Literacy Lesson - 28/02/13

Exam Literacy

Answer the Question

Misreading an exam question can lose you marks and may be the difference between receiving a D/C or a B/A.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice to remember and apply when taking is exams is to answer the question that you have been asked.

Practice:

• Reading the WHOLE question
• Identifying Command Words (Describe, DIscuss, Explain, Calculate, Evaluate) and know what the words are asking you to do.
• Identifying key words that further tell you what to answer.

Motivational Quote - 27/02/13

“To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.”

- Benjamin Disraeli

Literacy Lesson - 26/02/13

Exam Literacy

Revision Techniques

First, make sure your class notes are complete. Next, summarise them into condensed packets of information. These can be in the form of:

• Index cards/flash cards - these are found in Reprographics so ask your teacher
• Bullet pointed information under topic headings. This could be done on PowerPoint if you want.
• Colour-coded mind maps for each topic.
• Record essential information and playback.
• Any format you like that is successful for you.

Summarising your notes into the above formats is an excellent way to revise. These notes are then valuable revision tools right up until your exams. Run through them with anyone who will listen, even the cat!

Monday Motivational - 25/02/13

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

- George Horace Lorimer

Brain Teaser - 22/01/13 - The Answer

Did you solve this riddle?

Two spies want to get in an enemy's military base.In order to get in they have to give the correct countersign to the guard at the gate after he gives them the sign. So they wait hidden nearby the gate so that they will overhear the countersign from another soldier.

One soldier comes and the guard gives the sign: "6".The soldier answers "3".The guard lets him pass. Another soldier comes.The guard says "12" and the soldier gives the answer "6".The guard lets him pass. So, the first spy goes at the gate and the guard asks says "10".The spy, sure that he knew the answer as he was, says "5". Immediately, the guard shoots him dead.

Then the other spy, who saw that the other spy was killed when he gave the countersign, had now understood what the right answer would be, whatever the guard's sign was.So, he walks to the gate and the guard says "8".The spy gives the correct answer and the guard lets him in. What was the answer that the spy gave?

A: The answer is "5". The countersign is always the number of letters of the number that the guard gives. ("six" has 3 letters and "twelve" has 6 letters. After the two soldiers passed, the first spy thought the answer was the half of the number that the guard gave (like what you also might have thought), so he answered 5 when the guard said 10, which was wrong as ten has 3 letters)

Brain Teaser - 22/02/13

Can you solve this riddle?

Two spies want to get in an enemy's military base.In order to get in they have to give the correct countersign to the guard at the gate after he gives them the sign. So they wait hidden nearby the gate so that they will overhear the countersign from another soldier.

One soldier comes and the guard gives the sign: "6".The soldier answers "3".The guard lets him pass. Another soldier comes.The guard says "12" and the soldier gives the answer "6".The guard lets him pass. So, the first spy goes at the gate and the guard asks says "10".The spy, sure that he knew the answer as he was, says "5". Immediately, the guard shoots him dead.

Then the other spy, who saw that the other spy was killed when he gave the countersign, had now understood what the right answer would be, whatever the guard's sign was.So, he walks to the gate and the guard says "8".The spy gives the correct answer and the guard lets him in. What was the answer that the spy gave?

Literacy Lesson - 21/02/13

The Colon

Rule 1: Colons can be used to introduce a list, e.g.

We have five different subjects on Monday: Science, English, French, Drama and Art.

Motivational Quotes - 20/02/13

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections.”

- Thomas Payne

Literacy Lesson - 19/02/13

The Semi-colon

Rule 2: The semi-colon is used in a list where there is more description of each item.

We normally use a comma to separate items in a list, e.g. At the circus we saw a clown, a lion, a fire eater and an acrobat.

However, when we describe items more fully, it is best to separate the items with a semi-colon, e.g. At the circus we saw a clown juggling with swords; a lion who stood on a ball; a fire eater with flashing eyes; and an eight year old acrobat.

Monday Motivational - 18/02/13

“Difficulties are opportunities to better things;  they are stepping stones to greater experience …
When one door closes another always opens: as a natural law it has to, to balance.”

- Brian Adams

Motivational Quotes - 06/02/13

“It’s always too soon to quit!”

- Norman Vincent Peale

Literacy Lesson - 05/02/13

 The semi-colon

Often misunderstood, but this piece of punctuation is needed to gain a good level 5 in writing.

How can you use the semi-colon?

Rule 1: The semi-colon can be used instead of a full stop. It can link two complete sentences and join them to make one sentence.

Any two sentences?

It is best used when the two sentences are about the same theme.

E.g. The door swung open; a masked figure strode in.

       Glucose is absorbed directly into the blood stream; it gives us energy to move.

The semi-colon can be used instead of a connective to join the two sentences.

How would you change the two sentences above by joining them together with a connective?

Monday Motivational - 04/02/13

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”

- Henry Ford

Brain Teaser - 01/02/2013 - The Answer

What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?

Answer: Take the first letter of each word and place it at the end. It will spell the same word backwards.

Brain Teaser - 01/02/2013

What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?

Answer on Monday