Study Tips for Science

Welcome back to Teaching High School Science! Today, I’m sharing study strategies to help your teen tackle biology, chemistry, and physics with confidence! Whether you're homeschooling or looking to support your child in science outside of class, these tips will make a real difference. Get ready for actionable techniques and resources you can use right at home to help your teen master those tricky concepts.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

🔹 Biology:

• Master memorization with flashcards (think cell organelles and processes!).
• Visualize those complex concepts by drawing diagrams—photosynthesis, anyone?
• Boost understanding by having your teen teach or explain what they’ve learned.

🔹 Chemistry:

• Make math easy with daily practice of equations and whiteboard sessions to balance chemical equations.
• Visualize molecular structures with molecular models—3D kits or online simulations.
• Create a formula list with detailed examples to make solving chemistry problems feel like a breeze.

🔹 Physics:

• Build a strong foundation with daily problem-solving, focusing on connecting concepts to math.
• Use visual aids and diagrams to break down forces, circuits, and other abstract concepts. Free-body diagrams and circuit drawings are a must!

 Pro Tip: Invest in dry-erase boards. They’re perfect for all three sciences and make practicing equations and diagrams a whole lot less stressful!

Thanks for tuning in!

For more insightful discussions and resources on science education, visit my website at thesciencementor.com.

Don't forget to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for updates and engaging content.

Are you looking for bite-sized science tutorials to use with your students or for a refresher for yourself? Visit my YouTube Channel.

Let's continue the conversation and explore the wonders of science together!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there and welcome to another episode of Teaching High School Science. Today, I'm focusing on the specific study strategies and tips to use for biology, chemistry or physics, and I'm going to be sharing some of the resources that I recommend having at home so that you, as a parent, can support your child in really grasping those concepts outside of class. So, whether you are a parent looking to homeschool or support your child in science, or a teacher looking for additional methods to recommend, this episode is for you. So let's dive in. Welcome to Teaching High School Science. I'm your host, doc, a former biochemist, turned high school science teacher and private tutor. Whether you're homeschooling your teen through high school science or teaching online, join me as I share tips and strategies I've learned over the years for at-home and online labs and activities, breaking down complex concepts and structuring learning in a way that makes sense.

Speaker 1: 0:58

Now let's dive into today's topics. Now, many of these strategies can be used throughout all subjects, throughout biology, chemistry or physics, but I'm going to break them down by subjects. Let's start with biology, and biology is a subject that requires a lot of memorization, understanding of complex concepts and a lot of vocabulary. So the first technique I want to discuss here is using flashcards. Now, flashcards are great for memorizing terms, definitions and processes. They can be physical cards or they can be digital cards, and there are ways that you can create your own digital flashcards. One is by doing it in Google Slides, another one is using Quizlet, and then there is also an app called Anki. The key here is repetition and testing yourself regularly. For example, you can create flashcards for different cell organelles and their functions or for various specific classifications.

Speaker 1: 2:01

Now, another thing that we use in science through all of them is drawing diagrams, and biology have a lot of processes that can be visually represented, and when I make these diagrams or have my students diagram these, they gain a deeper understanding of them. These processes include photosynthesis, cellular respiration, even how the human body systems work together. I like to have them use dry erase boards and have them try to recreate the diagrams from memory. That way, they can get an understanding of what they remember, what they don't remember, and it forces them to make those connections in the processes that occur when they're diagramming them, and students love using dry erase boards. As a teacher, I will go to Home Depot, get a whiteboard, have them cut it up in the number of squares that I need and what I found, instead of having squares, having rectangles, because many of the diagrams need more room and I can have them draw a diagram on one side and write an explanation on the other, and, while this may sound strange, when they erase, using the eraser is not as traumatizing for them as when they have to erase it on their paper. So they can easily and simply just focus on changing out the misinformation with correct information, versus messing up their paper and wasting. So it was just a game changer when I started using dry erase boards.

Speaker 1: 3:35

Another study strategy that works really well in biology is having them teach or explain the information. So one of the most effective ways to deepen their understanding of complex processes is by them having to explain it to someone else. This could be a peer, a family member, or even explaining the concept out loud to themselves, and what it does is it forces them to organize their thoughts and explain the concepts clearly, and it reveals any gaps in their understanding. This is a technique I use frequently during my tutoring sessions. I will have students explain to me their understanding after we go over something. It gets to the point where they just know I'm going to have them do it, so they're really listening and taking notes during the process. But it helps them to ask those questions where they may not have quite understood before. Wait a minute, I don't get this. Let me fill in this gap and it helps them organize their thoughts. Now let's talk about chemistry. So, since chemistry blends a conceptual understanding with mathematical problem solving, we're going to add an additional layer to everything that we talked about in biology, because everything is a layer. Everything in biology can also be applied to chemistry, but we need to kick it up a notch.

Speaker 1: 4:52

So practice equations, regular practice of essential math equations is essential for mastering chemical equations, stoichiometry problems, anything dealing with math. It is a different way of thinking about math and once they get it, they can't stop doing it. They have to continue to practice because the steps may change ever so slightly with each new problem. So set aside time each day to balance chemical equations and solve related problems. And this goes back to our white boards. Having them use white boards to balance chemical equations helps them to not get so upset when they have to erase and change and modify things and then, underneath that chemical equation, they can do the math. But it's extra practice and that's what we're going for.

Speaker 1: 5:45

Another thing is using molecular models. It is important to visualize molecular structures and reactions because it can be challenging to understand something so abstract, and using physical models or digital simulations can provide a tangible way for them to see how molecules interact Not only how they interact, but their geometric shapes. So these models help in grasping the 3D nature of molecules and understanding the reaction mechanisms more intuitively. Amazon has great molecular sets and I've provided a link to a molecular set that I use with my students that I got from Amazon on my site. Now here's a game changer that I had my students when I was teaching do, and I still have my students that I'm tutoring to do in chemistry, and that is to create a formula list with detailed examples. So instead of just memorizing key formulas, I have them create a comprehensive formula list that includes a step-by-step example how to solve the different types of problems. For example, a stoichiometry problem may have different steps they have to follow depending on what type of units they begin with. So there's an example of how to solve each type of problem. Gas loss is another example where you have different types of variables that you're solving for pressure, volume, temperature. So we have an example of how to manipulate those equations to solve for each type of problem. The key here is to have that list clearly labeled and clearly organized by topic and example to make it easy for them to go back to. This approach helps them to understand how to apply these formulas in various scenarios while reinforcing problem solving skills.

Speaker 1: 7:39

So there was a method to my madness. I went over biology first, then chemistry, and you can imagine physics is going to have a blend of both of these. Physics requires a stronger grasp of the mathematical concepts and these mathematical concepts would need to be understood before they can really understand the purpose behind the math itself. Which leads to my first one is solving daily problems. Have them tackle a variety of problems daily, from simple to complex, to build that understanding, because when working with physics students, I've noticed that they can grasp the concepts but they don't always really make that connection between the concepts and the mathematical problems in solving those concepts. So having them explain why they did the math, why they did the steps if they get this answer, what does it mean helps them to connect the concept to the math. Another way to help them make this connection is with visual aids Again, using those whiteboards are phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 8:42

In physics, I teach my students to try to diagram each scenario in every word problem that you come across and that will help you to understand the concepts or see those concepts that you need in order to be able to solve the problem, because oftentimes there are multiple steps or multiple equations that you will need in order to solve the problem. So, using diagrams and visual aids to understand the physical concepts, such as forces in motion, electricity, have them draw free body diagrams that can help them visualize the forces and how they interact. Have them draw out the parallel or series circus that help them understand how the relationships differ between the components in OM law for series and parallel circuits. These visuals can help make those abstract concepts more concrete and easier for them to grasp. So, just to recap those resources, invest in dry erase boards. These are great across all of your sciences. And then also for chemistry, look at a molecular model set, whether it's a physical one from somewhere like Amazon or a 3D modeling software. And then, of course, the biggest resource is time Setting aside that time to have them either discuss with you, with a study group or even with themselves, so they can verbalize their understanding and hear where they still may have those gaps, because the key in mastering biology, chemistry and physics is consistent practice and visualizing those abstract concepts to make them more concrete.

Speaker 1: 10:20

Let me know if you have any other suggestions that was not mentioned in this podcast. Let me know if you have any questions, ideas or other experiences that you'd like to share. Head on over to my podcast page, which you can access by visiting my website at thesciencementorcom. Then select podcast from the menu and subscribe now to the Teaching High School Science podcast for your regular dose of motivation and just-in-time science ideas, and together let's make high school science a journey of exploration and achievement. Until next time, remember, curiosity leads to endless possibilities.