11 Plus Exams Forum

My son has unfortunately drawn the short straw with his science teacher - most of the lesson is taken up with sitting and writing the answers to questions out of the text book. This is such a shame as science used to be his favourite and best subject, and after 4 weeks he now dreads the lessons. He is even more fed up because boys in other forms are saying how much they enjoy their science lessons.

To make matters worse the teacher sets incredibly hard and lengthy home work involving loads of research, which is set on a Friday and due in on a Tuesday, not leaving huge amount of time to do it. I end up giving him huge amounts of help as the questions have not been discussed in class, and no indication is given on where to find the answers. Looking at the book many of the questions require answers at NC levels 7 and 8 (the levels are listed at the side of the book)

Can anyone point me in the direction of a couple of websites with good coverage of Key stage 3 (and I suspect 4) science which he (and I!) can understand? Also a good science encyclopedia would be useful.

Hi,

Cant help on the websites but I can highly recommend the Usborne Science encyclopedia http://www.amazon.co.uk/Usborne-Interne ... 0746053606

Actually the bbc have the best websites for all subjects so you could start there http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/1 ... ence.shtml

Search for Doc Brown he is very helpful.

steve

are the CSG books meant to be helpful??

Could that be CGP? Definitely would recommend them!

Me too. DS uses them.

Do not do the homework!
You are being the equivalent of what trade unionists would call a "scab" and making life really difficult for everyone else!
If the pesky homework is really so difficult raise it with the head of key stage and use your expertise to help everyone else

I'm not doing the homework. I'm discussing with him what the question means, how to tackle it, and helping him access the information so that he can then go on and do the homework. Nobody at school seems to be teaching him these skills, so I am - he is already applying what I have taught him to other homework he has to do, where the questions are not so obscure and the information easier to find. The science remains the area he still needs help to research - that's why I'm asking the helpful members of this forum for ideas, so that he can learn more independently.

I wouldn't expect him to learn to drive a car by sitting him in a car on his own and sending him off to drive around Hyde Park corner. I would teach him the skills he needed to drive, and then supervise him as he applied those skills, before letting him drive off on his own.

magwich2 wrote:Do not do the homework!
You are being the equivalent of what trade unionists would call a "scab" and making life really difficult for everyone else!
If the pesky homework is really so difficult raise it with the head of key stage and use your expertise to help everyone else

Typical Socialist , not happy with people taking responsibility for themselves and their family .

I've been called a lot of names in my time but never a socialist!!!!!!!!!!