Saturday, March 31, 2012

1st Term Exam Tips for Junior 3 SCIENCE 2012

Exam coverage: Form 1 PMR: ALL chapters (chap 1 – chap 7)
                                Form 3 PMR: Chapters 1 to 5
                                Junior 3 UEC: Chapter 19 to 22 (last four chapters of the textbook)

Exam format:     Paper 1 – 50 objective questions (50%)
                                Paper 2 – 9 structured questions (50%)

Marks distribution: About 30% are allocated to Form 1 PMR questions while the rest go to Form 3 PMR and Junior 3 UEC questions.

Points to note:
1.       Form 1 PMR section
a) Must revise the set of questions given during the March Holidays class. All Form 1 PMR questions in Paper 2 come directly from this set of questions.
b) It pays if you can glance through your Form 1 PMR Volume 1 and Volume 2 textbooks.
2.       Form 3 PMR section
Chapter 1 – Respiratory System
a) Pathway of inhale and exhale air. Refer to the diagram in page 2.
b) Know the working mechanics of the model of the human respiratory system in page 3.
c) Should understand the process of gas exchange between alveoli and the capillaries. (pg 5)
d) Should know all about haemoglobin; its colour, its type and its function (pg 5)
e) Aware of the air pollutants, its effects and its source. (pg 6 – 8)
f) Respiratory diseases that are caused by air pollutants. (pg 8 & ) Note: Tuberculosis (TB) is not considered here because it is not caused by air pollutants but by bacteria.
g) Must understand the working mechanics of the apparatus used to observed and identify harmful substances in cigarette smoke. (pg 10)
Chapter 2 – Blood Circulatory System in Human and Transport System in Plants
a) Direction of flow of blood within the heart as well as the heart structure. (pg16)
b) Know all that you can about the three types of blood vessel. (pg 17 & 18) Note: Refer to your notes taken during lesson will be extremely helpful.
c) Understand the constituents of blood and their functions (pg 20 & 21)
d) Be clear about human blood group. (pg 21) Note: If you have time, it is good to refer to Junior 2 UEC textbook page 261 to page 264 to have better understanding on point (c) and point (d).
e) Know the definition of transpiration (pg 23), rate of transpiration (pg 24) and the roles of transpiration (pg 27).
f) Have a general understanding of vascular bundle.
Chapter 3 – Excretory System
a) Type of excretory system organs in human and their excretion. (pg 35)
b) Must know the structure and labels of both human urinary system and the internal structure of kidney. (pg 36 & 37)
c) Have a basic knowledge know of the function of kidney and the dialysis machine can be very helpful.
d) There are only two excretory ways mentioned about plants in this chapter; through stomata and by shedding. Should know how to differentiate both and what they excrete. Have basic knowledge of helpful and harmful excretory products of plants. (pg 39 & 40)
Chapter 4 – Reproduction (merge this chapter with Chapter 20 of the UEC textbook)
a) Why reproduce? (PMR pg 46) Types of reproduction? (PMR pg 46) Ways of reproduction of each type? (PMR pg 46 – 48 & UEC pg 269 – 270)
b) Reproduction in insects – metamorphosis (UEC pg 272); Reproduction in fish – oviparity and ovoviviparity (UEC pg 273); Reproduction of amphibian (frog) – from tadpole to frog (UEC pg 273); Reproduction of bird – cloaca and single ovary (UEC pg 274) and structure of egg (UEC pg 275).
c) Male and female reproductive organ in human and the function or description of each parts. (PMR pg 50 – 51; UEC pg 275 – 276).
d) Pregnancy (PMR pg 55 – 56 ; UEC pg 279) Note: The diagram you are asked to copy during lesson on the stages of pregnancy is very very very very  very very very helpful.
e) Understand twins (UEC pg 282)
f) Sterility (PMR pg 58) and birth control (PMR pg 59 – 60). Note: Clear about IVF (PMR pg 59) and the difference about vasectomy and ligation (PMR pg 60)
g) Reproduction in flowering plants is all about three very important words.
      i) Pollination (PMR pg 64 – 66)
      ii) Fertilisation (PMR pg 67)
      iii) Germination (PMR pg 69 – 72)
h) Basic knowledge about vegetative reproduction will be sufficient.
Chapter 5 – Human Growth
a) Understand the growth curve of human. (pg 83)
b) Know the growth curve of boys and girls. (pg 84)
3.       Junior 3 UEC section
Chapter 19 – Endocrine System
a) Get through page 266 and page 267
Chapter 20 – Reproduction
Refer to the points in Form 3 PMR section under Chpater 4 – Reproduction.
Chapter 21 – Heredity
a) Definition of terminologies
                i) heredity (pg 287)
                ii) chromosome (pg 287)
              iii) gene (pg 287)
              iv) alleles (pg 287)
              v) dominant and recessive (pg 287)
               vi) homozygous and heterozygous (pg 290)
               vii) autosomes (pg 291)
             viii) mutation (pg 293)
b) Must be able to draw heredity chart like the ones shown in page 291 and 292.
c) Heredity diseases (pg 293)
Chapter 22 – Ecology
a) Biotic and Abiotic factors (pg 296 and 297)
b) Food chain and food web (pg 297)
c) Terminologies used for interaction of living organisms. (pg 298 – 300)
d) Nitrogen cycle (pg 301)
e) Types of ecosystems (pg 302)

Please note:
This list is quite exhaustive but in reality, it is quite direct. It is helpful to note that you should not spend more than 30 minutes on any of the chapters. Basically you only need to give a full 1 hour for each section with preferably 15 minutes break in between each section.

Good luck…