The Broxbourne School 2016

Achievement & Opportunity for All

Before you start revising, it is worth making sure you have everything you need at your fingertips. This will stop you wasting valuable time trying to find things.

EQUIPMENT:

Highlighters Coloured pens Post-It notes for

formula/key words Paper and folders for different

subjects (you will need lots of this)

Computer/iPad for revision websites and apps

Cue cards

WHERE TO REVISE?

Not in front of the T.V. At a table, preferably in a quiet

place It’s worth trying to sort the

bedroom 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 to save time

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO REVISE?

Revision timetable An up to date set of class notes Any revision materials given out by departments Revision lists Lists of exactly what is in each exam Any Study Guides which have been bought (but check

a guide is covering what is in your course)

What are your biggest distractions? X-Box? PS4? Your phone? Be honest with yourself and come up with a plan… you can reward yourself with using these after you have done a certain amount of revision.

TAKE BREAKS IF YOU ARE TIRED Most people can only concentrate, understand and remember for a certain amount of time; be honest with yourself about how long it is before you get tired.

DO NOT REVISE FOR LONG PERIODS WITHOUT A BREAK.

If you do, most of what you do you will not remember. 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. Only then does the rapid decline in memory begin and as much as 80% of what you learn in a day can be forgotten almost immediately. BUT WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THIS? To maximise your learning, you need to catch the top of the wave of your memory. To do this, you need to look back at what you have been revising at the correct time, when the memory is stamped in far more strongly, and stays at the crest of the wave for a much longer time. Look at the diagram below:

You need to review what you have learnt:

After 10 minutes At the end of a day At the end of a week At the end of a month The week before the exams

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.

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

Be realistic - remember sessions should only be for 30 – 40 minutes with 10 minute breaks

Start NOW 2 sessions on a weeknight 3-4 sessions a day at the weekend During holidays/study leave, 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 (see below about topics) 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 irregular verbs.” You should have a list of topics, but if not, a list is provided in the Subjects section of this booklet.

Identify those topics you feel weak in – the danger is you push these to the back of your mind

Use each heading to break the topic down further. On the next page is one way of doing this

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. Why don’t you arrange with friends to have “time off” session together?

Student’s Guide to Revision

E X A M P L E O F A R E V I S I O N T I M E T A B L E F O R A N O N - S C H O O L D A Y

TIME

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

60 mins

ENGLISH Of Mice and Men: Lennie’s character

MATHS Quadratic equations

LEISURE ACTIVITY

60 mins

SCIENCE Biology: Respiration

BUSINESS STUDIES Marketing

FRENCH Irregular verbs

60 mins

FRENCH Holiday vocabulary

RE The Existence of God

REVIEW SLOT

And if you have time: 60 mins

HISTORY USA: Student Movement

LEISURE ACTIVITY

REVIEW SLOT

Student’s Guide to Revision

REVISION TIMETABLE FOR A NON -SCHOOL DAY

TIME Spend up to 60 mins on each

session

MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Student’s Guide to Revision

We all learn in different ways and it is important for you to find the methods of revision that suit you best. Do experiment with some of the different revision methods listed below to find out which you like and work for you.

Write down key facts Use Mind Maps Use spider diagrams Create pictures, diagrams, charts or cartoons to represent key ideas and stick them up in your room Use timelines Record key facts on post-it notes which you post around your room/the house Watch videos, films, TV programmes

List two sides of an argument Identify similarities/differences Label pictures of key events Use different colours to represent different things Use websites (see list of suggestions later in this guide)

Listen to a presentation Read aloud to yourself Record key points to listen to Verbally summarize your points Explain your subject to someone else Talk to yourself Use Mnemonics (eg Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain) Some background music can help some people revise. The music should not contain lots of words to distract you from what you are concentrating on

There are lots of ways to revise but make sure you are constantly reviewing your learning, work in as many past papers as possible and try doing an activity without your notes then filling in the gaps.

Using highlighters to select key words, main ideas Make Index Cards Make your own flash cards – questions on one side and answers on the back Sort cards into an order Make models Record information as you hear it – e.g. a Mind Map Make up tests to try later

Create a dictionary for every subject

Student’s Guide to Revision

Student’s Guide to Revision

All these methods set out below will help with revision techniques 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

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) a. Wide range of

outlets b. Buy now, pay later c. Convenience of

payment d. Security – no cash e. ‘Perks’ e.g.

insurance, gift schemes

DISADVANTAGES (Con) a. Need good credit

record b. Interest charged after

time allowed for repayment

c. Minimum age 18 (usually)

d. High interest rates e. 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:

ACIDIC GASES

DRY DEPOSITION

WET DEPOSITION

RAIN

SNOW

CLOUD

ARTERY

TUBULAR ENDOTHELIUM

PRESENT TRANSPORTS BLOOD

THICK WALL NO VALVES

CAN CONSTRICT

BLOOD FROM HEART HIGH PRESSURE

VEIN

TUBULAR ENDOTHELIUM

PRESENT TRANSPORTS BLOOD

THIN WALL POCKET VALVES

CAN’T CONSTRICT

BLOOD TO HEART LOWER PRESSURE

Student’s Guide to Revision

The internet has an overwhelming amount of resources for revision but needs to be used wisely. You need to remember, 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.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize - A very well regarded site that contains

a lot of information and activities

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 is the edexcel site. There is a useful tips page for

students and parents.

www.revisionaid.co.uk – An access site to other more subject specific materials.

www.examtime.com – An excellent site that helps you make mindmaps, flashcards,

create questions, quizzes etc.

Student’s Guide to Revision

The school’s VLE, or Moodle also has an increasing number of resources available to help you with your revision. To access Moodle use the following address:

https://moodle.broxbourne.herts.sch.uk Alternatively there is a link to Moodle from the school’s web-site, which is:

www.broxbourne.herts.sch.uk To log into Moodle you simply use the username and password you use to access the school network. Check with your subject teachers what resources are available on Moodle. Some departments have PowerPoints, key handouts, past papers etc. available through Moodle.

You may also be able to find ‘apps’ for Smartphones available which will help with your revision. For example if you search the Android marketplace for French Apps you will see the following:

There are also ‘apps’ for other subjects e.g. Maths. iTunes has a section for Education Apps, so it’s worth searching there if you have an iPhone or iPad. There are plenty of free ones!

Student’s Guide to Revision

BUSINESS STUDIES

Students will have studied the following topics: Business aims and ownership People at work Finance Marketing Production Business environment You will be given a revision guide and practice exam papers, but you must also

create your own revision resources.

Revision guides are issued from the school library. Past papers are available on the OCR website and on Moodle. Make some revision notes or mind maps that include keyword definitions. Try out revision websites such as GCSE Bitesize or SamLearning.

SCIENCE

Biology Physics Chemistry B1 = Understanding ourselves P1 = Energy for the home C1 = Carbon chemistry B2 = Understanding our environment P2 = Living for the future C2 = Rocks and metal ADDITIONAL SCIENCE

Biology Physics Chemistry B3 = Living and growing P3 = Forces for transport C3 = The Periodic table B4 = It’s a green world P4 = Radiation for life C4 = Chemical Economics SEPARATE SCIENCES

Biology Chemistry Physics B5 = The Living Body C5 = How much? P5 = Space for Reflection B6 = Beyond the Microscope C6 = Chemistry Out There P6 = Electricity for Gadgets

Student’s Guide to Revision

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Texts for English and Literature

exams are “blank text” – no

annotations in the texts students use

in the exam.

Revision will involve identifying key

quotes and learning. Students revise

from their own annotated copies of

set texts.

MODERN LANGUAGES

FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN

Listening and reading examinations

You will sit a listening and reading examination in the summer. This exam covers all the material learnt throughout the GCSE course. The topic areas are:

Lifestyle – health, relationships with family and friends, future plans, marriage.

Leisure – free time and modern technology, media, shopping, fashion and holidays

Home and Environment – home and local area, special occasions, the environmental problems and being environmentally friendly

Work and Education – school, work, advantages and disadvantages of jobs and future plans

For all these topics there is an emphasis on understanding opinions and advantages and disadvantages of various issues.

Useful Websites www.linguascope.com user name: brock password: broxb15 Beginner has revision of basic language and Intermediate has listening and reading tasks and vocabulary revision. www.languagesonline.org.uk Has basic revision as well as grammar and GCSE tasks. www.gut.org.uk - Listening and reading tasks for German. www.zut.org.uk – Listening and reading tasks for French and German. www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk – Language video quizzes. Reading and listening practice. www.alfiecloud.com – Revision questions in reading and listening covering all topics in the AQA syllabus (German). Homework will be set from this website (French). Broxbourne school Moodle – has past Listening and Reading Papers. If you choose to purchase a commercially available revision guide we would advise you to choose one which is accompanied by a CD.

Student’s Guide to Revision

English & Literature

: - AQA Anthology: Poetry

‘Relationships’ Cluster

- An unseen poem to analyse

: - ‘Of Mice and Men’ Novel

: - ‘An Inspector Calls’ Play

All of the above texts will be tested in two separate exams. All responses will be in the form of

essays. Candidates are expected to refer closely to the texts, giving evidence for the points they

make. They should remember to focus on relevant aspects of language, structure and theme. The

response to ‘Of Mice and Men’ also requires candidates to relate their comments to appropriate

aspects of historical context.

BBC Bitesize offers some engaging revision materials. Also useful are the videos on Youtube

presented by Mr Bruff. He talks to students about how to achieve high marks on questions related to

many of the texts above.

Texts for English and Literature exams are

“blank text” – no annotations in the texts

students use in the exam. Revision will

involve identifying key quotations and

commenting upon the effect of language,

structure and form. Students revise from

their own annotated copies of set texts.

Students will have studied the following topics:

Philosophy of Religion: 1. Deity 2. End of Life 3. Good and Evil 4. Religion and Science

Religious Ethics: 1. Religion and Human Relationships 2. Religion and Medical Ethics 3. Religion, Peace and Justice 4. Religion and Equality

The Department will provide revision documents for each of these areas which will be published on Moodle as there are no revision websites suitable for the OCR syllabus. Pupils must create their own revision resources and practise past paper questions.

Student’s Guide to Revision

Key Themes Exam

Population and Settlement

Natural Hazards

Economic Development SDME (2016)

Rivers and coasts

Remember to always follow this sequence: Analysis of Task Research

Analysis of Research Specifications Possible Solutions (ideas) Prototypes / Models (Food Tech – Methods of Testing, HACCP, Systems and Control)

Industrial Manufacture Quality Control

Quality Assurance

Evaluation

We will know the theme for some of the questions on this summer’s exam paper, and we will start to prepare

students for this section of the exam in March. Once the controlled assessment is complete, all lesson time will

be spent on preparing for the exam.

Students will have an extensive range of revision materials, students will have a textbook, revision guide, a revision Moodle course and a memrise.com course to help them prepare for the exam.

HISTORY

International Paper

1. The Cold War – Who was to blame for the Cold War? / Who won the

Cuban Missile Crisis? / Why did the USA fail in Vietnam?

2. Russia 1905 – 1941

British Society 1890 – 1918

Living conditions in the 1890s Suffragists and Suffragettes

Booth and Rowntree Contribution to WW1

Liberal Reforms Voting rights in 1918

Debate on Female Suffrage Civilian life during WW1

OCR GCSE Modern World History Revision Guide by Wayne Birks and Ben

Walsh £7.99 – ISBN: 9781471829727

Student’s Guide to Revision

Well done, by now you should have passed 50% of the course (R001-exam & R002 mandatory unit).

You should aim to get Unit R005 completed before February and have the first draft for Unit R007 marked by your teacher.

All the units must be completed by Easter.

Check with your teacher to see when ‘Catch up’ sessions are being run if you are behind.

Learn the musical features and background of the 12 set works that we have studied: 12 set works: AREA OF STUDY 1 AREA OF STUDY 2

1. Handel – And the Glory of the Lord 4. Schoenberg - Peripetie 2. Mozart – Symphony No. 40 5. Bernstein – Something’s Coming

3. Chopin – Raindrop Prelude 6. Steve Reich – Electric Counterpoint

AREA OF STUDY 3 AREA OF STUDY 4 7. Miles Davis – All Blues 10. Capercaillie – Skye Waulking song

8. Jeff Buckley – Grace 11. Rag Desh – Anoushka Shanka, Chirianji Lal Tanwar, 9. Moby – Why does my heart? Steve gorn and Benjy Wertheimer

12. Koko - Yiri

Maths: Use the resources on Moodle and text books to practice as many questions as you can. Extra tutorials and exercises are available on www.mymaths.co.uk or from the MathsWatch CD Rom (there are extra copies of this in the library that you can borrow). Your teachers will give you lists of topics for your tier. Remember that practice is the key to success!

Student’s Guide to Revision

ART & DESIGN GCSE PAINTING & GRAPHICS

You need to prepare for your exam by following this sequence: Develop: Draw from first hand observation and collect only relevant research images from your own photography and the internet. Analyse examples of artists and designers work which will help you. Experiment: Try your ideas in different ways employing different materials. Make critical and evaluative comments comparing different possibilities in order to select the best way of working. Record: Draw accurately and develop your skills of painting and use of materials to communicate your idea effectively. Resolution: Make sure you have a fully prepared colour study for your exam session. Bring all your work to the exam. Present and evaluate your unit of work. Any problems, please see your teacher.

MEDIA The subject teacher will provide students with a breakdown of each question and a practice paper. Students should therefore ensure they are familiar with the structure of the examination and should, during the revision period, complete the practice paper. Students are advised to prepare for the examination thoroughly; this includes producing creative materials in advance, often in the form of storyboards and promotional materials for their own film ideas. These should be completed in as much detail as possible.

Student’s Guide to Revision

PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIT 4890

STRATEGIES FOR REVISION

Condense notes from your school folder by summarising key topic areas

Use lots of colour, pictures, diagrams and abbreviate key terms

Make cue cards, spider diagrams and mind maps for each topic; identify stimulus words and subsequent response sentences.

Practice exam style questions – use mark schemes to check your answers

Refer to the syllabus/specification to ensure you cover everything

Study the pre-released material and create possible exam question

Use mock exam papers to identify areas of the subject where improvements are needed.

Injuries

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

GCSE Revision Guide (available from the Finance Department)

AQA Website – www.aqa.org.uk

Course textbook and class notes

Revise with friends – test each other!!

Submit exam papers to your subject teachers for feedback and marking

EXAM PREPARATION

Be prepared for the different styles of question throughout the paper and the level of detail needed in your response: SECTION A PART 1 – Multiple Choice Questions SECTION A PART 2 – Short Answer Questions

SECTION B – Pre-Released Scenario, with long answer

questions, assessing quality of written communication and technical language

Psychological factors

TOPIC AREAS

Individual difference

s

Aerobic and anaerobic

Leisure & recreation

Roles of the participant

Health &

general fitness

Diet

Components of fitness

Roles of schools

PESSCL & PESSYP

Principles of training

Media

Science and ICT

Sponsorship

International sporting events

Injuries