stage, it moults and gets ready to become an adult without eating much at all. 

Study hard. 

See you all on Saturday for the mid-autumn. As mentioned in class, I will open up an extra slot of lessons on Saturday from 3.30pm - 4.30pm if you are coming for the mid-autumn so you can head up to the classroom first. :) 

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

Countdown to PSLE

Dear all,

It's been a busy period with extensive revision and we are almost done with our revision papers. It is coming to the end of week 9.

So we are left with:
- 3 school days in week 10
- 4 days of supplementary lessons in Sept holidays
- 4 school days in week 1 term 4 before your listening (That four days will be intensive listening practice)
- 3 school days in week 2 term 4 before your written papers
- 2 extra Saturdays

16 more days of seeing you for lessons before you finish your PSLE. Time really flies.

I will look at penning down Science concepts and grammar rules all at one go in one big post some time during the weekend to help you summarize and revise through so look for that ultimate revision post.

There are no supplementary lessons next week because of subject review meetings, thus I will be conducting extra early lessons next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the morning from 6.50am - 7.15am to go through Grammar & Synthesis and 1 or 2 Science questions each day to help you revise. This is not compulsory, so make your way up to the classroom when you reach.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Week 8

Dear all,

It's been a while since the last post. It's week 8 and we are less than a month away to your PSLE listening paper. Remember to bring along your Science MCQ paper and English revision paper next week for going through.

Homework for the weekend:

1. Science Revision Paper questions 31 - 35 only! 

Supplementary and remedial lessons will be on as usual until after PSLE. 

Key Points for English this week:

- Apart from 

- Except for 

- Unless (Positive statement), (Negative statement) 

- Should, Shall, Would, Will, Can, Could. May, Might --> The verb that follows is in the plural and present tense form. 

- If --> followed by past perfect tense. e.g If I had done this, If she has gone there..........

- The word both is plural form.

- For your direct to indirect speech, remember to change the past tenses like 'were', 'was', 'did' to past perfect tenses! Past perfect tenses always begin with the word 'had' and the 'perfect' tense 

Key Points for Science this week:

- Decomposition requires oxygen and moisture. 

- Rate of evaporation depends on temperature, amount of wind, level of humidity.

- Digestive juices are secreted at the mouth, stomach and small intestine. 

- Melting, evaporation, boiling, condensation and freezing does not involve a change in substance as they are all in their liquid (water) state. Only the states of water are changed - liquid, solid and gas. 

- The more the gravitational potential energy, the more the kinetic energy. 

- African violet reproduces from leaf cutting. 

- Pollination comes first followed by fertilization. 

- Balsam and saga seeds disperse by the action of explosive action. 

- Gas has no fixed shaped or volume but has mass.

- Solid has fixed shape, volume and has mass. 

- Liquid has no fixed shape but has a fixed volume and has mass. 

- Stomatas can be found on the upper and underside of the leaf. More can be found on the underside. When covered, it reduces the rate of transpiration. 

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

PSLE Oral Model Tips

Dear all,

I am posting some last tips and model ways of discussing the pictures as found in your PSLE booklets. Take a look.

This picture depicts a scene at the neighbourhood park. It could be a weekend as there are families and children in the park. 

At the right hand side of the picture, there is a man sitting on the bench. He is dressed in a tracksuit and is eating a chicken drumstick. Beside him on the bench are some snacks. He seems to be enjoying eating his food. He looks elated as he is sharing his food with his daughter. Beside him is a girl who looks like his daughter. She seems elated too as she is holding a lollipop in one hand and reaching out the other hand to grab some more food. Both father and daughter seem to be hungry. However, I feel that they should not be snacking so much as it is unhealthy. They seem obese and should exercise. 

On the right hand side of the picture, there is a boy running on the tracks with his mother. They look shocked and worried looks are written on their faces as they stare at the man and his daughter eating greedily. They must be alarmed that they are so unhealthy. I think that both the son and his mother are doing the right thing by exercising in the park and keeping healthy. They could advise the man and his daughter about keeping fit.

At the top corner of the picture, there is a family of three having a picnic with food placed on a mat. They seem  elated as they enjoy the company of one another. The child is crawling about on the mat. I think that family time is important as family members come together to enjoy activities and the time spent together. 

In conclusion, a park is where people can exercise to keep fit and for families to spend some bonding time together.  

This picture depicts a scene at a clinic. It could be a weekend as there are many people and children at the clinic. They must be here to consult Dr John Lim, the doctor on duty in this clinic. 

At the right hand side of the picture, there is a lady carrying a handbag and her child in her arms. She is trying to stop two kids from fighting. They might be her kids. She is as angry as a bully as she does not want the two boys to make a scene at the clinic. In her arms, her little child also looks shocked as he witness his brother fighting over a toy car. I think that the lady should scold the two children and make them stop fighting immediately if not they will attract unwanted attention.

Beside the lady are two boys arguing over a toy car. The boy in the checkered shirt looks infuriated as he reaches out his hands to snatch the toy car back from his brother. I think that he wants the toy car badly but he should ask for peacefully rather than resorting to violence. The boy in the plain shirt looks panic-stricken as he is trying to prevent his brother from snatching away his toy car. He should also talk to his brother peacefully to prevent this fight from taking place.

In the middle of the picture, there is a girl sitting on the bench crying. She is crestfallen as her hand is injured and she seems to be in severe pain. There is a bandage on her hands. Her mother seems to be comforting her as she looks on with worry written on her face. She does not want to see her daughter cry. I think she is doing the correction action as a mother should take care of her daughter and comfort her in times of need. 

At the left hand side of the picture, there is a man paying a 50 dollar note to the cashier. He must have finished seeing the doctor and is now collecting his medicine after payment. He looks pleased at the elated cashier who is serving with a smile on her face. I think that all cashiers should be like her as it is important to serve with a smile to make the customers feel elated too. If I was the man, I would feel comforted and glad. 

This picture depicts a scene of a classroom. It is the English Storytelling Week. There are many pupils in the classroom with two children dressed up in costumes. Three pupils are presenting their story as four pupils are seated on the floor listening attentively. 

At the left hand side of the picture, there are four pupils listening to the story put up by pupils at the front of the classroom. They look elated with smiles on their faces. A boy is laughing to himself as he might have found the story amusing. Likewise, a girl seems to be clapping for the pupils presenting the story. All the pupils are attentive listeners. I think that they are doing the correct action as we should pay attention to others when they are talking and not disrupt their presentation. However, there are story books all over the floor and perhaps, the pupils should have tidied the books and placed them on the shelves neatly to prevent others from tripping over them.

At the right hand side of the picture, a boy in school uniform is reading from a storybook. He is trying to tell the story to the class as his two other classmates are acting out the story. The story could be about a rabbit and camping as there is a rabbit on display and a tent set up near the walls. The boy looks elated reading the story. I think that his attitude is positive and we should read loud and clear with expression to help others understand the story better. Beside him is a girl who is sitting on the floor with a rabbit in her arms. There is another boy with a cap who is dressed in long pants and shirt and carrying a bag. He looks elated while acting out his role in the story. He seems to be enjoying himself. The group has done a good job in telling the story as they are able to make the audience laugh and listen attentively

In conclusion, the classroom is a place for learning. We should listen attentively when others are talking and give our best effort when we are presenting our work. 

This picture depicts a scene in the classroom. It could be a change of lessons as there is no teacher in the classroom and pupils have taken the chance to move about the classroom to talk to one another. 

At the left hand side of the picture, there is a boy putting his hands into a fish bowl. He seems elated and mischievous at the same time as he tries to disturb the fish. Beside him, the girl and probably the owner of the fish looks panic-stricken and shocked. She must be feeling very worried about the boy harming the fish. I think that the boy should not be reaching his hands into the fish bowl as he might injure the fish and scare it. Furthermore, the fish might not belong to him. The girl might become infuriated and crestfallen. 

In the middle of the picture, there are three pupils. A boy with spectacles is standing up and he looks panic-stricken with his mouth wide open in horror. He is trying to stop his two other classmates from disturbing a pet rabbit. The pet rabbit might belong to him. A girl sitting down is trying to use a ruler to poke the rabbit through its cage. She looks mischievous and elated as she carries out her wrong act. She might injure the rabbit. She has not thought of the consequences and just wants to have fun. If I was there, I would stop her immediately. Beside her is a boy standing up and making funny faces to try scare the rabbit. He, too, looks elated and mischievous while trying to have fun. The rabbit probably looks scared. What the two naughty pupils are doing are wrong and they should be punished. 

At the right hand side of the picture, there is a boy sitting down and observing a tortoise crawling about in its tank. A girl is looking on at it with a smile. They are both filled with joy as they play with the tortoise. Both of them are doing the right action as they are not disturbing the tortoise and harming them. The rest of the naughty pupils should learn from them. 

A teacher is making his way into the classroom. He might get a shock upon seeing the students being not well-disciplined. He might scold the pupils for not sitting down to get ready and also punish those students who are abusing the animals. 

In conclusion, this lesson might be about animals as pupils have brought along their pets for the lesson. However, we should not abuse the animals but treat them with care as they are living things too. 

• Talk about the characters (Describe appearance and actions) 
• What are they doing?
• Reasons for their actions.
• FEELINGS!!!! (How do they feel?)
• Why are they feeling that way?
• What they might do NEXT. 
• Your OPINION.

Oral Conversation Questions Model Answers 

PSLE booklet page 76:

Q. Tell us about a visit you made to a zoo or any other park

I have visited the Singapore Zoo before when I was in Primary 3. It was an exciting and fun experience as it was my first time visiting a zoo. I remembered that I went with my father, mother and little brother. We went there early in the morning to spend more time at the zoo. 

We visited many animals and their enclosures. The animal that most attracted me was the polar bear. Of all the animals, I like the polar bear the most and it was exciting seeing it for the first time. Unlike the other animals, the polar bear stays in an air-conditioned enclosure and it was having fun swimming around and moving about in the enclosure. 

The animals show was also interesting and it taught me that animals are special creatures who could do amazing stunts like flipping in the air and communicating with humans. I also learnt the importance of taking care of the animals so as to make sure they do not become extinct. 

Besides the animals, I also had fun spending time with my family. We even ate Ben and Jerry's ice cream for our snack which I enjoyed. 

In conclusion, I feel that visiting the zoo was a fun experience and given a chance, I would like to relive that experience once again and visit the zoo one more time to learn more about the animals. It also gives me a chance to spend quality time with my family. 

PSLE booklet page 72

Q. Tell me about how you keep yourself healthy

Keeping fit and healthy is important so we can live life to the fullest and we do not fall sick easily. In order to keep myself healthy, I will exercise regularly and eat healthily.

I exercise at least 3 times a week through my PE lessons. This term, we are practising the sport of basketball. In this sport, we learn how to bounce the ball, pass the ball and shoot the ball into the net. It is tiring but it enables me to run about and perspire. In this way, I know that I am really exercising. Apart from PE lessons, I will also try to run at my neighbourhood park once a week. I will run with my father as he enjoys running and I have someone to accompany me to exercise. My father often encourages me to exercise and he is my role model. 

Also, I will eat healthily. I will try to not snack so often, especially on potato chips, ice-cream, sweets, chocolates and oily food. My mom will regularly cook food like vegetables for our meals and will encourage me to eat more vegetables. However, I still cannot resist eating fried food at times. My father tells me it is alright to eat fried food once in a while as long as we drink plenty of water and exercise regularly. I will also try to avoid food that is too oily and fattening. 

In conclusion, I feel that it is important to eat healthily and also exercise regularly. These are important to ensure that we do not become obese and have the risks of getting illnesses and diseases like heart attack. 

Other pointers:

1. Note your reporting time and please report on time.
2. Take good care of your health and do not stress out
3. Read fluently for ALL sections!
4. Use the good vocabulary words being given to you.
5. Remember your team number, PSLE index number and your holding room to report to for the 730am batch. 
6. GOOD LUCK! I will be rooting and supporting you all the way! Please do well :) I have confidence in all of you! JIAYOU!

Good Vocabulary Words to replace simple words

Happy

- Elated

- Euphoric

- Jubilant 

- Filled with joy

Sad 

- Crestfallen

- Downcast 

- Glum

- Gloomy

Nervous 

- Anxiety filled him

- Seems like a cat on hot bricks 

- Jittery 

- Uptight 

Scared 

- Panic-stricken

- Horrified 

- Petrified 

Shocked 

- Astonished 

Worried 

- A worried look was written on his face.

Angry 

- Infuriated 

- Filled with fury

- As angry as a bull

Tired 

- Weary 

ALL THE BEST ONCE AGAIN AND PLEASE DO YOUR BEST FOR TOMORROW'S CHINESE AND THE FOLLOWING DAY'S ENGLISH :) It's the start of your PSLE and it really counts. 

Target: At least a 7 for each section to score 21/30 overall. 

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong