Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Contents: Getting Started – The Reflective Cycle Stress Management How am I Smart Multiple Intelligences Using Mnemonics Note-taking: Summary Shapes Creating your Revision Timetable
Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
A Positive Environment It is important that you give yourself the best possible chance by removing potential distractions and creating an environment that supports your learning. That means, when revising: No TV Yes, well lit room No Msn Yes, suitable chair No Mobile Phones Yes, clock No relaxing Yes, clutter-free workspace No distractions Yes, everything you need Revision spaces need to be business like – sitting on a firm upright chair, working at a table, clear of clutter, in a well-lit room at a comfortable temperature. Get everything ready before you start – try to avoid disturbing your revising time, save the activities for your planned rest breaks. Select the books you need, paper to make notes on, writing equipment, coloured pencils etc. You will revise whatever it is that you concentrate on – if you are conscious that you have a text message waiting, you will be distracted and your revision will not be as effective. The idea is to make your revision time as productive as you can. In that way, you will earn your breaks and rest times
You need to plan your breaks. As time passes, the effectiveness of your learning reduces as your concentrations lessons, but then improves as you approach your planned break. The best combination is to plan to revise for 25 minutes, then take a planned 5 minute break – get up, move around, go to the toilet, make a drink, check your texts. Make sure your break is only 5 minutes, though! Then back to work, for another 25 minutes.
Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Repetition, I said, repetition. It is important to go back over stuff you have learnt to help you to remember it for longer. In the first 10 minutes, your brain is still making the physical connections that result in you understanding and remembering a topic. If you look back over what you did ten minutes before, you will remember more of the information, for longer. Revising a topic a day later, refreshes your memory and then, again, a week later. Ideally, this would start when you first learnt a topic and continue in the weeks and months that followed. You would then find your revision easier. Use this process to help with planning your revision timetable – plan to re-visit topics at different points within the revision period.
You will be a faster reviser...
You will be a slower reviser‌
When you are motivated
When you are bored
When you are relaxed
When you are worried
When you are eating and sleeping well
When you are tired, hungry and thirsty
When you use both sides of your brain
When you revise in an uncomfortable place
When you believe you are going to do well in your exams
When you cannot see the point of what you are revising
When you like the subject
When you do not like the subject
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Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Why Do Students Cram Before an Exam? Students cram for a number of reasons including: • •
• •
Fear of failure because of learning difficulties; Over-committed schedules with little or no time to study. This can happen to students with jobs, family obligations, or who may be involved in too many extracurricular activities. Cramming may increase stress levels. Low motivation to study on a regular basis well before time for tests; Underachievement;
Is Cramming for a Test Effective? Almost always, the answer is no. Cramming for a test can lead to: • •
• •
Confusion of facts the student has already learned. Inability to connect new facts to prior learning, which is necessary to input ideas into memory. Cramming does not allow time for the brain to process the information and make critical connections in concepts. Reading fatigue during study and low energy levels during testing that can lead to lower marks on tests, and Anxiety and frustration for the learner.
Is Cramming Ever a Good Strategy? Generally, no. Light study before a test can be helpful if the student is already well prepared for the assessment and simply wants to spend a few minutes going over some concepts to help him feel more comfortable going into the test. In most students, cramming only leads to failure and may reinforce low-self esteem.
Can I listen to my tunes?! Whatever the music is, it must not distract you from your revision. Loud, fast, with a heavy beat and words that you might try to listen to, will not help your concentration. Research has shown that music with 60 beats per minute actually stimulates your brain and makes it work better. Some music is better than silence, but should quiet background music. Scientists have called this the Mozart Effect. The best music to help revision is: Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, JS Bach’s Brandenburgh Concertos and Handel’s Water Music. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
We remember: 20% of what we READ 30% of what we HEAR 40% of what we SEE 50% of what we SAY 60% of what we DO but, 90% of what we READ, HEAR, SEE, SAY and DO Using a variety of approaches to revising can dramatically increase your ability to memorise material. You should notice that reading (one of the most common exam preparation techniques) is also the least efficient.
Some Basic Revision Techniques •
• • • •
• •
• • •
Re-reading class notes. Pretty basic method or revision but can come in handy when you need to remind yourself of the key facts. Don't spend all of your revision time reading though. There are some far more effective methods and techniques. Revision guides. You don't need any more than one per subject. Copying out key points from your notes onto small revision cards. Make use of diagrams. Draw your own diagrams so that you can remember them better. Use mnemonics to help you remember certain patterns or sequences. A mnemonic is a way of helping you remember information using abbreviations, words or phrases. For example, to remember the colours of the rainbow, you could use the mnemonic: Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain, using the first letters of each word to remember the colours Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Simple! Make audio notes by reading your notes onto a computer/dictaphone. You can then play it back to yourself whenever you like! Write important words and phrases on sticky notes that can be stuck where you'll see them every day. On your walls or doors... anywhere will do. Your parents may start to think you have a fixation for sticky notes but at least you'll be making the most of your revision. Get friends and family to test you on various facts vocabulary etc... This will help you keep your mind alert and it will give you an idea as to how much you really know. Share ideas with friends and give support to them when they need it. They should do the same for you! As the exams get ever nearer, try doing some timed practice papers which you can either get off your teacher or off your examination board's website. This will really test how much you know, and in certain subjects such as English, you'll be able to practice your reading and writing skills. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Getting Started – The Reflective Cycle Let’s begin …. A wise man once said – that the only important choice of the day is whether or not to get out of bed in the morning! Getting started on your revision is a bit like getting out of bed in the morning - you could put the alarm on snooze, delay it and delay it and delay it just a few more days, but you would feel so much better about yourself, if, instead, you get started early.
Vision Positive visualisation exercises are used by sportspeople to help them focus on their goals. Have a go at applying them to your revision. • • • •
Early each morning and just before you go to sleep, close your eyes, breathe deeply and count down slowly from ten to one. Now, imagine yourself sitting down, feeling relaxed and concentrated - you are enjoying your revision the place where you normally revise. Take some deep breaths and imagine yourself sitting in the exam room – you are feeling relaxed, confident and all the right questions are turning up. Take a couple more deep breaths and imagine yourself opening an envelope and reading that you have been awarded fantastic GCSE grades!
Action Some students are procrastinators. If, on Monday, they are given work to finish by Friday, they start it on Thursday night, or on the way to school on Friday morning! Complete tasks early and start to think about and write down what helps you keep on schedule. For example: • Start the day 30 minutes earlier and use the time to help catch up on homework that you need to do, or should have done. • Give yourself treats for completing goals. • Reorganise your room. • Keep in close contact with a (disciplined) friend so that you can give each other help. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Evaluation This is, probably, the most important part of the reflective cycle. The process of regularly evaluating how your revision is progressing helps you to plan your next steps. Think about: • How each subject has gone • How well your revision strategies are working • How effective the different memory aids are • How well you are keeping to your revision timetable You need to do more of what work well and improve or modify what works less well.
Set realistic goals One way to manage your stress levels in the early phases of your revision is to focus on setting, achieving and reviewing short-term goals that can be completed within a few days. Once this initial phase is over, you will feel confident enough to set additional targets. For now, start building confidence by planning, getting yourself organised and getting your revision programme under way. Try: • • • • • •
Revising two topics that you find most interesting Get someone to test what you know Visualise yourself successfully doing your exams Get up 30 minutes earlier than usual Take advantage of any revision sessions at school Revise a topic, then go for a 20 min walk and talk out loud about them as you walk
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Multi-sensory learning We all use our five senses for learning. Seeing
Hearing
Touching
Tasting
Smelling
Discuss the following statements What do they tell us? • There was a time when you used you sense of taste to learn about the world. • Dogs use their sense of smell to decide who they like and who is a threat. • Blind people show a remarkable development in their other senses. • Learning would be impossible without using our senses.
Preferred Learning Styles As adults we mainly use three senses for learning – but we tend to have a preference for learning using one of the three senses. Visual:
About 29% of us prefer to learn by seeing.
Auditory:
About 34% of us prefer to learn by listening to sounds and patterns of sound.
Kinaesthetic: About 37% of us prefer to learn by doing - experiencing it physically.
You need to know if YOU have a learning preference because it can affect your success if you depend too much on one way of learning. Holmfirth High School
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Tick which of these apply to you:
Visual Learners Have a neat and tidy workplace Good presentation skills Plan ahead Like to look good Enjoy pictures and maps Don’t always listen well Daydream a lot Draw, scribble and doodle
Auditory Learners Talk to themselves in the shower or loo
Say ‘I see what you mean’
Tell jokes Like speeches and singing out loud Prefer verbal instructions Are distracted by noise Enjoy rhyme/rhythm Listen well
kinesthetic Learners
Discuss and argue well
Like physical activity
Say ‘Sounds great to me’
Like to make things Use gestures Fidget and get distracted Need to do things to remember them Enjoy sport, drama, dance Like action and action words Say ‘I’ll handle that’
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Year 11 Study Support
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Now check out your sensory preference using this questionnaire. Tick which of the three alternatives applies most closely to your preference for learning. I like:
Visual
Hearing
Doing
Seeing
Auditory
Kinesthetic
to learn through:
pictures/diagrams
listening to teachers,
/videos
tapes or people
practical activity
speaking to spell by:
to relax through:
seeing the word in my
sounding out the
writing the word out
mind
letters
a number of times
watching TV, sports
listening to music or
playing games or
or films
the radio
sport
to learn a foreign
looking at cards,
language through:
posters, videos and
listening to tapes
playing games and
and saying the words
role-plays
watching a
listening to
playing it
demonstration
instructions and
book to learn a new sport by:
talking to a coach to learn in science by:
looking at diagrams in
listening to a teacher
doing practical
books and teacher
talking
experiments
seeing images,
hearing sounds, words
focussing on action
scenes, faces and
or music
and feelings about
demonstrations to remember events by:
colours
an event
to write:
descriptive passages
speech and dialogue
action stories
to find out information
looking in books
Asking an expert and
Surfing the
listening to them
worldwide web
by: Which best describes
I like to plan ahead
I sometimes talk or
I get restless if I
you best?
and see the future
sing to myself
sit still for too long
Total scores in each column V
A
Are you an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner? Holmfirth High School
K
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Stress management The Effects of Stress: A high stress level is helpful when facing imminent danger (our ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ response), but this has a negative effect on performance in exams. You need to find your optimum state, as shown on the graph below. Low stress levels are associated with low performance. As your stress levels increase, so too does your performance, until an optimum point. After which, performance reduces. A wellintentioned, but highly anxious student can, therefore, perform as badly as a lazy and lethargic student. Where stress is low, you may find that your performance is low. This is because you become bored, lack concentration and motivation. In the middle, at a moderate level of stress, there is a zone of best performance. If you can keep yourself within this zone, then you will be sufficiently aroused to perform well while not being over-stressed and unhappy. When you or other people are under pressure, this can appear as: • • • • o o o o o o
Talking too fast or too loud Yawning Fiddling and twitching, nail biting, grinding teeth, drumming fingers, pacing, etc. Bad moods: Being irritable Defensiveness Being critical Aggression Irrationality Overreaction and reacting emotionally
•
• • •
Reduced personal effectiveness: o Being unreasonably negative o Making less realistic judgements o Being unable to concentrate and having difficulty making decisions o Being more forgetful o Making more mistakes o Being more accident prone Changing work habits Increased absenteeism Neglect of personal appearance
If you find yourself exhibiting or recognising a number of these, then it would be worth investigating some stress management techniques. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Developing Self-confidence One of the main causes of stress is the sense that we are not able to control things around us. In the run-up to your exams, there are likely to be times when you feel that, however hard you try, life has presented you with an insurmountable set of obstacles – perhaps you will set aside time to revise all weekend, only to find that you come down with the flu, or perhaps you decide to get up early, but you forget to set your alarm. The key is to put these obstacles and mistakes into context – they must be regarded as minor hiccups (or hiccoughs) rather than major disasters and you need to keep a deeper confidence in your own capacity to revise and to perform well in your exams.
Strategies to maintaining self-confidence • • • • • • • • •
Set yourself ambitious, but realistic and achievable goals Make a list of you daily achievements, no matter how small they might appear Develop a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in the whole process of preparing for exams (rather than focus on the results alone) Use positive visualisation exercise on a regular basis Recognise mistakes as offering opportunities for feedback, rather than as ‘failure’ Recognise that your achievements are the result of your abilities and hard work, rather than just a result of chance or good luck Celebrate and reward yourself for short-term achievements Compete tasks rather than leaving them unfinished Revise and socialise with people who appreciate and value you
Look after your classmates If you are highly competitive, self-protective and have aggressive attitudes to other people when completing tasks, you will experience high levels of stress. Students who adopt a more communal and caring attitude to one another tend to experience lower stress levels when preparing for exams. It is important to treat your classmates as companions, rather than as competitors. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
How am I smart? You may already have an idea which intelligences are your strengths and which ones you need to work on. Check if you are right, by completing this questionnaire and, then, adding up your scores for each of your intelligences. Score yourself with 1-5 marks for each question, 5 being the highest. Be as honest as you can. Low
1 1
I am good at working with objects and making things.
2
I am good at finding my way around.
3
I am good at sorting out arguments with friends.
4
I can remember words of songs easily.
5
I always do things one step at a time.
6
I know myself well and understand why I behave the way I do.
7
I keep/like pets and other animals.
8
I enjoy socialising with friends.
9
I learn well from talks and from listening to people.
10 When I listen to music, it can change my mood. 11 I can explain things clearly to people. 12 I enjoy puzzles, crosswords and logic problems. 13 I learn a lot from pictures, posters and diagrams. 14 I am sensitive to the moods and feelings of those around me. 15 I learn best when I get up and do it for myself.
Continue on to questions 16-32
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High
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Year 11 Study Support
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Low
1 16 I prefer to be outside in the open air, whenever I can. 17 I learn best when I have set myself a goal. 18 I enjoy peace and quiet for working. 19 When listening to music, I recognise different instruments. 20 I get angry when animals or the environment are abused. 21 I can picture places and faces easily in my head. 22 I know a good range of words and I like to learn new ones. 23 I enjoy writing. 24 I have a good sense of balance and enjoy dancing. 25 I can understand graphs and use a calculator properly. 26 I work well in a team or group. 27 I am observant and often see things others don’t. 28 I get restless and fidgety easily. 29 I enjoy working on a project by myself. 30 I can recognise different types of birds, trees or plants. 31 I enjoy making music. 32 I am good with numbers and maths.
Now, use the grid on the next page to work out your own score for each of your intelligences.
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High
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Year 11 Study Support
Intelligences
Revision Session
Score for each Question
Total
Interpersonal
People smart
Q3=
Q8=
Q14=
Q26=
Intrapersonal
Self smart
Q6=
Q17=
Q18=
Q29=
Linguistic
Word smart
Q9=
Q11=
Q22=
Q23=
Maths/Logical
Number smart
Q5=
Q12=
Q25=
Q32=
Visual/Spatial
Picture smart
Q2=
Q13=
Q21=
Q27=
Kinesthetic
Body smart
Q1=
Q15=
Q24=
Q28=
Musical
Music smart
Q4=
Q10=
Q19=
Q31=
Naturalist
Nature smart
Q7=
Q16=
Q20=
Q30=
Now, fill in the intelligence wheel, to see how your scores compare. Put a dot in the middle of each segment, the bigger the total, the further away from the middle the dot will be. Using straight lines, join the dot in each segment to the dots in the segments on each side. The resulting wheel will help you to see which ones are your strongest intelligences and which ones you might try to improve.
Here is one that someone has already finished Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
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How can I be a genius? Everybody is clever in different ways and you can use knowledge of different sorts of intelligence to improve your learning.
Task 1: What is intelligence? Write your own definition here.
What are intelligent people like? Describe them.
Neuroscientists now think that intelligence isn’t just about being good at Maths or English, but that there are many different ways to be intelligent.
You have ... multiple intelligences. In other words, there are lots of ways that you are smart. Here are some of them. Their meanings are explained on the following sheets. Task Two: Discuss each one with a friend and decide which ones apply to you.
Interpersonal (People Smart)
Intrapersonal (Self Smart)
Physical/Kinesthetic (Body Smart)
Mathematical/Logical (Number Smart) Naturalist (Nature Smart)
Visual/Spatial (Picture Smart)
Linguistic (Word Smart) Musical (Music Smart)
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Interpersonal or People Smart Are you good at getting on with people – not just your friends, but adults, children, teachers? Are you a good listener, showing consideration and tolerance? Do you work well in groups and enjoy meeting new people? Are you generally popular with friends? People Smart means you are skilful at getting on with others – you have to have interpersonal skills to do this.
Intrapersonal or Self Smart Understanding yourself and the way you work is vital for success in life. Intrapersonal intelligence is about being aware of your feelings and understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Can you control your moods and motivate yourself? Can you explain the way you behave in certain situations? Are you good at setting yourself targets and sticking to promises? If you are, then you have high intrapersonal intelligence.
Linguistic or Word Smart If you enjoy reading and talking using a well-developed vocabulary, you will be word smart. You may be good at writing essays and stories and enjoy playing around with words and the meanings of words. Your favourite lesson may be English, if you are word smart.
Mathematical and Logical or Number Smart Are you good at solving problems and sorting things out in a step-by-step way? Do you make lists of things to do and work through them? Your favourite subjects may be maths and science and you enjoy brainteasers and puzzles. If this sounds like you – you are number smart.
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Visual and Spatial or Picture Smart Do you think in pictures? If you enjoy drawing, painting and looking at pictures, these are signs of visual/spatial intelligence. Learning more effectively from maps, graphs and pictures is easy for picture smart people.
Physical/Kinesthetic or Body Smart This is the ability to use your body skilfully in sport, dance or in building and constructing things. If you are strong in this intelligence, you will enjoy lessons like PE, drama, and technology. You will enjoy doing things yourself, rather than watching others and sometimes you might find it hard to sit still.
Musical or Music Smart If you have got good rhythm and enjoy singing or playing an instrument, you are likely to have a strong musical intelligence. Do you listen to a variety of music because you want to and can pick out patterns and instruments that others don’t seem to notice? This is another sign of being music smart.
Naturalist or Nature Smart If you are nature smart, then you are aware and interested in plants and animals, insects and rocks. You may love being outdoors and care about the environment around you. You may be very aware of animal rights issues and hope to have a career in an outdoor environment.
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Multiple intelligences - How are you smart? Once you know what your strengths are, you can learn to use them to make yourself a genius! List your five strongest intelligences here:
List your favourite subjects here:
Do you always tend to spend time and energy on these favourites? If you do, it will make them stronger.
List your three weakest intelligences here:
List the subjects you find hardest here:
Are you working hard to improve your weak spots? This is the way to improve your brain power.
To maximise your brain power ... You need to use your strongest intelligences for learning and improve your weak spots. Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
It would be great, if you could use your strongest intelligence To help with your weak spots. Here is an example: What I need to work on:
My no.1 intelligence:
Number smart
Use cards, beads, fingers to help.
Make equations into a rap.
Teach your friends a formula.
Self smart
Start a fitness programme and learn to set personal goals.
Use music to create your mood and encourage you to think.
Ask friends to give you honest opinions about yourself.
Word smart
Learn spellings by tracing out the word on the back of your hand.
Listen carefully to the lyrics of songs and find out their meanings.
Learn new words from friends who are clever with language
Body smart
My no.2 intelligence:
Music smart
My no.3 intelligence:
People smart
Now try completing this table with your own ideas, What I need to work on:
My no.1 intelligence:
My no.2 intelligence:
My no.3 intelligence:
Remember: By using your stronger intelligences to improve your weaker intelligences, you can begin to use your brain more fully. The better you can use your brain power, the more effective your revision will be Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Note-taking: Summary Shapes Simply reading passages of information is a passive technique and is less effective than an active technique, where you process the information in your brain. Making notes is one way to make your reading active.
One student has been reading about the life of David Beckham. Read their notes. Notice that some keywords have been underlined and that next to each point, simple diagrams have been drawn. In the original, information about his personal life and family was drawn in blue and information about his work as a footballer was drawn in red. There are 8 different bits of information, so the shape (in this case, a circle) is divided into 8 segments. Start at one of the top segments. Draw the symbols/notes that relate to point number 1. Draw on set of symbols in each segment moving in a clockwise direction.
Test Yourself Once you have completed the shape, test yourself. For this Beckham example, you might: • • • •
Talk through Beckham’s life aloud Close your eyes and try to visualise the contents of the circle in your mind’s eye. Try to fill in a blank eight-part circle that you have sketched in rough. Ask a friend or a member of your family to test you on Beckham’s life.
You may be surprised just how much you can remember! Holmfirth High School
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Try it yourself The following is a set of notes about Thomas Beckett. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury and was murdered, on the orders of King Henry II over 800 years ago. First, underline the keywords.
The life and times of Thomas Beckett 1. When Henry II became king in 1154 he chose Beckett as Chancellor. 2. At this time there were two law courts – church courts for members of the clergy and royal courts for everyone else 3. In 1162 Henry II appointed Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury because he wanted him to help abolish the church courts. 4. Soon after being appointed Becket devoted himself to God and refused to abolish the church courts 5. Henry II was furious and Becket fled abroad to live in France. 6. Becket returned from exile in France in 1170 but angered Henry II when he threatened to sack the Archbishop of York 7. Four knights murdered Becket in Canterbury in December 1170 8. Pilgrims visited Becket’s tomb until it was destroyed in 1539
Practice makes perfect You have now learnt how to annotate text using keywords, symbols and colour to create summary shapes. During your revision, try to create some for yourself using sections of topics. Use different shapes for different numbers of segments. Holmfirth High School
Then, draw symbols next to each point You might try: H2 – for Henry II B – for Beckett £ - for chancellor Scales – for the courts A Cross – for the church A Crown – for Royal A French type Flag – for France Swords – for the knights Gravestone – for the tomb Smiley face – for happy Sad smiley – for unhappy Now transfer the symbols from the eight points of the notes, into the eight segments in the summary circle below.
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Using mnemonics A quick memory test Look at these 15 words for 30 seconds, try to memorise them. Then, write them in a list on the next page – and don’t cheat. Warehouse Surfboard Desert
Brother Lipstick Snake
Mop Water Wind
Tea Mirror Rainbow
Mobile Wall Diamonds
How many of the words did you remember? Let’s try it again. This time, the words have been put into a story. Read through the story. For now, read it to yourself, but when revising you could tell it to a friend or family member, or out loud to yourself. Try to picture the scene in your head and think about how it would feel e.g. the wind blowing on your face, or feeling angry that someone threw water in your face.
You wake up to find yourself in a huge warehouse. The voice of Big Brother suddenly asks you to pick up the mop at the end of the factory and to clean the whole factory floor. You work all morning, but then you become tired, so you sit down on a bench to have a cup of tea. As you drink your tea, your mobile phone rings. You look at the screen and there is an advert of a girl carrying a surfboard. Suddenly, she breaks through the screen, sits down beside you, puts on some lipstick, throws a glass of water in your face, smashes a mirror, then jumps through the factory wall. You follow her and discover that you are in the middle of an enormous desert. There is nothing to see, other than a snake that slithers towards you. As it gets closer, the wind begins to blow strongly. You put your hand down to stoke the snake and it transforms into a rainbow and a bag of diamonds. Read through the words, at the top of the page, one last time. Now, list the 15 words in the same order as the story. Holmfirth High School
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Attempt 1
Attempt 2
SOLAR Principles to follow when using mnemonics
Symbols Using symbols helps us to represent information in simple memorable ways. For example, at the end of World War 1 a peace conference took place in Paris – think of a dove (for peace) flying over the Eiffel Tower (for Paris).
Outstanding We are more likely to remember extremes. In the story it was a ‘huge’ warehouse, an ‘enormous’ desert and shocking experiences like the girl smashing a mirror.
Links Mnemonics make clear links with the symbols. To remember the hole in the ozone layer over Australia, think of a Kangaroo, taking off a jacket (losing protection) to reveal blotchy white skin (for skin cancer).
All five senses Mnemonics are easier to remember when related to your senses. Imagine the smell of freshly brewed tea, the taste of water on your face, the sight of the snake transferring into a rainbow, the touch of the wind on your face and the sound of Big Brother’s voice.
Repetition We remember mnemonics through repetition. Good ways of repeating and reviewing mnemonics are: Explaining them to your friends Keeping a written record of them, using creative note-taking techniques, based on symbols and colour Taking short ‘memory walks’ where you test your memory of various mnemonics, as you walk
The 5 principles of mnemonics
Symbols Outstanding Links All five senses Repetition Holmfirth High School
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Creating mnemonics The best mnemonics are ones that you create yourself. Remember to use the 5 principles and try to add some humour into your story. Try creating a story to learn the sequence of the planets: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto You don’t have to include the actual word – you could include something that reminds you of each word. Possible suggestions to include in your story might be:
Planet
Possible storylines
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
Thermometers, measure hot temperatures, silvery liquid Roman goddess of love, romance, Venus flytrap, Mud, electrical connection, plug Chocolate bar, lots of mothers, red planet Largest planet, ruler of the Roman gods, father of Mars ‘Sat on’, rings, Use your imagination! God of the sea, oceans Disney dog, Mickey mouse
Use some of these suggestions, or better still, create your own and write your story below:
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AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
Edexcel
OCR
WJEC
Notice to Candidates For written examinations held in the period 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009 This notice has been written to help you. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. If there is anything you do not understand, especially which calculator you may use, ask your teacher. A 1 2 3 4 5
Regulations – Make sure you understand the rules Be on time for all your examinations. If you are late, your work might not be accepted. Do not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice during the examination. If you try to cheat, or break the rules in any way, you could be disqualified from all your subjects. Only take into the examination room the materials and equipment which are allowed. Do not take into the examination room any unauthorised materials or equipment which might give you an unfair advantage. This includes notes, calculator cases/instruction leaflets, bags, personal TVs/stereos, digital equipment, reading pens, electronic or radio communication devices, including mobile telephones, iPods, MP3 players and pagers. Any pencil cases taken into the examination room must be see-through. Remember: possession of unauthorised material is breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and you will be subject to penalty and possible disqualification.
6 7 8
Do not use correcting pens, fluid or tape, highlighters or pale coloured gel pens in your answers. Do not talk to or try to communicate with or disturb other candidates once the examination has started. If you leave the examination room unaccompanied by an invigilator before the examination has finished, you will not be allowed to return. 9 Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the examination. B Information – Make sure you attend and bring what you need 1 Know the dates and times of all your examinations. 2 Arrive at least ten minutes before the start of each examination. 3 If you arrive late for an examination, report to the invigilator running the examination. 4 If you arrive more than one hour after the published starting time for the examination, you will not normally be allowed to take it. 5 Only take into the examination room the pens, pencils, erasers and any other equipment which you need for the examination. 6 You must write in black ink. Coloured pencils or inks may be used only for diagrams, maps, charts, etc. unless the instructions printed on the front of the question paper state otherwise. C Calculators, Dictionaries and Computer Spell-checkers 1 You may use a calculator unless you are told otherwise. 2 If you use a calculator • make sure it works properly; check that the batteries are working properly; • clear anything stored in it; • remove any parts such as cases, lids or covers which have printed instructions or formulas; • do not bring into the examination room any operating instructions or prepared programs. 3 Do not use a dictionary or computer spell checker unless you are told otherwise. D Examination Instructions 1 Listen to the invigilator and follow their instructions at all times. 2 Tell the invigilator at once: • if you think you have not been given the right question paper or all of the materials listed on the front of the paper; • if the question paper is incomplete or badly printed. 3 Read carefully and follow the instructions printed on the question paper and/or on the answer booklet. 4 Fill in all the details required on the front of the question paper and/or the answer booklet before you start the examination. 5 Remember to write your answers within the designated sections of the answer booklet. 6 Do your rough work on the proper examination stationery. Cross it through and hand it in with your answers. E Advice and Assistance 1 If on the day of the examination you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the invigilator. 2 Put up your hand during the examination if: • you have a problem and are in doubt about what you should do; • you do not feel well; • you need more paper. 3 You must not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions. F The end of the Examination 1 If you have used more than one answer booklet and/or any loose sheets of paper, place them in the correct order. Remember to fasten them together with a treasury tag before you leave. 2 Do not leave the examination room until told to do so by the invigilator. 3 Do not take from the examination room any examination stationery, used or unused, rough work or any other materials provided for the examination. You must stay in the examination room until at least one hour (or a period equal to the duration of the examination if this is less than one hour) after the published starting time for each examination.
© 2008
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
Edexcel
OCR
WJEC
Notice to Candidates For on-screen tests held in the period 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009 This notice has been written to help you. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. If there is anything you do not understand, ask your teacher. A 1 2 3 4 5
Regulations – Make sure you understand the rules Be on time for your on-screen test(s). If you are late, your work might not be accepted. Do not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice during the on-screen test. If you try to cheat, or break the rules in any way, you could be disqualified from all your subjects. Only take into the examination room the materials and equipment which are allowed. You must not take into the examination room the following items which might give you an unfair advantage: • • • •
notes; calculator cases/instruction leaflets; bags; personal TVs/stereos, reading pens and electronic or radio communication devices, including mobile telephones, iPods, MP3 players, pagers or any other products with text/digital facilities.
Unless you are told otherwise, you must not have access to: • •
6 7 8 B 1 2 3 4 5 C 1 2
3 D 1 2
3 E 1 2
Remember: possession of unauthorised material is breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and you will be subject to penalty and possible disqualification. Do not talk to or try to communicate with or disturb other candidates once the on-screen test has started. If you leave the examination room unaccompanied by an invigilator before the on-screen test has finished, you will not be allowed to return. Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the on-screen test. Information – Make sure you attend and bring what you need Know the date and time of your on-screen test (s). Arrive at least ten minutes before the start of your on-screen test. If you arrive late for an on-screen test, report to the invigilator running the examination. If you arrive more than one hour after the published starting time for the on-screen test, you will not normally be allowed to take it. Your centre will inform you of any equipment which you may need for the on-screen test. Calculators, Dictionaries and Computer Spell-checkers You may use a calculator unless you are told otherwise. If you use a calculator • make sure it works properly; check that the batteries are working properly; • clear anything stored in it; • remove any parts such as cases, lids or covers which have printed instructions or formulas; • do not bring into the examination room any operating instructions or prepared programs. Do not use a dictionary or computer spell checker unless you are told otherwise. Examination Instructions Listen to the invigilator and follow their instructions at all times. Tell the invigilator at once: • if you have been entered for the wrong on-screen test; • if you experience system delays or any other IT irregularities. You may be given a question paper or the instructions may be on-screen. In either case, read carefully and follow the instructions. Advice and Assistance If on the day of the on-screen test you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the invigilator. Put up your hand during the on-screen test if: • •
3 F 1 2
the Internet, e-mail, data stored on the hard drive, or portable storage media such as floppy disks, CDs and memory sticks; pre-prepared templates.
you have a problem with your computer and are in doubt about what you should do; you do not feel well.
You must not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions. The end of the Examination Ensure that the software closes at the end of the on-screen test. If you are required to print off work outside the time allowed for the on-screen test, ensure that you collect your own work. You must not share your work with other candidates and make sure that another candidate does not collect your printout(s). 3 Do not leave the examination room until told to do so by the invigilator. 4 Do not take from the examination room any examination stationery, used or unused, rough work, printouts or any other materials provided for the examination. You must stay in the examination room until at least one hour (or a period equal to the duration of the examination if this is less than one hour) after the published starting time for each examination.
© 2008
This notice has been produced on behalf of: AQA, City & Guilds, CCEA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Notice to Candidates GCSE, GCE, ELC, Functional Skills, Principal Learning in the Diploma and Project Qualifications: Coursework Assessments This leaflet tells you about some things that you must, and must not, do when you are completing coursework. Before you submit any coursework for marking, you will be asked to sign an authentication statement confirming that you have read and followed these regulations. If there is anything that you do not understand, you must ask your teacher or lecturer. Coursework provides you with an opportunity to do some independent research into a topic. The research you do will involve looking for information in published sources such as textbooks, encyclopedias, journals, TV, radio, and the world wide web. Using information from published sources (including the internet) as the basis for your coursework is a good way to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a subject, but you must take care how you use this material - you cannot copy it and claim it as your own work. The regulations state that: the work which you submit for assessment must be your own; you must not copy from someone else or allow another candidate to copy from you. If you use the same wording as a published source, you must place quotation marks around the passage and state where it came from. This is called “referencing”. You must make sure that you give detailed references for everything in your work which is not in your own words. A reference from a printed book or journal should show the name of the author, the year of publication and the page number, for example: (Morrison, 2000, pg.29.) For material taken from the internet, your reference must show the date when the material was downloaded and the precise web page, not the search engine used to locate it. This can be copied from the address line. For example: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/16/sosteacher/history/49766.shtml), downloaded 12 February 2009. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your work, which lists the full details of publications you have used in your research, even where these are not directly referred to, for example: Morrison, A. (2000) “Mary, Queen of Scots”, London: Weston Press.
If you copy the words or ideas of others and don’t show your sources in references and a bibliography, this will be considered as cheating.
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Preparing your coursework – good practice If you receive help and guidance from someone other than your teacher, you must tell your teacher who will then record the nature of the assistance given to you. If you worked as part of a group on an assignment, for example, undertaking field research, you must each write up your own account of the assignment. Even if the data you have is the same, the description of how that data was obtained and the conclusions you draw from it should be in your own words. You must meet the deadlines that your teacher gives you for submitting drafts and final pieces of work. Your teachers are there to guide and assist you — showing them your work as it progresses will allow you and your teacher time to sort out any problems before it is too late. Take care of your work and keep it safe. Don’t leave it lying around where your classmates can find it. You must always keep your coursework secure and confidential whilst you are preparing it; do not share it with your classmates. If it is stored on the computer network, keep your password secure. Collect all copies from the printer and destroy those you don’t need. Don’t be tempted to use essays from online essay banks — this is cheating. Electronic tools used by awarding bodies can detect this sort of copying. Plagiarism Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s words, thoughts or ideas and trying to pass them off as your own. It is a form of cheating which is taken very seriously. Don’t think you won’t be caught; there are many ways to detect plagiarism.
Markers can spot changes in the style of writing and use of language.
Markers are highly experienced subject specialists who are very familiar with work on the topic concerned — they may have read the source you are using (or even marked the essay you have copied from!).
Internet search engines and specialised computer software can be used to match phrases or pieces of text with original sources and to detect changes in the grammar and style of writing or punctuation.
Penalties for breaking the regulations If your work is submitted and it is discovered that you have broken the regulations, one of the following penalties will be applied:
the piece of work will be awarded zero marks;
you will be disqualified from that unit for that examination series;
you will be disqualified from the whole subject for that examination series;
you will be disqualified from all subjects and barred from entering again for a period of time.
Your awarding body will decide which penalty is appropriate.
REMEMBER – IT’S YOUR QUALIFICATION SO IT NEEDS TO BE YOUR OWN WORK
©2008
2
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Creating Your Revision Timetable Using your exam timetable, write the session for each exam you have into the timetable. Shade each session when you are not at home e.g. on bus after School, taking part in evening activities/Clubs – not meeting your mates! Shade in the times when you will be having family meals Shade in one or two sessions each evening, when you plan to relax – watch TV, play the Xbox, kick a ball about outside, stick on some tunes. Taking part in activities such as sports training, explorers counts as relaxation.
For example: Revision session after School on Monday Evening meal at 6.30pm on Monday Arrive home normally at 4.30pm Early tea on Tuesday at 5.30pm Football training 7-9pm on Tuesday Lunch at 12.30 on Saturday
Now, go through your revision timetable and count up the number of sessions that you think you can reasonably fit in. When doing this, remember: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
each session is 25 minutes long have a 5 minute break between sessions make one evening (perhaps Friday) only two sessions give yourself one half day, at the weekend, off during term time, probably, 4 sessions per night max.
Continue onto next page Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Write each subject that you need to revise in the table below Subjects
Score
Sessions
Give each subject a number on a scale of 0 to 5 for the revision time needed: 5 means ‘I need to revise this a great deal’, 0 means ‘I do not need to revise this at all’ Add up all the numbers and write the total at the bottom. For example: Maths = 3, Geography = 3, English Lit = 2 Technology = 2, Science = 5, History = 2 French = 3
Total:
In this case, Total = 20
Now, divide the total number of revision sessions (on the previous sheet) by the total number above, in this case, 140÷20 = 7 So each subject gets its score times by this number: e.g. Maths – 3 x 7 = 21 sessions, English Lit – 2 x 7 = 14 sessions, Science – 5 x 7 = 35 sessions Now, pencil in the subjects into the sessions. Don’t forget some subjects have more sessions than others and that some subjects will need to be revised first, while others can take advantage of some sessions during the exam period. Your subject sessions should then be completed, but they alone are far too vague. So be more specific about what you have to revise. A good idea is to break down each subject into smaller topics. For example, Physics topics might be Heat, Light, Electricity, Energy etc. Maths might be Algebra, Geometry etc.
Once you have created your revision timetable – show it to you parents, let them know what your plan is (if they know when you are to revise and when you will rest, they are less likely to nag you!) Place it somewhere obvious so that you (and your parents) can refer to it. Most important – keep to it! Remember, to earn your 5 mins breaks, you need to work for 25 mins! Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Revision Timetable Remember:
Monday
Work for 25 minutes Plan to rest for 5 minutes Focus fully on the task No distractions (TV, MSN etc) Create a suitable place to revise Use a range of revision techniques Make sure your revision is active Use strategies that support your preferred learning style Shade completed sessions green, Sessions not, or part done in red
Tuesday
Saturday
Sunday
16:00
16:00
9:00
9:00
16:30
16:30
9:30
9:30
17:00
17:00
10:00
10:00
17:30
17:30
10:30
10:30
18:00
18:00
11:00
11:00
18:30
18:30
11:30
11:30
19:00
19:00
12:00
12:00
19:30
19:30
12:30
12:30
20:00
20:00
13:00
13:00
20:30
20:30
13:30
13:30
21:00
21:00
14:00
14:00
21:30
21:30
14:30
14:30
15:00
15:00
15:30
15:30
16:00
Wednesday 16:00
Thursday 16:00
Friday
16:00
16:00
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
19:00
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20:00
20:00
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20:00
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20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Revision Timetable Remember:
Monday
Work for 25 minutes Plan to rest for 5 minutes Focus fully on the task No distractions (TV, MSN etc) Create a suitable place to revise Use a range of revision techniques Make sure your revision is active Use strategies that support your preferred learning style Shade completed sessions green, Sessions not, or part done in red
Tuesday
Saturday
Sunday
16:00
16:00
9:00
9:00
16:30
16:30
9:30
9:30
17:00
17:00
10:00
10:00
17:30
17:30
10:30
10:30
18:00
18:00
11:00
11:00
18:30
18:30
11:30
11:30
19:00
19:00
12:00
12:00
19:30
19:30
12:30
12:30
20:00
20:00
13:00
13:00
20:30
20:30
13:30
13:30
21:00
21:00
14:00
14:00
21:30
21:30
14:30
14:30
15:00
15:00
15:30
15:30
16:00
Wednesday 16:00
Thursday 16:00
Friday
16:00
16:00
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Session
Revision Timetable Day:
Day:
Day:
Day:
Day:
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:30
9:30
9:30
9:30
9:30
10:00
10:00
10:00
10:00
10:00
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
11:00
11:00
11:00
11:00
11:00
11:30
11:30
11:30
11:30
11:30
12:00
12:00
12:00
12:00
12:00
12:30
12:30
12:30
12:30
12:30
13:00
13:00
13:00
13:00
13:00
13:30
13:30
13:30
13:30
13:30
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:30
14:30
14:30
14:30
14:30
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:30
15:30
15:30
15:30
15:30
16:00
16:00
16:00
16:00
16:00
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:00
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
17:30
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:00
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
18:30
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:00
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
21:30
Holmfirth High School
Year 11 Study Support
Revision Sessions
Notes
Holmfirth High School