Year 9 Study Booklet

Year 9

STUDY TIPS, RESOURCES AND TECHNIQUES

Study booklet designed to help you ace your year 9 exams

Created by Sharni King and Medina Toric 1

Contents Page 3– Aim of this booklet Page 4– Study tips Page 5– How to stay organised Page 6– Preparing for your exams Page 7– How to organise study groups Page 8– How to run a study group Page 9– Places to study Page 10– Defining common exam instruction words Page 11– The multiple intelligences Page 12– Multiple Intelligence test Page 13– Multiple intelligence test results Page 14-16– Why are the multiple intelligences important for your learning? Page 17-22– Note taking strategies Page 23– Where can you use these note taking strategies and summarising strategies? Page 24-25– Mnemonic devices Page 26– References Page 27 – Useful websites Page 2835– Tem-

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Aim of this booklet The aim of this booklet is to assist you in the preparation of your year 9 exams, by providing you with various study tips, skills and techniques that will enable you to achieve your maximum potential.

Furthermore, you will gain skills in organization and time management, as well as strategies on handling and reducing stress and anxiety levels during exam time.

This booklet will also assist you in future assignments especially during your VCE years.

We hope that this booklet will allow you to study efficiently and effectively and be a useful tool during the remainder of your school years.

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Study Tips 

Get a good night’s sleep (Minimum of 8 hours.)

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Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, every day (great way to relieve stress and anxiety, gets blood flowing to your brain- which can help you think more clearly)

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Drink plenty of water (brains need to be hydrated)- Bring a bottle of water with you to the exam. Take small sips every few minutes.

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Remember your teachers want you to do well

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Focus on what you know rather than what you don’t know

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Eat a low GI, nutritious breakfast (Studies have found that students who skip breakfast experience a 20-40% reduction in thinking skills)

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Avoid drinking caffeine (eg. Energy drinks, coke and coffee) Caffeine gives you a rush and makes you feel good in the short term, but eventually it wears off and makes you feeling cranky and wanting more.)

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Go straight home after the exam. (Move on, focus on the next exam, there is not much you can do about exam you have just completed.)

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Take a few deep breaths when you get stuck (in for the count of 3 and out for the count of 3, if you don’t know how to answer, move on) 

Revise early and do not leave revising to the last minute.

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How to stay organised Staying organized throughout the term and during the exam period is critical to your success at the end of the year. Below are a list of strategies that ensure that you are fully prepared and organized when taking your exams.

1. Make a study area 

Make sure you pick a study area that is away from distraction and noise.

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Ensure that you have all of the equipment and resources required to study with you. These include books, pencils, pens, rubbers, paper, sharpeners, highlighters etc.

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Choose a space (eg. A wall) that you can display all of your timetables, exam notes, study time tables (See page 5) and list of goals and dreams you aspire to achieve. This will help you stay motivated and encourage you to achieve your best.

2. Prioritise your studies 

Write down when your exams are. Make them visible to everyone in your household (For example– on the fridge)

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Make sure that you study for your first exam sooner than your later exams. (Study for your Monday exam before your Thursday one.)

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Figure out how much time you need to study for each subject. Make sure you allocate enough time and do not cram all studying the night before the exam.

3. Ensure all of your notes are up to date and relevant 

Make sure that your notes cover all of the content that you have covered for that subject throughout the semester.

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Talk to your peers and teachers if you have been absent from school so that you are up to speed with all of the content that needs to be revised for the exam.

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Preparing for your exams 

Ensure that all your notes are up to date, as this allows you plenty of time to revise.

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Make sure you have completed all revision that your teachers have provided you during class and ensure that your answers are correct and detailed.

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Ensure you have asked all your teachers for the correct past exam papers for each subject and complete them before your exam. Have a copy of the answers sheet in order to check your answers. If any of your answers are incorrect, make sure you revise that particular topic or ask your teacher for assistance.

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Develop an understanding of how the marks are broken down in all your previous exams and discuss with your teacher the areas where you need improvement.

On the day of the exam, make sure you: 

Arrive at least half an hour before your exam commences

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Bring all appropriate equipment (pens, pencils, calculator– if you are completing a math exam and a bottle of water etc.)

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Use the reading time appropriately 

Answer questions relevant on marks allocated 

Relax and stay hydrated by drinking lots of water

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How to run a study group Select a topic or chapter that each person will cover during the study session 

Ensure that you complete work on your topic or chapter before your study session as you will be teaching your group members this content. This may be in the form of a PowerPoint, notes or a mind map, depending on which best suits your learning style.

Allocate timings 

Allocate a time when each person will present the content that they have been studying. Make sure the content covered at the start of the term is covered first during your study session.

Presenting your content 

To ensure everyone has a deep understanding of the content being presented, complete practise exam questions at the end of the study session. This will allow you to see which areas you still need to work more on. Allow for discussions and questions to explain any misconceptions.

Take breaks 

It is important to take breaks while you're studying, especially if you're feeling tired or frustrated. Working too long on a task can actually decrease your performance.

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When you take a break, make sure you get away from your desk or study space. A bit of physical activity - even just a walk around the block - can sometimes help you to look at a problem in a different way and could even help you to solve it.

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How to organise study groups Choose people you can work well with 

While you can study with your friends, make sure you will be able to get your study done. Remember that it is not about socialising (You can do that after the exam!) Select the right location

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The space where you study should be away from distractions and accessible to all your “study buddies.” For example, a library or someone’s house. Make sure that the space you will work at is spacious and allows for lots of room for all your study notes. Organising a timetable

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Select times that suit all member of your study group and ensure that you meet on more than one occasion if possible. Ensure that you meet weeks in advance to your exam. Preparing for your study day

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Ensure all your notes are up to date and that all content has been covered. This will ensure that you are not wasting your time on the day and that studying runs smooth. Make sure you

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Places to study It might be difficult to study at home due to distractions or simply not having an adequate space. Below are some other places where you might like to go to Library 

The library is a great, quiet place that allows you access to internet and books (with a valid library card– if you do not have one, you need to go with a parent or guardian to sign up– it’s free!) and has plenty of space where you can set up your study area. The library is also a good place to run a study group as has been mentioned earlier in this booklet.

Other relatives house 

If you have relatives with houses that are generally quiet (for example grandparents) you can ask them if it’s ok to use a space in their house as a study area. Make sure your parents or guardians are ok with this.

Park 

If it’s a nice and sunny day, why not pick up your books and head to the local park? It might be useful to have a change of scenery and if there is no distractions, it might be a nice and quiet place to start/continue your studying! Make sure that you do not go if the weather is not good because you do not want all your books to get wet and ruined.

Friends house 

If you have a friend that is studying the same subject as you and is not a distraction, you may like to create a little study group where you go to the friends’ house and have a study session together. Make sure your friends parents as well as your own are ok with this.

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Defining common exam instruction words Analyse

Take apart an idea, concept or statement and examine and criticise its sub-parts in detail.

Assess

Describe a topic’s positive and negative aspects and say how useful and successful it is or consider its contribution to knowledge, events or processes.

Criticise

Point out a topic’s mistakes or witnesses as well its favourable aspects. Give a balanced answer.

Compare

Put items side by side to see their similarities and differences.

Contrasts

Emphasise the differences between two things.

Define

Give the meaning of an idea, either a dictionary definition or from an academic authority in your subject of study.

Describe

Give details of processes, priorities, events and so on.

Discuss

Describe, explain, give examples, points for and against, then analyse and evaluate the results.

Evaluate

Similar to discuss, but with more emphasis on a judgment in the conclusion.

Examine

Take apart and describe a concept in great detail.

Explain

Give detailed reasons for an idea, principle or result, situation, attitude and so on. You may need to give some analysis as well.

Illustrate

Give concrete examples including figures or diagrams.

Interpret

Explain and comment on the subject and make a judgment.

Justify

Give reasons to support a statement.

List

Provide an itemised series of parts, reasons or qualities.

Prove/disprove

Provide evidence for or against and demonstrate logical arguments and reasoning.

Relate

Emphasise the links, connections and associations.

Review

Analyse and comment briefly, in organized sequences.

State

Give the relevant points briefly.

Suggest

Give possible reasons– analyse, interpret and evaluate.

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The Multiple Intelligences Every person learns in a different way. You might find it easier to learn by making mind maps and posters or you might learn better by creating study notes or booklets. Take the test on the next page to find out how you learn best. Take into consideration that you might have more than 1 intelligence (Churchill et al. 2011)

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Multiple Intelligence Test Look at each column and check the box next to each phrase that describes how you learn best. Once you’ve read through each phrase, add the number of boxes you’ve checked and write that number in the total line for each column. You can check your results on the sheet that describes your unique learning style on the

COLUMN A

COLUMN B

COLUMN C

When you are learning or studying, you prefer to:

When you are learning or studying, you prefer to:

When you are learning or studying, you prefer to:

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Use Visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc.

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Participate in class discussions/debates

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Take part in hands-on class projects like lab experiments or art projects

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Have a clear view of your teachers when they are speaking.

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Make speeches and presentations

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Write or draw while you are learning

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Use colour to highlight important points in text.

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Discuss your ideas with your  friends, family or teachers

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Take notes or look at  handouts from your teacher.

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Illustrate your ideas as a picture before writing them down.

Move around while you learn new things (for example, change your sitting position or walk around the room)

Record lessons instead of taking notes

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Do your class work or homework in a standing position

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Read text aloud or listen to someone reading it to you

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Chew gum

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Write a story and illustrate it. 

Create short songs or musical jingles to help you remember information or facts

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Use bright colours to highlight reading material

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Use different media (computers, iPads, film).

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Use rhymes or phrases to remember facts or concepts

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Decorate your work space with posters

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Read illustrated books.

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Dictate to someone while they write down your thoughts

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Listen to music

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Visualise information as a picture to help you remember it.

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Tell a story to communicate your ideas

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Skim through reading material to get an overview before reading it in detail

Total for Column A

Total for Column B

Total for Column C

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If Column A had the highest score, you learn best through Seeing

If Column B had the highest If Column C had the highest score, you learn best score, you learn best through Listening through Moving, Touching and Doing

You are a Visual Learner

You are an Auditory Learner

Visual Learners store information as images in their minds. They learn best by viewing written materials, diagrams, posters, graphics, live demonstrations, maps, charts and actual objects

Auditory Learners store information as “sound bites” in their minds. They learn best through listening to instructions or lessons, talking through a problem, discussing topics with others, asking questions, and sometimes through hearing music or other sound effects

Suggestions for the Visual Learner:

- Use the ideas listed in Suggestions for the Column A to help you in class Auditory Learner: or with your homework - Use the ideas in Column B - When you need to memorise to help you in class or with something (like a list of facts your homework or a reading passage) write it - Ask your teachers or down and create graphs, classmates for verbal charts, tables or illustrations for the information as often as instructions whenever possible you can - Talk through your ideas or thoughts with a friend, your - Picture a word in your mind teacher or a family member as when you try to spell it or you do your homework remember its meaning - Draw diagrams or graphics organisers to organize your notes and to solve math problems - Keep your workspaces at school and at home neat and organized - Read cartoons and comic books in your free time. Also, when recalling something you read, sketch the events out in cartoon frames so that you can visualise what happened

- Say a word aloud when you are trying to spell it or remember its meaning Volunteer for projects that involve talking with other people, like interviewing people with different careers or life experiences Read all characters ‘ dialogue aloud when you read, or imagine what it would sound like.

You are a Tactile or Kinesthetic Learner Tactile or Kinesthetic Learners store information best when they can feel or touch what they are learning about. They learn best through hands-on projects or activities: writing, drawing, moving, handling objects, exploring and roleplaying. Suggestions for the Tactile or Kinesthetic Learner: - Use the ideas listed in Column C to help you in class or with your homework - When given the option, do oral reports or demonstrations in place of written reports - Record words on index cards with the meaning on the opposite side, to help you remember their meanings - Seek out reading materials that have a lot of action, such as science-fiction books or mystery novels - Use objects or physical models to help you solve math problems - Take frequent, short breaks when you are working on homework or studying.

- Volunteer for projects that require physical activity or - When you are solving math movement, such as plays or problems, talk through it aloud role-playing. – to yourself or to another - Before sitting down to study 13 person. or do homework, take a walk

Why are the multiple intelligences important for your learning? 

Multiple intelligences (MI) as developed by Dr. Howard Gardner is based on the understanding that people learn utilizing different types of intelligences. This means that individual learning varies across a platform of human potentialities in which individual differences stemming from bio-psychological and cultural factors affect their skills sets and even abilities.

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Multiple intelligences (MI) among intelligence theories specifically caters to the diversity characterizing individuals, and hence leads to a more effective and sensible approach to address unique learners in the classroom.

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You might think about yourself as being one specific type of learner and dismiss previously untried activities 'because it's just not me". In the short term, this is counter-productive because education should be about developing a range of abilities, whether you demonstrate an initial aptitude or not. In the long term, it is even worse. People with PhDs are widely assumed to be incapable of tying their own shoelaces because of the belief that high academic ability equals spatial incompetence.

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Think about a piece of work that you might consider your favourite or an achievement you are proud of. Look at the table below and see if you can match your piece of work to the linked intelligence:

Favourite piece of work

Linked intelligence

Story, poem, reading record, book written or read, audio recording made, audio book listened to, notes from a debate

Verbal/Linguistic

Graph, calculation, maths/science investigation result

Mathematical/Logical

Composition, music, dance set to music

Musical/Rhythmic

Map, video, photograph, mind map, painting, sculpture

Visual/Spatial

Model, sculpture, gym sequence, sports achievement

Bodily/Kinesthetic

A product of teamwork

Interpersonal

A product made alone, diary

Intrapersonal

Tree diagram, Venn Diagram, visit report/photographs Naturalist (Fleetham, Charles & Sheppard 2006)

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Note taking strategies To get the most out of your studying, you should be familiarised with a range of different note taking strategies. Note taking strategies can help you sort out your notes for each subject, summarise various topics and help you visualise what you have to learn for your exams. On the next few pages, you will be given examples of different ways you can take notes and prepare for your studies in order to help you achieve the best scores for your exams.

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To effectively summarise you must: 

Delete some information, substitute some information and keep some information

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Delete info that is not going to convey the overall meaning of what you are summarising

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Substitute terms such as crystals to compounds or flowers to roses, daises etc

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Keep terms, phrases and sentences that convey key info or facts

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Notes are a work in progress You should continually add to your notes and revise over them to deepen your understanding of the topic There is a strong relationship between the amount of notes taken and achievement on exams

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Cornell Notes A

Write the topic and the learning intention

PURPOSE

Write your notes in Section

B C NOTES

Write the key terms and guiding questions in Section B

KEY TERMS AND QUESTIONS

D SUMMARY Write your summary of everything in

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Bloom’s taxonomy represents the process of learning. By using cornell notes, you are stimulating critical thinking skills proposed by Bloom. Remember:

Before you can understand a concept, you have to remember it. Before you can apply the concept, you must understand it. Before you analyse it, you must be able to apply it. Before you can evaluate its impact, you must have alanysed it. Before you can create, you must have remembered, understood, applied, analysed and evaluated (Anderson, Krathwohl & Bloom 2001).

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Mind Maps

Mind maps are a great study technique to use if you are a visual learner. Make sure you put your topic in the middle and branch out any key words, concepts and ideas that relate to that topic and can help you with your studying.

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Lotus diagram

A Lotus Diagram is an analytical tool for breaking broad topics into their components. Lotus diagrams great if you want to expand your learning in a tidy way. A single topic should be placed in the middle of the paper and any questions, ideas, or concepts should surround the major topic in the middle. Each question, idea or concept is given its own box and you are able to expand any details in the surrounding boxes that relate to that particular question, concept or idea. Make sure you do not put more than 3 words per detail box. This will allow you to summarise your notes without adding any sentences but rather key words that relate to the concepts, ideas and questions. This will make it easier to visualise what you have to learn and allow you to easily interpret what needs to be studied for the exam.

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When can you use these note taking and summarising strategies? English Lotus Diagram- can be used to discuss themes in a book Mind Map- can be used to summarise different characters and chapters. You can include key scenes, important points, and key quotes. Can also be used as a planning strategy to plan what you will include throughout your essay Cornell Notes- can be used to summarise different themes, characters and chapters

Maths Lotus Diagram- can be used to summarise a topic. You can include information on each chapter as part of the topic and include formulas and examples Mind Map- can be used to summarise a topic. You can include information on each chapter as part of the topic and include formulas and examples Cornell Notes- can be used to solve problems that you find struggling or confusing

Science Mind Map- can be used to summarise a topic

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Mnemonic devices Mnemonic devices are techniques a person can use to help them improve their ability to remember something. In other words, it is a memory technique to help your brain better encode and recall important information. It’s a simple shortcut that helps us associate the information we want to remember with an image, a sentence, or a word. Here are some examples of mnemonic devices you can use to help you when studying for your exams.

The method of Loci Using the method of Loci is easy. 

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First, imagine a place with which you are familiar. For instance, if you use your house, the rooms in your house become the objects of information you need to memorise. Another example is to use the route to your work or school, with landmarks along the way becoming the information you need to memorise. You go through a list of words or concepts needing memorisation, and associate each word with one of your locations. You should go in order so that you will be able to retrieve all of the information in the future. For example, below:

look at the picture

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Acronyms An acronym is a word formed from the first letters or groups of letters in a name or phrase. An acrostic is a series of lines from which particular letters (such as the first letters of all lines) from a word or phrase. These can be used as mnemonic devices by taking the first letters of words or names that need to be remembered and developing an acronym and acrostic.

Rhymes A rhyme is saying that has similar terminal sounds at the end of each line. Rhymes are easier to remember because they can be stored by acoustic encoding in our brains. For example:  

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. Thirty days hath September, April, June and November; All the rest have thirtyone, Save February, with twenty-eight days clear, And twenty-nine each leap year.

Chunking and Organisation Chunking is simply a way of breaking down larger pieces of information into smaller, organised “chunks” of more easily-managed information. Mobile numbers are a perfect example of this- 10 digits broken into 3 chunks, allowing almost everyone to remember an entire mobile number with ease. Since short-term human memory is limited to approximately 7 items of information, placing larger quantities of information into smaller container helps our brain remember more, and more easily. Organising information into either objective or subjective categories also helps. Objective organisation is placing information into well-recognised, logical categories. Trees and grass are plants, a cricket is an insect. Subjective organisation is categorising seemingly unrelated items in a way that helps you recall the items later. This can also be useful because it breaks down the amount of information to learn. If you can divide a list of items into a fewer number of categories, then all you have to remember is the categories (fewer categories), which will serve as memory cues in the future.

Imagery Visual imagery is a great way to help memorise items for some people. For instance, it’s often used to memorise pairs of words (green grass, yellow sun, blue water etc.) The method of Loci mentioned above is a form of using imagery from 25

References 

Anderson, LW, Krathwohl, DR & Bloom BS 2001, A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing, 2nd edn, Longman, South Carolina.

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Churchill, R, Ferguson, P, Godinho, S, Johnson, NF, Keddie, A, Letts, W, Mackay J, McGill, M, Moss, J, Nagel, MC, Nicholson, P & Vick, M 2011, Teaching: Making a Difference, 1st edn, John Wiley & Sons, QLD, Australia.

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Fleetham, M, Charles, R & Sheppard, K 2006, Multiple Intelligences in Practice : Enhancing Self-esteem and Learning in the Classroom, Continuum International Publishing Group, London.

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Gardner, H 1993, Multiple Intelligence,: The Theory in Practice, 1st edn, Basic Books, New York.

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Marzano, RJ 2004, Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement, Hawker Brownlow Education, Moorabbin, VIC.

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McFarlane, DA 2011, ‘The Most Effective Platform for Global 21st Century Educational and Instructional Methodologies, College Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 1-8.

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Useful websites Studying tips

www.howtostudy.org www.testtakingtips.com www.studypoint.com www.how-to-study.com www.studyvibe.com.au

Note taking resources and templates

https://crmsliteracy.wikispaces.com/Note+Taking+Templates www.timeatlas.com/5_minute_tips/ generalword_templates_and_cornell_note_taking#.U_Kc21A_7qA www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/ www.quizlet.com

Timetable templates

www.calendarpedia.co.uk/timetable-exceltemplates.html http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/ templates/daily-scheduleTC102930020.aspx

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GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR 36