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GCSE Sciences 2014. GCSE Separate sciences. Three 1hour exams per GCSE Students studying separate sciences are currently continuing with the unit 1 material One controlled assessment per GCSE taking approximately 6 – 8 hours
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GCSE Separate sciences • Three 1hour exams per GCSE • Students studying separate sciences are currently continuing with the unit 1 material • One controlled assessment per GCSE taking approximately 6 – 8 hours • Controlled assessment for separate (triple) science will be completed in year 11
Biology gcse B1: Influences on life (25%) B2: The components of life (25%) B3: Using biology (25%) Controlled assessment (25%) • Year 11
Chemistry gcse C1:Chemistry in our world (25%) C2:Discovering chemistry (25%) C3: Chemistry in action (25%) Controlled assessment (25%) • Year 11
Physics gcse P1: Universal Physics (25%) P2: Physics for your future (25%) P3:Applications of Physics (25%) Controlled assessment (25%) • Year 11
Gcse core and additional science • Three 1 hour exams per GCSE • Controlled assessment for both core science and additional science will be completed during the summer term • All lessons up to the end of the summer term are vital, there will be no ‘wind down’
Core science • B1: Influences on life (25%) • C1: Chemistry in our world (25%) • P1: Universal physics (25%) • CAU: Taken in school summer 2014(25%)
Additional science • B2: The components of life (25%) • C2: Discovering chemistry (25%) • P2: Physics for your future (25%) • CAU: Taken in school summer 2014 (25%)
How can you help? • The current year 10 are the studying the new science specification; the content and examination questions are significantly more challenging than the previous GCSE science specifications • They are only the second to have to sit fully linear GCSE qualifications • Encourage students to revise; in order to achieve their potential they must know the fine details – understanding is no longer enough • Practice examination questions as much as possible
Specific skills for biology • Biology is very language and vocabulary heavy - In some cases it is like learning a new language • From our experience students lose marks by not explaining their answers fully and failing to use key terminology • Encourage them to: • learn the key vocabulary and definitions • answer all examination questions and homework tasks in full • look for the command words in questions and consider their answers before writing • Bullet points are fine (even in 6 mark questions) and are often the best way of getting the point across
Specific skills for chemistry • Chemistry requires the understanding and application of many rules • From our experience students lose marks by failing to revise effectively and by not knowing the key terminology and definitions • Encourage them to: • learn the key vocabulary, definitions and formulae of elements and compounds • Practise the required mathematical calculations • Include as much detail in answers as possible
Specific skills for physics • Physics requires the confident and consistent application of mathematical skills • From our experience students lose marks by not showing their full working and making errors with units • Encourage them to: • Always show full working in questions • Double check answers for transcription errors • Always include a unit • Learn formula triangles and practise applying them confidently • Sometimes in a 6 mark question the best way of getting the point across is by doing and annotating a calculation
Revision guides • All students will be receiving a pearson revision guide and work book for each course that they are studying, we are aiming to give these out to year 10 towards the end of this academic year • Revision guides are tiered and are specific to the edexcel science courses • Students will sometimes be expected to bring their revision guides to lessons
School are providing revision guides and workbooks to assist with revision and exam preparation
Opportunities for students to assess their own progress Information on exams and exam technique Worked examples so students understand what must be done to achieve the marks
Opportunities for students to assess their own progress Graded example exam questions Advice from examiners
BBC bitesize BBC bitesize now has the relevant revision material for all GCSE units Our course is edexcel from 2011
Exam structure • Multiple choice questions • Shorter answer questions (1 – 2 marks) • Explaining scientific concepts/application questions (3 – 4 marks) • Extended writing, quality of scientific written communication questions (6 marks) – at least 2 per paper • Higher tier papers will have a greater proportion of longer answer questions • Foundation papers will have more multiple choice and 1- 2 mark questions • All papers have two 6 mark questions
6 mark questions • Students now need to answer longer answer questions and clearly convey their scientific knowledge • Answer does not need to be in paragraphs • Well structured bullet points are perfectly acceptable • Marks are awarded for correct scientific terminology, explanations and a clear answer
6 mark questions • Students must know the content – it is impossible to write an answer worth 6 marks when nothing is known about the science! • Thorough and early revision is key • Practice answering 6 mark examination questions – workbook, past examination materials, SAM learning • Mark them using mark schemes and re-write the answer so that you know what the perfect answer ‘looks’ like
Use all materials available to help with 6 mark examination questions Worked examples in the revision guides with exemplar good and poor answers
SAM learning Example examination questions with time limits and mark schemes
Past examination questions Past papers are available on www.edexcel.com, if in doubt ask your subject teacher
Dates for diaries All year 10 students • Mock exams will be sat in the Summer term • Separate science (triple) students will sit three mock exams (B1&B2, C1&C2 and P1&P2) • Core and additional science (double) students will sit three mock exams (B1, C1 and P1)
Revision sessions • Revision sessions will be run during the whole of year 11 • We encourage any student to seek help from their subject teacher whenever an issue with understanding an part of the subject arises • The science department will always make time for students that are seeking help • They could ask at break, lunch, during a lesson, after a lesson or even via e mail.
The science department will do everything possible to support our students. In order to reach target grades students must take advantage of all opportunities offered, revise early and seek help whenever they need itThe most important person in achieving to a students full potential is the student themselves