Workshop for
Parents –
Science
Friday,17 April 2015
Objectives
• To understand what the MOE science
curriculum entails and the range of topics
the syllabus covers
• To understand the roles parents play as
science educators in their child’s life
•
To learn new strategies in coaching
•
To look at some common errors and
•
ways to avoid making them
Presentation outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Curriculum Framework
Primary Science Syllabus
Process skills and processes
Roles parents can play. How ?
Common misconceptions in Science
Hands on session
Answering techniques
• The Science Curriculum
Framework
Integral Domains
Knowledge, Understanding
and Application
Scientific phenomena,
facts, concepts and
principles
Scientific vocabulary,
terminology and
conventions
Scientific instruments and
apparatus including
techniques and aspects of
safety
Scientific and
technological applications
Skills and Processess
Skills
Observing
Comparing
Comparing
Using apparatus and
equipment
Communicating
Inferring
Formulating
hypothesis
Predicting
Analysing
Generating
possibilities
Evaluating
Processes
Creative problem
solving
Decision-making
Investigation
Ethics and Attitudes
Curiosity
Creativity
Integrity
Objectivity
Open-mindedness
Perseverance
Responsibility
Organisation of Syllabus (Themes)
Themes
Lower Block (P3-P4)
Upper Block (P5-P6)
Diversity
 Diversity of living and non-living
things (General characteristics
& classification)
 Diversity of materials
Cycles
 Cycle in plants and animals
(Life cycles)
 Cycle in matter and water
(Matter)
 Cycle in plants and animals
(Reproduction)
 Cycle in matter and water (Water)
Systems
 Plant System (Plant parts and
functions)
 Human System (Digestive
system)
 Plant System (Respiratory &
circulatory systems)
 Human System (Respiratory &
circulatory systems)
 Cell System
 Electrical System
Interaction
 Interaction of forces (Magnets)
 Interaction of forces (Frictional force,
gravitational force, force in springs)
 Interaction within the environment
Energy
 Energy Forms and Uses (Light
and Heat)
 Energy Forms and Uses
(Photosynthesis)
 Energy Conversion
What are Process Skills?
• Skills that are integrated with processes
to inquire things and phenomena around
them
• Skills prevalent in both middle and upper
primary Science but are age-appropriate
Note: Some of these skills can be practised in
everyday situations.
Skills and Processes
Skills
Lower Block (Pri 3 and 4)
Upper Block (Pri 5 and
6)
Observing
√
√
Comparing
√
√
Classifying
√
√
Using apparatus and equipment
√
√
Communicating (verbal, pictorial )
√
√
Communicating (tabular)
√
√
Communicating (graphical)
√
√
Inferring
√
√
Predicting
√
√
Analysing
√
√
Generating possibilities
√
√
Evaluating
√
√
Formulating hypothesis
√
√
Lower Block (Pri 3 and 4)
Upper Block (Pri 5 and
6)
Creative Problem Solving
√
√
Decision-Making
√
√
Investigation
√
√
Processes
How can parents help ?
Roles as parents
Know what your child is learning
Provide opportunities for exploring Science in
daily life through activities
Assist in consolidation of Science knowledge
and the child learns with you
Ways to do well for Science
1. Acquire content knowledge (C)
- Read widely, know the facts
- Use the revision notes provided by the school
- Start revision early (Refer to textbooks from P3 to
P6)
2. Improve answering techniques during exams (A)
-use only specific terms related to the scientific
concepts to answer the question (not common
everyday language)
- Read the questions and follow the given
instructions carefully
Predict what will happen after
15 minutes
An example of a good application question
Ways to do well for Science
3. Use mindmaps, concept maps to
link up facts / concepts. (M)
-Helps you to remember and
understand things taught in class
Ways to do well for Science
4.
Sharpen thinking / process skills (P)
- take class / practical activities
/ science experiments seriously
- always ask questions in class to clarify
doubts
- try to do some simple experiments at
home
Ways to do well for Science
• C - Acquire content knowledge
• A - Improve answering techniques
during exams
• M - Use mindmaps, concept maps to
link up facts.
• P - Sharpen thinking / process skills
Effective Note taking
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Writing in point form
Provide a heading
Use short sentences or phrases
Start each point on a new line
Select relevant main points and key words
Each point should consist of only 1 idea
OR link information using a
MINDMAP
Applying Memory Techniques
• ASSOCIATION – Visualisation
• ACRONYMS – CORN (Gases in the air)
• ACROSTICS – Mary Gives Sam Some
Lovely Red Apples
Science Concepts and
Misconceptions
• Do a simple exercise.
• It is not a test of your knowledge.
• It is only to surface any common
misconceptions we adults may have.
Concepts and misconceptions
Read the following sentences and tick ( √) against either of the
two columns, Correct or Incorrect.
Sentences
1
Spiders are insects.
2
Whales and dolphins are fish .
3
All birds have wings and can fly.
4
Mushrooms are not plants.
5
Seeds can germinate without sunlight.
6
Shadows are always the same shape as the
objects.
7
Magnets can attract all metals.
8
Steam can be seen when water is boiling.
9
The temperature inside a glove is higher
than the air temperature outside.
10
We can still see when there is no light.
Correct
Incorrect
.
Misconception 1
• Topic: Animals
•  Spiders are insects.
• Pupils’ explanation: Spiders look like insects and crawl around.
Insects have ____ legs and ______ body parts.
Spiders have _____ legs and _____ body parts.
Misconception 2
• Topic: Animals
 Whales and dolphins are fish.
Pupils’ explanation: Whales and dolphins look like fish and live
in the sea.
gills
scales
Guppy
hair
Whale
Mammals are covered with ______ while fish are
covered with _________.
Mammals breathe through _______ while fish breathe
through _________.
Misconception 3
• Topic: Animals
 All birds have wings and can fly.
• Pupils’ explanation: Wings are for flying so all birds can fly.
•
eagle
penguin
Birds have feathers. Penguins are covered
with ________ but their wings are modified
for swimming. They cannot fly.
Misconception 4
• Topic: Plants and fungi
√ Mushrooms are not plants.
• Pupils’ explanation: Mushrooms do not contain chlorophyll.
balsam
mushroom
Plants have ___________(green pigments) and can make
their own food.
Mushrooms are fungi which get food from dead ________
matter.
Misconception 5
• Topic: Life cycle of plants
√ Seeds can germinate without sunlight
• Pupils’ explanation: Germinating seeds get food from seed
leaves.
Seed
leaves
Seeds are usually buried in the soil yet they
can germinate underground without getting
any light. The three conditions are ________,
________ and _________.
Misconception 6
• Topic: Light energy and their uses
 Shadows are always the same shape as the objects.
Pupils’ explanation: Light travels in a straight line so the
shape of shadow is the same as the object.
The shapes and size of shadows depends on
the _________ and _______ of light source
from the objects.
Misconception 7
• Topic: Magnets
•  Magnets can attract all metals.
Pupils’ explanation: All metals are magnetic.
Magnets can attract ________ and ________.
Other metals such as aluminium, gold, brass
etc are __________________ materials
Misconception 8
• Topic: Cycles in water
• . Steam can be seen when water is boiling.
Pupils’ explanation: The white mist coming out from boiling
water is hot.
‘clouds’
Steam is hot water vapour given out when the
temperature of water reaches _____°C. When hot
water vapour meets the cooler air near the kettle
spout, it _____ heat and _______ to form ‘clouds’.
Misconception 9
• Topic: Heat
• . The temperature inside a glove is higher than the air
temperature outside.
• Pupils explanation: Gloves keep our hands warm.
Gloves help to prevent the ______ given out by
our body from escaping so that is why they keep
our hands warm. Gloves do not give off heat.
Misconception 10
• Topic: Light
• . We can still see when there is no light.
• Pupils’ explanation: When the bedroom lights are switched
off, we can still see things around us.
We cannot see anything without ______. We
can still see in the dark because there is some
light coming through windows or gaps.
OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fungi are plants / Grass is not a plant
Water vapour is the same as steam
Air as the same as oxygen
Batteries have electricity in them
Force is the same as energy
Gases are not matter
TOPIC: WATER CYCLE (P5)
× Clouds are made up of water vapour.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:
Clouds are made up of many water
droplets gathered together.
They are prevented from falling by air
resistance. They will fall as rain/ snow
when they are heavy enough.
TOPIC: ENERGY / FORCE (P5/6)
× A coconut on a tall tree has high gravitational
force.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:
A coconut on a tall tree has high gravitational
potential energy.
Gravitational Force = Gravity
Gravitational Force ≠ Gravitational Potential
Energy
TOPIC: FORCE (P6)
× Mass and weight are the same and they are equal at
all times.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:
Mass ≠ Weight
Mass = amount of matter that makes up the object
Weight = measure of the gravitational force / force of
gravity acting on the object
On Earth,
Mass of boy = 42 kg
Weight of boy = 42 kg
On Moon
Mass of boy = 42 kg
Weight of boy = 7 kg
TOPIC: FORCE (P6)
× The weight of the object does not depend on
its mass.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:
The greater the mass of an object, the greater
the weight of an object on Earth.
Weight = measure of the gravitational force /
force of gravity acting on the object
Gravity is dependent on the mass.
TOPIC: FORCE (P6)
× There is no friction between 2 smooth
surfaces.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:
There is less friction. Even the
smoothest surface will have friction.
TECHNIQUES FOR ANSWERING MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS
MCQs
Weighting of MCQ = 60%
Pupils should score 40 marks or more in order to attain
at least a ‘B’ grade
Read questions and information provided very carefully.
Understand question as thoroughly as possible.
Find out the topic and concept being assessed in the question.
Use the technique of ‘Elimination’ to reduce the number of
“possible options”.
Eliminate by crossing out those options that are unlikely
to be the answer especially those that
- have little to do with the concept
tested.
- contradict
the situation.
TECHNIQUES FOR ANSWERING PROCESS SKILLS
QUESTIONS
Open-Ended
Qs
Weighting of OE = 40%
Read and seek to understand the question thoroughly.
Before answering any question, pupils should identify the topic
Reread the question to look out for key words and specific
instructions. Pupils should cultivate the habit of highlighting these.
Pupils apply concepts in relation to the question.
Pupils must surface scientific key words that associate with the concept
Explanations must be accompanied by the scientific knowledge.
Note the allocation of marks for each question in order to estimate
the amount of information required for the answer.
COMMON ERRORS
MADE BY OUR
STUDENTS
Look at the diagrams below.
Write down 1 observation after the stone enters the
measuring cylinder. (1m)
Qn: Write down an observation when the stone enters
the measuring cylinder. (1m)
Key Concept(s) covered: Properties of Matter
Student’s Answer: The water increased. (0m)
Teacher’s Answer:
The water level that increased. (1m)
(Note: Pupils must be precise in their answering.)
Trisha wants to find out which Material X, Y or Z is the
best conductor of heat. She prepares her setup as shown
below.
Trisha placed the beakers on the same table in the
kitchen. She then took the temperature of the water
every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. She presented her
findings in a table below:
Time Interval
Temperature of water recorded at different
intervals
Material X
Material Y
Material Z
0 min
90
90
90
5 min
88
80
75
10 min
86
72
69
15 min
83
64
54
20 min
80
53
44
Qn: Trisha wishes to make a pouch for her water bottle to keep
her drinks cold for the longest possible time.
Which is the best material for the pouch? Explain your answer.
(2m)
Key Concept(s) covered: Properties of materials, Heat conduction
Student’s Answer: Material X. It is a poor conductor of heat. ( 0m)
Teacher’s Answer: Material X. After 20 minutes, the drink
remains the warmest (0.5m) in beaker made of Material X. So it is
the poorest conductor of heat (1m) amongst the 3 materials to
conduct heat from the surrounding air to Trisha’s cold drink
(0.5m).
(Note: Pupil did not use data provided to support his answer. There
must also be use of superlative adjectives in comparison
questions.)
Siti placed a cork and stuck it gently at the mouth of an empty glass
flask. Then she placed a lighted candle at the base of the flask as
shown below.
Qn: Based on the information above, what would Siti
observe of the cork after some time? Explain your
answer. (2m)
Key Concept(s) covered: Heat gain, Expansion
Student’s Answer: The cork shoots out (0.5m) because
the air pushes it out (0.5m).
Teacher’s Answer: The cork shoots out (0.5m) because
the air inside the flask gains heat (0.5m) and expands
(0.5m), then pushes it out (0.5m).
(Note: Pupil did not explain what caused the push.)
Rozi conducted an experiment using a torch, a wooden cube and a white
screen. Her set-up is shown in the diagram below.
She then changed the distance between the torch and the wooden cube to find
out its effects on the shadow formed on the screen. Her findings are then
recorded in the table shown below.
Distance X (cm)
Height of the shadow formed on the screen (cm)
10
30
20
24
30
18
40
12
Qn: Based on the table given, what is the relationship
between Distance X and the height of the shadow formed
on the screen? (1m)
Key Concept(s) covered: Light, Shadow size
Student’s Answer: The height of the shadow decreases. (0m)
Teacher’s Answer: The greater the Distance X, the shorter
the height of the shadow (1m) formed on the screen.
(Note: Pupil did not explain use the question wording provided.
There is no relationship established between the variables
mentioned)
Mrs Sim wanted to find out if the type of soil affects the
growth of a plant. She prepared 2 similar pots of plants as
shown below. She watered them daily and placed them
beside the window.
Qn: State two other variables which Mrs Sim needed to
keep the same to conduct a fair test for her experiment.
Key Concept(s) covered: Constant variables
Student’s Answer:
1) The water (0m)
2) The soil (0m)/ the type of soil (0m)
Teacher’s Answer:
1) The amount of water (1m)
2) The amount of soil (1m)
(Note: Pupil did not specify what he meant by “soil”, the
amount of soil? The colour of the soil?)
Josh set up an experiment as shown below.
The set-ups, A and B, are placed in a tightly locked
cupboard for two days.
After two days, he observed that the limewater in dish A
had turned milky but the limewater in dish B remained
clear.
Qn: Why do you think set-up B was included in the
experiment?
Key Concept(s) covered: Plant Transport System –
Generating Variables in an experiment.
Student’s Answer: It is to act as a control. (0 m)
Teacher’s Answer: Set-up B acts as a control to ensure
that the carbon dioxide produced comes from the potted
plant and not the air in the bottle (1m).
(Note: Incomplete explanation of “control”.)
Sue left a glass of water with some ice cubes on the table.
After a while, she noticed water droplets on the outer
surface of the beaker.
Water droplets
Qn: Explain how the water droplets on the outer surface
of the glass were formed.
Key Concept(s) covered: Water Cycle.
Student’s Answer: By condensation. (0.5m)
Teacher’s Answer: Water vapour (0.5m) in the surrounding
air lost heat (0.5 m) and condensed(0.5m) when it comes
into contact with the cooler surface (0.5m) of the glass.
(Note: Pupil did not explain the process but merely stated
what happened.)
Gavin used two identical pieces of paper for an
investigation. He crushed one of the pieces of paper into
a ball. Then he dropped both of the pieces of paper from
the same height as shown below.
Qn: Gavin observed that the crushed piece of paper
reached the ground first. Explain why.
Key Concept(s) covered: Air resistance (frictional force),
surface area
Student’s Answer: The crushed piece of paper reached
the ground first as it is smaller than the flat piece.
Teacher’s Answer: The crushed piece of paper reached
the ground first as it has a smaller surface area (0.5m),
so there is less air resistance (0.5m) acting on the
crushed paper, making it fall faster.
(Note: Though comparative adjective “smaller” is used
correctly, pupil did not use the right keyword to explain)
WHAT TO DO
BEFORE, DURING AND
AFTER AN
EXAMINATION
Q&A
The most important type of parental
involvement, however, is encouraging,
monitoring, and helping your children
with their schoolwork. When parents
and schools work together, children
grow in an environment of consistent
expectations and shared purpose,
where children become better
students, and parents become better
teachers.
Thank you