KS3 Student

Revision Planner 2016/17

Contents

Preparation for Tests ................................................................ 3

Director of Learning: Mr Vogler ................................................ 4

Ways to change things ............................................................. 5

Revision tips from your teachers: ............................................. 8

English: .................................................................................... 8

Maths: ...................................................................................... 8

Scientific Skills: ........................................................................ 9

HINTS and TIPS for EFFECTIVE REVISION ......................... 10

Where to Revise ..................................................................... 11

Help I Need ............................................................................ 12

Term Time Revision ................................................................ 13

Preparation for Tests

Please read through this booklet, it gives lots of useful tips and advice about how to revise for the tests and where to go for additional help. Check out the web sites – they can be fun to use. Good examples are: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize www.u2learn.com www.docbrown.info (Science) Use the diary pages in your planner to plan times to read through your notes

for each subject. Share your revision time between the three subjects. Ask your teachers and parents if you need help with this.

The earlier you start your revision the easier it will seem. Not only will all this help you do your best in the tests, but it sets an excellent foundation for your GCSE years too.

“What you do right now is what will shape your destiny” Tony Robbins author of “Awaken the Giant within”

Remember: Mr Vogler, your Tutor and Teachers are here to help you and they wish you all every success.

Director of Learning: Mrs Drage Dear Key Stage 3 Please read this revision guide all the way through – it will give you techniques you can use right through your education and might just give you an idea that works for you! Unfortunately, there is no easy way to pass tests, but we can give you lots of tips on how to use your study time more effectively. This guide has been written to remind students about how to revise and how to learn. The idea is to “revise” each major section of your work shortly after you have finished it. For instance, you could draw a Mind Map of each major topic you cover. Keep the Mind Maps because they will be very useful for revising before tests. Although this booklet contains superb advice, great tips and fantastic study skills, the guide isn’t as important as the person reading it – YOU! It is you who have to put them into practice and apply them to your work. If you do, we’re sure that you will improve your performance and your study skills. But to get better at something, you have to practise! Good luck to you all, Mrs Drage

Why? 1. Revision helps learning 2. Revision increases your achievement in tests 3. Achievement in tests give you wider choices later on 4. Achievement will make everyone proud of you! 5. You will feel great!

How? There are three easy steps to doing revision well: Change Challenge Treats A suggestion is to try change. By changing what is in our exercise books or textbooks into a different form, we kick start our brains into action – we start thinking about new ways of presenting and digesting the information and start learning.

Ways to change things: Make diagrams Labelled drawings Time-lines Mind maps Charts and flowcharts (for processes) Audio tapes (great for reminding) Outline cards Mnemonics Use colours and highlighters The next pages are examples of mind maps – try making some for your topics in English, Maths & Science.

Mind Map

Spider Diagram

English: There are 2 assessment pieces: Reading Writing Make sure you know what is covered on each assessment. Read regularly (newspapers, leaflets, magazines, books). Look back through your English book and learn spellings you often get wrong. Learn the conventions of the various elements of transactional writing. Focus on language

and exactly what the question is asking you to do e.g. inform, persuade etc. Make time to relax. In fact, taking time to relax with a book and reading for pleasure will help

with revision. On the reading assessment at Level 5 you need to: Be aware of different layers of meaning. Think about structure, themes and language. Identify key features and characters. Make simple comparisons between texts. Remember to write about the effects of language. On the writing assessment, you need to: Write in different forms for different readers. When answering questions from both the reading and writing examination papers, we will expect to see that you have paid attention to: spelling, punctuation and grammar. We have provided a few reminders to help you with this. You must be able to: Spell some complex words correctly but all simple words correctly. Write in paragraphs. Use the correct punctuation. Try challenging folks at home to spelling competitions.

Maths Complete as many examination papers as you can. Don’t just read your notes – complete lots of questions and check the answers. Use your

exercise books as a revision guide (the method will be present). Learn all key formulae. Identify areas of weakness and work on them (look at your teachers marking and speak to

your teacher). Don’t spend a lot of time doing work you already understand just to make yourself feel better. Use your teacher’s expertise – they will find time to see you as will any other maths teacher. Remember that there will be more questions on number, algebra and shape than anything

else. Use questions present in your exercise books, textbooks or from your homework revision

booklets to identify areas of difficulty and seek help from your teacher/any teacher in the Maths department.

Learn how to use a scientific calculator properly and ensure you have the correct equipment. Ensure all homework is completed and fully understood. Revision booklet homework should

be carefully completed; ask your teacher for help. Attend the Maths sessions. Use the internet - YouTube/Mr Barton Maths.

Scientific Skills: Make sure you can: Use a range of scientific methods and techniques to develop and test ideas and explanations. Plan and safely carry out practical and investigative activities to obtain, record and analyse

data. Use these to provide evidence for scientific explanations. Can evaluate scientific evidence and working methods.

Science subject content:

Make sure you know: Energy, electricity and forces How energy is transferred. How forces can be balanced or unbalanced and the effect of unbalanced forces on an object. How to draw electrical circuits and their practical applications. About energy resources and different forms of energy. How light and sound are transferred through waves. Chemical and material behaviour How to explain the particle model. The difference between elements, mixtures and compounds and importance of the periodic

table. how the properties and reactions of materials influence their use. How to determine when a chemical reaction has taken place and represent it with a formula. The behaviour and reactions of acid and alkalis. Organisms, behaviour and health How reproduction occurs in plants and animals. How health is affected by diet, drugs and disease. How all living things show variation and the source of variation. How living things interact with their environment. The different life processes and the organisation of cells into tissues, organs and body

systems. The environment, Earth and universe The structure of the planet and the rock cycle. The solar system, how the seasons occur and night and day. The effect that humans are having on the environment – pollution, climate change and global

warming

HINTS and TIPS for EFFECTIVE REVISION Start your revision in good time. Use this planner to help you. Check through your notes for parts you don't understand Make a note of these and ask your

teachers for some help. Make good use of your revision lessons. There are often fewer people in revision lessons

than in normal lessons, so it’s easier to get help. The more confident you feel about your exams, the more likely you are to do well in them. To

feel confident, you need to prepare thoroughly and carefully. The advice below suggests when to start revising and how to go about it.

The more time you go over a section of work, the more likely you are to remember it. Spending long periods revising just before exams has been shown not to work because,

however long you spend you are only likely to remember what you did in the first 10-15mins

and the last 10-15mins. Divide longer spells of revision up into half hour slots and do

something different in each half hour block. It is much better to revise in short concentrated

spells of 20 - 30 minutes.

Plan your revision so that each section is covered several times – the more times you come

back to it, the better you’ll remember it. Make sure every subject gets its fair share of your time. Divide the work you need to revise into small sections, which will fit into half hour slots.

Sitting reading your notes is not the most effective way to revise. You need to be actively

involved!! When you have revised a section, test yourself and make a note of anything you got wrong so you can concentrate on that next time.

Nobody can revise solidly every day and every evening from now until the exams. Try to practise past exam questions so that you get to know how questions are worded. Take

note of the mark scheme. A section worth 1 mark is not likely to need a page of writing! Don’t forget to state the most obvious facts!

If you have done a half hour revision spell, have a short break before starting on the next

section.

Look after yourself!

Work sensibly and steadily, have time off, get plenty of

sleep, exercise and fresh air.

Good Luck!

Where to Revise You need to think about finding a place where you can revise. It needs to

be…

Away from distractions

Quiet

Well ventilated

Well lit

Make sure you can leave work out so you can go to it at any time.

How to Revise Revision has to be ACTIVE. Avoid just reading through notes. Not only will you find this boring but the information will not ‘sink in’. You have to be doing something!

Remembering Information Using Stories

To help you remember lists of information create a story in your head that

links the information together. Be creative with your story so it stands out and

you can remember it.

Using pictures

Our brains remember more of what we read and see than just of what we read. Draw pictures to represent key events or theories that you need to revise. You will find you can remember these pictures in the exam.

Using colour

You may find you remember words that stand out in a different colour. Use

colour on your notes to identify and highlight key words. Make sure you can

explain what these key words are. The words should trigger more information.

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Term Time Revision

5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5

Saturday

Sunday

"Trying to remember important things without going over them again, is like trying to fill the

bath without putting the plug in."

Winners are too positive to be doubtful.

Term Time Revision

5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5

Saturday

Sunday

5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5

Saturday

Sunday