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The MORSE Code for revision

#TMM11

Why?

Many students think reading=revision.

Active revision methods are seen as harder but they’re also much more effective.

Varied tasks that involve doing something with the knowledge work much better than passive methods like reading and listening.

The MORSE Code

Active revision uses some or all of these ideas:

MnemonicsOrganiseRehearseSummariseExtend

Mnemonics

Mental tricks and shortcuts Kids love them Subject-specific

How I Wish I Could Calculate Pi Naughty Elephants Squirt Water

Often of limited use but provide a good link to organising a list of facts.

Organise

Students should make links between facts

Use lists, categories or groups

Mind or concept maps e.g. bubbl.us or www.mindmeister.com

Venn diagrams to show similar/different

Card sorts can be used in all kinds of ways

Energy Resources FC

Solar

Tidal Hydro Wave Wind

Oil Coal Gas

Geothermal

Biomass

Fission

AQA B1b Bubbl.us

Rehearse/Repeat

Use a variety of methods to practise facts, methods and understanding e.g. cover, write out, check

It’s the ideas not exact words that matter

Fill in printable blanks to test recall

Enzymes

Summarise/Shorten

Writing summaries forces kids to evaluate their notes and decide what matters.

Make revision cards or PowerPoint slides. Many electronic versions e.g.

quizlet.com PowerPoints can be saved as jpegs to a

mobile phone then viewed as a slideshow.

Define a concept in a text or tweet.

Heat vs EM vs nuclear

Wave propertiesf = frequency (Hz)amplitude = heightTransverse/longitudinalEM, mexican / sound

Wave Equation

v = f λSpeed=freq. X wavelength(m/s) Hz) (m)

EM Waves

transverseall travel at same

speedc=300000000m/s

RMIVUXGRadioMicrowaveInfraredVisibleUltravioletX-RayGamma

Properties of EMHeatingAlternating currentIonisation (damage) CCI

R

RMV

UX

γαβ

Extend

Using what they know in a new way Using past/practice questions is very

useful, but rather than just attempting them: Write a markscheme. Write explanations for your answers. Produce a hints/prompts sheet. Marking a teacher’s ‘wrong’ answers,

with feedback in red.

Extend creatively

Challenge students to come up with something different If this is the answer what is the

question? Write a song/concrete poetry Make a dance sequence (hand

gestures?). Create a wiki/blog post. Script (and record) a podcast/video

summary. Speed-date, testing classmates using

what they’ve produced for 2 minutes then move on.

MORSE

Mnemonics – mental tricks and shortcuts

Organise – making links between ideas

Rehearse – practicing facts and methods

Summarise – choosing main concepts

Extend – using knowledge in new ways

Doing not reading, acting not listening

Effective revision is a process not a product

Who I am

I teach Science and Physics full-time

I blog about it at Teaching Science

I’m on Twitter as @teachingofsci

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