Skills for Science

with a focus on Biology

 What Skills?

Selecting information

Presenting information

Calculations

Conclusions and experimental procedures.

 Selecting
Information
 Selecting information from different
sources.
Written passages

Tables

Diagrams

Graphs

Charts

Keys
 Written passages
• Remember you are not being tested on knowledge in
this type of question.
• Read the question carefully. It should give you a
clue.
• Your answer must refer to key words in the
question.
• Remember to give full answers.
• You may need to explain something in the passages.
You need to say why something happens or may
happen.
 Tables
• Read the question carefully.
• Be clear what the question is asking you.
• Pay attention to the headings in the table.
• Remember to use all the information that is
available when you answer the question. This
means you give as much detail as possible.
 Charts and graphs
Pie Charts
Pie charts

Line graphs •Work out how much each division

on chart equals.
Bar graphs •Use this to work out which
Histograms
segment of pie chart refers to each
factor.
 Charts and Graphs
• Line graphs and bar charts.
• Calculate the scale on each
axis.
• i.e what value does each
small division equal.
• You can write it on the paper
( so you do not need to keep
working it out)
• At credit level you may need
to take information from
more than one source. e.g. a
table and a graph
 Presenting
Information
Ways you may be asked to present
information

Table of results
Graph
Chart
Key
 Completing a table of results
• Use the information in the question to make
sure your column headings are correct. (don’t
change it from the information that is given)
• Units must be included in the heading (if
appropriate.)
 Graphs and charts
• You must use a ruler to draw any lines.
• Make sure any line you draw is in the correct
place.
• Read the question!! Draw the type of graph or
chart asked.
 Graphs and charts
1. Label axes. Take label from table exactly. Remember to include
units.
2. Choose a suitable scale.
1. A scale that makes it easy to plot points.
2. A scale that uses at least half the graph paper.
3. Scale must go past the last value to be plotted.
4. Scale must increase in regular divisions.
3. Plot points carefully.
4. Use ruler to complete.
5. Only plot data values given.
6. Do not plot to zero on x axis unless you have been given a value
for that point.
 Graphs and charts
Line Graphs • Bar Charts/Graphs
• Values (usually this will be a word)
1. Put a value for the on x axes should be below the
origin of both axes if column.
not already there. • Take care. Use a ruler to draw the
(This is usually 0 but bars. Be really careful with the
tops of the bars.
not always)
• Be careful any shading does not
2. Join plots with a ruler. go over the lines.
3. Make sure your line • Bar chart has space between the
goes through the bars.
• Histogram : The bars touch and
plots. the values will be numbers
 Calculations
Averages

Ratios

Percentages

Percentage increase/decrease
 Averages
• Total the numbers in the set
• Divide by the number in the set.
 Averages
• You may be asked to calculate a daily increase
or a weekly increase or a yearly increase.
• Find the total increase ( subtract the initial
number from the final number then divide by
number of days/weeks/years in the study)
• Final number – initial number
number in study
 Ratios
• Read question carefully
• Use the same units for all quantities.
• Keep the order of the quantities the same as it
appears in the question
• Answers must be in whole numbers.
• You should not be able to divide the numbers
any more.
 Ratios
• Start by trying to divide both sides by the
smallest number.
• If that does not produce a whole number look
at ending of the figures.
– If they all end in 0 divide by 10
– If they all end in 0 or 5 divide by 5
– If they all end in an even number divide by 2
Percentages
 Percentages

Express a number as a percentage.

Express a percentage as a number.

Calculate a percentage change.

 Express a number as a percentage
• Percent means per 100
• If you are asked to calculate a percentage you
are working out how many there would be per
100.
• Eg in a science class there are 6 boys and 14 girls. What percentage of
boys are in the class?
• 6 out of 20 are boys.
• Divide 6 by 20
• Then multiply by 100
• 6/20 x100
Express a percentage as a number.
To convert a percentage to a number
• Take the percentage you want to convert
• Divide it by 100
• Then multiply be the number.
– E.g in a group of 20 girls 16% like chocolate ice cream. How
many girls like chocolate ice cream?
– Divide 16 by 100
– Then multiply by 20 (the total number of girls)
– 16/100 x 20
 Calculate a percentage change
• First calculate the change
• Divide by initial value
• Multiply by 100
– Eg in 2010, 92 LHS pupils were presented for
standard grade biology. In 2011 115 pupils were
presented.
– Increase = 115-92 = 23
– Divide 23 by original 23/92
– Multiply by 100
 Conclusions
and
experimental procedures
 Experimental procedures

Validity of an investigation.

Control experiments

Reliability of an investigation.

Describing a relationship
 Validity of an investigation.

• Has the result been caused by the factor you

are investigating?
• You make in investigation valid by setting up a
control to prove it was the factor you were
investigating which caused the change.
 Control experiments

• A control experiment checks the validity of an

experiment.
• A control experiment is identical to the
original experiment except for the factor you
are investigating.
• Read the question carefully. Do you need a
general definition of a control or do you
require a control specific to the investigation
in the question?
 Reliability of an investigation.

• Repeating an experiment will make it more

reliable because it will minimise the effect of
an atypical result.
• Be careful that your answer says ‘it increases
the reliability….’ or ‘it makes the experiment
more reliable’.
• It is a good idea to add ‘because it will
minimise the effect of an atypical result.’
 Drawing conclusions
• Think about the information that is given.
• What can be learned from this information.
• Look back at the aim to help with wording.
 Describing a relationship
• Usually refers to information in a graph but it could
be from a table.
• Need to describe relationship between two factors.
• Both factors should be in your answer.
• Good idea to start ‘As factor x increases factor y…….’
• Make sure you look carefully at data provided and
describe all phases of the relationship.
• You need to support with actual data (including
units) to get the full marks.