11P Science

All of the old papers for all of the subjects you are doing externals for are on the NCEA website. http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/  

You will see a box on the right when you arrive on the website – put in the subject you are looking for, and which level – in your cases level 1. And change the middle line to achievement standards. If you put in something like science, achievement standard and level 1 you will get a page listing your chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology papers. You get all sorts of documents too, moderators reports, exams, standards, all sorts of stuff/crap.  Rumble down to the chemistry, and click the link to all documents. When it opens you will see lists of all the old papers, and in the next section Assessment schedules (they are the answers). Think how much excellent focussed revision you could do with these old papers!

The genetics and micro-bio papers are listed under biology, achievement standards and level 1.

Remember also  the WHS website which also has some useful information. Go to the student section.

Well its been a while since I wrote here. We are doing this whole pendulum thing, and I know it is Not Very Exciting, but try to keep in mind that by doing the practices and following the feedback you get on your practice runs, the chances that you are going to get four credits out of the actual test is Really High. And although we have a few people in the class that have already got their NCEA Level 1, most of the rest of you won’t mind getting a few more credits.When you are doing your practice runs you need to write the method as though you are explaining what to do to a third former. They know what the various pieces of equipment are, but they don’t know what you want to do with it. So explain carefully and thoroughly, because they won’t be able to ask you questions when they don’t understand. Diagrams are very helpful, but you must label them.

Nothing much to say after that! Unit test, 2 credits, see you period 5

Its really important now you know some stuff about chemistry and biology that you don’t forget it before the end of the year when you have the exam. To help with that I suggest you do fifteen minutes of science each day – with a day off each week. Use a timer (like on your phone) and work Really Hard for those fifteen minutes. That means no texting, no music, no toilet stops, in fact No Excuses for 15 minutes. And don’t worry if you don’t get much done in those fifteen minutes, because you are not doing 10 questions, you are doing 15 minutes. And we can do anything for 15 minutes! If you do this every day you will have one and half hours of solid work done every week.

Can I also suggest you spread the love round the subject – do bio one night, then chem, then physics. After all, that means you have a good chance of doing well in all three rather than just the one(s) you like.

 Try pages 37 Q1, and let me know how you get on. Easy? or which question did you find hard. The answers are at the back of the book, but there is nothing to learn from copying them out. Find out what you know, then mark your work.