Junior Cert science exam 'accessible and reasonably fair'
Studyclix subject expert Liam Hennelly, a science teacher at Belvedere College SJ in Dublin, said: 'The content of the questions in Section A was very fair and accessible. It would have allowed students to settle into the paper and to pick up a lot of marks. Four of 10 question were Chemistry questions. There were three questions on Biology and two questions on Physics with one question on Earth and Space in this section.
Advertisement
'Section B of the paper was more challenging. In a change from previous years, Section B contained just four questions, Q11 was worth 30 marks and Q12-14 were worth 60 marks each. A recurring theme was that topics from the different strands of the specifications were interwoven into the questions."
Mr Hennelly added: "Question 11 was on Electricity and the question was about circuits and mainly focused on resistance provided by a thermistor. Question 12 was an accessible question on Rates of Reaction from the Chemical World Strand with a really nice question on how reduced surface area of villi in the small intestine can lead to malnourishment.
'Question 13 was on the Earth & Space and Physics strands. Students had to be able to interpret data from a table provided, work out whether a diagram was showing a solar or lunar eclipse and discuss a technological application of physics in terms of scientific, societal and environmental impact."
Mr Hennelly said the lack of choice in the paper and lack of challenge for "more able students" continues to be an issue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Eating cheese might be the cause of bad dreams, scientists say
A study has identified a strong association between nightmares and lactose intolerance, suggesting that gastrointestinal discomfort from dairy can disrupt sleep and contribute to bad dreams. Dr. Tore Nielsen, the lead researcher from the Université de Montréal, indicated that adjusting eating habits for individuals with food sensitivities could potentially alleviate nightmares. The research involved surveying over 1,000 students at Canada's MacEwan University regarding their sleep patterns, dietary habits, and any perceived links between the two. Findings showed that women constituted the majority of participants reporting poor sleep and nightmares, and they were also more prone to recalling dreams and reporting food allergies or intolerances. The study concluded that improved awareness of food intolerances could lead to better sleep quality, although further research is needed to confirm these links across diverse populations.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Flying ant day 2025: When is it and why does it happen?
The much-maligned "flying ant day", a summer phenomenon in Britain and Ireland, is poised to return as warmer weather persists across the UK. Swarms of winged black garden ants, typically Lasius niger, erupt from their nests under lawns, flower beds, and stone patios to invade personal space, cling to laundry, and splatter against car windshields. Their sheer numbers can be so immense that they have previously registered as drifting clouds on weather radars. Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge told the BBC that distinguishing them from patches of showers can be difficult. The occurrence can be unpleasant and occasionally very irritating – memorably, tennis stars Caroline Wozniacki and Ekaterina Makarova had to interrupt a Wimbledon match in July 2018 to spray themselves with bug repellent as the result of an influx of flying ants to Court 1 – but it is largely harmless to humans and not something to worry about. Nevertheless, to be forewarned is to be forearmed, so here is everything you need to know about this strangest of annual events. Why does it happen? The reason ants emerge from the ground in this sudden fashion is because they have reached the 'nuptial flight' phase of their reproductive cycles, at which point those with wings (known as alates) – virgin queen ants (or princesses) and male drones, but not flightless female workers – depart their nests in search of new colonies, moving as one for protection. As the queens race off, they emit pheromones to attract mates while flying as fast as they can to ensure that only the fastest and most capable males can reach them. This is an example of natural selection in action, as the race makes certain that only the strongest examples of the species get to pass on their genes to a next generation. The spread to fresh colonies further afield also serves to limit inbreeding as it means ants commingle with mates from other nests. A queen – which can grow to 15mm in length and live for as long as 15 years in the wild, according to the Natural History Museum (NHM) – may have several mates during the nuptial flight and preserve their semen within her abdomen for a lifetime, with a view to fertilising future eggs. She will go on to discard her wings by chewing them off and form new nests underground but her male suitors will simply fall to the ground and die without so much as a post-coital cigarette, their final moments on Earth presumably also among their happiest. What weather conditions encourage it? In Britain and Ireland, flying ant days typically occur in July or August, often in warmer urban areas first, when the weather is hot and humid and when winds are low. Temperature is a key factor, with the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) noting that ant swarms rarely emerge if it is cooler than 13C and that 25C is their preferred seasonal average. The RSB, incidentally, argues that we should think of flying ant seasons, rather than isolated days, as ants may well take to the air on multiple occasions over the course of a British summer, depending on the atmospheric conditions, the species of ant in question and the nature of their habitat among other variables. What can be done about it? Not a great deal, unfortunately. Some might advocate flooding the ants' nests with water or detergent or attempting to snare them in sellotape around the home but that all feels distinctly inhumane. Instead, your best bet is to stay out of their way as much as possible and console yourself with the integral role ants play in the maintenance of natural ecosystems. Their colonies help to keep the soil aerated and they themselves are a vital source of food to birds like swifts and gulls, who in turn make important contributions to the natural order. If you do get bitten or stung, do not be alarmed. The NHS states that ant bites are 'generally harmless, although you'll probably feel a nip'.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Canterbury pupils give up smartphones in behaviour experiment
Pupils at a school in Kent have given up their smartphones as part of an experiment to monitor their 10 students at The Canterbury Academy Trust who handed in their phones said it was a "scary" prospect, but also "a relief".As part of a research project by the University of Kent, the pupils will not have access to their smartphones for one said they wanted to track the change in the behaviour of students and the impact it has on them. Emilia and Molly handed in their smartphones on Monday said: "It's a nice bit of freedom because you don't have to constantly be checking your messages and see you're missing out on things."Meanwhile, Emilia added: "I think it's going to improve our mental health and mental wellbeing because you're not constantly looking at your phone, you can actually get on with things that you're meant to."The pupils have been given a basic Nokia phone for the week, with no access to social media. Jon Watson, chief executive officer of The Canterbury Academy Trust, is also taking part in the trial, which has previously been carried out at two Kent said phone use was already restricted during the school day, but the experiment included when staff and pupils returned home."I thought it was important that I set that example, so that I can be present and in the moment," he said."It's about helping young people understand the power and responsibility they have when they are in possession of a smartphone, how positive they can be in terms of what they can do, but also some of the negatives and some of the challenges they'll face while they have that mobile phone as well." Participants are to be interviewed at the start and at the end of the week by Dr Lindsey Cameron, a psychology lecturer at the University of Kent."We know there's a link between smartphone use and mental health, problems with sleep, comparing yourselves to others - and phones are really addictive."We really have to understand what effect this is having on young people."This week, six primary schools and more than 5,000 parents and caregivers in Kent signed up to a pact that promised to delay smartphone use in teenagers until Year 9 and access to social media until two years schools are due to take part in the experiment in the coming months and a summit involving teachers from schools across Kent is to be held in September to discuss a cross-county approach to smartphones.
