Science Review and Exam Prep

You have spent a whole year doing science. You have asked questions, run fair tests, written CER paragraphs, and built models. The end-of-year exam is not asking you to learn anything new — it is asking you to show what you already know. The trick is to review smart, not long. This lesson gives you the four-unit map of everything you covered, the test-question types you will see, and the study strategies that actually work.

The four units at a glance

1. Unit 1 — Inquiry: questions, fair tests, variables, data tables, graphs, CER (claim, evidence, reasoning).
2. Unit 2 — Matter and Energy: states of matter, physical and chemical changes, forces, motion, heat, light, and sound.
3. Unit 3 — Life Science: cells, body systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous), ecosystems, and food webs.
4. Unit 4 — Earth and Space: weather, rocks and the rock cycle, the water cycle, sun, moon phases, and planets.

A concept map is a great way to review. Put "Grade 6 Science" in the middle and draw four spokes — one for each unit. On each spoke, branch out into 2 or 3 sub-topics. Doing this from memory (without your notes) is called retrieval practice and it works much better than re-reading.

Test-question types you will see

• Label a diagram: a picture (a cell, a body system, the moon phases) with blank arrows. Match each arrow to a word from the list.
• Interpret a graph: read values off a bar or line chart, compare two bars, or describe the trend.
• CER short answer: write a claim, give evidence (a number from the data), and explain the reasoning that links them.
• Design a test: write the question, name the variable you change, name the variable you measure, and list one variable you keep the same.
• Vocabulary match: match a word to its definition. Watch for distractor words that sound similar.

Study strategies that actually work

• Retrieval practice: close the book and write everything you remember about a topic. Then check what you missed. The trying-to-remember part is what builds memory.
• Concept maps: draw the spokes from memory. Compare with a friend's map and add what you missed.
• Flashcards: word on the front, definition on the back. Test yourself, sort into "knew it" and "missed it" piles, and re-test the missed pile.
• Practice questions: do real exam-style questions with a timer. Mark them and learn from your mistakes.
• Spaced study: 20 minutes a day for five days beats two hours the night before. Your brain needs the gaps to consolidate.

Day-of-exam tips

• Read every question all the way through before you start writing.
• Do the easy questions first. Build a streak of correct answers.
• For label-the-diagram, eliminate words you are sure of first, then guess the rest.
• For CER, write the claim sentence, then "Evidence: ...", then "Reasoning: ...". The structure earns marks even if a number is off.
• If a question takes longer than its mark value suggests, skip it and come back at the end.