In class today, we discussed the various types of mistakes students make when answering open-ended questions in Science.
Vague answers:
(1) Answer is not specific to the question
Pupils do not understand the question
- You should highlight key words to understand the question
- Always write down 2-3 highlighted words to focus on
(2) Answer is not specific to the concept tested
Pupils have chosen focus key words but cannot link to the relevant concept tested
- Learn to activate your Science Sense - some key words will give us a clue as to what the concept is
For example:
thermometer tells us we will be testing the concept of heat and maybe heat transfer
copper / paper tell us we will be testing materials and maybe heat or electrical conductivity
(3) Answer is not specific to the situation
Pupils give a general answer that is correct but failed to connect to the situation discussed in the question
For example in a question that asks you to explain why you chose the 'Lead ball' as your answer:
- Not specific: The bigger the mass , the more gravitational potential energy
- Specific: The lead ball had the biggest mass as it made the biggest indentation in the soil and therefore had the most gravitational potential energy
That's all for today. Give the above startegies a try!
