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KS4 SUPPORTING ACHIEVEMENT

YEAR 11 REVISION GUIDE

Name: ___________________ Candidate Number: ___________________

Centre Number: ______ 34147 ___________

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How the brain works? Revising is all about MEMORY. The memory is like a muscle. If you don‛t exercise it, it will grow weaker and

weaker, but if you do exercise it, it will get stronger and stronger.

So how do you revise? Step 1 – Organise yourself!

Get a copy of the exam timetable and find out when your exams take place Make a revision timetable Find out from your teacher exactly what happens in the exam and what you need to do to revise Get class notes, revision guides, past papers etc together Check what resources are available online If you find it helpful, get hold of highlighters, small cards, post it notes etc to use in revision Decide where to revise

Not in front of the TV At a table, preferably in a quiet place It‛s worth trying to sort your workspace out. Get rid of clutter, so a desk is empty enough to have proper space to work Keep all the materials for each subject in one place/folder to save time

NB: FIND OUT WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE ORGANISING EXTRA LESSONS AFTER SCHOOL OR AT WEEKENDS AND GO TO

THEM!

IF YOU ARE OFFERED INTERVENTION SESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND MATHS, GO TO THE SESSIONS

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So how do you revise?

Step 2 – Make a revision timetable! Without a timetable you‛ll revise some stuff a lot, miss out other bits and have a mad rush at the end.

Get a copy of the exam timetable from your Head of House or the school website Check all your exams are on there and if they are morning or afternoon sessions Find out what happens in each exam

eg French exam = Listening paper 30 (F) /40 (H) minutes, Reading paper 30 (F) /40 (H) minutes. Both done in one session. Make a note of them on the calendar sheets at the end of this booklet That will help you work out what to revise when! Then you need to break down each subject into topics – there is no point in saying you are going to revise Physics – you need to revise one of

the topics you have learnt in physics in each session! When you are planning your revision for the day / week – think about exactly what you will revise so you have covered each topic before the

exam and your revision session is focused on one thing For example: Subject - French Topics: Sub-topics: Personal and Social Life

Self, family, friends, pets, home life, shopping, meals, healthy living, illness and accidents, free time, fashion, relationships, future plans

The Local Community Hometown, school, local environment, pollution, recycling, local facilities, weather and seasons

The Wider World

Travel and holidays, social issues (young people and problems, homelessness, crime, drugs, healthy living, religion, politics), life in French-speaking countries

The World of Work Work-experience, part-time jobs, future careers, technology Other Numbers, time, dates, months, prepositions (eg in front of),

directions (eg turn right),

Remember topics will need to be revised more than once, based on what we know about the brain!

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Have a go using these subjects Subject – Maths

Subject - English

Topics:

Sub-topics: Topics: Sub-topics:

* See end of booklet for more pages like this

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Remember topics need to be revised more than once based on what we know about the brain.

Think about the following:

Be realistic – remember sessions should only be for 30-40 minutes with 10 minute breaks. Start NOW 1 session on a week night – you still have coursework and homework to do! 2-3 sessions a day at the weekend During holidays, revision should be far more intensive. Build in treats – time with friends, evenings out etc. Social time is vital in the overall scheme, as long as there is a balance between work and

play. Try and get a variety of subjects across each day. Build in slots to review the learning of the day. When you write next week‛s timetable, remember to include review slots for the work covered last week. Discuss with someone at home how you are going about your revision. BREAKING IT DOWN: If you‛re thinking, “I‛m doing Maths for 40 minutes and then half an hour of French”, think again! It means you haven‛t broken the subject down into key areas to tackle your work in an organised manner; eg. “I‛m doing algebra and weather.” You need to use those key headings to identify those topics you feel weak in and make sure you revise them first and get help from your teachers. Look at the day planners on the next page – there are more blanks at the end of the booklet and on the school website

TIP: At first, the big picture may look and feel totally overwhelming. You need to prioritise your workload. You need to be aware of the fact that revision takes time and for a few months, the social life has to give a bit. It will be worth it when you get your results!

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Example of a revision timetable for a non-school day

TIME MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING 30mins ENGLISH

Of Mice and Men: Lennie‛s character

MATHS Quadratic equations

FOOTBALL PRACTICE

30mins SCIENCE Biology: Respiration

BUSINESS STUDIES Marketing

FRENCH Weather vocabulary

30mins FRENCH Holiday vocabulary

RE The Existence of God

REVIEW SLOT

And if you have time: 30mins

HISTORY USA: Student Movement

FOOTBALL PRACTICE REVIEW SLOT

TIME

Spend 30/40 mins on each session MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

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Step 3 – Its mad trying to learn something before you understand it. First understand, then learn! If you don‛t get it, learning takes forever! 1) This example will prove it to you. Read the words from the following box, cover the page and try to write them all down from memory. 2) Now try to do the same thing with this one: 3) Unless you‛re a robot, you got more of the first one right – because it made sense to you, you understood it. It‛s possible to learn the second one, but it‛d take ages. 4) You can learn the sentence below without understanding it. 5) If you got this question in the exam you could probably answer it ok. ‘Name 2 types of bacteria‛ 6) But if you got asked the following question, you won‛t have a clue and you‛ll lose 2 marks. ‘How do saprophytic bacteria help get rid of waste?‛ If you‛d spent 2 minutes finding out what saprophytic means, you‛d have 2 marks. So, make sure you understand stuff before you try to learn it!

My earache – my ears are bleeding because my mother keeps singing

ym caheaer – are singing bleeding my because ears my keeps mother

Some bacteria are parasitic, some are saprophytic.

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Step 4 – Once you understand a topic you need to remember it People get it into their heads that revision is just reading stuff over and over. Forget that! Try this way. 1) Simplify How? Take your sub-topic, put it into fewer words and draw simplified diagrams. Don‛t just copy it out – you need to use your brain. 1) Read through each section, pick out the important bits and reduce the number of words. 2) Use numbered points-they‛re great for organising info into chunks. 3) Have a go at using pictures to show bits of info. They don‛t have to be good, just as long as you know what they are. 4) When you have simplified – test yourself. Cover everything, get a blank sheet and write out as much as possible, use your simplified notes to add things you‛ve missed and correct things you got wrong. You won‛t remember everything yet – headings and a few details.

Why? It makes you read through the sub-topic in detail so you can decide how to simplify it. You get more of the subject into your head than if you just read through it.

2) Reduce How? Reduce the simplified sub-topic into a smaller wad of info. When you‛ve simplified and reduced all the sub-topics in a topic, go onto section 3.

Why? Going over what you have done reinforces it in your head. By actively thinking about how to reduce it, you‛ll make strong memories quickly.

3) Explode the topic How? Show all the small wads of info for one topic on one page. When you‛ve

Why? Drawing this out makes you go over every sub-topic again. It also gives you an overview of the whole topic to jog and test that bag of neurones in your skull.

4) Explode the subject How? Like the topic explosion but this time showing the whole subject in a monster picture on one page

Why? Gives you everything you need to cover one subject on one piece of paper. It won‛t seem as scary or stressful when you can see what you are dealing with.

As soon as you start this you are revising. This is not preparation, this is revision, so concentrate and don‛t rush through it before thinking.

Take one sub‐topic at a time from your plan and follow this simple, 4‐step brain improvement plan.

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Step 5 - Decide what sort of a learner you are as this will help you decide HOW to revise Tick the statements which best describe you, your actions and the things that you say. 1) “I see what you mean” 30) When I’m bored, I fidget 2) “That sounds right” 31) When I’m angry, I seethe and say nothing 3) “That feels right” 32) When I’m angry, I have an outburst and sometimes shout 4) “I get the picture” 33) When I’m angry I clench my fist, grind my teeth or storm off 5) “I hear what you are saying” 34) When I want to reward someone, I write them a note or send them a card 6) “I found it easy to handle” 35) When I want to reward someone, I tell them 7) “That looks about right” 36) When I want to reward someone, I pat them on the back or hug them 8) “That rings a bell” 37) I’m well organised 9) “That touched a nerve” 38) I don’t like reading books or instruction manuals 10) When relaxing, I like to watch a film or video 39) I can’t sit still for very long 11) When relaxing, I like to listen to music 12) When relaxing, I like to go to the gym 13) I like to read a book to relax 14) When relaxing, I like to listen to the radio 15) When relaxing, I play sport 16) I prefer to talk to people face to face 17) I prefer to talk to people on the telephone 18) I prefer to talk to people whilst I’m doing something else 19) I get impatient when I listen to others 20) I like listening to others talk 21) I wave my hands about a lot when I‛m talking 22) I forget people‛s names, but I remember their faces 23) I don’t forget people’s names 24) I shake hands when I meet people 25) If I’m lost or need directions, I prefer a map 26) If I’m lost or need directions, I prefer to be told 27) If I’m lost or need directions, I prefer to be shown the way 28) When I’m bored, I doodle 29) When I’m bored, I tend to chat

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Now check your learning style and think about HOW you revise. All the ideas below will help you but some will help you more!

A. Visual Learner I ticked ......... of the following questions: 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25,28,31,34,37 Revision Tips Brainstorm a topic using a spider diagram Make a chart to fit the information Put key words / key facts onto Post-It-Notes, stick them around the house to learn them Put notes onto revision cards Make your own flash cards – questions one side / answers on the back Create a Mind Map (see later section) Use different colours to represent different things Make a flow chart Use pictures / diagrams to represent key ideas Fill the bedroom walls with posters for key ideas Label pictures Watching relevant films, you tube clips and TV Programmes

B. Auditory Learner

I ticked ......... of the following questions: 2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26,29,32,35,38 Revision Tips

Hearing a presentation Reading aloud to yourself Making a recording with key points to listen Verbally summarising Explaining your subject to someone else Talking to yourself Using Mnemonics eg Richard of York gained battles in vain (colour of rainbow) May work well with music Use computer software

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C. Kinaesthetic / Physical Learner I ticked ......... of the following questions: 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39 Revision Tips

Using highlighters to select key words, main ideas Make index cards Sorting cards into an order Making models Brainstorm a topic using a spider diagram Put key words onto Post-It-Notes, stick them around the house to learn them Make your own flash cards – questions one side / answers on the back Use Mnemonics for difficult spellings/sequences (Eg. Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain – colours of rainbow).

REMEMBER TO TAKE LOTS OF BREAKS

Most people can only concentrate, understand and remember for between 20 and 45 minutes at a time.

DO NOT REVISE FOR LONGER WITHOUT A BREAK.

Once you have finished learning something, your brain actually increases its power and carries on remembering. It will be sorting out what it has been learning, creating a more complete picture of everything it has just learnt. You need to review what you have learnt: ↓ At the end of a week ↓ At the end of a month ↓ The week before the exams ....to make sure it stays in your memory

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More revision tips............................................

Can you remember dates and events? Can you make a chronological list of events which, for instance, lead up to a battle in history, or an important event in the plot of a novel? Tree charts may help to trigger your memory.

What happens next and why? Try to use the consequences of each action to jog your memory about the next stage. This makes a useful flowchart of events. Here‛s one to illustrate how global warming happens.

FOSSIL FUELS ARE BURNED Causing CO2 EMISSIONS Causing BLANKET OF CO2 AROUND THE EARTH Causing

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GLOBAL WARMING What are the two sides to an argument? What are the arguments for and against a point or question? Try drawing up a split list with the ‘for‛ and ‘against‛ points to be included. This one compares the pros and cons of using a credit card.

Advantages (Pro)

Disadvantages (Con)

Wide range of outlets Need good credit record Buy now, pay later Interest charged after time allowed for repayment Convenience of payment Minimum age 18 (usually) Security – no cash High interest rates “Perks” – eg. Insurance, gift schemes Risk of fraud What are the similarities and differences between objects or substances? Again, split lists which compare and contrast are good memory joggers. This one compares two types of blood vessel:

Artery Vein Tubular Tubular Endothelium Endothelium Present Present Transports blood Transports blood Thick wall Thin wall No valves Pocket valves Can constrict Can‛t constrict Blood from heart Blood to heart High pressure Lower pressure

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The internet has an overwhelming amount of resources for revision but needs to be used wisely. You need to remember that just because something is on a web page it is not necessarily reliable information. There are many useful sites, as the list below suggests. However, it is important you do not waste time simply reading and scrolling up and down the page. You can: ∞ Have a pen and paper ready and do the activities which are suggested ∞Copy information into a programme of your choice and underline key words, delete less important sentences, cut and paste key words etc. The emphasis must be on making that information your own in the same way you must make your textbook notes your own. Useful addresses www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize - A very well regarded site that contains a lot of information and activities. www.samlearning.com – This site will give you lots of exam practice using past papers. All you need is your personal ID. This gives you free access to this service. Personal ID is: Centre ID: User Name: Password: www.mymaths.co.uk Username: Password: * Ask your HoH/Maths Teacher for this information

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www.bbc.co.uk/schools/studentlife - School work support. You can talk to others about revision topics and contact teachers to answer your questions within 24 hours. www.gcse.com www.s-cool.co.uk www.examzone.co.uk – This site is run by the Exam Board – Edexcel. It includes model answers, mark schemes and revision notes. www.revisionaid.co.uk – An access site to other more subject specific materials. Apps You may also be able find “apps” for Smartphones available which will help with your revision.

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Subject – Science

Subject – English Literature

Topics:

Sub-topics: Topics: Sub-topics:

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Subject –

Subject -

Topics:

Sub-topics: Topics: Sub-topics:

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Subject –

Subject -

Topics:

Sub-topics: Topics: Sub-topics:

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Subject –

Subject -

Topics:

Sub-topics: Topics: Sub-topics:

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TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

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TIME

Spend 30/40 mins on each session MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

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TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

TIME

Spend 30/40 mins on each session MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

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TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

TIME Spend 30/40 mins on each session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

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Using Mind maps: How to make a mind map:

1. Take a blank piece of paper, A4 or larger.

2. Use the paper in landscape orientation.

3. Start in the centre.

4. Make a central image that represents the topic about which you are writing/thinking:

Use at least three colours. Keep the height and width of the central image to approx. 2‛‛ or 5 cm (proportionately larger for bigger paper).

Allow the image to create its own shape (do not use a frame).

5. The main themes around the central image are like the chapter headings of a book:

Print this word in CAPITALS or draw an image. Place on a line of the same length

The central lines are thick, curved and organic i.e. like your arm joining your body, or the branch of a tree to the trunk.

Connect directly to the central image.

6. Start to add a second level of thought. These words or images are linked to the main branch that triggered them. Remember:

Connecting lines are thinner. Words are still printed but may be lower case.

7. Add a third or fourth level of data as thoughts come to you:

Use images as much as you can, instead of, or in addition to the words.

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Allow your thoughts to come freely, meaning you ‘jump about‛ the Mind Map as the links and associations occur to you.

8. Add a new dimension to your Mind Map. Boxes add depth around the word or image.

9. Sometimes enclose branches of a Mind Map with outlines in colour:

Enclose the shape of the branch and hug the shape tightly. Use different colours and styles.

10. Make each Mind Map a little more:

BEAUTIFUL ARTISTIC COLOURFUL

IMAGINATIVE and

DIMENSIONAL

11. Have fun!

Add a little humour, exaggeration or absurdity wherever you can.

Knowsley Park Centre for Learning Knowsley Park Lane

Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB

Revision Calendar

Tel: 0151 477 8680 Fax: 0151 477 8681

www.knowsleyparkcfl.knowsley.sch.uk

Knowsley Park Centre for Learning

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Knowsley Park Centre for Learning Knowsley Park Lane

Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB

Revision Calendar

Tel: 0151 477 8680 Fax: 0151 477 8681

www.knowsleyparkcfl.knowsley.sch.uk

Knowsley Park Centre for Learning

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Knowsley Park Centre for Learning Knowsley Park Lane

Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB

Revision Calendar

Tel: 0151 477 8680 Fax: 0151 477 8681

www.knowsleyparkcfl.knowsley.sch.uk

Knowsley Park Centre for Learning

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Knowsley Park Centre for Learning Knowsley Park Lane

Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB

Revision Calendar

Tel: 0151 477 8680 Fax: 0151 477 8681

www.knowsleyparkcfl.knowsley.sch.uk

Knowsley Park Centre for Learning

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Knowsley Park Centre for Learning Knowsley Park Lane

Prescot Merseyside L34 3NB

Revision Calendar

Tel: 0151 477 8680 Fax: 0151 477 8681

www.knowsleyparkcfl.knowsley.sch.uk