MAD SCIENCE PSLE BOOSTER CAMP

Mad Science PSLE Booster Camp

This June Holidays, Mad Science programs are now open to the public! Parents have called Mad Science asking us to conduct workshops for their kids, who find learning through the Mad Science kinesthetic approach much easier than auditory methods used in the typical Singapore Primary School Classroom.

We have selected topics that are difficult for teachers to bring alive in class, together with a Learn, Revise and Retain tool that helps children to revise for the PSLE. View the following pages for an understanding of the Mad Science approach.

Date: 9 to 13 June 2014

Time: 2pm to 6pm

Venue:#04-04, TMC Academy, Bishan Campus. 38C, Jalan Pemimpin, Singapore 577180. (Located opposite Raffles Institution, and a 5 min walk from Marymount MRT Station).

Fees: $480 for 5 intensive days of hands-on Science learning

Includes all worksheets and take home Mad Science Kits.

To register, email quarksofkhoo@gmail.com with the following information:

Title of email: Mad Science Booster. Name of child, Age of child, Name of parent, Email address of parent and Contact number of parent.

Programme Design - Principles

• Individuals Centred – 8 PSLE relevant topics are covered; 2-hour duration for each class

– The most challenging topics for the average student, in a typical Primary school classroom have been selected

– 2 classes are set aside for Open Book Test i.e a Learn, Revise, Retain model

• Inquiry Based, Kinesthetic Mad Science Model – Focus on Concept Knowledge & Application

– Promote learning by Doing

– Emphasize on Skills & Processes for pupils

– Integrate Higher Order Process Skills coaching by linking Experiments to Worksheets

– Draw the link between Science knowledge to In & Of the Real World

• Teaching Strategies – Concept Mapping

– Cooperative Learning

– Demonstration

– Investigation

– Problem Solving

– Games, Role Play & Movement

Overall

Mad Science aims to let pupils:

• Learn science content AND processes skills

• Discover incremental learning via Pupil Led Mind Mapping before and after each topic

• Learn how to make/take notes by topics through Open Book Tests

2 Sessions are set aside for Learn, Revise & Retain

• A 1-hour Open Book Test (OBT) will happen at the end of 5 topics

• 2nd hour of the OBT will be used for reviewing through the test questions

• Each student will be told in Session 1 of Mad Science Programme that they can bring in a 1 x A4 Sized Cheat Sheet for the Open Book Test

• Intent: Break the Science Topic learning up into smaller parts and use Cheat Sheets as a tool to help students revise & the test to help students understand how to tackle questions & clear any misconceptions

Mad Science – Desired Outcomes

A Mad Science Class would look like this:

• Pupil-led Mind Mapping (Pre) – Mad Scientist will capture all the existing knowledge of pupils on a

particular topic at the start of each class to establish the baseline for the topic

• Mad Science Delivers the Topic with emphasis on: – Concept Learning

– Hands-on Experiments

– Higher Order Process Skills*

• Pupil-led Mind Mapping (Post) as reflections – Mad Scientist will capture all the existing knowledge of pupils on the same

topic at the end of the class and get pupils to compare Pre vs Post learning, to get to the incremental learning from the Mad Science class

Mad Science Session – Format

* For selected Science Topics

Topics Covered Diversity, Cycles, Systems, Interactions & Energy

Skills Covered Observing, Comparing, Classifying, Communicating, Using Apparatus & Equipment, Inferring, Hypothesizing, Predicting, Analyzing, Generating Possibilities, Evaluating

Processes Learned Creative Problem Solving, Investigating

Mad Science Topics

Harnessing Heat Excellent Energy

Black and Blue Oceans Exploring Ecosystems

Photosynthesis Rockin Rockets (Energy + Forces Application)

Electricity Magnetic Magic

Open Book Test 1 Open Book Test 2

Meeting MOE’s Goal: 21st Century Skills via Mad Science

Self-directed Learner

Mad Science programs

encourage self directed

learning. We provide tools that

promote discovery and

experimentation of the topic

after each lesson

A habit, if formed when young,

will be a strong engine for

lifelong learning for the

participant.

Confident Person

Knowledge builds confidence. Mad

Science has seen shy and quiet pupils

transformed into confident active learners.

Concerned Citizen

Mad Science Lesson plans have strong links

to what is happening around us in Singapore

e.g Global warming effect on Singapore; Haze

impact on the environment; why our Oceans

are important in the Water Cycle.

Active Contributor

Mad Science uses Personal Action Plan

as a tool to empower pupils and educate

them about what each of them can do to

protect and save the environment

Information & Communication skills

Pupils are constantly gathering

information & data to build the Scientific

information/knowledge bank.

‘Pass the Marker’ and Communicating

results in both verbal and written forms

build communication skills

Critical & Inventive Thinking

Mad Science lesson plans cover current

issues that have no single defined

solution which pushes pupils to think

critically. E.g Maglev train vs other train

advantages vs disadvantages; Types of

energy and their benefits & costs.

Mad Science mini projects will allow our

young minds to be inventive e.g Build a

Maglve train / solar cooker / water

filtration system.

Global Awareness

Mad Science lesson plans are pro

environment. It brings issues such as

over-fishing, by-catch; forest destruction;

global warming to the heart of the class.

Meeting MOE’s Goal: 21st Century Skills & MMTS via Mad Science

Relationship Management

No person works alone in the business

world. Mad Science lesson plans have

heavy emphasis on cooperative

learning.

Responsible Decision Making

Mad Science lesson plans help pupils

apply values, knowledge and process

skills into decision making at a personal

as well as group levels.

Social Awareness

Mad Science lesson plans places heavy

emphasis on relating to the world around

us especially around the Life Science

topics.

Meeting MOE’s Goal: 21st Century Skills & MMTS via Mad Science

Mad Science Proprietary Take Homes that will accompany the PSLE Booster program

Magnet Lab Heat Sheet

Catapult

Anaglyph Sea Puzzle Circuit Maze Newton Spinner

Mad Science Proprietary Take Homes that will accompany the PSLE Booster program

MAD SCIENCE BOOSTER CAMP GALLERY

Magnetic Magic Earth’s magnetic field. Fields of Iron experiments. Build a Levitation tower. Electromagnet Demo. Determining the poles of a magnet. Compass reading and topic applications.

Maglev Challenge (group work) Design & build a Maglev vehicle + move it without touching the vehicle.

Harnessing Heat Build a thermometer. Observe convection. Friction causes a rise in temperature of sand. Plus, experiments on heat energy and conductivity.

Underwater volcano –

convection currents

Electrical conductivity experiments using the Plasma Ball

Complete Your Circuit Assemble circuit components in series or parallel to light up a bulb or sound a buzzer, or both.

Series or Parallel? Understanding series and parallel arrangement for batteries and bulbs + real world applications

Rockin’ Rockets

Photosynthesis- Testing for starch, chlorophyll chromatography, air bubbles on stomata, light and photosynthesis

Black and Blue Oceans Understanding Animal adaptations. The food web game – how does the decimation of one species impact life in the ocean? Taking responsibility for personal actions. Understand how one can protect fragile ecosystems.

Making feather and whale blubber gloves and testing in

ice cold water to understand how animal adaptations help

them to survive and thrive in their environment

Every student represents a sea creature and their positions

in the grid shows how each is related in a food web. What

happens when one species dies? This visual and

experiential game/movement exercise illustrates the inter-

connectedness of the ocean ecosystem.