A worksheet is a sheet of paper given by teachers to students to complete at the end of a topic or chapter to evaluate them. They are an effective tool of learning to engage students in effective learning and boost their skills. Science is dreaded by many students specifically of class 6th who are introduced to different branches of science- Physics, Chemistry, and Biology for the very first time. Overwhelmed by the newly added syllabus, Science worksheets could be a nice way to engage them in learning science the fun way. Parents should also use this method of learning to help their kids spark up their love for science and improve their academic performance by making fun and interactive science worksheets at home. This article lists various tips to create effective worksheets at home.
Know the purpose
The First prerequisite to preparing science worksheets at home is to know the purpose of preparing the worksheet. This will be important to figure out the information that you wish to include on your worksheet. Create an outline of what you plan to include in the worksheet, the topics, the questions, the concepts, and so on. Next, you need to decide how you wish to present the questions on the worksheet, as a fun quiz or as a puzzle, or simply as a trail of questions leading to an outcome. You can also present them as a word puzzle with a message to decode at the end that could be the crux of the topic. You need to decide whether you want it to be a fill-in-the-blanks format or choose the correct option format. Let the student understand what the purpose of the worksheet is and what is the supposed outcome.
Know the audience
The design, level, and pattern of the worksheet are greatly influenced by the student’s standard, age, ability, and interest in the subject. For a class 6th student, the pattern has to be comparatively more interactive and engaging while the questions should be strictly according to the student’s performance in the subject. Parents should take advice from teachers on what questions should be included from a particular topic and to have a better idea of their kid’s abilities in the subject.
The parents or teachers while designing the worksheet, should take help from the online sources available that offer pre-made science worksheets. This will not only give them a lot of good ideas but also inspire them to make them more fun and informative. For instance: if the student is in class 6th, the parents should look for Worksheets for CBSE Class 6 Science and the results will yield some cool ideas and designs to start with.
The actual design ideas
The actual design of the worksheet comes next. To design the worksheet, you can either do it via the conventional pen & paper way or you can use a word processing program on your computer. It can be Microsoft Word or Microsoft publisher. You can also go for a worksheet generator that is easily available on the internet. While using Microsoft Word or a word processing program, make sure to go for the correct layout, margin, fonts, and colours. Choose layout and margins that are suitable to include as many questions as planned and so that everything fits. Choose a font that is easy for the student to read and decipher. Avoid using excessively cursive and complex fonts. Choose colours that pop the questions out for easy readability and clear print. Avoid using light colours like beige or yellow as they may look okay on the desktop but in the actual print, they may come out very light.
Make it creative and catchy
Class 6th students are not exactly small kids who love cartoons, but it’s the age where they start picking up interest in science subjects. Making boring monochrome worksheets can dim their interest and might make them run away from solving them. The entire purpose of these science worksheets is to make learning fun and interactive. To achieve this, use enough colours and clip-arts. Don’t shy away from using relevant images and catchy headlines. Use mysterious clues in the quizzes and puzzles to perk up their interest in solving them. Also, make use of certain stuff that they are particularly interested in. It can be a sport like Cricket or Football, or it might be a particular book series or movie series that they are fans of, or it can also be an imminent personality and their creations or movies. Use their images or clues related to them, to motivate the student for solving the worksheets.
Don’t make it too complex
Worksheets are designed to perk up the student’s interest and make learning fun. Don’t make the worksheets too complex. Avoid using long sentences and big words. Use small sentences and simple words to convey the information. Stick to the topic and syllabus. Avoid using abstract images as they create confusion. Try not to sound too formal on the worksheet as it may be dull to students. Use catchy phrases as headings and use informal fun language to convey instructions on how to solve a particular quiz or exercise. Try to create an aura of mystery and fun so that the students are drawn to it.
Some suggestions for fun exercises that can be included in science worksheets-
· Completing sentences or fill in the blanks
· Completing the tables or charts (can be a pie chart or a bar chart)
· Underlining the relevant clues to decode the message
· Circling words or diagrams
· Matching activities
· Labelling diagrams
· Making and colouring diagrams
Review before printing or finalizing
Review your work before handing it over to the student. When using a word processing program, use the ‘print preview’ option to view the entire worksheet before printing it out. Look for any mistakes in the information printed on them. Use grammar checking apps or sites to check for any grammatical mistakes that might have occurred as students learn from what they read. Check for colour clarity and margins.
