{"id":222,"date":"2016-06-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/11\/importance-of-template-answers\/"},"modified":"2022-11-06T23:38:59","modified_gmt":"2022-11-06T15:38:59","slug":"importance-of-template-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/importance-of-template-answers\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Template Answers & Why Do They Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_margin=”0px|||” custom_padding=”0px|||”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”off|phone” module_class=”single-post-body et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.0.11″ width=”100%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”100%” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”|0px||0px” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” make_fullwidth=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Blog Text” _builder_version=”4.4.8″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”28px” header_font=”geomanist-bold||||” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”-55px|-45px||” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_line_height_tablet=”” text_line_height_phone=”” text_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” z_index_tablet=”500″]<\/p>\n

In today’s article, I’d like to highlight the importance of using answering techniques, such as template answers, as well as the correct thought process, in order for students not to lose precious marks during examinations.<\/p>\n

While I was marking some worksheets yesterday, I made an interesting discovery and would like to share it with you.<\/p>\n

This is a question on Water Cycle<\/strong><\/a> that my student has answered.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Please focus\u00a0on part (b) of the question.<\/p>\n

I’m glad that she has managed to apply our signature\u00a0CCI\u2122<\/em>\u00a0answering technique<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and crafted her\u00a0answer beautifully.<\/p>\n

\n

Read Also<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. The CUE Method To Tackle Data-Based Questions<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Link Back Method: What Your Child Needs To Know<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Heat Energy X Water Cycle: How Both Concepts Can Be Tested Together<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    It appeared to be perfect until I\u00a0realised that she omitted\u00a0comparison terms<\/em>\u00a0(i.e. more\/less) from\u00a0her answer!<\/p>\n

    I cannot emphasise how important it is for students to read the question carefully and answer in the context of the question!<\/p>\n

    Here’s The Template Answer<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    The water gains heat from the ____________ (heat source) and evaporates to form water vapour which rises and comes into contact with the cooler inner\/outer (choose one) surface of the _________ (object), loses heat to it and condenses to form (tiny) water droplets.<\/p>\n

    Here’s The Template Answer (With Comparison Terms)<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The water gains heat faster\u00a0<\/strong>from the ____________ (heat source) and evaporates faster<\/strong> to form more\u00a0<\/strong>water vapour which rises and comes into contact with the cooler inner\/outer (choose one) surface of the _________ (object), loses heat faster<\/strong>\u00a0to it and condenses to form more<\/strong> (tiny) water droplets.<\/span><\/p>\n

    *The term “tiny”\u00a0is placed in brackets as some schools like to enforce the use of\u00a0this keyword. This is especially so when students are describing the formation of clouds.<\/em><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Here’s the thing.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    It is important for students to know the answering techniques – template answers, keywords & key phrases. However, what’s even\u00a0more vital is the thought process<\/span> behind the answer.<\/p>\n

    In order for a student to be able to answer a question accurately<\/a>, he\/she must be well-versed in both the thought process and the answering techniques.<\/p>\n

    Regurgitating the answering techniques may qualify the answer for some marks. However, your child will tend to lose some marks if it’s not crafted in the context of the question.<\/p>\n

    In the above scenario, it is evident that the comparison terms are missing in her answer and hence, the student lost\u00a0some marks.<\/p>\n

    What a waste, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

    Some parents have also asked me why I make my\u00a0students memorise<\/strong>\u00a0template answers\/structures?<\/strong> (…after all, memorising appears to be a bad learning habit).<\/em><\/p>\n

    The rationale is very simple.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    #1 Inclusion of\u00a0Important Keywords<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Over at The Pique Lab<\/span>,\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/a>every template answer that we teach contains\u00a0important keywords.\u00a0Keywords are important words (or phrases) that students must include in their answers to draw relevance to a particular Science concept.<\/p>\n

    Memorising\u00a0template answers\/structures will help the student include important keywords in their answers. While it may appear to be a laborious task at the start, it’ll get easier over time after they practise\u00a0the answering techniques repeatedly. Some students have also shared with me that they tend to memorise better when they verbalise their answers.<\/p>\n

    Have you ever asked your child whether he\/she has studied for a particular Science topic and he\/she tells you this?<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Ohh Mummy! I know how to write that…so I don’t need to memorise it!”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    I’ve noticed these students tend to omit one or two keywords from their answers, without them even realising.<\/p>\n

    Why is this happening?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In the above\u00a0“Hot Water Concept” question, there are too many keywords to take note of. Omitting any keyword will often result in incomplete answers, thus causing your child to lose marks unnecessarily.<\/p>\n

    If your\u00a0child doesn’t have a structure in mind to adhere to, it is often challenging & time-consuming to come up with a complete answer during the examination on his\/her own.<\/p>\n

    Now, tell me.\u00a0Wouldn’t it be better if\u00a0your child memorised something that works?<\/p>\n

    Of course, your child will also need\u00a0to take into account the context<\/strong> of the question & adapt his\/her answer accordingly.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    #2\u00a0Effective\u00a0Time Management<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Based on anecdotal experience, students who formulate\u00a0their answer on the spot during his\/her\u00a0Science examination usually\u00a0take more time as compared to students who did their memory work.\u00a0This is because extra time has to be spent on\u00a0thinking of how to structure a perfect answer.<\/p>\n

    Well, think about it. There are\u00a0simply too many factors to consider:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What is the concept the examiner is trying to test?<\/li>\n
    2. What are the important keywords or key phrases that I must include?<\/li>\n
    3. Does it sound logical?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Studying smart means being able to spot common questions\/concepts and structuring a good response beforehand – Just like how adults prepare for interviews, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

      As such, if your child did his\/her memory work, there is a higher likelihood that he\/she will have extra time to check his\/her answers during the Science examination. This is a privilege that other students might not have!<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      #3 Scientific Answers<\/span><\/h2>\n

      Examiners are usually\u00a0looking out for answers that are written in a scientific manner.<\/p>\n

      If your child isn’t familiar with certain keywords or structures, he\/she may use certain terms interchangeably.<\/p>\n

      For instance, the examiner is interested to know the adaptation of mammals in cold habitats. In this case, the term\u00a0“hair” is often\u00a0preferred over\u00a0the term “fur”, because it is regarded as a scientific term.<\/p>\n

      As such, memorising “template answers\/structures” will help to build your child’s\u00a0foundation for tackling Science questions in a specific, concise and yet well-elaborated manner.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      #4\u00a0BONUS: Especially Useful For Weaker Students<\/span><\/h2>\n

      I’ve also noticed that students who are\u00a0weaker in\u00a0English\u00a0tend to benefit more from this learning technique as well! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

      I hope that this article has highlighted the importance of template answers and how useful they can be, especially if your child is currently struggling with including the right keywords and\/or having problems managing their time during examinations. In addition to simply memorising the template answers, it is equally or even more important to apply the right thought process to apply these answering techniques in the context of the question.<\/p>\n

      [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”CCI” _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_margin=”0px||” custom_padding=”0px||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider color=”#898989″ _builder_version=”3.22.7″ locked=”off”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/The-Pique-Lab-CCI-Science-Course-CTA.png” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”CCI” _builder_version=”3.23″ z_index_tablet=”500″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#333333″ text_font_size=”18px” text_orientation=”center”]<\/p>\n

      If you like our methodology, we’ve some upcoming workshops:<\/p>\n

      [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”geomanist-medium||||||||” text_text_color=”#f44a4a” text_font_size=”18px” text_orientation=”center”]<\/p>\n

      P4 Complete Concept Integration\u2122 Science Course<\/strong><\/a>
       P5 Complete Concept Integration\u2122 Science Course<\/strong><\/a>
       P6 Complete Concept Integration\u2122 Science Course<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

      [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":241667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Students learn<\/span> the topic of Electricity<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0at Primary 5 and many of them find the concepts to be confusing, especially when they are first exposed to this topic.\r\n\r\nAs such, over the next few blog posts, I will be sharing more about the concepts of Electricity<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0that are commonly tested during examinations.\r\n\r\nIn today\u2019s blog post, I will be focusing on the arrangement of the wires in a bulb and relate it to how a bulb should be connected in a circuit.\r\n

      Today\u2019s Question:<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
      How Should The Bulb Be Connected To The Circuit For It To Light Up?<\/strong><\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n

      The following question is commonly encountered by students during tests.<\/p>\r\n

      \"\"<\/a>Question Credit: Anglo Chinese School (Junior)\/ 2015 Primary 5 SA1\/ Question 18<\/em><\/p>\r\nWe can see that the key difference between the four options is the connection of the bulb(s) in the circuit.\r\n

      Requirements Needed for a Bulb to Light Up<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nOne wire is connected to the metal casing & one wire is connected to the metal tip<\/u><\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

      \"\"<\/a>Example of a closed circuit<\/em><\/p>\r\nWhen the wires in the circuit are connected to the metal casing and metal tip of the bulb, there is a closed (or complete) circuit with the bulb. Electricity will be able to flow through the filament, causing the bulb to light up.\r\n

      What Happens When Both Wires Are Connected To The Metal Tip\/Metal Casing?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\r\nScenario #1: Both wires are connected to the metal tip<\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n

      Example of a circuit when the wires are connected only to the metal tip<\/em><\/p>\r\nWhen both wires are connected to the metal tip of the bulb, electricity is unable to flow through the filament, preventing the bulb from lighting up.\r\n\r\nScenario #2: Both wires are connected to the metal casing<\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

      \"\"<\/a>Example of a circuit when the wires are connected only to the metal casing<\/em><\/p>\r\nWhen both wires are connected to the metal casing of the bulb, electricity is unable to flow through the filament, preventing the bulb from lighting up.\r\n\r\nNow, let us now take a look at the question again.\r\n

      Analysis Of The Options<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nWhen analysing the circuits, students need to take note of one key point:\r\n

      How is the bulb connected to the circuit?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\nIn the following analysis, I have traced the pathway that electricity flows through (in red) as well so that it is easier to understand why the bulb lights up.\r\n

      Circuit A<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nBoth the metal casing and tip of the bulb are connected to the circuit, forming a closed circuit. Thus, electricity is able to flow through the wires in the circuit to the filament, allowing the bulb to light up.\r\n

      Circuit B<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nOnly the tip is connected to the circuit. Thus, electricity is unable to flow through the filament, preventing the bulb from lighting up.\r\n

      Circuit C<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

      \"\"<\/a><\/p>\r\nOnly the casing is connected to the circuit. Thus, electricity is unable to flow through the filament, preventing the bulb from lighting up.\r\n

      Circuit D<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

      \"\"<\/a><\/p>\r\nBoth the metal casing and tip of the two bulbs are connected to the circuit, forming a closed circuit. Thus, electricity is able to flow through the wires in the circuit to the filaments, allowing the bulbs to light up.\r\n\r\nAs the bulbs in circuits A and D will light up, the correct answer is option 4.\r\n

      What We Have Learnt Today<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\r\nWhen students wish to find out if the bulb will light up, they should check the following:\r\n

      Are both the metal casing and the tip of the bulb connected to the circuit?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIf the answer to the question is \u2018yes\u2019, the bulb will light up. :)\r\n\r\nIn the next blog post, I will be sharing about the advantages and disadvantages of arranging bulbs in series and in parallel.\r\n\r\nStay tuned! :)\r\n\r\n
      \r\n\r\n[thrive_leads id='8207']","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,6,3],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"modified_by":"Joline","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241323,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions\/241323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}