St Columb’s College

January February 2019

Revision Pack

Year 8

How to Revise

There are a few things that you can do to make your revision

for the Christmas Exams as effective as possible.

Revision Environment:

You should try to make sure you have good surroundings when

you are trying to revise.

Find a quiet place so you don’t get distracted

Make sure you are sitting comfortably

Keep background noise a minimum e.g. TV, radio.

Make sure the area is well lit so you don’t strain your eyes.

Revision plan:

It is suggested that making a revision plan helps some people to revise more

effectively. Included in this pack you will find a suggested revision timetable.

You can download more copies off the school website.

Make a list of all your exam subjects and try to assign an amount of time

needed for each subject. For example if there is an area that you find

difficult, then maybe you should give more time to this subject.

Revise often and try to do a bit everyday.

Break your revision time down – aim to study each subject for no more than

15-20 minutes at a time.

Include time off and breaks in your revision plan. Aim to take a 5 minute

break after every session.

Remember to include variety in your plan – not only in the subjects you

revise but also the techniques you use.

Revision techniques:

Here are a few ideas as to how you can revise most

effectively.

Create memory aids such as diagrams or mnemonics

(e.g. for the order of colours in the rainbow:

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

- Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain).

Write key facts on pieces of cards and display them

around your house or even on the way to school.

Study with someone at home or with a friend and test each other’s

knowledge

Remember to reward yourself. Use rewards as incentive to do the revision.

On the day before the exam:

Use your revision tools (e.g. diagrams, mnemonics etc) to check facts

Keep calm – don’t try to learn new topics so close to an exam.

Don’t stay up all night.

Please remember that revision isn’t a competition. It’s not about who stayed up

all night and revised the longest. It is about finding the right revision methods

that suit your way of learning. Try out some of the techniques mentioned and you

will find that revision isn’t as scary as you first thought. Getting started is often

the hardest bit.

Some Useful Revision Websites

http://www.nwlg.org/pages/resources/knowitall/index.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/

Revision Timetable

Week 1 2 3 4 5

Day Revision

Slot 1

Revision

Slot 2

Revision

Slot 3

Revision

Slot 4

Revision

Slot 5

Revision

Slot 6

Time

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Subject English

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

Comprehension:

Understanding of character – how is the character described in what he or she says

and does

Selection of textual evidence to support views – picking out facts and quotes to

support your responses

Understanding of setting – how does the location of the story add to its effectiveness

Understanding of writer’s techniques – how does the writer make his or her story

interesting or exciting?

Writing:

Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Creative Writing – imaginative story telling

Awareness of audience – who are you writing for?

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Comprehension:

Factual Recall

Question on Character

Question on Writer’s Techniques

Creative Writing

Equipment

requirements

for

examination

Pen!

Subject French

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 h

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

1. Greetings : Meeting people / Say how you are

2. Myself : Say your name / Spell (alphabet) / Say how old you are (numbers to

15) / Dates and birthdays (song) - (Days of the week / Months / numbers to 31) /

Say where you live / Say what your nationality is / colours

3. What you like and dislike

4. My family (brothers/sisters) / My friend/Pets 5. Free time, leisure : sports, music, hobbies, activities at school and at the

weekend

Grammar :

- Masculine/feminine words / Use of un/une/le/la/l’/les

- Avoir (to have) / être (to be) - (Je/tu/il/elle) / ER verbs endings

- Negative form (ne/n’…pas)

- Possessives (mon/ma/mes/ton/ta/tes/son/sa/ses)

- Use of pronouns (je/j’ / tu / il / elle/ nous / vous / ils / elles)

- Jouer au + sport / jouer de la /du + instrument

- Faire de la / du + activity /Aller (full verbs – Present Tense) / To the + place

Marks to be allocated: Listening – 25; Speaking – 25; Reading – 25; Writing – 25

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Speaking : Role-Plays / Conversation

Reading/Listening : Material in French : gap-filling / selection / translation from French

into English / answers in English and French

Writing : Listing and short phrase task in French / short phrase/sentence responses in

French / short translation exercise from English into French / a structured, extended writing

task in French

Equipment requirements for

examination

A pen is needed for the examination.

Revision

tip(s)

Revise from your Vocabulary and Grammar notebook. Test yourself on the vocabulary

for each Unit. Using a revision notebook, copy out the French words/phrases from your

vocabulary book, then shut your vocabulary book and see if you can write in the English

meanings. Alternatively, ask someone at home to test you on vocabulary; it does not

matter if they do not know any French – ask him/her to give you the English word(s) and

see if you can remember the French word(s). Practise your knowledge and understanding

of French by revising the Reading exercises in the workbook part of your i-books.

Subject Geography

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 hour

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

What is Geography?

3 different types of geography.

Key Geography definitions

Studying Geography – using photographs and sketch diagrams.

Locational Geography:

Oceans and continents of the world.

Countries of the British Isles, Britain and UK

The Political Map of Northern Ireland – the counties, towns and cities.

The Physical map of Northern Ireland- the rivers, mountain ranges and Loughs.

Geographical Skills:

Latitude and Longitude: Definitions, how they are measured and be able to give

the latitude and longitude of places using a map.

Graphs: The different types of graphs used in Geography.

Settlement:

Definition of site and situation

Factors that encouraged the growth of settlements e.g. rivers, fuel supply

Definition for function, land use, urbanisation and suburbanisation

Land use patterns in cities – CBD, inner city, suburbs

Benefits and problems of settlement growth?

Weather and Climate:

Weather and climate definitions.

Elements of the weather definitions

Instruments and the units of measurement: The instruments used to measure the

different elements of the weather.

Microclimate: Definition and factors that affect temperature and wind.

Climate of Britain and Ireland: Factors that affect temperature and rainfall.

Question type(s) (e.g.

diagrams, mapwork,

sources etc.)

A variety of questions will be used: Open ended requiring answers with full

sentences, interpreting and identifying diagrams, heads and tails questions

Equipment

requirements for

examination

Pen, pencil, ruler, rubber

Revision

tip(s)

List and learn all key words – test yourself.

Read through your notes and use spider diagrams to summarize and organise key

points.

Study the maps really carefully so that you can recognise and name places shown

on maps in the exam. Read Chapter 8 of the ibook for other revision tips.

Subject German

Year Group 8

Examination length 60 minutes

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

Reading

This examination paper tests how well you can understand written words and texts

in German. You will be expected to read sentences/passages and match pictures

with words or sentences or numbers or fill in words that are given. The topics will

be ‘classroom instructions’, ‘greetings’, ‘family’, ‘pets’, ‘objects in your school

bag’, school subjects (likes and dislikes), telling the time and talking about your

school day.

You will have to write about yourself, your family and your school.

Question

type(s)

You will have to match pictures or names to sentences and you will have to decide

whether something is ‘True’ or ‘False’. You will have to match pictures and

words, fill in missing letters or words and be able to write words or short

sentences and copy words from a text.

Equipment

requirements

You must have a black pen. You may write onto the examination paper.

Revision

tip(s)

Test yourself on the meaning of words and sentences. Copy words carefully,

paying attention to capital letters and ‘umlauts’

Subject History

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 hour

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

(and amount

of marks to

be allocated)

General Areas:

Bias;

Types of sources;

Measurements of time;

Dates (AD/BC).

Claimants to the English Throne.

Dates of events of 1066

Battle of Hastings – Causes, events and reasons William won.

How did William control England?

William uses force – the Harrying of the North.

Norman castles – Why William built castles, features of a Motte and

Bailey, how to attack/defend a castle and how castles changed.

The Feudal system.

The Domesday book.

Key words.

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Source questions.

Cloze procedure (fill in the blanks).

Sentence questions.

Short essay.

Labelling

Equipment requirements

for examination

Pens, Pencil, Ruler

Revision

tip(s)

For each topic know the following things:

Date/People involved

Causes of event

Details of event

Results of event

Use ibook and hardback notebook

Make notes on topics in spider diagram format and then test yourself to see how

much you know.

Subject Irish

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 hr

Areas/topics

to be

covered

for revision

Greetings

School Life

Myself and Others

Time

Colours

Féilte na Bliana

Pupils can say hello / goodbye / please / thank you

/welcome / excuse me etc…

Pupils can name subjects and give an opinion of

them / name objects / describe a classroom /

understand classroom orders

Pupils can describe themselves giving details of;

name, age, where they live, their school, their class,

hair, eyes, height, weight etc…AND understand

others doing same

Pupils can tell the time in Irish

Pupils can name 11 colours

Pupils can name 7 days, 12 months and 4 seasons

Marks to be allocated: Listening: 25 Speaking: 25 Reading 25% Writing 25%

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Multiple choice

Gap-filling

Matching pictures to vocabulary

Comprehensions

Sentence writing

Paragraph writing

List making

Equipment requirements for

examination

Pen

Revision

tip(s)

Read class notes and highlight important vocabulary.

Use oral preparation booklet to help with preparation for oral element of exam

Copy highlighted vocabulary into a revision book.

Learn vocabulary lists.

Look at vocabulary, cover it up and see if you can say it without seeing it.

Practice writing sentences on each topic.

Test yourself.

Subject Mathematics

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 Hour

Areas/topics

to be

covered

for revision

(and

amount of

marks to be

allocated)

Addition and Subtraction of whole number

Multiplication and Division of whole numbers

Special Numbers – square, cube, prime

Bidmas

Negative numbers

Solving Equations

Substituting into expressions

Simplifying expressions

Rounding

Averages

Stem and leaf

Pie Charts

Bar charts

Fractions

Sequences

- Chapter 1 - MW clip

- Chapter 1 - MW clip 19, 20 & 30

- Chapter 2 - MW clip 28 &30a

- Chapter 3 - MW clip N20

- Chapter 4 – MW clip N19a & N19b

- Chapter 5 - MW clip 135

- Chapter 5 - MW clip 95

- Chapter 5 - MW clip 33, 34 & 35

- Chapter 6 - MW clip 31 & 32

- Chapter 6 - MW clip 62

- Chapter 6 - MW clip 128b

- Chapter 8 - MW clip 128a

- Chapter 8 - MW clip 15

- Chapter 9 - MW clip 24,25,26, 70 71a

- Chapter 10 - MW clip 39, 102 & 103

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Diagrams

Calculations

Graphs

Equipment

requirements

- Calculator

- Pen, Pencil, eraser, sharpener

- Ruler, Protractor

Revision

tip(s)

Tips for Revision

- Use your notebook – this contains notes on everything

- Go through the exercises from the Year 8 ibook to revise each topic.

- Once you’ve revised a topic using notes, try some questions that you’ve

already done in your exercise book – then you can check the answer is

right!

- Revision material will be given out in class, the week before exams – this

will be very useful so make sure you can attempt all the questions.

- Use MathsWatch video clips and questions

On the day:

- Make sure you have a calculator and protractor.

- It is very important that you show working out in a question where there is

more than 1 mark available. You may lose marks if you do not show your

working.

- If you struggle at a question – put a star beside it and move on! Don’t

waste time at it and at the end of the test when you’ve done everything else

you can come back to the starred questions.

Subject R.E.

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 hour

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

1. Prayers: Know the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be. Pgs.14-

15. 10 marks

2. St. Columba: knowledge about his life – early years, life in Ireland, life

in Scotland.

Be able to explain how his life influences us. Pgs.22-23. 20 marks

3. The Bible: Know and understand what the following terms mean

regarding the Bible – “Word of God;” Inspired”. Know the sections of

both the Old and New Testament and be able to name the books in the

Pentateuch. Looking up Bible references, copying some out and

answering questions on others. Know and understand the Story of Sarah

and Abraham. Know and understand the reasons why the gospels were

written and why there are differences in the gospels. Pgs.24-53. 20

marks 4. Advent/ Christmas. Know the story of Jesus’ birth and what it tells us

about Mary Pgs. 54-59. 10 marks

5. The Land of Palestine in the time of Jesus Pgs. 60-79. 20 marks

Total: 80 marks

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Short Knowledge questions.

Short Paragraph questions

True or False Exercises

Cloze passages.

Looking up Bible references and writing them out/answering questions on them

Equipment

requirements

for

examination

Pen

Gideon Bible –every pupil was given one of these at an Assembly earlier in the

year

Revision

tip(s)

Learning off by heart is the key to success in this exam.

Get someone to test you on your knowledge

For topics that ask you to explain ( e.g. meaning of Our Father/ influence of St.

Columba/ importance of the bible stories) do out a spider diagram based on class

notes.

Subject Science

Year Group 8

Examination length 1hr

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

(and amount

of marks to

be allocated)

Microscopes are used to magnify a specimen - The parts & functions of a

microscope to include: eyepiece lens, body tube, objective lenses, stage & clips,

coarse & fine tuning knobs, iris diaphragm, mirror/light source. How to calculate

total magnification.

The 7 Characteristics of life – MRS GREN

A unicellular organism is made up of only one cell

A multicellular organism is made of many specialised cells

Tissues are groups of same type of cells carrying out the same task / function

Organs are groups of tissues working together are called organs

Groups of organs working together are called organ systems

Animals & plants are made up of cells

Identify & know the functions of the following parts of cells: Nucleus, cytoplasm,

cell membrane, chloroplast, cell vacuole, cell wall

How to prepare & stain a piece of onion epidermis to view on a slide

Animal & plant cells are similar but they do have some differences in structure

Some cells are specialized to carry out special jobs

How some cells are adapted such as: Ciliated epithelial skin cells, red blood cells,

egg & sperm cells, nerve cells, palisade cells & root hair cells

Students should know - What stars and galaxies are? How the Sun produces light

and heat? That planets are visible because they reflect sunlight? Know the main

phases of the Moon; That the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System. The names

and relative positions of the planets in the Solar System. The relationship between

mass weight and gravity. How to use the mass weight gravity formula triangle to

calculate weight of a mass under different gravities. That night and days are due to

Earth’s rotation. How the seasons are caused by the Earth’s rotation around the

sun. Why we have leap years. That the Moon is a satellite of the Earth. How

artificial satellites are used.

Practical skills – see details of all practical activities conducted during the first

term. Labelling and drawing apparatus. Describing methods and drawing graphs.

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

All Structured Questions to include drawing simple diagrams and /or graphs. There

will be calculations hence the requirement of a calculator.

Equipment

requirements

for

examination

Pen, pencil, ruler, calculator and a rubber

Revision

tip(s)

Concentrate on content covered in your note book, especially the end of topic tests.

The questions will be of a similar style in your examination.

Subject Spanish

Year Group 8

Examination length 1 hour

Areas/topics

to be

covered

for revision

Allocation of Marks:

Reading 25% Writing 25% Listening 25% Speaking

25%

Unidad 1 – ¡Vamos!

Vocabulary and structures summary pages 22 and 23.

Greetings / Introduce yourself /Ask how someone is and respond

Say how something is spelt – Alphabet / Numbers 1-31

Days of the week / Months of the year /Age and birthday

Say what is in your school bag / classroom

Un / una / unos / unas /El / la / los /las

Singular / plural nouns

Unidad 2 – En el instituto

Vocabulary and strucures summary pages: 40 and 41

Say what subjects you study / Say what you do in class

Say what a teacher is like / Say what subject you like / dislike and why /

Say what you eat and drink

Present tense verbs, eg. escuchar = to listen / escucho = I listen

Adjectives – agreement

Qualifiers: Bastante / un poco / muy

Unit 3 Mi familia

Talking about brothers and sisters / family

Using possessive adjectives mi(s) tu(s) su(s)

Numbers up to 100

Talking about pets

Colours

Talking /writing about your appearance / character (using the verb ser)

Talking /writing about eyes and hair. Making nouns and adjectives agree

(masc/fem/sing/pl)

The following elements of the exam will be done in class: Speaking 25% and

Listening 25%

The following elements will be done during the one hour exam: Reading 25% and

Writing 25%

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Speaking

2 x role-plays about hobbies and free time and Presentation already done

Listening and Reading

Fill in a grid

Select a letter/ number/ symbol

Short answer responses

Writing Structured writing responses to stimulus questions.

Knowledge of key grammar will be tested in Use of Language questions.

Equipment requirements for examination A pen – and a spare.

Yr 8 - Technology & Design KS3 Revision List for February 2019

Duration - 1 Hour

Areas/topics

to be covered

for revision

(and amount

of marks to

be allocated)

Safety

Colour coding of common safety signs – eg what do red/white signs mean

Write out Workshop Safety Rules

Complete a risk assessment (safe use) for using an item of equipment in the

workshop - eg pillar drill & strip heater

Plastics

Explain the terms Thermoplastic and thermosets

Know about the plastic used for the desk tidy

Advantages and disadvantages of using plastics for products

Recycling plastics

Cost of plastic sheets

Manufactured boards

Name and identify main types of manufactured boards.

Describe how manufactured boards are made

Tools and processes

Identify and describe common tools used this year

Identify and describe workshop machines/equipment used this year

Production plan (stages followed to make it) for pen holder

How you marked out and made the iPad stand.

Sketching

Copy 3D shapes of tools and equipment you used eg try square - colour and

shade

Draw the joint used in the iPad stand

Design a Desk tidy suitable for teenagers (11 -14 years old)

Marks awarded for

Originality

Quality of drawing and clear labelling (materials and features)

Question

type(s) (e.g.

diagrams,

mapwork,

sources etc.)

Most questions will require a short answer of 1 or 2 sentences

There will be pictures of tools and equipment you will have to name

For some questions you will have to label parts of a diagram

You will have to sketch in 3D some tools that you have used

You will have to Desk tidy that will appeal to a young person

Use your (a) notes (b) resource booklets on your iPad (KS3) theory booklet

Use the website – technologystudent.com (good info on tools, plastics and

manufactured boards. Download images of Desk tidies and practice your design -

remember to label all parts and materials used

Equipment requirements

for examination

Pen. 30 cm ruler HB pencil, Colouring pencils,