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Monthly Archives: June 2011

Examination advice

Monday, June 20th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

Before the exam

  • Check the time and place for the exam.
  • Do not cram at the last minute.
  • Put your equipment in a clear plastic bag the night before.
  • Get a good night’s sleep.
  • Eat before the exam but not junk food.
  • Avoid people who make you feel nervous.
  • Stay calm and confident. Breathe deeply.
  • Don’t forget your equipment.
  • Be early for the exam.

 

In the exam

  • Stay calm. Relax. Stay focused.
  • Have confidence in yourself.
  • Answer the easy questions first.
  • Do not spend too long on each question. If you have extra time at the end return to the question.
  • Do not use twink, pencil or red pen.
  • Cross out mistakes with a single line.
  • Use diagrams to support your answer. Label clearly.
  • Read questions twice. Circle key terms.
  • Do not bulk up an answer. Keep to the point!
  • Proof read answers. Ask yourself – Have I written a complete answer? Have I answered the question that was asked?
  • Match the length of your answer to the space provided.
  • Watch out for plurals in questions. For example, ‘Name features of graphs’ means that you are required to write at least two features.
  • Label extra pages clearly and attach them to your exam booklet.

Study tips

Monday, June 20th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

Keeping on track

  • Believe in yourself.
  • Always do your best.
  • Set goals and try to stick to them.
  • Each small task you complete helps to keep you motivated for the next task.
  • Focus on your successes. Forgive yourself for making mistakes.
  • Reward yourself for each success.
  • Attend classes. Keep up to date and stay that way.
  • The sooner you start study, the sooner you’ll be free for other things.
  • If you are feeling low, ask a friend to give you a pep talk, to remind you of all your good qualities and abilities.

Arsenic-based life debate continues

Friday, June 17th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

debate cartoonThere’s no more stimulating way to end a busy week than a good scientific controversy!

And we are NOT talking Global Warming  this time!

“More than a dozen researchers voice their  concerns  about a 2010 paper that claims bacteria can use arsenic in place of phosphorus in its DNA and other biomolecules”

Check out this story in Science from June 2, 2011 and associated links

http://the-scientist.com/2011/06/02/arsenic-based-life-debate-continues/

So, which side are you on ????

Teacher Guides from Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Monday, June 13th, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

These teacher guides were developed to provide topic-specific organization of BioInteractive resources optimized for classroom use. The guides offer detailed instructions for both online and DVD access, time lengths, and summaries of each resource. The resources include animations, video clips, virtual labs, lecture chapters, and interactive Click and Learns specific to each topic – Biotechnology, DNA, gene expression, gene regulation etc


Brilliant resources appropriate for classroom teaching here.
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/guides/

The Biology Corner

Monday, June 13th, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

The Biology Corner is a resource site for biology and science teachers.  It contains a variety of lessons, quizzes, labs, web quests, and information on science topics.   You can find lessons related to biology topics in the links  listed under “topics” on the sidebar.  Topics include:  Ecology, Genetics, Anatomy, Cells, Scientific Method, and Evolution.
Great resources here for student revision also!   Really useful revision tools, plus even has a virtual dissection or two!
http://www.biologycorner.com/