The repeated occurrence of out-of-the-box questions in recent years’ Science papers has indicated that rote memorisation is not enough to achieve an AL1 score in Science.
Meia Ho, The Learning Lab’s Senior Curriculum Segment Head of the Science Management Unit, breaks down two Science questions from the 2022 PSLE paper that required students to apply their inferential, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills to situations that they rarely find in textbooks.
Question 1:
A cold turkey was placed in an oven which had a temperature of 160 ˚C.
a After 2 hours, a thermometer was used to measure the temperature of the meat in the centre of the turkey. The reading on the thermometer is shown below.
State the temperature of the centre of the turkey
b Suggest why the centre of the turkey did not reach a temperature of 160 ˚C after 2 hours.
a After 2 hours, a thermometer was used to measure the temperature of the meat in the centre of the turkey. The reading on the thermometer is shown below.
State the temperature of the centre of the turkey.
b Suggest why the centre of the turkey did not reach a temperature of 160 ˚C after 2 hours.
Answers:
a. 74 ˚C
b. The turkey is a poor conductor of heat, causing the heat from the hot air in the oven to be transferred to the centre of the turkey slowly. Thus, the centre of the turkey did not gain enough heat to reach 160 ˚C after 2 hours.
Why is this question tricky?
“This question combines science process skills on how to read the meniscus on a thermometer with the unusual context of relating heat conductivity to turkey meat, instead of the heat conductivity of air or metal, both of which are more commonly-tested,” Meia explains.
“By reading the question carefully, students will pick out the clue that the temperature reading was taken from the centre of the turkey, which would require heat to be first conducted from the hot air in the oven to the centre of the turkey through the surrounding layers of turkey meat,” Meia continues.
Let’s now look at the question below that has generated a lot of buzz this year.
Question 2:
The picture below shows an outdoor toilet with a mosquito trap. Mosquitoes are attracted to human waste and will lay eggs in the waste. The human waste gives out Gas X. A mosquito trap is installed next to the toilet. The mosquito trap has a tube which allows mosquitoes to enter from the surroundings. Air and the smell of human waste moves from the waste tank through the mosquito trap, as shown by the arrows.
a Why are mosquitoes attracted to the human waste to lay eggs?
b What group of organisms in the human waste releases Gas X? State the process which releases Gas X.
c Gas X also attracts mosquitoes. Suggest a possible reason.
d Why do the mosquitoes die quickly after entering the mosquito trap?
Answers:
a. The human waste provides food for the mosquito larvae to eat after the eggs hatch. / The mosquito larvae which hatch from the eggs can feed on micro-organisms in the human waste.
b. The organisms are bacteria. The process is decomposition.
c. Gas X is carbon dioxide which is also released by animals during respiration. Mosquitoes may be attracted to Gas X to find animals to feed on their blood.
d. Oxygen in the air from the toilet tank was used during decomposition. The air entering the mosquito trap did not have enough oxygen for the mosquitoes to undergo respiration, causing them to die quickly..
Meia explains why this question is tricky:
This question stands out as it requires students to make real world inferences and study the question carefully to ensure their answers address question requirements. Students may be thrown off by the unusual diagrams and descriptions and must tap on their question analysis skills to draw links to their existing knowledge.
In part d, students will need to combine their observation skills to relate the flow of air through the device with their knowledge of topics such as decomposition to come to the conclusion that the mosquitoes are being suffocated by lack of oxygen - causing them to die quickly - instead of slowly dying from lack of food or water.
These out-of-the-box questions may throw off students who rely on rote memorisation but if students are equipped with the necessary question analysis, reasoning and inferential skills, they are able to confidently tackle these increasingly prevalent exam questions.
At The Learning Lab, our students develop holistically to manage new challenges that the next level brings. We provide students with a deep understanding of scientific concepts and hone key skills such as systematic question analysis and deductive reasoning techniques, empowering them to confidently apply the right skills and answering techniques to tackle out-of-the-box scenarios.
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The PSLE is a huge milestone in your child's academic life. Ensuring that your child has everything they need in the lead-up to the major exams will allow them to focus on effective, efficient and productive learning.
The Learning Lab is now at locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our programmes, please email us at enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg or call us at 6733 8711 and we will be happy to assist you.