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