UNUSUALLY, the biology section of this year's higher level science paper was given the thumbs down by Junior Cert students at CBS Youghal, Co Cork, who found the chemistry and physics sections more accessible.
In biology, students had to choose between a question on human anatomy and physiology, which included the excretion of carbon dioxide and urine, and a question which included sexual reproduction in a "flowering plant.
Physics included questions on gravity weight, mass and electricity, while chemistry included fossil fuels and the electrolysis of water. A diagram showing part of an ESB bill introduced a certain amount of topicality to the physics section.
Mr Gerard Nugent, science teacher in CBS Youghal, conducted a quick straw poll of 20 higher level students after the exam and found that most were happy with the paper. The physics section found particular favour this year with the old staple, Ohm's Law, appearing in question 5. A printing error in this question was quickly rectified by the supervisor, Mr Nugent said.
Overall, the format of the higher level paper followed previous years and diagrams were clear and well labelled, Mr Nugent said. "Students can have few complaints with the paper and those who studied previous examination papers will have been well rewarded," he said. Questions were well spread over the entire course, he added.
Mr Mattie Finnerty, ASTI subject representative, said that the higher level paper was a "grand paper and well presented". Students who had put in the effort should get high grades, he suggested. The short answer questions spanned the course and the only term that might give students pause was biomass, which appeared in part (c). However, students for whom biomass was an imponderable mystery could choose to bypass it, as they only had to answer eight out of 10 short questions.
Mr Finnerty, who teaches in Cashel Community School, Co Tipperary, praised the balance in the physics and the chemistry section. He said that the only difficulty in the physics section was the knowledge of mathematics required in two sections of question 4. Students had to calculate the weight of an object of mass 10 kg on earth and on the moon. There was also a pressure calculation which demanded a good knowledge of maths.
He noted that the term "power rating" used in the second physics question was not commonly used and might confuse some students. In the applied science section, the energy conversion question was much easier than usual, according to Mr Finnerty.
The food science question, which is usually popular with students, was fair, he said. Students were quizzed on the controversial subject of hormones or antibiotics used in food production.
The ordinary level paper was fair and reasonable, Mr Finnerty said. "What I particularly liked was the use of short sentences and the sensible and simple language," he said. He also praised the accompanying diagrams, which were of good quality and clearly labelled, he said.
Mr Nugent said there were no problems with the ordinary level paper. In biology, students were asked about the menstrual cycle, apparatus used to study habitats, the skeleton and tooth decay. Physics included electricity and light, while a knowledge of the periodic table, acids and bases would have been useful for the chemistry section.
An increasing number of students are taking the local studies option in science. These students sit a slightly shortened version of the "ordinary" science paper. The exam time is shortened proportionately. Local studies students have already submitted a project, which accounts for 33 per cent of the marks. At higher level, the project accounts for 20 per cent of the marks and the written paper does not include the applied science section.
Mr Finnerty noted that the option of local studies is now available to all schools and represents an attractive alternative to "ordinary" science.