Understanding Common Core Science Grades 6-10

Understanding Common Core Science Grades 6-10 Tips From an Orange County Science Tutor: Understanding Common Core Science: Grades 6-10 Tips From an Orange County Science Tutor: Understanding Common Core Science: Grades 6-10 Southern California parents are wondering what will be expected of their children as they go through Common Core from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are many new things to learn about, and its important for parents to know if their young learner is where they need to be academically for their particular grade or age group. Considering all the information out there, its easier to learn about it if it’s broken down into smaller parts. One of the things Common Core emphasizes is English Language Arts Standards as they relate to science and technical subjects. So what exactly does this mean? Arent English and science supposed to be two separate subjects? The Common Core essentially takes the skills of critical reading and comprehension and applies them to other subjects, in this case, science. Lets take a look at some of the key skills students need to know and at what level (READ: Online Research: Whats Legit?). 1. Grades 6-8 First, students should be able to cite their source for any scientific analysis. Students should also be able to separate any prior knowledge they have about a particular technical or scientific subject from specific texts they are reading in class. They should be able to follow multiple steps when conducting a science experiment or project. These key ideas sound similar to what a English language arts student would do in English class. The same general theory is applied to other subjects. Additionally, students should be able to understand any terms or phrases that relate specifically to the subject at hand. In grade 6 through 8, students will be expected only to understand terms relevant to their particular age group. In addition to new vocabulary, science students will be expected to analyze the specific structure that an author uses in a science-specific text. Further, students are expected to understand the authors purpose for their particular  piece of writing (READ: Tips from an Irvine English tutor: decoding literature). This is a lot for students to learn already, and to be successful they will have to have skills in both the written language and science itself. In addition to the aforementioned qualities, students will be expected to integrate their knowledge and ideas. Specifically, students will need to integrate information in written text and apply it to visual text (charts, graphs, etc). Also important is the ability for students to distinguish between stated fact, reasonable opinion, and conjecture. Moreover, students will be expected to compare and contrast information from any number of sources. 2. Grades 9-10 Once students have mastered science and technical subjects at the middle school level, they will need to adjust their capabilities to meet the demands high school. In addition to skills developed to proficiency by the end of 8th grade, students in 9th and 10th grade will be expected to achieved the following. A Attend to specific details of explanations of cited texts. B-  Figure out the central idea of a text and provide an accurate summary of that text. C- Pay attention to special cases and deviations from a multiple step scientific procedure or experiment. D- Learn science-specific vocabulary at the 9th and 10th grade levels. E-   Be able to determine and notate when previous experiments differ or contrast from current experiments. If some of this information seems complicated or overly difficult, youre not alone. The Common Core expects a lot of our students and it can feel overwhelming to both students themselves and their families who are trying to help. In addition to following any updates and changes in education news, its a good idea for students to locate the appropriate support while they’re still doing well in the classroom. Whether students decide to work with a study group, educational consultant, or with their families, they are more likely to be successful if they dont have to go it alone. Also, its more important now than ever for parents to be in continuous communication with their childs teacher to determine if they are meeting the standards or if they need some extra help. Source: Common Core Standards Is your son or daughter struggling with common core standards for science? Achieve success with the assistance of an Orange County private science tutor from TutorNerds! Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Ask a Private Irvine English Tutor Writing Apps

Ask a Private Irvine English Tutor Writing Apps Ask a Nerd! Q:   I need to get my papers done faster? Is there an app for that? Brief: Yes! Try out Google Online Dictation Answer Students have so many options these days when it comes to study guides and materials. Although mobile apps are fabulous and can help out students on the go or those working in a group, students who are working at home from their laptop or desktop can benefit heavily from the multitude of free Google apps. One such is the online dictation feature. Many students struggle to find the words or content they are looking for,  and once they do it seems to leave their mind as quickly as it enters. This should come as no surprise given the amount of information students’ minds accumulate on a daily basis (READ: 5 Reasons Students Should Blog). There are many internet-based dictation programs that students can use, however students can easily download the Google online dictation program and have it directly on their laptop or desktop. Online dictation makes it very easy for students to write their papers without ever having to press a key. Google online dictation has two primary advantages: students can get their thoughts down on paper more quickly than they could ever type them and voice recognition dictation software can help students write a paper more quickly when they are in a time crush. In just a few seconds, students can easily save their thoughts and produce higher-quality work that lead to higher grades. Students who have papers assigned last minute or students who have waited until the last minute to write their papers can use online dictation in order to help them  finish their assignments before the clock strikes midnight. Many students report they experience writer’s block because they are intimidated by a bright white blank computer screen even though they can easily explain to a tutor or study group exactly what they want to say. The beauty of online dictation is that students can ‘write’ an entire essay without ever actually writing anything. The downside to Google online dictation is that some of the network commands are a work in progress. For example, when a student says the word “comma”, half the time they will get an actual comma and the other half the online dictation program will actually type in the word. It is also difficult for students to properly format prior to learning all of the commands and how, exactly, to say them so there will be some editing and typing required. However, even with multiple formatting issues, getting the content down is the most important thing for a student writer (READ: 5 Awesome SAT Apps). Its relatively easy for a private Irvine English tutor or classmate to give edit suggestions for comma placement and grammar structure as long as the writer has the relevant content on paper. If a tutor is not available, or in the event of a last-minute assignment, students can simply copy and paste their online dictation into Word or Pages to check for voice to text errors. Students who have downloaded the free online dictation Google app are advised to start practicing with it ASAP. Its a huge time-saver and a great way to put thoughts down on paper. It can also produce higher quality content and, possibly, better grades in the future. Good luck, student writers! Have a question for one of our nerds? Tweet it to us @TutorNerds. Give yourself the TutorNerds advantage by checking back often for the latest in our “Ask a Nerd” series. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about; our Orange County private tutors are full of right answers.