Gary Koppelman, now an award-winning science teacher, once realized that designing his own lab experiments and projects helped him understand how theories worked in the real world. His discoveries about his own learning challenged him to design an alternative method to teach science at Blissfield Elementary, a small rural school in southeast Michigan, where he began teaching in 1976.

“All lessons should start with the interests of young children”, is how Koppelman sums up the philosophy behind what he calls his “hands-on, minds-on” teaching approach. He tries to provide daily opportunities for students to engage with the natural world, ask questions, collect and analyze data, and work with their partners to come up with answers.

In Koppelman’s view, children are born with all the qualities of a good scientist: They are curious, eager to investigate their surroundings, and happy to experiment. But too many students enter elementary, school classrooms that extinguish that passion with lessons that, are disconnected from their lives and the natural world around them.

“Inquiry-driven science classrooms in elementary grades are rare,” says John L. Rudolph, the author of How We Teach Science: What’s Changed, and Why It Matters. “The approach requires more teacher training, funding, and complex assessments, but the payoff is worth it,” Rudolph said. Not only do students learn critical thinking and communication skills, but also they develop a deep understanding of how scientists, come, up with evidence and develop conclusions in these inquiry-driven science classrooms, which Rudolph views as a largely ignored part of science education.

The impact of Koppelman’s “hands-on, minds-on” teaching approach: has been huge: For some years Blissfield Elementary scored near the top in science tests of the state. More of the district’s students are going to major in STEM fields in college.

Studying and preparing is vital to success in exams. It is, however, difficult to know how to best manage your preparation period until you have some experience. This passage offers some ideas to help those still quite new to exams.

Start your revision early.

There is no substitute for starting early with revision. You need to give yourself enough time to review everything you have studied, and make sure you understand it. 【小题1】

Organise your study time.

【小题2】 You will also find that you have more to revise for some subjects than others. It is worth taking the time to plan your revision and consider how much time you might need for each subject.

Look after yourself during study and exam time.

You will be able to work better if you eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of sleep. This applies to both your exam period, and when you are revising. 【小题3】 It is also a good idea to take regular exercise when studying.

【小题4】

Always doing the same thing, for example, reading over your notes on a subject, is likely to be quite dull. Spice up your revision period by trying different exercises and techniques. Alternatives include:

【小题5】

Drawing mind maps or other summary diagrams to test what you can remember.

Organising a discussion group with some friends to consider a particular issue.​

You’ve gotten a bad grade on a test.【小题1】So you’d better spend a little time preparing yourself to break the news. Here are some tips.

Talk to your teacher.

Before you tell your parents, it might be helpful to meet with your teacher. Ask him where you have gone wrong with the examination paper.【小题2】Besides, he can guide you on the right path for the future.

Practice what you will say.

【小题3】You can talk to a toy animal or yourself in front of a mirror. Either way, having some idea of what you will say and how you will say it ahead of time can be very helpful.

Tell your parents sooner rather than later.

It will look like you’re trying to cover up your grade if you wait two weeks to tell them about your grade. Try to get it out of the way within a few days of getting the news.【小题4】

Pick a good moment.

If you approach them when they’re already stressed or angry, they’ll be less likely to react well. Try a calm family time when your parents aren’t disturbed by other concerns.【小题5】You can also talk with them when you’re out on a dog walk.