Anchored on

VALUES

Strategies
in the 21st Century
VALUED

for
Workplace

Answering Science
Questions
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership.

 Anchored on
VALUES

Area of Concern
in the 21st Century

Students generally have difficulty answering

VALUED
Workplace

Science questions which test them on their

analytical and thinking skills. As a result,
many of them do not score well in these
Singapore, society

questions
& the world
VALUES

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 2

 Strategies for Answering Multiple Choice
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Questions
□ Read and understand the question.
□ Study the diagram (if any)
in the 21st Century

□ Look out for key words and highlight/

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Workplace

underline/circle them.
□ Identify the topic which is tested.
□ Recall the related concepts and
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

write them down.

□ Link the concepts to the question.
□ Eliminate the incorrect options
and choose the best answer.
Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 3
 Strategies for answering
Anchored on
VALUES

Open-ended Questions
□ Read and understand the question.
□ Interpret diagrams/graphs/charts.
in the 21st Century
VALUED

□ Look out for key words and highlight,

Workplace

underline or circle them.

□ Identify topic tested in the question.
Singapore, society

□ Recall and apply the relevant concepts

& the world
VALUES

for the topic.

□ Take note of the marks awarded to
each question.
Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 4
 Common Weaknesses in answering
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VALUES

Open-ended Questions
□ Not understanding the question (out of
context)
in the 21st Century

□ Answer is too general and not specific.

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Workplace

(eg. giving only motherhood statements)

□ Answer is incomplete.
Singapore, society

□ Too much unnecessary information

& the world
VALUES

(1/2 mark is deducted for each additional

incorrect concept.)

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 5

 Anchored on
Common Weaknesses in Answering
Open-ended Questions
VALUES

□ Stating what is given in the question

(observation)without mentioning the scientific
concept. For example: The lid is covered
in the 21st Century
VALUED

instead of “air cannot enter the box”, the towel

Workplace

is open instead of “it has a greater exposed

surface area”, restating data and not
interpreting the data.
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

□ Not following instructions given in the

question (eg. draw an arrow/ label/
shade/using the letters A,B, C or D…)

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 6

 Examples of key words and expected
answers
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VALUES

Key words in question Expected answer

What… Can be a one word

Which part… answer or a short
in the 21st Century

sentence
VALUED

State...
Workplace

Name… (Recalling of facts.

Reasons are not
needed.)
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 7

 Examples of key words and expected
Anchored on
VALUES
answer
Key words in Expected answer
question
How… Answers require
in the 21st Century
VALUED

application of
Workplace

Describe...
Explain… concepts.
Why… For description of
experiments,
Give a reason…
Singapore, society

detailed procedure is
& the world
VALUES

expected.

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 8

 Anchored on
VALUES
Examples of key words and expected
answers
Key words in question Expected Answer

What is the aim of the A sentence stating what

experiment? you hope to find out from
in the 21st Century

the experiment.
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Workplace

[Eg. To find out if the

intensity of light affects the
rate of photosynthesis.]
What conclusion can you A sentence stating the
Singapore, society

draw… outcome of the

& the world
VALUES

experiment.
What can you say about… States a related scientific
What is the relationship concept, property,
between… relationship or pattern

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 9

 Anchored on
VALUES

Samples
in the 21st Century
VALUED

of
Workplace

Past Years’
Singapore, society

PSLE Questions
& the world
VALUES

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 Sample Question – MCQ
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F
Fair Test
in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

variable to be
changed
Melissa wanted to find out the effect of temperature on the growth
of plants. Which two dishes should she compare in order to draw a
correct conclusion?
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

(1) A and B  (same temp)

(2) A and D  (diff temp, same no. of plants, plants diff. dist. apart)
(3) B and C  (diff temp, same no. of plants, plants same dist. apart)
(4) B and D  (diff temp, same no. of plants, plants diff. dist. apart)

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 11

 Anchored on
VALUES Sample Question (Open-ended)
Robin observed two different types of cells, A and B , from the
same plant
in the 21st Century
VALUED

Topic:
Workplace

Cells

(a) What is the function of part X ?

_________________________________________
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

(b) Which part of the cell makes food for the plant ?

____________________________________________

(c) In which part of the plant are you likely to find cell A ?
Give a reason for your answer.

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 12

 Sample Question
Anchored on
VALUES

Interpreting a Diagram
John carried out an experiment with two beakers X and Y. He
placed three bean seeds in each beaker and left them in the room
with a temperature of 29°C.
in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

Topic:
Germination
oil
cooled
boiled tap water
Singapore, society

water
& the world
VALUES

X Y

Fact/Concept: Seeds need air, warmth and water to

germinate

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 13

 Sample Question
Anchored on
VALUES

Interpreting a Diagram
After two days, he noticed that the beans in beaker Y
germinated but not those in beaker X.
in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

oil
cooled
boiled water tap water
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

X Y

Explain his observation.

state the scientific concept

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 14

 Anchored on

Thought Process
VALUES

Think
What is the implication when there is boiled
water?
in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

Absence of dissolved air/oxygen in boiled water.

Presence of dissolved oxygen/air in tap water.

Think
Singapore, society
& the world
VALUES

What is the purpose of the layer of oil?

The layer of oil prevents atmospheric air/oxygen

from dissolving in the water.

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 15

 Anchored on
VALUES

Scientific fact/concept

Air/Oxygen is needed for germination.

in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

Application:

There is dissolved air/ oxygen in tap water for the

beans in Beaker Y to germinate but the beans in
Beaker X cannot germinate as there is an absence of
Singapore, society

dissolved air/oxygen.
& the world
VALUES

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 16

 Sample Question
Anchored on
VALUES

A water tank used for flushing a toilet bowl is shown

below.
in the 21st Century

Topic:Matter
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Workplace

Concept: Matter occupies space.

After flushing, water enters and refills the
tank.The water will stop filling if water reaches
Singapore, society

level L.
& the world
VALUES

James wanted to use less water to flush the toilet.

Michelle suggested using a plastic bottle filled
with stones.

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 17

 Sample Question
Anchored on
VALUES

apply the scientific concept

Explain how Michelle’s suggestion would help reduce the

amount of water used to flush the toilet.
in the 21st Century
VALUED
Workplace

The bottle filled with stones sank to the bottom of the water
tank and since the bottle with stones occupied space, less
water is needed to fill up the water tank to level L.

Concepts on Matter
Singapore, society

Matter has mass.

& the world
VALUES

Matter occupies space.

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 18

 Anchored on
VALUES

Applying the strategies is tedious and time-

in the 21st Century

consuming but with constant practice, it has

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Workplace

proved to be effective in helping pupils

analyze questions and applying the
knowledge and concepts which they have
Singapore, society

learnt.
& the world
VALUES

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership. 19

 VALUES VALUED Anchored on
Singapore, society in the 21st Century VALUES
& the world Workplace

Purpose . Pupils . ExPerience . Professional Development . Partnership.

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