2019 Parents Briefing P6 (Foundation) Curriculum and Assessment - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2019 Parents’ Briefing P6 (Foundation) Curriculum and Assessment Science

Content

• A. Coverage of topics & concepts
• B. Assessment
• Knowledge-type and Application-type Questions
• Supporting Process Skills
• Features of the Exam Paper
• C. Strategies to Support our Pupils

• A. Topics and Concepts

Reference: https://www.moe.gov.sg/docs/default-source/document/education/syllabuses/sciences/files/science-primary-2014.pdf

• A. Topics and Concepts
• Thematic Approach

5 themes: Diversity, Cycles, Systems, Energy and Interactions (over a period of 2 years) Appreciate the links between different themes/ topics to allow the integration of scientific ideas.

• Spiral approach

Same theme is revisited at upper block More advanced concepts and skills are built on basic

• nes learnt at the lower block.

Science Skills and Processes

Skills Processes Observing Comparing Classifying Using apparatus and equipment Communicating Inferring Formulating hypothesis Predicting Analysing Generating possibilities Evaluating Creative problem solving Decision-making Investigation

Sequence of Science Topics 2019

Primary Term 1 Term 2 6 (FDN)

• Forces
• Interactions within the

environment (food chain & factors affecting their survival)

• Interactions within the

environment (Adaptations)

• Man’s impact on the

environment Term 3 Term 4

• PSLE Revision
• PSLE Revision

• B. Assessment

Format of paper (Foundation) Duration of paper: 1 h 15 minutes

Booklet Item Type Number of Questions Marks allocated Weighting (%) A Multiple Choice 18 2m 36 B Structured (Fill in the blanks, Matching) 6 - 7 2 - 3m 14 Open-ended 5 - 6 2 - 4m 20 TOTAL 30

• 70

Provision of word list for Foundation Science Paper

Examination Dates

All exam dates will be confirmed in the school bulletin CA Term 1 Week 9 (TBC) SA1 Term 2, Week 8 - 9 Prelims Term 3 Weeks 6 - 9 (TBC) PSLE Term 4, Weeks 2 - 3

• B. Assessment

Features of the paper

• There are different question types:

Knowledge and Application Type Questions Pupils will be able to apply facts/ concepts to new situations and use one or a combination of basic process skills. Familiarity with the terms used in the question stems will benefit pupils: Spend less time writing unnecessary information (correct facts but not answering to the point, marks are not awarded)

• B. Assessment

Knowledge (KW) and Application (AOK) Type Questions KW (How it looks like) AOK (How it looks like)

• Name the gas inside the

test tube…

• Write down the stages
• f the life cycle…
• State the process…
• Explain why there was a

decrease…

• Suggest a benefit…
• What can be concluded

from the results…

• How did this make it fair…

It is still required of pupils to recall basic facts/terms/names (of key processes*) as this accounts for some portion of the paper Pupils need to explain in detail when expressing their answers

Question types (Note key words in questions) Expected Answer What is… Which part/ parts… State a property… Direct recall of facts, no reasoning required Can be a one word or short phrase answer Give a reason… Explain this observation… What could have caused… Tracing from cause to effect in detail Describe how… List the steps… Requires identifying the components of a fair test and expressing them in a logical

• rder

Examples

Question types (Note key words in questions) Expected Answer What is the aim… Requires being able to identify the variables of a fair test A sentence stating what you hope to find out from the experiment What conclusion can you draw… What is the relationship… States a related scientific concept or pattern based on the data collected Suggest two changes/ ways to make… Requires being able to identify the variables of a fair test & changing one of these to achieve a different outcome

• B. Assessment

Features of the paper

• Sub parts of a Question (Answers could be related but

not repeated) Recognising this will benefit pupils: They spend less time searching for the concept tested to write their answer

Example

The diagram below shows a box with three parts. Each part receives a different amount of light. Alvin put 10 cockroaches into the box above. The table shows the number

• f cockroaches in the different parts after two hours.

(a) Circle the condition that cockroaches like best. No light present Apply to (b) and explain best condition. Avoid error: Explain other Science concepts (cockroaches like to hide). Incorrect although it appears to be about the animal.

part with light present part with some light present part with no light present Number of cockroaches after two hours

1 3 6 light present / some light present / no light present (b) Give a reason how this condition helps the cockroach to survive

• B. Assessment

Features of the paper

• Apply technique taught when answering (ETC strategy)

This benefits pupils as they approach the question systematically.

Step 1: Extract Information Circle key words in diagrams / text Step 2: Topic Identification Use key words as clues to identify likely topic tested Step 3: Concept Identification Identify concept within topic and use it to form an explanation

ETC Strategy in answering science questions

Examples

An experiment was set up to find out which coloured light(s) could be used for photosynthesis. (a) Why were the fish found in sections K and M only? Explain your answer. 1 2 Red and blue light enabled plants to photosynthesize. Oxygen is produced & fish need oxygen to survive. 3 & 4 Extract info Topic: Photosynthesis Concept: Products of Photosynthesis

• Answer is partial, not complete.
• Stating what is given in the question without inferring the

scientific concept.

• eg. The grass died as ‘the box had covered it’ instead of ‘…the

grass could not receive light to make food’.

• Giving additional incorrect answer/ concept leading to ½m

deducted for each incorrect point.

Avoiding common mistakes

• C. Supporting our Pupils
• Accurate Understanding of Concepts is important

– MAKE CONNECTIONS between concepts learnt – APPLY concept(s) in new situations – EXPLAIN clearly, completely and accurately referencing to science concepts/ facts

• Revision of concepts learnt from P3 to P6. Home support

from parents/ guardians is greatly appreciated.

• Practice

– Important to practise the array of thinking skills (e.g. creative problem solving, decision making & investigation skills) that support scientific inquiry