Materials

Optical Illusion (3D)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UelJZG_bF98

Answer: Lower Block Science Revision 2

Answer

1 (i) Temperature of metal ball increased.

1 (ii) Metal ball expanded.

2. (4)

3a. SQPR

3b. S. As it is the worst conductor of heat, it does not allow heat to flow through easily. Thus, the heat could stay in the pot and keep the food warm for the longest time.

4a. No.

4b. Light travels in straight lines (1 mark). However, the holes in the cardboards are not in straight line for light to pass through (½ mark). Light from torch did not reach the object to form any shadow (½ mark).

5. False, True, True, Not possible

6a. A

6b. Air can enter the bottle and push the soya sauce out. 

Food to make you smarter

1) Carrots  -  B vitamins help to communicate messages within the brain to regulate mood, hunger, and sleep.

2) Yogurt -  Vitamin B12, often referred to as the "memory vitamin", is found in yogurts, cheeses, salmon, shrimp, and beef.

3) Spinach - dark leafy greens is top food for brain health

4) Green Tea -  great source of antioxidants

5) Eggs -  involved in memory retention specifically the yolk.

P3 & 4 Revision Notes

Science revision notes

BODY SYSTEMS

1.         Each part of a body system is called an organ.

2.         A simple system has a few parts. A complex system has many parts.

3.         Two or more organs work together to form an organ system.

4.         Our skeletal systems support our bodies and give us the shape.

5.         Our respiratory system, which consists of the nose, windpipe and

            lungs, helps to take in oxygen from the air.

6.         Our circulatory system, which consists of the heart, blood and blood

            vessels, carries air, food, water around our bodies.

7.         Digestion is the process of breaking down food into smaller pieces so that it

            can be used by the body.

8.         Digestion begins in the mouth and ends at the anus.

9.         In the stomach, the food is mixed with digestive juices and further 

            broken down into soupy liquid.

10.       The small intestine is the body’s main digestive organ.  Digestion is

            completed here. Digested food is then absorbed into the blood stream.  

11.       The large intestine absorbs water from the undigested food that goes there.

Magnets

Unlike poles attract each other and like poles repel each other.

It is strongest at its poles.

Magnetic force can pass through non-magnetic materials.

It has a north pole and south pole.

Magnet can attract magnetic materials (steel, iron, nickel and cobalt).

Magnet can repel another magnet.

Magnet will always come to rest in the north-south direction.

The 3 ways of making a temporary magnet are: stroking, electricity and induction method .

Magnet can lose its magnetism (demagnetised) when it is dropped, heated and hit with a hammer.

Stroking a magnetic object with a magnet must be in one direction only.

When a magnet is cut into two halves, two smaller magnets each with a North and South pole is formed

Electromagnets are used at recycling plants to separate iron and steel from rubbish. 

Matter

It has mass and occupies space.

Matter exists in three states: solid, liquid and gas.

A solid has a definite shape, definite volume and cannot be compressed.

A liquid has no definite shape, definite volume and cannot be compressed.

A gas has no definite shape, no definite volume and can be compressed.

Heat

Heat travels from a hotter place to a colder place.

A hotter object always loses heat to a colder object until both are of same temperature.

Materials that allow heat to pass through easily are good conductors of heat.

Materials that do not allow heat to pass through are poor conductors of heat.

Most metals are good conductors of heat.

Poor conductors of heat take a long time to gain and lose heat.

Matters expand when heated and contract when cooled.   

Light

Light travels in a straight line.

Light can be reflected.

When light falls on an object, it reflects off the object and travels to our eye so that we can see.

Transparent objects allow most light to pass through.

Translucent objects allow some light to pass through.

Opaque objects do not allow light to pass through.

When an object blocks the path of light, a shadow is formed.

An object can cast a shadow of different sizes and shapes depending on: position of the object and light.

The nearer the object is to the light, the shadow is bigger and less sharp.

The further the object is to the light, the shadow is smaller and sharper.

When the light is above the object, a short shadow is formed (eg. at noon time).

When the light is slanted to one side of the object, a longer shadow is formed.

PLANT SYSTEMS

1.         Most leaves have a stalk, blade and veins.

2.         The leaf blade is the main body of a leaf.

3.         A stalk connects the leaf blade to a branch or stem.

4.         The leaves trap sunlight to make food for the plant.

5.         Leaves carry out photosynthesis to make food for the plants and produce oxygen.

6.         The leaves need carbon dioxide, water, chlorophyll and sunlight for photosynthesis.

7.         The stem holds up the plant to get sunlight.

8.         There are tubes in the stem that carry water, mineral salts and food around the plant.

10.       The roots hold the plant firmly to the ground.

11.       Roots absorb water and mineral salts from the soil for the plant.

LIFE CYCLES

1.         A cycle refers to a pattern of change that repeats itself.

2.         Life cycle consists of all the stages of a living thing’s life.

3.         Living things reproduce so that their kind will always be around on Earth.

4.         Insects with 4-stage life cycle : eg. bee, butterfly, housefly.

5.         Insects with 3-stage life cycle : eg. cockroach, dragonfly, grasshopper.

6.         The 4-stage life cycle has: egg, larva, pupa and adult. 

7.         The 3-stage life cycle has: egg, nymph and adult.

8.         Moulting is the process whereby an animal sheds its outer covering.

FUNGI AND BACTERIA

1.         Mushrooms are not plants nor animals. They belong to the group 'fungi'.

2.         Fungi do not have seeds. They reproduced by spores.

3.         Fungi cannot make their own food. They feed on plants and animals.

4.         Examples of fungi include mould, yeast, puffballs and bracket fungus.

5.         Bacteria are micro-organisms. They are so small that we cannot see them with our   eyes alone.  We need a microscope to see them.

Write better Composition

Composition Writing Tips 

Some of you are weak in vocabulary, some are unable to form sentences, some have no inspiration, some have all the problems mentioned.  The worst are the lazy ones who skip the elaboration of details.

Important things to look out for in narrative essay writing

1. Essay Flow

Essay flow means no break in the story plot. Common e.g (pri sch level):
Annie was walking back home from school. Suddenly, she saw a cat stuck in the tree.

As you can see, there is a break in the story flow – no link between the two sentences.
Why was Annie’s attention drawn to the cat? The cat was meowing loudly as it was stuck in the tree.

Better version:
Annie was walking home from school. Suddenly, she heard a loud meowing coming from the trees. Upon closer look, Annie found a cat stuck in the tree.

I have always told pupils to assume that examiners are stupid. They require students to express thoughts explicitly.


2. Character's Emotions / Feelings

Examiners are looking out for three-dimensional characters. They do not want unfeeling robots who betrays no emotion as the poor cat is about to fall off the branch and break its back. Students fail to score in essays as their characters have no life. Examiners want characters to react emotively to the given situation. They like drama.

**Character emotions form the crux to the climax (conflict) of the essay**

The emotions:

Happy - elated, over the moon
Excited – brimming with excitement
Sad - depressed, heart sank

• Tears welled up in her eyes
• Tears rolled down here rosy cheeks.
• No word could express his agony.
• She sobbed sorrowfully.
• She broke into tears.
• With a heavy heart, he left the hospital.
• A dark mood came over her.
• Her eyes were puffy and red after all the crying.
• She cried her heart out after hearing the tragic news.
• The frightened child was on the brink of tears.

Angry – enraged with anger
Anxious – beads of cold perspiration dripped down her forehead
Shock – paralysed with fear

Find synonyms and phrases that describe these six emotive states.
Formulate these synonyms and phrases into spelling list and lengthen the list over time.
Formulate templates for these six emotive states (1 paragraph for primary school) for your child to remember, and ‘cut and paste’ into their essays.
Standardise compo introductions, body and ending to memorise and regurgitate during exams.

In any fiction essay, it is definitely guaranteed that characters will be basking in one of these six emotive states. As simple as that.

3. Develop actions / motions

Example. Original sentence
One day after school, Anne was walking back home from school when she saw a cat stuck in the tree.

Simple motion added
School had ended for the day. Anne waved goodbye to her friends and walked back home from school.

More motion added
School had ended for the day. Anne waved goodbye to her friends. She picked up her schoolbag, exited via the back gate and began to walk back home.

Simple example:

1st essay lesson: Allowing your child to write her first essay

Annie was walking back home from school. Suddenly, she saw a cat stuck in the tree.

2nd essay lesson: Teaching her essay flow, employing 5Ws and 1H technique

Annie was walking home from school. Suddenly, she heard a loud meowing coming from the trees. Upon closer look, Annie found a cat stuck in the tree.

3rd essay lesson: Giving character more life

Annie was walking home from school. She was thinking about her lesson earlier on. Suddenly, she heard a loud meowing coming from the trees. She snapped out of her thoughts. Annie went forward to check. Upon closer look, Annie found a cat stuck in the tree. The cat was not able to climb down the tree.

4th essay lesson: Vocab (advance level)

Annie was walking home from school. Her thoughts were preoccupied with her lesson earlier on. Suddenly, a loud meowing from the trees snapped her out of her stupor. Annie went forward to investigate. Upon closer look, Annie found a cat perched precariously on a tree branch. The cat was not able to climb down the tree.

5th essay lesson: Sentence structure variation (advance level)

Annie was walking home from school, her thoughts preoccupied with her lesson earlier on. Suddenly, a loud meowing from the trees snapped her out of her stupor. Upon closer examination, Annie found a cat perched precariously on a tree branch, making futile attempts to climb down the tree.

Science experiments to do at home

Tell me and I forget,
Show me and I remember,
Involve me and I understand.

http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/homeexpts.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html