Applied Science Double Award GCSE. Students Guide

Transcription

1 Applied Science Double Award GCSE Students Guide

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3 WJEC CBAC APPLIED SCIENCE DOUBLE AWARD GCSE STUDENTS GUIDE This booklet has been produced for the use of students following the WJEC GCSE Applied Science course from September This is NOT a revision guide but is a book for you to refer to and to help you improve the skills which will be developed and tested on this course. There are four sections: 1. Introduction to the course 2. Unit 1 - Developing Scientific Skills 3. Unit 2 Science for the Needs of Society 4. Unit 3 Science at Work It is important that you refer to the relevant sections when you are doing work which will be marked by your teacher.

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5 CONTENTS Introduction 2 Unit 1 Developing Scientific Skills 5 Working Safely in Science 5 Carrying out Practical tasks 8 Carrying out risk assessments and 9 following instructions Obtaining and Recording results 11 Analysing scientific data 15 Evaluating methods used 17 Unit 2 Science for the Needs of Society 18 Subject content 21 How science / scientists work 34 Types of questions 35 Unit 3 Science at Work 40 Science in the Workplace 40 Making useful products 44 Electrical and electronic devices 46 Monitoring Living Organisms 48 1

6 Introduction Applied Science This is a science course that links the science knowledge which you will learn with the use of scientific equipment, apparatus and materials. Science is not just used by scientists and is relevant in most places of work, in leisure activities and in the home. Double Award At the end of the course you will be assessed and awarded two GCSE grades from GG to A*A*. A* is the highest grade, G is the lowest. Mixed grades such as A*A, AB, BC, CD, DE, EF AND FG are also used. WJEC/CBAC These are the initials of the Awarding Body based in Cardiff. In English it is known as the Welsh Joint Education Committee abbreviated to WJEC, and in Welsh as Cyd-bwyllgor Addsyg Cymru or CBAC. Assessments There are three sections of work on which you will be assessed. They are called UNITS. Unit 1 = Developing Scientific Skills Unit 2 = Science for the Needs of Society Unit 3 = Science at Work. Unit 1 and Unit 3 These are both tested by assessing your portfolio of work. This means that the work that you do during the course for each unit will be kept in some form of folder. Your teacher will mark this work. The skills and techniques for these units are covered in separate chapters in this booklet. Portfolios have to be completed, marked and sent to the WJEC in May of year 10 or year 11. Not all portfolios are looked at and your teacher will send a range of portfolios from the highest mark to the lowest mark. You will need to sign the cover sheet for your portfolio, together with your teacher, to confirm that all the work is entirely your own. This has to be done to authenticate both the unit 1 portfolio and also the unit 3 portfolio. Unit 2 A written exam paper tests this unit. This will be based on the science that you are taught in class. Each exam lasts for 1 hour 15 minutes. There are two tiers of papers; Foundation Higher. The Foundation paper is for students expected to get a grade from G up to C. The Higher paper is for students expected to get grades from D up to A*. There are more easier questions in the Foundation paper; the hardest questions are in the Higher paper and include detailed science that is not taught or tested at the Foundation tier. Your teacher will advise you of the most suitable exam paper for you to take. Exam papers can be taken in January or June. You can resit an exam paper at the same tier or at a different tier IF you think that you can improve your performance. It is the best mark that counts your performance/result will be given to you as a UMS mark. 2

7 Results All three units are reported to you as UMS marks. The UMS is a special scale, particularly used in the Sciences, where the mark given is related to the GCSE grade for that unit. Examples; G = 20 on the UMS scale F = 30 E = 40 D = 50 C = 60 B = 70 A = 80 A*= 90 A mark of 20 is the lowest UMS mark for a G grade; A mark of 40 is the lowest UMS mark for an E grade; 60 is the lowest for a C grade 80 is the lowest for an A grade What about the in-between marks? The mark range of 60 to 69, for example, shows your performance within the C grade region. 60 is the lowest mark for a C grade 65 is half way up the C grade region 69 is the top of the C grade, but not as good as 70 which is the bottom of the B grade region. This can show how close or how far you are from the next grade. There is a similar spread of marks for each of the grades. You are allowed to resit an exam or resubmit your folder (portfolio) for a second or third time especially when you know that you can do better, by including some new (better) work. Final Grades At the end of the course the awarding Body will add up your three UMS scores and award you GCSE grades from the table below, out of a maximum of 300. GG FG FF EF EE DE DD CD CC BC BB AB AA A*A A*A* The results will be shown on your GCSE Certificate as; Applied Science (Double Award) XY (where X and Y are the two awarded grades) 3

8 Use of ICT and Word Processing of work All work for units 1 and 3 can be produced either written by hand or word-processed. There are NO extra marks to be gained because it is word-processed or marks taken away because it is handwritten. Marks are given based on the thoroughness and detail that you produce, and are assessed against criteria which are specific to Unit 1 and Unit 3 in particular. If you have access to a computer and also the time to use it, then you may prefer to use this method, especially if your writing is very untidy. Sometimes with a long or difficult report it can be useful to write a draft and then to edit it before finalising the work. Some programmes such as Microsoft Excel are useful for producing tables and also for drawing graphs. Provided that you know how to use this type of program, then it could be helpful. However hand drawn tables and graphs are both very acceptable. 4

9 UNIT 1 Developing Scientific Skills In this unit you will learn about the skills needed to carry out experiments and work in the laboratory. You will learn about; A. Working Safely in Science B. Carrying out Practical Tasks This unit will be assessed by your folder (portfolio) work. A. Working Safely in Science Scientific work can be dangerous, yet accidents among scientists are rare. This is because scientists are always aware of the hazards they deal with and the need to work safely. You must be able to work safely and prevent accidents in the laboratory or wherever you are doing your scientific work. You must also know what to do if an accident happens. You will be taught the different aspects of this topic in class, by doing some research and/or with homework. There are three main areas in this topic; 1. Hazards and Risks 2. First Aid 3. Fire Prevention. You will be assessed on how well and thoroughly you cover each of the three areas above, as well as the overall thoroughness of your report. On the next page is a list of the areas of safety that you will learn. You will need to include details of as much of these areas as you can in your report. Make a note of all the sources that you use and how useful they are or not look at the section on research (about 3 pages on). 5

10 Identify and explain the potential hazards in scientific workplaces Details of the health and safety regulations Identify hazard-warning signs; identifying and explaining biological, chemical and physical hazards, including radioactive risks. Details of hazcards; their layout and use to identify chemical hazards in order to make recommendations / improvements to working practices. Identify health and safety procedures to be followed. Identify the health and safety checks carried out in the workplace. Explain the need for a risk assessments and how to produce them.. Produce risk assessments for scientific activities. What are hazards and what can be done to prevent them happening. Explain what emergency procedures are followed if accidents do happen Know what safety measures are employed for biological, chemical and physical hazards including radio-active risks Explain how unwanted or waste materials are disposed of safely Know what first aid facilities are available. Know the basic first aid to give and also when it would be dangerous to give first aid. Explain why it is useful to have a first aid qualification and who provides this training. Know what first aid training for staff has been carried out Describe what fire regulations apply in the workplace Describe the different types of fire extinguishers and smoke alarms explaining their uses and how to identify them. Explain the need and functions of fire doors and sprinkler systems. What are the fire drill procedures; why are they important

11 Remember that this section is assessed on the report that you write. You need to write as much as you can about all of the aspects of this topic. The guidelines above can be used as a checklist of the things which should be covered in your report. The criteria which are used to assess your report are copied below. Levels of Achievement Marks Notional grades S1a Carry out research into working safely in science, using two sources of information. S1b Show a basic (limited) understanding of the issues researched. S1c Covers one aspect of working safely to a good standard. S2a Carry out research into working safely in science, using at least four sources of information. S2b Show a good understanding of the issues researched. S2c Covers two aspects of working safely to a good standard. S3a Carry out research into working safely in science, using at least four sources of differing types. Indicating why they were chosen. S3b Show a detailed understanding of the issues researched. S3c Covers three aspects of working safely to a good standard. S4a Carry out detailed research into working safely in science by identifying and using a wide range of sources and information, and evaluating their usefulness S4b Show a thorough in-depth understanding of the issues researched. S4c Covers all aspects of working safely in science thoroughly G, F 1 st BAND 9-13 E, D 2 nd BAND C, B 3 rd BAND A, A* 4 th BAND The statements or criteria which your teacher will be using are in four bands or levels. Students working at a GCSE F or G standard would be expected to produce work to match some or all of the statements in the first or lowest (bottom) band i.e. S.1a, S.1b, S.1c; E or D students in the second band, C or B students in the third band and A or A* students in the fourth or top band. This is only an approximate way of presenting these statements. Your teacher will write the codes S.1a, S1b, S.1c. on your work if it meets the required standard for each of these statements. You can look at these statements when you are doing the work so that you produce the work which meets the requirements in order to get high marks. None of these statements are secret. For all your portfolio work the relevant criteria statements are printed and explained in this booklet. This has been done so that you can improve your work and get the best marks possible. Research you should use as many sources as you can. A list of the sources that you have used is often written on a separate page at the end of a report. This is called a bibliography. It is useful for the person who reads your report to see where the information has been obtained from. The criteria S.1a, S.2a, S3a and S.4a are explained further below; S.1a At least 2 sources have been used S.2a At least 4 sources have been used and have been listed in a bibliography S.3a More then 4 sources have been used. You have used a range of resources such as electronic (internet) and paper (books or booklets) and listed them in your bibliography. You must also write about why they were chosen and explain how easy or difficult they were to use in order to get the information for your report. S.4a At least 6 sources have been used such as paper, electronic and visits to industry (or visitors to school). You must produce work at least as good as S.3a above - You have written in detail justifying both your choice of sources and your evaluation of their usefulness.

12 The Report It is important that you write about each of the three aspects; Hazards and Risks, First aid and Fire prevention. Refer back to the list before and tick off each point as you complete it. Notice the dashed lines separating the three aspects. If you only write about First aid or Fire prevention, then your work will be restricted to the lowest band. Your teacher will be marking your work on a. The overall coverage of the topics listed before and b. How thoroughly you have written about 1, 2 or 3 of the aspects. This is why it is important that you cover all the areas and bullet points in the list. B. Carrying out Practical Tasks You will carry out a range of practical tasks. A complete folder (portfolio) will have some work from each of the six practical areas; Microscopy Micro-organisms Qualitative analysis Quantitative analysis Electrical properties Other Physical properties Each one of these practical tasks will usually have an instruction sheet or worksheet or standard operating procedure these names all mean the same. They should tell you what equipment you will need, how to set it up, and what you are to do step-by-step. It is an Examination requirement that there is evidence available for each of the six activities above. If any are missing then your portfolio can still be assessed and a mark awarded; however it will be lower because of the missing work. It is essential, if you are to do well, that you do some work in each of the areas and that they can be looked at in your portfolio. So that work does not get lost or misplaced, your teacher may have a system to keep all work in school. If so, then this is being done to prevent work getting lost or misplaced so that you get the best marks for this unit. How will I be assessed? In all of your practical tasks your teacher can mark your work against the four sets of criteria; 1. Carrying out a risk assessment and following instructions Skill area P 2. Obtaining and recording results Skill area O 3. Analysing Skill area A 4. Evaluating Skill area E 8

13 Your teacher will give you feedback on your practical work. You may be given a mark for all of the four skill areas above or any combinations. You may just be told what the work is like and how it could be improved. Not all of your work has to be marked. It is the best mark for each of these four areas that counts. Any other marks do not matter and as they will be your poorest marks then they can be ignored. So you have up to six chances (one for each of the practical areas) to get the best mark you can in each skill area. Skill P: carrying out risk assessments & following instructions. The grid below is used by your teacher to assess your work. You will notice that in each band of marks: a. There is a risk assessment. It is the quality and thoroughness of your risk assessment that decides which band it is in. b. Your ability to follow instructions is being assessed. Did you read the instructions properly? Was the equipment set up correctly? Were the correct measurements and/or observations recorded? The difficulty or complexity of the experiment is designed by the teacher to suit your practical abilities. Levels of Achievement P1a Carry out risk assessments given extensive guidance or treatment is very limited. P1b Follow instructions in simple standard procedures, with guidance - one step at a time using simple laboratory equipment correctly and safely. P2a Carry out risk assessments, though some guidance is needed to cover basic safety satisfactorily. P2b Follow instructions in simple standard procedures with little guidance using simple laboratory equipment correctly and safely. P3a Carry out risk assessments; incomplete in places. P3b Follow instructions in complex tasks, but guidance is needed. Appropriate laboratory equipment has been used correctly and safely. P4a A comprehensive risk assessment is produced without needing any guidance. P4b Follow instructions in standard procedures in complex tasks, without any guidance. Equipment of appropriate precision has been used correctly and safely. Marks

14 Starting the Practical work When you get your worksheet 1. Read through the sheet carefully and check to see if there is anything you do not understand. 2. Carry out a risk assessment for the activity a. Use the sheet provided b. Write down the names of any chemicals that you will be using. c. Write down any equipment that could be a problem to use. d. Write down any procedure, which could be difficult or awkward to do, or is a hazard. e. Write down any general laboratory rules IF they are relevant. f. Fill in the form carefully write across the page and try and complete all the columns for each of the items you have written in the first column. g. When you have finished the first item, rule across the page and then start the second one- Rule off afterwards after each one. h. You may need to use a second page. (You may also need to rewrite the form if it is messy or difficult to understand.) Remember that you are being marked on the suitability and thoroughness of the final risk assessment. i. WHEN it is completed get your teacher to sign it. You can now start your practical work. Do you need to get 2 or 3 sets of results? This is often a good idea so that the observations or measurements you are making are more reliable. The worksheet (Standard Procedure) may suggest that you do repeats. When you are doing the practical work you will need to record your observations and/or to take measurements. The worksheet may provide a table for you to use or you may have to make your own. It may be a good idea to do your measurements in rough to start with and then rewrite them later. How you present your observations and measurements will be assessed see section on Skill Area O - Obtaining and Recording Results. This is an example of a risk assessment form that you may be using. Risk Assessment Form Practical activity.. Name of student Class/Group. Date.... Activity, material, equipment and/or procedure Hazard Risk Precautions to reduce the risk Emergency procedure(s) continue overleaf if required Teacher's signature Date (The full A4 sheet provides more space to give sufficient details) YES / NO This form is also double sided so that you can use both sides of the paper if there is a lot you want to say. 10

15 Terminology:- Risk assessment a statement of the hazards, risks and safety precautions for an experiment or procedure. A hazard is a danger. This could be one of the hazard warning signs, e.g. corrosive, irritant, oxidising, explosive, flammable. This danger could be a result of how you are using apparatus or tools e.g. a knife could cut you if not used correctly so using a knife without care is the hazard. The risk is how likely it is that a hazard can cause you harm and what that harm is. Think how would you be using your knife in a silly way that could make you cut yourself? And its effect on you is getting cut. Safety Precautions what can you do to prevent accidents and to reduce the risk? Emergency Procedures - if something still goes wrong, then what do you do? Telling the teacher may not be the first thing to do perhaps there is an important action you should do first your partner or friend can always go and tell the teacher whilst you are doing this. For example, what would you do if you got hold of a very hot tripod to put it away? Going to the teacher to report what you did is not the first thing that you should have done. Skill O Obtaining and Recording Results. This is the table of criteria that your teacher will use. Levels of Achievement O1a Make simple observations or measurements. O1b Record the observations or measurements. O2a Make careful measurements. O2b Record them in a table and draw a graph/bar chart. O3a Make careful and accurate measurements. O3b Record results in tables and graphs, using lines of best fit as appropriate to the pattern of data collected. O4a Make careful and accurate measurements in complex tasks. O4b Repeat measurements to obtain a good range of data in complex tasks. Marks As you do more practical work it is expected that your skills will improve, and it is your best mark for each skill that counts. To give you information of what is expected you will need to read the following pages. There are details for each band / row as well as general information on this skill area. First Row O.1a and O.1b. Observations diagrams must be done neatly and clearly. Use a sharp pencil, rub out any errors and label the diagram if it would be useful to somebody else it usually is! Remember to add a title as well. This would meet both O.1a and O.1b and 7 marks would be given. In order to meet the standard of the second row and higher rows, you need to know about taking and recording measurements, as well as presenting the data in tables, charts and graphs. 11

16 Making Measurements and Recording accurately. Taking readings is an important aspect of scientific work. Anything that you measure should be recorded and presented in an ordered and tidy fashion. Scientists use TABLES to record details of their measurements or data collected. Tables have an outline shape square or rectangular Rows and columns are drawn Within the table the rows can be left out if lined paper is being used. Headings are needed for columns, which give details of what was being measured and the units. Example: In a simple density experiment you may be measuring the length, breadth and depth of the blocks of material in order to work out their volume. Your table of results could look like this. Object length breadth depth volume cm cm cm cm 3 Brass block This shows that you are measuring in centimetres (cm) the unit cm could have been written in the columns but it is better put in the heading. It looks much clearer and means that you won t have to keep remembering to write it down for each measurement. Your measurements must be accurate and how you record them can show how accurate you have been. Length Measuring the length of a block with a ruler. Length = 10 Length = 10 cm no units have been given, so it could be in millimetres, centimetres or anything. this is better as the unit is given. Temperature Length = 10.0 cm this is much more accurate and shows precision and skill. You are now indicating that the length was not 10.0 or 10.2 cm which is more precise. Some scales, as on a thermometer, have a wide gap between markings. It may be possible to estimate a mid-point between temperatures and record a temperature as 36.5 o C instead of 36 o C or 37 o C. It would however be impossible to guess any other points such as 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8, as the 36.5 is a best guess estimate only. Don t forget to show what temperature scale you are using o C for the centigrade or Celsius scale. Time You need to be careful when recording times as there are 60 seconds in a minute, so 10.5 minutes does not mean 10 minutes and 50 seconds = 10 ½ mins = 10 minutes 30 seconds. It is essential that you are clear when recording times, so make sure that your columns are correctly labelled. 12

17 Charts and graphs In the first example the shoe size of children in a class has been recorded in a simple table AND the data has been displayed in a simple chart. Shoe Size number ½ 6 6 ½ 7 7 ½ 8 shoe size Shoe size number ½ ½ ½ This would meet both the criteria O.2a and O.2b. All the criteria in the second band are matched and 13 marks would be awarded. This type of chart using vertical blocks is useful to display limited data, such as shoe size, eye colour, for example. The height of the block is then a good visual display of the data recorded. Lots of similar data could also be usefully displayed as a pie chart. The following chart shows the percentage of types of energy used in heating the homes for a class of students. It is easy to compare the relative use of the different energy sources visually from the proportions of the chunks in the chart. 13

18 Types of Heating used in our homes 10% Solid Fuel 18% Electricity 32% Oil Gas 40% How do I get above the second band? In order to meet the requirements for the third band it is necessary to show that accurate data has been taken (O.3a) and recorded in your own table and has been made into a graph with a line of best fit (O.3b.) Most scientific data is better displayed using a line type of graph where there are two sets of data. Example: Students have been studying how the solubility of table salt changes with temperature. The temperature of the liquid has been measured and the amount of salt added in grams recorded. The results are as follows; Temperature o C Mass of salt grams The following graph has been drawn using the obtained results. The temperature of the water was changed and then salt was added temperature is the independent variable (goes on the X axis) and mass dissolved is the dependant variable (this goes on the Y axis). There is a trend in the results it is NOT a straight line but is a curve, which flattens out at the highest temperatures. A line of best fit has been drawn as it matches the pattern in the data. The student has obtained both O.3a (for the accuracy of the results) and O.3b for both the quality of the table and the graph. As both criteria have been matched a mark of 14 would be awarded. 14

19 Graph of mass of salt dissolved against temperature in o C mass (g) temperature (C) In this example it would not be suitable to repeat the experiment. The temperatures have been recorded each time as accurately as possible with a thermometer, BUT it would be impossible to obtain exactly the same temperatures on a second or even a third run through. In most scientific experiments the results should be repeated and recorded in separate columns in the table of results. The three or more sets of data can then be averaged this immediately improves the quality and reliability of your data. Skill A Analysing scientific data This is the table of criteria that your teacher will use. Levels of Achievement Marks A1 Give a simple statement of findings. 5 A2 Give a clear conclusion consistent with the data. 7 A3a Identify and explain patterns within the data. A3b Draw conclusions which are consistent with the evidence. A4a Manipulate data to draw detailed conclusions in complex tasks. A4b Identify and explain relationships between variables in complex tasks

20 In its simplest form analysis is a statement about the trend or pattern that you can see in your results. You will probably have called this the conclusion in the past; some of the criteria statements do call this a conclusion. It can be as short as a single sentence though more likely could be several paragraphs or even be a whole page of work. Look at the last graph, which showed the mass of salt dissolving at different temperatures. What could you say from the graph and the data? 1. The amount of salt dissolving increased This is a simple statement as the statement made is very brief. A.1a would be given for a simple explanation. 2. As the temperature increased the amount of salt dissolving increased. More salt dissolved at the highest temperature than at the lowest temperature salt is more soluble at 95 o C than at 10 o C. Much more has been written and it is clearly stated. It is sensible and fits the trend or pattern a brief reference has been made to the actual data. Several sentences have been written and this fits A.2 for a clear explanation. In the analysis as well as in the evaluation, as you go up from band to band, your work will show a steady improvement in both the standard and the quality of what you write. In example 1, above, the statement is very brief, but it is quite a simple statement. In example 2, however, much more has been written and it is clear exactly what the student is saying. The actual pattern has been written about briefly though there is no explanation of why the pattern is correct. This is shown more clearly in the third example. 3. As the temperature increases the amount of salt dissolving also increases; the solubility of the salt has increased with the temperature. However the rate of increase has started to decrease at temperatures above about 60 o C - this is shown by the graph flattening out at the top. Eventually no more salt will dissolve and the liquid is saturated. As the salt is mixed with the water the salt molecules dissolve; they become dispersed amongst the water molecules. As the liquid gets hotter the water molecules move faster and water expands. There is now more space between the water molecules for the salt molecules and so more and more salt dissolves as the temperature rises. From my experiment I can state that the solubility of salt increase gradually with temperature but is not directly proportional to the actual temperature. The liquid will not become saturated until the temperature is higher than C. The pattern in the graph and in the table of results has been identified. An attempt has also been made to explain the pattern the student probably looked in some science textbooks in order to get some information. A.3a could be awarded here. It is also important that the conclusions that you have made are correct. This must follow from the data and graphs that you have produced. In this example two conclusions have been made and are correct. A.3b is awarded and so 11 marks are given. 16

21 Skill E Evaluating methods used To evaluate, you need to look back at what you did in the experiment. You should consider the instructions given, the equipment and chemicals used. Were there any difficulties you had in doing the experiment? All of this is relevant here. Levels of Achievement E1 Give a simple evaluation of an investigation, commenting on results or procedure used. E2 Give a clear evaluation of an investigation, commenting on results and procedure used. E3a Give detailed evaluations of the procedure used. E3b Show how to improve the quality of the results of an investigation. E4a Give detailed evaluations of a complex procedure. E4b Explain, with reasons, how improve the quality of the results in a complex procedure. Marks Can you explain clearly any problems that you had? Could these have been improved? clearer worksheet? better diagram(s)? different equipment? correct chemicals!? What were the good points in the experiment? Would it have been possible to get better results? Could the results have been more accurate? Were you able to repeat the readings? If not, how could you have repeated the work? Would different equipment have made your results any better, or more accurate? Could you rely on them any better? Lots of questions here. The work that you are doing will be so varied that it is impossible to provide more direct help. With experience you should be able to improve in this section. Your teacher will be able to give you feedback either individually, in groups or just as a class. Listen carefully it might help to make notes of what is said. You can refer to this when you do another piece of practical work and it may help you to get more marks. Remember that the evaluation must be your own work and not that of a group or even the whole class! The progression in the evaluation is similar to that in the analysis; E.1 simple evaluation, commenting on results or procedure E.2 clear evaluation, commenting on results and procedure E.3a detailed evaluations NOTE the simple to clear to detailed progression. Also the use of or and and. 17

22 UNIT 2 Science for the needs of society When will I be assessed? Unit 2 exams are taken in January or June each year. You can resit the exam if you think you could do better. Don t worry if your resit mark is lower, because your best mark counts. How will I be assessed? You will sit an exam lasting 1 hr 15 min. If you sit the Foundation Tier Paper, the highest grade you can get is C and the lowest grade is G. If you sit the Higher Tier Paper, the highest grade you can get is A* and the lowest grade is D. Your result is reported as a UMS mark see section 1 If I sit the Foundation Tier paper, what is the highest grade I can get overall? By the time your UMS marks for Units 1, 2 and 3 are added together, it is possible you could get a grade B. Both exam papers are out of a total of 80 marks. Paper Section A Section B Total Foundation 56 marks 24 marks 80 marks Higher 40 marks 40 marks 80 marks Section A of the Foundation Tier paper will consist of low demand questions targeted at grades G, F, E. Section B of the Foundation Tier paper/section A of the Higher Tier paper will consist of standard demand questions targeted at grades D, C. Section B of the Higher Tier paper will consist of high demand questions targeted at grades B, A, A*. 18

23 Revising for the exam Why can t I remember my work after revising? Don t worry. It is not your fault. It happens to everybody. It s your brain s fault!!!!!! Recall Time recall You forget 40% of what you learn in 5 minutes. After 24 hours, you forget 80%. Now you know that, you can do something about it. The trick is to review your work regularly. Then, instead of forgetting, your recall will be smoother. time Whatever you are learning now, review it after an hour a day a week two weeks and then a month. You will find you remember the work much better. That is why leaving your revision to the last minute does not work. If you only revise the night before, by the time you get up, you will have forgotten most of your work! 19

24 But I can t revise for long before I get bored!! That s your brain s fault again. After about 20 to 30 minutes, you will start to lose concentration, so your learning dips. Learning It is time to stop, walk about and do something else for a few minutes and then start again. Split your learning into 20 to 30 minute chunks. Your learning will still dip but not as much as before, and actually, when you know a break is coming, your learning picks up again. time Learning Break Time I don t have much confidence, because when I try questions, I keep getting them wrong!! Making mistakes is OK as long as you learn from them. Get your teacher or a friend to check your answers, and ask them to explain where you have gone wrong and what you need to do to get things right. 20

25 My friends do not revise like me. Am I wrong? No you are not. Students learn in different ways. How do you learn and remember best? Is it by seeing? If it is, you need to use coloured mind maps, diagrams, charts. Use images that you can picture. You may find that these images come easily to you. You may have to make your images stand out more. Make sure new material is obvious among all the other visual images you have floating around inside your head. A mind map of the work on space may look like this: GALAXY GALAXY GALAXY GALAXY BIG BANG The Milky Way Hydrogen and dust cloud The Solar System Sun planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Moon 21

26 Is it by hearing? If it is, then you can listen to tapes you have prepared or you can talk with a revision buddy who also likes to learn in this way. Make the most of rhythm and rhyme, jingles or parts of a song Is it by doing? If it is, you like hands-on work in your learning activities. Use physical objects as much as possible. Flashcards can help you memorize information because you can touch and move them around. Writing and drawing diagrams are physical activities, so don t neglect these techniques. Perhaps use big sheets of paper and large colour markers for your diagrams. You then get more action from the drawing. Find ways to act out what you are learning. I have got too much to revise. I ll never do it all. You need to plan. Draw up a revision timetable and stick to it!!! Block out time you will not use for revision. Plan in your revision topics. See what you can do now. Use the checklist of the topics in the unit. Tick off the ones you can do and know. The ones with no ticks are the ones you need to revise. Content Can do The Human Body and Health recall that some features are common to most cells (cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm). understand that respiration takes place in living cells and is a chemical reactions which uses glucose and oxygen to release energy and produce carbon dioxide and water as by products. recall the structure of the human circulatory system and the composition and functions of the blood including arteries, veins, capillaries, red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets Part of the blood Plasma Red blood cell White blood cell platelets Its job Carry glucose & carbon dioxide around the body Carry oxygen around the body Protect us from diseases Helps the blood to clot 22

27 understand that one loop of the circulatory system connects to the lungs to enable transfer of gases; the other loop connects to the rest of the body to supply cells with glucose and oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Lungs Heart Rest of body know how humans maintain a constant body temperature. label a simplified given diagram of the skin and understand the role of these structures in temperature regulation: dilation/constriction, sweating, erection of hairs; shivering as a means of generating heat. Sweat pore Erector muscle hair Sweat duct Blood capillaries Sweat gland 23

28 know that hormones are chemical messengers, produced by glands and carried by the blood. understand that glucose levels need to be fairly constant and that when the blood sugar level is too high, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin into the blood. This causes the liver to reduce the sugar level by converting sugar to insoluble glycogen and then store it. Diabetes is a condition in which a persons blood glucose may rise to a fatally high level because the body does not produce enough insulin. understand that sense organs are groups of receptor cells which respond to a stimulus and relay this information to the brain. Some responses are reflex actions. These reactions are fast, automatic and some are protective. know that a reflex arc involves stimulus receptor coordinator effector. Label a given diagram of a reflex arc to show: receptor, sensory nerve cell, connecting nerve cell in spinal cord, motor nerve cell, effector, synapses. (Higher Tier only). know that the nucleus contains DNA. Analysis by genetic fingerprinting can be used to show the similarity between two DNA samples, for instance in criminal and paternity cases. assess the issues surrounding gene ownership as a result of DNA analysis. know that DNA contains coded information that determines how cells function due to the types of proteins being coded for. Chromosomes are strands of DNA. understand meiosis as a nuclear division that halves the chromosome number during gamete formation and that the genetic composition of the daughter cells is not identical. (Stages in meiosis are not required.) (Higher Tier only) understand that genes are sections of DNA molecules that determine inherited characteristics and since body cells contain pairs of chromosomes, the genes which control particular characteristics also come as pairs. know that genes have different forms, called alleles. understand that in human body cells one pair of chromosomes carries the genes that determine sex, XX (female) or XY (male), which separate and combine randomly at fertilisation. 24

29 Parent B b B BB Bb b Bb bb be able to complete Punnet squares and explain the outcomes of monohybrid crosses. For example, if both parents have gene pairs Bb, the Punnet square looks like: know that new genes result from changes/mutations in existing genes and that mutations occur randomly. Mutations may be beneficial or harmful and may be passed on from parents to offspring. know that cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease which causes the production of thick mucus which blocks the bronchioles. Gene therapy has been tried but there are difficulties in targeting appropriate cells and there may be side effects. consider the scientific process of experimentation, observation and deduction which led Gregor Mendel to propose the mechanism of inheritance. Discuss why the significance of the work was not recognised and validated by scientists for many years. know that infectious diseases may be caused by micro-organisms and name some examples (measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tuberculosis (TB), foot and mouth, athlete's foot and skin infections.) give examples of a range of methods of protecting against infection by harmful micro-organisms eg in food production (personal hygiene, sterilisation, disinfectants, antiseptics) understand about the use of immunisation to protect humans and other animals from infection by specific micro-organisms (MMR, TB, foot and mouth, polio) know that antibiotics may kill some bacteria, but not viruses and understand that resistant bacteria such as MRSA can result from the overuse of antibiotics. discuss the ethical issues of using animals for testing drugs. understand that some conditions are due to lifestyle choices and explore information/data regarding the effects that alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse have on the chemical processes in peoples' bodies. Man and the Environment know that plants make food by photosynthesis. understand that during photosynthesis green plants use light energy, absorbed by chlorophyll, to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose producing oxygen as a by-product. explore information about adaptations shown by organisms which enable them to survive in their environment. 25

30 know that organisms that have similar features and characteristics can be classified together in a logical way. know that organisms are interdependent and affect each other. Plants depend on sunlight and animals depend on plants either directly or indirectly for food. Predation, disease and competition for food cause large numbers of organisms to die. Due to variation some survive better than others eg slightly better camouflage. understand food webs in terms of producers, primary and secondary consumers, herbivores and carnivores, predator and prey. predator Primary consumer producer prey understand that when the Earth's human population was much smaller, the effects of human activity on the environment were usually small and local. As the population has increased, the effects on the environment have also increased. Type of farming Intensive compare the advantages and disadvantages of organic and intensive farming. Advantages Disadvantages 1. cheaper final product 2. higher yields 3. chemicals increase production 4. chemicals deal with weeds & insects 1. high start up cost 2. chemicals cause pollution 3. animals not always looked after as well Organic 1. No chemicals used 2. materials are recycled (manure) 3. less pollution 4. lower start up cost 5. better living conditions for animals 1. More land needed 2. More labour needed 3. Less yield 4. less consistent products e.g. odd Shape vegetables 26

31 understand how water may become polluted by fertilisers which may cause rapid growth of water plants. When these die, the microbes which break them down increase in number and use up much of the dissolved oxygen in the water. Animals, including fish, which live in the water may suffocate. Untreated sewage in water has the same effect as decaying vegetation (Higher Tier only) know that heavy metals are present in industrial waste. Crops are often sprayed with pesticides. These chemicals and heavy metals may be washed into lakes and rivers and natural underground water stores and so contaminate drinking water. They may enter the food chain and, because they are not broken down, they accumulate in animal bodies and may reach toxic levels. understand that there are possible limitations of the use of pesticides as shown by the rat poison Warfarin: a random mutation occurred which enabled a rat to survive the poison. The rat passed this gene on to its offspring and eventually the whole population of survivors became resistant. understand that individual organisms in a particular species may show a wide range of variation because of differences in their genes and that individuals with characteristics adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and breed successfully. The genes which have enabled these individuals to survive are then passed on to the next generation. This is natural selection and the basis of evolution. (Higher Tier only) understand that genetic engineering involves the artificial transfer of genes into the cells of one organism from another at an early stage in their development so that they develop with desired characteristics. understand that the introduction of genes from resistant plants into Soya bean plants, so increasing their resistance to herbicides, may increase the crop yield. Critically assess the issues surrounding this GM crop technology, including the need to plan scientifically valid, suitable trials to assess the possible effects in order to inform the debate for the scientific community; government policy departments; wider public opinion. understand that the destruction of habitat is due to increased land use for building, quarrying, dumping and agriculture so causing loss of species and a reduction in biodiversity. discuss the need for and issues surrounding sustainable development: the problem of increased consumption of resources and their continued supply; recycling as a way of dealing with waste materials, use of degradable materials and the need to balance the requirements for food and attitudes of people towards economic development and the needs of wildlife. 27

32 Chemical and material behaviour know the chemical symbols for 16 common elements (see table later on). In questions that refer to elements not in this list, symbols will be given. name some simple compounds, given their formulae, and state the formula, given the name of the compound (See table later on). In questions that refer to compounds not in this list, formulae will be given). know that atoms have a small central nucleus around which there are orbits (shells) of electrons and interpret information given in the form 23 Na to give the number of electrons present in the atom 11 know that each electron is in a particular orbit (shell) and that, for elements of atomic number 1 to 20 inclusive, there is a maximum of two electrons in the innermost available orbit (shell) and a maximum of eight electrons in each of the next two orbits (shells) use given data to represent the electronic structure of elements with atomic numbers 1 to 20 inclusive in the following form: for sodium and 2,8,1; understand that the reactions of any element are determined by its outer electronic structure know that elements in Group I are metals; recognise the increasing reactivity of the alkali metals from the top to the bottom of Group I; know that the elements in Group VII are non-metals; recognise the decreasing reactivity of the halogens from top to the bottom of Group VII be able to write word and symbol equations, that represent the reactions of chlorine and fluorine with sodium, lithium and potassium chlorine + sodium Cl + Na sodium chloride NaCl examine the evidence that has lead to the addition of fluoride to water supplies in some areas and be able to discuss the factors involved in decision making, including ethical issues. 28

33 know that new substances called compounds are formed when two or more different elements react together and that each compound has its own chemical formula understand that chemical bonding involves electrons in the outermost orbits (shells) know that ions are charged particles, formed when chemical (ionic) bonding involves the transfer of electrons between atoms whilst covalent bonding involves the sharing of electrons know that the chemical industry obtains raw materials from the earth, sea and air and that chemical reactions are then used to change raw materials into useful products such as plastics, medicines, fertilisers, metals. classify materials as elements (metals and non-metals), compounds or mixtures, using information provided or obtained by experiment including properties of metals/non-metals Metals Good conductors of electricity Good conductors of heat High melting point Solid at room temperature Shiny Malleable Ductile Non-metals Poor conductor of electricity Poor conductor of heat Low melting points Could be solid, liquid or gas Dull Brittle Not ductile give examples of substances used straight from the ground (gold, sulphur, limestone, marble) to include their uses describe how a metal may be made from its oxide using carbon (iron from iron oxide and lead from lead oxide) including familiarity with blast furnace, reduction-loss of oxygen/gain of electrons; write word and symbol equations for these reactions. (Bold print in Higher Tier only). understand that reactions in which the temperature rises are exothermic and reactions in which the temperature falls are endothermic. classify materials as metals, polymers, ceramics and composites and describe the uses of these materials plus their advantages and disadvantages over naturally-occurring materials use sources of data to find the physical properties of materials 29