Name ___________________

“I know I knew that once…What was it?”

Revision 2012: Some suggestions and ideas for the Lower School

(The information in this booklet is also available on the School website)

Planning your Revision Revision is another word for reviewing. To understand and remember what you have learned over the

year, you need to re-read your course essays, notes and textbooks. Revision requires accurate notes and

careful planning to be most effective.

It is best to begin your programme of revision a month or so before the exams.

Before you start your revision there are a number of things you need to do:

1. Have a good look at your examination timetable and read the notes

about exam conduct carefully. These are all in this booklet. Make sure that you

read the right exam timetable for your year group.

2. Devise a revision timetable - Revise in short manageable chunks and

take regular breaks. Each revision session should last about 60 minutes, with

10-minute breaks between each session. If you find this to be too much, then do

25 minute slots with 5 minute breaks.

3. Try not to revise more than two subjects a day and don't attempt to do

all of a subject in one go.

4. Decide what time of day you work most effectively: mornings,

afternoons or evenings.

5. Take lots of exercise. Exercise is a good way to relax and it also helps

you to feel better about yourself and life in general. Research has shown that

movement and exercise increase breathing and heart rate so that more blood flows to the brain,

enhancing energy production and waste removal. If you play for a sports team or go to an

afterschool club, keep going during the weeks leading up to the exams.

6. Take advice from your subject teachers on what topics you will be examined on and how best to

revise for a particular exam.

7. Make sure you have time to relax before going to bed and try to get plenty of sleep. But don't go

to bed so early that you can't sleep – read a book or watch TV first.

Conduct of Examinations

All School Rules, including Dress Regulations, are to be

strictly obeyed during the examination period.

Acquaint yourself with the dates, times and places

of your exams as shown on the timetables.

Read and take note of the ‘Notice to Candidates’ &

‘Warning to Candidates’ posters.

Arrive at your examination room ten minutes before your

exam is due to begin.

No revision or private reading will be allowed in the

examination room, and no unauthorised books, or papers may

be taken in.

Mobile phones are NOT allowed in the examination room.

Please leave your ‘phone in your locker.

Seating for all examinations will be in Candidate Number order.

Check beforehand if you are allowed calculators in your exam.

You must use black ink for all your written answers.

You must stay in the examination room until the end of

the time allowed for your paper.

At the end of your exam paper, you will be asked to leave quickly &

quietly. Move well away from the exam room before speaking.

SECOND YEAR Summer 2012

INTERNAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

AWAITING

UPDATE

Mobile Phones are NOT allowed in Examination Rooms.

Books, revision notes, pieces of paper & mobile phones must NOT be taken into the examination room.

Use black ink for all written answers

Please wait quietly outside the examination room until instructed to take your place.

When your Examination has finished, please remember that External Examinations will still be taking

place. Please observe the SILENCE signs throughout the School AT ALL TIMES.

THIRD YEAR Summer 2012

INTERNAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

AWAITING

UPDATE

Leave your Mobile Phones in your Locker. Books, revision notes, pieces of paper & mobile phones must NOT be

taken into the examination room.

Please wait quietly outside the examination room until instructed to take your place.

Use black ink for all written answers

Supervised Study is for QUIET study/revision. Internal & External examinations will be taking place in classrooms

nearby. Please be considerate. Always observe the SILENCE signs throughout the School AT ALL TIMES

Task 1: Examination checklist For each subject you ought to be able to put a tick in each of the boxes by Wednesday 14th May. If you can’t, then you should see your teacher and ask them for help. It is something you may need to take responsibility for.

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To

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to b

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rev

ise

d

Wh

at

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ics

wil

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rev

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d

in c

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Maths

English

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Junior Science

Geography

History

RS

Latin

French

Spanish

German

Art

D&T

Music

Task 2: Completing your Revision Timetable Once you have worked out when your exams are it is important to plan your revision.

At school your exams start soon after half term. It is important that you start thinking about your revision now. During half term you should aim to do around 12 hours of revision. In addition to this you will have time during the normal school homework time and group base time. Spend some time planning your revision programme for the week before half term, half term and then the two weeks afterwards.

Key points to read before filling in a revision schedule: It is important that you have regular breaks in your revision.

REWARD YOURSELF. Make sure you

have lots of things to look forward to during your revision programme.

Be Realistic – it is unlikely that you will be able to revise for 8

hours in a day. Set your self realistic targets.

Revision should take priority over other less urgent activities which can

be put on hold until after the exams

You will concentrate better and learn more effectively if you are in a quiet comfortable environment. Think about where you are going to revise.

Rotate your sessions between your ‘best’ subjects and your least favourite subjects.

Cross out the sessions on the half-term timetable when you are taking a break from revision.

During Half term you do not need to work every session,

probably one session a day will be enough provided you use the

time wisely.

Regardless of what others are doing you should probably start your revision

earlier than you think you need to.

Mon 21 May Tues 22 May Wed 23 May Thurs 24 May Fri 25 May Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base

Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening

Sat 26 May Sun 27 May Morning Morning

Afternoon Afternoon

Evening Evening

Mon 28 May Tues 29 May Wed 30 May Thurs 31 May Fri 1 June Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base

Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening

HALF TERM

Sat 2 June Sun 3 June Mon 4 June Tues 5 June Wed 6 June Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning

Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon

Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening

Thurs 7 June Fri 8 June Sat 9 June Sun 10 June Morning Morning Morning Morning

Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon

Evening Evening Evening Evening

RETURN TO SCHOOL

Mon 11 June Tues 12 June Wed 13 June Thurs 14 June Fri 15 June Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base

Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening

Sat 16 June Sun 17 June Mon 18 June Tues 19 June Wed 20 June

Group Base Group Base Group Base

Evening Evening Evening

Are you an effective learner? This quiz will help you find out.

1. Do you research, plan and draft an essay before writing it?

2. Do you revise a topic even if exams are

not due for some time?

3. If you are having problems with a topic, do you discuss them with your teacher?

4. Do you leave homework until the last

possible moment?

5. Do you study at home with the television or stereo turned on?

6. Do you read all the comments and

corrections a teacher puts on your work?

7. Do you keep a glossary of important terms for each subject?

8. Do you use a library or learning-

resources room to help you with your studies?

9. Can you easily identify the key points of

a text to make your notes from?

10. Do you always finish answering every question that you are set in an exam?

Think about your answers and what they tell you about how effective you are as a learner.

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

How to Revise You don't have to revise on your own and it doesn't have to be painful or boring. Believe it or not, it can even be enjoyable. There are lots of different strategies that you can use to gain confidence in your revision. Here are some of them.

1 Make notes

Notes help you concentrate and understand a topic. They also save you from having to read your whole course file or exercise book, because you can memorise your own notes

more easily. You may have used a sheet called SQ3R as part of your study skills in

your tutor group.

Read through your essays, notes and textbook chapters and list key points and words under each separate heading as you do so.

Write in different colours or use highlighters to make important points or to make headings stand out (wax crayons are better than highlighters as they are more relaxing to look at and there is a greater variety of colours that you can use).

In subjects where learning quotes (English and History), using appropriate terminology (Geography, RS, Science) is important put these in different colours so that they stand out.

List any of your own ideas under each of these headings in another colour.

Make sure your notes are concise (short and clear) and relevant (keeping to the subject). Try to show what is important information and what is not.

Make sure your notes are legible. Once you have completed your notes, you may find it useful to rewrite them and

keep a final copy stored on index cards or in a small notebook for easy reference, especially for when you have a spare moment.

2 Use mnemonics to help you remember

A mnemonic is a way of helping you remember information using abbreviations, words or phrases. The funnier these are, the better. To remember the colours of the visible spectrum in order, you might use the mnemonic: Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain, using the initial letters of each word to remember (in the right order) the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

3 Use diagrams

Diagrams can also help you remember and understand things. Each leg of a spidergram, for example, has a heading that is linked to the main body or topic. You can

display these diagrams where you are studying. Over the page is an example of one on population.

4 Revise with your friends

Forming self-help pairs or groups to assist your revision and to test each other can be a great advantage, perhaps even write tests for each other. You don’t have to be with someone to do this, why not use e-mail as a way of sending a test to a friend. Working with others can help you to fill in gaps in your understanding or knowledge and is bound

to be more fun than working alone. But be careful not to make your sessions all fun and

no work!

5 Red Pen Black Pen

The idea of using two coloured pens as a revision technique was described by an Occupational Health Therapist who had to learn the 300 parts of the human eye. The idea is that the two colours work on the two halves of the brain. The black pen signifies the information that you already hold in your conscious memory. The red pen signifies those things in your unconscious memory that you wish to transfer into your conscious memory. The red pen strongly signifies danger and is held by your unconscious memory without realising it. Having used this technique, it can have a very positive effect but its success depends to some extent on the preferred learning style of the pupil. The concept map (mind map) has a strong visual impact and obviously allows visual learners to learn information quickly. If you find that the easiest way to learn things is to keep doing it over and over again this technique might work for you. The revision technique has several stages:

6 Practise answering Examination Questions

Practise answering examination questions obtained from your teacher either using notes and books or without them. It may be a good idea to time yourself and see if you can write an answer in about the time which the examination will give you. Why not also try and anticipate a possible exam question when doing your revision, you never know you might get lucky!

Stage 1 – Produce a concept map or page of notes to cover a topic you wish to revise e.g. try using the population summary sheet that is included in this booklet. Stage 2 – Produce a blank skeleton of your concept map or a page with just the headings on Stage 3 – as part of your revision, spend 10 minutes revising from your page of notes/concept map– no longer ! Stage 4 – Turnover the concept map with the answers on it. With your black pen write down everything that you can remember. Stage 5 – When you cannot remember anymore turn over the answer sheet and then fill in the blanks in red. This is the end of the first attempt. Stage 6 – Spend 10 minutes revising from the sheet you have been working on. Repeat from stage 4 !

How many people are there ineach country?

How many people are there in the

world?

Are some areas uninhabited?

population distribution

population density

Factors that influence wherepeople live

Are people distributed evenly in

the world?

What is the average Lifeexpectancy?

Natural Increase

Doubling Times

How much is the world's

population growing by?

How many people live in poverty

in the world?

Is the world's population growing?

Are all populations increasing?

Which country is increasing thefastest?

Birth Rates

Death rates

Infant mortality rate

How many people are born or die

each day?

How much space do peoplehave?

What is the population density inthe world?

What has the chinesegovernment done to control its

population?

Are some countries

overpopulated?

Will we run out of space on theplanet?

What happens when there is ashortage of food?

Are there enough resources to go

round?

What about migration?

What does it show?

How can you identify an agingpopulation?

What is an ageing population?

What is a youthful population?

What is a population pyramid?

Population Issues

Reading and writing Notes:

SQ3R is a useful technique for remembering written information. It helps you to create

a good mental framework of a subject, into which you can fit facts correctly. It also prompts you to use the review techniques that will help to fix information in your mind.

By using SQ3R to actively read a document, you can get the maximum benefit from

your reading time.

The acronym SQ3R stands for the five sequential techniques you should use to read

a book/article/internet article:

Survey:

Survey the document: scan the contents, introduction, chapter introductions and chapter summaries to pick up a shallow overview of the text. Form an opinion of whether it will be of any help. If it does not give you the information you want, discard it.

Question:

Make a note of any questions on the subject that come to mind, or particularly interest you following your survey. Perhaps scan the document again to see if any stand out. These questions can be considered almost as study goals - understanding the answers can help you to structure the information in your own mind.

Read:

Now read the document. Read through useful sections in detail, taking care to understand all the points that are relevant. In the case of some texts this reading may be very slow. This will particularly be the case if there is a lot of dense and complicated information. While you are reading, it can help to take notes in a

concept map format.

Recall:

Once you have read appropriate sections of the document, run through it in your mind several times. Isolate the core facts or the essential processes behind the subject, and then see how other information fits around them.

Review:

Once you have run through the exercise of recalling the information, you can move on to the stage of reviewing it. This review can be by rereading the document, by expanding your notes, or by discussing the material with friends. A particularly effective method of reviewing information is to have to teach it to someone else!

Task 3:

Look at your Geography exercise book and use this SQ3R method to summarise a

particular topic.

Task 4:

Look at this unordered jumble of note making activities and those likely to assist learning and put an X against those likely to slow up

learning.

Leave wide Margins Ignore handouts

Identify what is not said Code references to follow up

Compare and revise notes with friends Store notes under washing

Do loads of photocopying Copy big chunks from books

Underline main points Always note references in full

Use the library for socialising Make notes from current affairs programmes

Doodle lots Make short notes of main points and headings

Turn complex ideas into flow charts Use cards for notes

Ask teachers about points that make no sense Order and file notes weekly

Ask questions Jot down personal ideas

Highlight main points Share notes with friends

Natter in lessons Write illegibly

Copy all OHT’s Use coloured pens for different points

Scribble extra questions in margins Write shopping lists in lessons

Write down everything said in lessons Annotate handouts

Take notes from TV documentaries Revise notes within three days of lessons

In your exams you will encounter lots of different types of questions. These two sheets will help you with

questions that ask you to describe and to explain.

HOW DO I WRITE BETTER DESCRIPTIONS?

How do I do it? What do I write?

Extremes

Use place names to identify where

something is.

Using extremes or opposites to tell us

about something.

Newcastle Under Lyme…..Staffordshire…….

Large/Small…..Wet/Dry….Busy/Quiet…….Full/Empty……

Different types

Recognise there are variations or

categories or different types in what

you are studying.

High growth/steady growth/no growth……The Tundra/the

Tropical Rainforest/ the Desert.

The elderly people/ the young people with families/the

teenagers/ the disabled.

Comparisons

Use numbers to compare features. Twice as many people…..half the number of visitors….. a third less

money……

Calculate the average, the range, percentages from data.

Ratios and Patterns

Spot different types, use numbers

and group these together to tell us

about the whole place. Try to find a

pattern or relationship.

As the temperature increases the rainfall decreases…………the

further away from the town

centre you go the fewer big shops there are……..

HOW DO I WRITE BETTER EXPLANATIONS?

How do I do it? What do I write?

Cause

Effect

Explain that one feature is caused by another

A one sentence answer.

….due to……because……

Cause

How

Effect

Cause

Effect

Effect

Explain how one feature is caused by another.

Or explain how one feature causes another

which then has a knock on effect and causes

something else.

A group of sentences.

….this is caused by…and so this means that…..this effects

this by…..the consequence is…..

Cause How

Effect

How

Effect

Explain how one feature causes another and

then how the knock on effect caused the

something else.

A paragraph.

…this is the result of….the consequence on this is…..this

means that….

Causes

Effect

Effect

Explain how two separate causes work together

to create one feature which then causes

something else.

Two paragraphs, one about each cause.

…the combined effect is…this leads to….these two things

then create…this happens when…

REVISION & LEARNING STYLES

Do you know what your preferred LEARNING STYLE is?

Do you prefer to listen and talk while you learn (AUDITORY)?

Or would you rather see things practically demonstrated or like diagrams and colours? (VISUAL)

Or are you a PRACTICAL learner? Do you memorise things best by doing rather than seeing or listening, using

your body in some way?

Most people are a mixture of all three – and we can confidently use all three styles in revision. But it is also true

to say that we have a PREFERRED Learning Style.

Here are a few suggestions for each one. Try a few for yourself and see which works best for you:

Revision strategies for the auditory learner

• Reading aloud

• Underlining interesting points and quotations

• Make up word games and mnemonics to help you.

• Persuading someone to test and re-test you on what you have learned

• Work with others to revise, but you have to be very disciplined about this (Don’t just chat! Do revision!).

This works best with other auditory learners. Talk your way through a learned topic or ask each other to

explain difficult areas

• Read texts aloud, paying close attention to the way it sounds. Now try reading it under your breath

• Make up questions to ask about the text and then question someone about it

• Talk aloud to recall what you have just learned

• Go somewhere where you won’t bother anyone and read your notes and text book out loud

• Impersonate someone while learning different subjects, for example Peter Kay does Science or Victor

Meldrew does History.

• Decide on keywords/concepts you will need to learn. Experiment with different ways of saying the

keywords out loud (emphasise different parts of the word, use different voices)

• Tape-record your revision, pause the tape recorder and re-tape when you have made a mistake

• Listen to your notes on a tape player when exercising, doing the washing up, on the way to school, and so on

• When learning technical or mathematical information, talk your way through it. State what you have

learned to yourself or a study partner

• Reason through solutions/thoughts by talking out loud or to a study partner

• When learning sequences, write out in sentence form and then read them aloud

• Make up a funny rhyme to remember important facts/concepts.

Revision strategies for the visual learner

• Make use of colour coding when studying new information in your notes

• Use highlighter pens and highlight different kinds of information in contrasting colours

• Trace each word in the air

• Draw a mind map, big enough to cover a wall in your place of study or bedroom

• Make flash cards (3 by 5 inches) of words and ideas that need to be learned

• Use highlighter pens to emphasise the key points

• Limit the information per card so that your mind can take a mental ‘picture’ of the information

• Write out explanations for diagrams or illustrations of draw diagrams from facts

• When learning technical or mathematical information, write out in sentences and key phrases your

understanding of the material. When learning sequences, write out in detail how to do each step

• Experiment with diagrams

• A funny or a rude mental picture will certainly help you to remember facts and patterns

• Use chronological lists of events

• Flow charts use the consequences of each action to jog your memory about the next stage

• Use split lists to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between things

• Copy key information from your notes and textbooks on to a computer

• Use the print outs to re-read your notes

• Make visual reminders of information that must be learned. Use post-it notes in highly visible places – on

your mirror, notebook, bedroom door etc.

Revision strategies for the practical learner

• Walk backwards and forwards with your textbook, notes or flash cards and read the information out loud

• Learn different subjects by walking and reading in different places

• Jot down keywords, draw pictures or make charts to help you remember your notes

• Make flash cards (3 by 5 inches) for every step of a sequence you have to learn

• Put words, symbols or pictures on your flash cards – anything that helps you remember

• Use highlighter pens in contrasting colours to emphasise the important points but limit the amount of

detail so you do not have too much to remember

• Practise putting out the cards in the right order until it becomes automatic

• Copy key points on to a chalkboard, whiteboard or large piece of paper. Make up actions to go with the

keywords

• Write down the main points on post-it notes. Assemble the post-its on the wall to see how the different

areas relate to one another

• Use the computer to reinforce learning by touch. Copy out information that must be learned into a word

processing package on the computer

• Use graphics, clip art, tables and databases to organise material that must be learned

• Listen to your notes of topics when exercising, doing the washing up, walking to school, and so on.

On the morning of the exam

Staying up all night to study at the last minute is not one of the best ideas in life.

Be sure you know exactly where and when each paper of each exam is being held.

Bring the necessary equipment: this might include….. black pens (only black ink can be used in the examinations at KES), two plain pencils and colouring pencils, sharpener, rubber, compasses, protractor, calculator and batteries, a ruler, set squares, a reliable watch, tissues, a bottle of water and (if you need them) glasses. Make sure that all of your pens, pencils etc. are in a clear pencil case or a clear plastic bag.

Make sure you eat breakfast. It's important to be alert in exams, and not feel hunger pangs. Foods that have lots of carbohydrates, such as cereals and bread, will give your brain enough energy for the day. Carbohydrates will help your revision, too.

Drink lots of water – being hydrated aids concentration and it will help you to think clearly.

Don’t be put off by someone claiming to know everything. No one will know absolutely everything. If the information is so good, ask for an explanation and decide whether it is information that you might need for the examination.

Whatever the case, it’s probably not a good idea mixing with a lot of your fellow students before an exam starts. If you’re feeling nervous (who doesn’t?) getting to School in good time and sitting quietly by yourself or with another student is probably better preparation.

It’s also a good idea not to mix very much after an exam. If you get the impression that people have done better than you, for whatever reason, this might make you feel less confident about the exams you’re about to take next.

Practise taking a few deep breaths before an exam starts, and even during the exam if you feel yourself tensing up. This should help to calm the nerves and make you more alert. If you try to concentrate for a few seconds on simply breathing in and out rather than all the information you know, the relaxation effect will be enhanced.

When the exam starts, read all of the instructions carefully, especially if there is a choice of questions to answer.