Gong xi fa cai! Happy Chinese New Year 2015

Here's wishing all pupils and parents a Happy Chinese New Year. 

Gong xi fa cai! :)

          Image taken from google.com

Things to note on 18 Nov 2015

Things to note on 18 Nov 2015

Do bring a small bag tomorrow with a storybook, pencil case and your MT books (in case there are MT lessons).

Things to note on 17 July 2015

Do bring a piece of rag tomorrow and an extra bag as we will be clearing the lockers and class cupboards tomorrow. 

Things to note on 16 Nov 2015

Things to bring tomorrow ( Thinkquest 21)

1. Small bag

2. Water bottle with light snacks

3. Pencil case

4. Storybook

Pls remember to reach school before 7.40a.m.

For those pupils who are not going, please bring your school bags, books for Mother Tongue lessons, storybook, On sponge book (as per normal lessons).

Please remember to submit report books, subject combination and travel declaration forms tomorrow. 

Happy Deepavali and Admin Day tomorrow

Dear all,

Happy Deepavali and do remember that there is no school on 11 November 2015 as it is Admin Day.

Do have a good rest and see you all on Thursday. 

Things to note on 4 Nov 2015

There is no homework.

For the Budding Writers' finalists, please bring your medals and certificates to school tomorrow.

Things to note on 3 November 2015

There is Calculator Workshop abd Swimsafer tomorrow during school curriculum. Please come to school in your school attire and pack your things according to the letter.

For the pupils who are going for the Writing Buddies Award Ceremony, pls note that you have to be at the venue at 4 p.m. for a rehearsal. Light refreshments will be provided.

Things to note

The pupils will be taking their Science paper tomorrow. If they are not feeling well, please ensure they see a doctor and  are covered with a medical certificate.

Today we went through the Science Revision paper and clarified their misconceptions. Do remember to revise their Lower Block science topics. 

Do sleep early!

Science Revision- Taken from post in May 2015

Do let me if there are any mistakes.

Quick recap:

Living Things
1.Livings can grow, respond to changes, die, reproduce, need air, food and water to survive.   
2.Plants can make their own food but animals depend on others for food.

3.Plants and animals can move by themselves but animals can move from place to place by themselves while plants can only move their parts.

4.Some animals lay many eggs at one time to ensure the survival of their species. 

5.Microorganisms are living things that can only be seen under the microscope.
6.The animal groups are mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish. (For characteristics, please look at Textbook Pg 46)

      Mammals- outer covering of hair or fur

                      - Give birth to young alive (exceptions are platypus and spiny anteater which lay eggs)

                      - Feed on mother's milk

                      - Dolphins and whales are mammals. Bats are also mammals.  

       Reptiles- Dry skin covered with scales or shells

                    - Breathe through lungs

                     - Lay eggs

                     - Crocodiles, snakes and turtles are reptiles

       Insects - hard outer body covering (exoskeleton)

                   - body divided into 3 parts (head, thorax and abdomen)

                   - A pair of feelers are at the head, 6 legs are at the thorax

                   - Reproduce by laying eggs

      Fish- Outer covering of scales

             - Have fins to swim and gills to breathe

             - Reproduces by laying eggs

             - Exceptions: Guppies are fish that give birth to their young alive

      Birds- Body covering of feathers

               - Feathers keep them warm and help them to fly

               - Has a beak, a pair of wings and a pair of legs

               - reproduce by laying eggs

     Amphibians- live on land and in water

                        - Breathes through moist skin in water and through lungs when on land

                        - Reproduces by laying eggs

     * A spider is not an insect as it has 8 legs unlike an insect which has 6 legs.

      7.Fungi are not plants as they do not make their own food.

      8. Some examples of fungi are mushrooms, bracket fungi, puff balls and mould.

      9. Fungi reproduce by spores. They feed on other living things,which maybe dead or alive, and which they grow on.

     10. Please learn the parts of a mushroom. Spores are found in the gills of mushrooms.

     11. Useful fungi- mushrooms can be eaten. Yeast can be used to make bread

     12. Harmful fungi- Spoil things when fungi grows on them.

     13. Bacteria are microorganisms. They can only be seen under a microscope. They are living things.

      - Useful bacteria- They can be used to make cheese and yoghurt.

     - Harmful bacteria- They can grow on food and spoil them. Some bacteria make us ill.

   

   Materials

  a)Strength – Ability of material to be pulled without breaking or tearing

(b) flexibility- Ability to bend without breaking

(c) Transparency – How much light can pass through

* Transparent materials allows most light to pass through.

*Translucent material allows little or some light to pass through

*Opaque materials allows no light to pass through

(d) Ability to float or sink – Whether the object floats or sinks in water

(e) Whether the materials are waterproof –Whether the material absorbs water

We have gone through in class the various tests on how to test each property.

**Please note to answer why the pupils choose a certain material for an object, they need to state the material selected to make the object + the property of the material + how this property is useful for the function or use of the object.

Matter and its states

1) Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.

Pupils have been advised to use these 2 properties to determine if something is matter.

2) Mass is the amount of matter in a body or object. (measured in g or kg)

3) Electronic balance and beam balance can be used to measure mass.

4) Volume is the amount of space that a body occupies. Measured in cubic cm or cubic m or litres

5) An object has to be removed or displaced before another object can take its place.

6) The three states of matter are solids, liquids and gases.

Solids have definite shape and volume. Liquids have definite volume but no definite shapes. Gases do not have definite shapes and volumes. Only gases can be compressed.

7) Small grains of rice, jelly beans are solids as they have definite shapes and volumes, though collectively when poured into a container, they are seen to take the shape of the container.

8) Please learn the parts of a syringe and how to mark and take the readings.

9) Remember to get accurate readings, bring eye level to meniscus or lowest point of water mark to avoid parallax error.

10) Please look through the steps to find the volume of objects that are irregularly shaped

11) Beakers are not a good measurement tool. Measuring cylinders are better and to pick the most suitable equipment for measurement, look at the volume of the object to be measured and the units of measurement of the measuring cylinder to decide.

12) The three states of water- ice (solid), water (liquid), gas (water vapour)

** To attempt questions on matter, the pupils must identify if the question is asking on mass or volume (occupying space). For Object X to take the place of Object Y, Object Y must be removed or displaced first. Please note that water takes up space and not water level (use water level correctly).

Heat

Heat is a form of energy.

- Sources of heat are things that produce heat like Sun, volcano, candles and light bulbs.

- Heat is also produced by friction (when two objects rub against each other)

- Please use higher temperature or lower temperature. Remember not to use "hotter temperature or colder temperature".

- Clinical thermometer is used to measure body temperature.

- Laboratory themometer is used to measure the temperature of objects and substances.

- Please note that heat and temperature are not the same. Heat is a form of energy while temperature is a measurement of how hot or cold something is.

- Heat will always travel from a hotter to a colder place until they reach the same temperature.

- When an object gains heat, its temperature increases.

- When an object loses heat, its temperature decreases,

- Matter expand when it gains heat.

-Matter contracts when it loses heat.

Daily use of expansion and contraction

1.A laboratory thermometer contains a liquid such as mercury or alcohol. When the thermometer is placed in something hot, the liquid gains heat and expands. As it expands, it climbs up the scale.

2.Overhead cables are hung loosely so that they do not snap when they contract in cold weather.

3.Railway tracks have gaps along the rails so that the metal rail will not buckle when it expands on hot days.

Good or Poor conductors of heat

Good conductors of heat allow heat to pass through them easily. They allow heat to pass through them quickly.
Poor conductors of heat do not allow heat to pass through them easily.

Metals are good conductors of heat while glass, plastics, wood, rubber and air are poor conductors of heat.

Interesting facts

1.Woollen jackets trap air around your body. As air and wool are poor conductors of heat, heat produced by your body is not easily lost to the surroundings. Thus, wearing a woollen jacket keeps you warm.

2.Metal is not "cold" by nature. If a metal spoon and plastic spoon are placed in an air-conditioned room, they are at the same temperature. The metal spoon feels colder as it is a good conductor of heat and when you touch it, heat is conducted quickly away from our body, faster than the plastic spoon which is a poor conductor of heat. This makes the metal spoon feel colder than the plastic spoon.

3. Uses of good conductors of heat- to make cooking utensils

4. Uses of poor conductors of heat- To make winter clothing and make containers that keep things warm or cold.

** Please note that for heat, please use the following:

- gain heat from XXXXXX

- lose heat to XXXX

***Lastly if the question asks you to explain why you choose an object over some choices, remember to compare by using comparative or superlative adjectives.

Science Revision- Plant parts

I have done up a summary on the Plant parts to aid your revision in Science.
If you do spot any mistakes or you would like to bring up any points for discussion, please inform me when we are back in school.

Plant and their parts

1. Plants are living things and they are made up of many parts.
2. The parts of a plant are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. These parts combine to form a system.
3. Each plant part has a function.
4. These parts work together to help the plant make food, grow and reproduce.

Functions of Roots
1. Takes in water and mineral salts from the soil
2. Holds the plant firmly to the ground

Functions of Stem
1. Supports or holds up the branches and leaves to get sunlight
2. Hold the tree upright
3. Carries food, water and mineral salts to all parts of the plants

Function of Leaf
1. Makes food for the plant by trapping sunlight
2. They allow the plant to exchange gases with the surrounding air

Functions of Flower
1. Reproductive structure of a plant that enables the plant to bear fruits and seeds
2. Attract pollinators

Function of fruit
1. Contains and protects the seeds

Function of seed
1. Germinates to produce new plants

Question: Why are the leaves of plants usually spread out?
Answer: They are usually spread out so that they can get as much sunlight as possible to make food for the plant.


Leaves
Leaves make food for the plant by trapping light energy from the Sun.
There are tiny opening openings in the leaf called stomata to help plants take in and give out gases.

*Do learn how to label the parts of a leaf.

Stem
Some plants have stems that grow straight up and they are strong while some plants have weak stems that climb up other plants for support. Some plants creep along the ground.

Therefore, those plants with weak stem will climb higher up the support (if they are present like a straight stick) to support the leaves up to get sunlight to make food.

Some food is stored in the stems of the plants like potato, ginger and sugercane.

Roots
Some roots store food for the plant like carrot, turnip and sweet potato.

Though it is true that roots of most plants grow underground, some plants do have roots that grow above the ground to get more oxygen like orchid, mangroves.

Interesting facts:
Some red or purple leaves do contain chlorophyll (the green pigment in leaves that aids photosynthesis). It's just that they contain a higher percentage of other plant pigments which masks the small percentage of chlorophyll and cause them to appear red or purple.

Things to note

Tomorrow is the pupils' Mother Tongue paper. Please ensure you are covered with a medical certificate if you are feeling unwell and will be absent from the paper.

Do revise and sleep early. 😊

Thing to note on 27 Oct 2015

Tomorrow the pupils will be taking their Math examination. Please remember to take their mathematical set( protractor and set-squares) to school.

Things to note

Things to note on 27 October 2015

Tomorrow is their English SA2 Paper 2. Please revise by going through their Stellar worksheets from Term 1- 4, worksheets in file, Casco. 

You may use the MConline to go through the grammar rules.

If you are feeling unwell, you must be covered by a medical certificate and pass to me when you are back in school.

Do sleep early. 

Answers for Math WS

Here are the answers for the Math WS. 

You may mark the worksheets or ask your parents to mark them. Do take them to school tomorrow.

Science plant models

Here's sharing some of the creative plant models completed by your classmates. 

Homework on 23 October 2015

Homework on 23 October 2015

1) English Test 8 (Only for those who did not complete it in class)
2) Math WS on Multiplication and Fractions have been posted on the blog

Things to note:
A letter on Swimsafer was handed out to the pupils.
A letter on the time slot for pupils opting to take the Vocaliser test was also handed out.

English Revision
1) Remember to go through Stellar Units from Term 1 to Term 4
2) Revise Casco especially pages at the back of the book where the phrasal verbs, idioms are
3) Go through P3/4 Grammar in MConline to reinforce the grammar rules learnt
4) Attempt the exercises in Casco as revision

Math worksheets on Multiplication and Fractions

Math Revision

As we went through Math revision yesterday, the pupils are still not accurate in their multiplication and fractions calculations.

I am posting 3 worksheets on them and will post the answers tomorrow.

Do download them and attempt the questions. If you do not have a printer, you may copy the questions on your foolscap. Please bring the worksheets on Monday.

As explained to the pupils, usually questions involving these calculations are part of questions and if their algorithm is wrong, it will affect the rest of the equations and a wrong answer will be attained, thus it is important that they get these algorithms correct.

Revision for Science (P3 Topics - Diversity, Materials, Life Cycles and Magnets)

Revision for Science (P3 topics) - Taken from P3E Blog and updated

Diversity
1. State the characteristics of living things.
2. State 2 differences between plants and animals.
3. Why do living things reproduce?
4. What are microorganisms?
5. What are the animal groups? State their characteristics.
6. Name 2 types of fungi.
7. How do fungi reproduce?
8. How do fungi obtain their food?
9. State 2 non-flowering plants. How do non-flowering plants reproduce?
10. There are 3 parts of an insect's body. Name the 3 parts. Which part can you find the insect's legs and wings?
11. A whale is a fish. Is this statement correct. Explain your answer.
12. A spider is an insect. Is this statement correct. Explain your answer.
13. Draw a mushroom and label its parts. Circle the part where the spores are found.
14. How are bacteria harmful or useful to us? List them.

*Please note that plants cannot move from place to place by themselves while animals can move from place to place by themselves. However, plants can move by themselves. An example is that they move towards sunlight.

Materials
1. What are the properties of materials? State how each property can be tested.

* In answering questions on materials, especially on choosing the right material to make an object, we must know the properties of the material and the use (function) of the object. We must be able to relate the properties of materials to the uses of the objects.

Interactions :Magnets
1. Name 2 metals that magnets can be made from.
*Hint: Remember Ironman and Superman (Man of Steel)  :)
2. Complete the sentences.
(i) A magnet can attract _______________  materials.
(ii) Some examples of magnetic materials are ________, ________, __________, ___________.
(iii) A magnet has _______ poles. They are the ______________ and _____________.
(iv) A freely suspended magnet rests in ____________ direction.
(v) Like poles ___________.
(vi) Unlike poles ______________.
3. List three ways for a magnet to lose its magnetic strength.
4. Name the 2 methods to make magnets.
5. In each method mentioned in Q4, how can the magnet be made stronger?
6. How can we tell if an object is a magnet or a magnetic material?
7. Larger magnets are always stronger that smaller magnets. Is this statement true? Explain.
8. Describe 2 ways where we can compare which magnet is stronger.

*Magnets are used in everyday objects like fridge, compass, credit cards and many more.
Please note: Like poles attract when facing each other. Unlike poles attract when facing each other.

Life cycles
1. Why are life cycles important?
2. Why are the eggs of a frog covered with a jelly-like covering?
3. Where are the eggs of a cockroach laid in?
4. List the differences between a cockroach nymph and an adult cockroach.
5. Where are the eggs of a grasshopper found?
6. At which stage, does the young of a butterfly stop eating?
7. How do the mosquito larvae and pupae breathe?
8. Which stages of the mosquito life cycle are spent in water?
9. What type of water are the eggs of the mosquito laid in?
10. Which stage of the grasshopper life cycle is most harmful to the farmers? Why?
11. Which stage of the mosquito life cycle most difficult to kill? Why?
12. Why are the eggs of the butterfly laid on leaves?
13. Name 2 differences between the life cycle of a cockroach and the life cycle of a butterfly.
14. List the differences between the tadpole (young of a frog) and the adult frog.
15. Why do some animals lay so many eggs at one time?

* Please take note that the chick looks like the adult chicken, similar to the grasshopper/ cockroach nymphs which also look like their adults.
** The nymphs of grasshopper and cockroach moults and the larvaes of butterfly, mosquito and beetle moults too.


Do test yourselves on these questions as you go about your revision.
If you do spot any errors, do inform me when I see you on Friday. Have fun revising.

Online assignments (Day 3)

Dear all,

I have assigned another 1 Math assignment via McOnline and 3 short Science MCQ exercises (Cycles, Digestive Systems and Human Systems). I noticed that some of you have not attempted the previous exercises that I have assigned. Please do so.

Online assignments (Days 1 & 2)

Online assignments (Days 1 & 2)

The following assignments have been assigned to you:
1) Math SA2 (1) Section A
2) Math Challenging Questions
3) 2 EL Graphic Stimulus Exercises
4) MCQ Science Exercise on Diversity