- K. Sudha Bala.

Table of Contents.Defining a Worksheet .…. 2Salient Features of Worksheet ….. 2Advantages /Disadvantages of Worksheets ….. 5Designing a worksheet ..… 7Types of Worksheets ….. 8 Sample English Worksheet ….. 9 Sample Math Worksheet ….. 11 Prototype of a Worksheet ….. 16

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What is a worksheet?

A Worksheet is a series of short questionnaires on a particular topic. A worksheet can be prepared for any subject. Topic could be a complete lesson in a unit or a small sub-topic. Worksheet can be used for revising the topic for assessments, recapitulation, helping the students to understand the topic more precisely or to improve the knowledge over the topic.

Objectives of a worksheet:

Worksheet should be child friendly.

The difficulty level of a worksheet should be minimum. 

Worksheet should have clarity in questioning avoiding any ambiguity.

In a worksheet the questions shouldn’t have more than one possible answer.

Worksheet should serve as a tool to improve content of a child.

Worksheet should be pictorial.

Worksheet should be include skills such as drawing, analyzing, descriptive, reasoning etc.,

Worksheet should be short not more than 2 pages else it would be called as a Workbook.

Traditionally the worksheets are prepared in various subjects which may be short or elaborate, with or without pictures. The new innovative accessible form of worksheet formulated for designing a worksheet is the 3 E’s Worksheet method.

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The three 'e's which are to be followed while designing a worksheet are -

easy,  e - enjoyable  and  e – effortless

Let us consider a small sub-topic in Science, Air. The following worksheet will focus on a minute topic , Components of air and Properties of air.

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Name : ______________ Topic : Air

Answer the following in a word :

1. The gas which is popularly known as ‘life giving’ gas ______________

2. Name the gases that react together to form water ________________

3. Name the gas which is used to fill the balloons _______________

4. Name the gas which helps the plants in the process of photosynthesis _____________

5. Name the gas which helps the plants to produce proteins ________________

Write the various Components of Air Fill in the layers of atmosphere

Identify the properties of air.

__________________ __________________ ____________________

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Fig -1

Fig - 1

CcC

C

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Name :_________________ Topic : Soil

Identify and label the layers of the soil in the following experiment.

Complete the following using the picture clues given.

_______ is called a farmer’s ________ bacteria is found Place where a rat lives ________.

friend. in roots of the peanuts.

Roots absorb _____ and __________ crop grows best ______crop grows best in brown soil.

________ from soil. in black soil.

Complete the missing letters with the clues given.

1. B__D R__ __ K - Soil is formed from this rock.2. H__M__S - This adds the fertility to the soil.3. L__ __ M - Considered as the best type of soil for crops.

Draw an experiment to show that soil contains water vapour.

Fig -2

The two example worksheets (Fig-1 & Fig -2) are based on “3E’s Worksheet” concept. For a student both these worksheets are easy, enjoyable and effortless. The worksheets would rekindle the teaching-learning process of student for the completion of worksheet. It requires maximum of about 10 min to complete each worksheet. Skills included are applicative, conceptual understanding , diagrammatic, labeling and identification of terms.

Where Worksheet is it used...?

Worksheet can be used by a teacher/tutor/parent to enrich the content knowledge of their student/child. 

Worksheets can be used as a testing tool to check the Scholastic Aptitude and Mental Aptitude of child during admission procedures.

Worksheets can also be prepared as a feedback activity after a field trip, study tour, educational trip, etc.,

Worksheets can be used as a tool to provide extra knowledge and to observe the improvement of the skills in a student such as reading, comprehensive, analytical, illustrative etc .,

Worksheet helps the student to excel in a particular topic.  

Advantages of  a worksheet.

1. Worksheet is one of most handy tool for a teacher.

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2. Student has to just fill in the worksheet. As most of the matter is been already printed for him. So he/she feels happy to complete it faster.

3. Worksheet provides the student the essential revision over a topic.

4. Student shall improve his application skills (ex: see the ‘Answer in a word’ in the above sample worksheet)

5. A worksheet can be used to test any mode of learning like diagrams, elaborate writing, puzzling, quizzing, paragraph writing, picture reading, experiments etc.,

6. Worksheets could be designed for the 'Gifted Children' to give more inputs on the given topic beyond the textual knowledge.

7. Worksheets could be a helping hand to improve the level of understanding for the 'Slow Learners'

Disadvantages of worksheet.

As it is said, every coin has two sides. Worksheets also have many advantages and some disadvantages. A statutory caution could be given, “Never use too many worksheets”. Worksheets could be given as a revision for a lesson after teaching that lesson or could be given in between the completion of the lesson as an assignment to test the understanding of the child.

Student becomes habitual to writing precise answers. Student gets habitual for the prompting, Correction of worksheets could be a problem for a

teacher. It may become difficult for a student to preserve the

worksheets and arrange them according to the topics.

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All said and done worksheets are surely the aids to help the student effectively. Although the advantages are more when compared to the disadvantages. One should not ignore the disadvantages.

How to design a worksheet....?

To begin with divide the required topic into smaller, easily manageable parts (instead of taking a whole unit you can also take lessons. In lessons a topic or a sub-topic). Parameters, such as the depth of topic, time required for completion, number of skills to be included and importantly the purpose for which a particular worksheet is framed for, have to be formulated.

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General worksheet targeted to whole class

start

Formulate the Number of questions to be tested

Select a topic

Depending on purpose classify

Targeted to only a particular group of students in a class

Collection of information (books, websites ,journals, etc.,)

( Fig –2 )

Collection of information plays an important role in designing the worksheet. Data can be collected from all the available resources such as various text books of different publications, journals, newspapers, encyclopedias, etc.,

The type of worksheet becomes the second priority. The teacher should be confined to the level of the students and never include the topics/material beyond their prescribed syllabus.

Types of worksheets.

Category 1 : Prep Worksheets.

  The worksheet that is framed for the Pre- Primary Kids, should not be very long ( with too many questions) in complete pictorial representation.

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worksheetsPrepElementaryHighschoolAnalyze the skills to be Included

Designing a worksheet

Print worksheet

  The Pre-primary Kids should feel easy to answer and complete the given worksheet of within 5min to max 10min as their attention span is very low.

The worksheet should contain the skills like identification, drawing, colouring, etc.,

The worksheet should be fun filled, easy, effortless and enjoyable.

Let us consider the following worksheet.

 

Example Worksheet – 1

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Kids can practice recognizing things that rhyme with this "words that rhyme" worksheet that features the rhymes; clock and block, hat and cat, star and car. Kids can also circle the words that rhyme with the given pictures.

Such pictorial worksheets can invoke the child’s interests for learning basics. Its easy and attractive and child friendly. This is an example worksheet in English likewise many worksheets depending on the need can be designed innovatively and creatively.

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Category 2 : Elementary Worksheets.

         The worksheet that is formulated for the Primary Sections  or Elementary sections then it should not exceed than 2 pages. 

The students of primary sections would love to solve more of Fun Time Questions.  ie they are more interested in logical reasoning , colouring, finding the odd man out etc.,

 The worksheet can be pictorial and should have logical and subjective based questions.

Example Worksheet -2

Choose the correct option for the given logical questions:

1. Which figure has no corners? 2. How many in the set of figures shown has

four equal sides?

a) 3 b) 2 c) 5  3.  How many in the set of figures shown has three corners?

a) 3 b) 2 c) 4

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4.  How many in the set of figures shown has four equal sides?

a) 3 b) 2

5. Count the number of triangles shown. How many are there?

   a) 4 b) 1 c) 2

6. Which of these numbers does the point X represent on the number line?

a. 2.5b. 1.25c. 1.75d. 0.5

7. Which of these numbers does the point Q represent on the number line?

a. 2.25b. 2.75c. 2.5d. 1.5

.  8. Which of these decimals does the point A represent on the number line?

a. 3.5

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b. 1.75c. 1.5d. 2.5

9. The basic axiom of algebra represented by (5 + 8) + 10 = 5 + (8 + 10) is ____

a. associative property of additionb. distributive property of additionc. commutative property of additiond. commutative property of multiplication

10. The method of assuming the opposite of a statement is true. If this leads to impossibility, then the original statement is true is:

a. A proof by contradictionb. A Direct proof

11. The rule in mathematics that we accept to be true without proof is called:

a. An axiomb. A conjecturec. A theorem

12. A statement that is believed to be true but not yet proved is:

a. A theoremb. An axiomc. A conjecture

  

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Example Worksheet -3

Fun with Place Values.1. Count how many tens and ones. Identify the number.

a. 1 ten and 4 ones = 14

b. 2 tens and 4 ones = 24

c. 1 ten and 5 ones = 15

d. 2 tens and 5 ones = 25  

2. Count how many tens and ones. Identify the number.

a. 5 tens and 8 ones = 58

b. 5 tens and 7 ones = 57

c. 4 tens and 8 ones = 48

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d. 6 tens and 8 ones = 68

3. Count how many tens and ones. Identify the number.

a. 0 tens and 3 ones = 3

b. 1 ten and 3 ones = 13

c. 0 tens and 1 ones = 1

d. 3 tens and 1 ones = 314. Identify the hundreds, tens, ones, and the number.

a. 500 + 50 + 5 = 50055

b. 500 + 50 + 5 = 555c. 500 + 50 + 5 = 500505

d. 5 + 5 + 5 = 5555. Identify the number by counting the hundreds, tens, and ones.

a. 800 + 70 + 6 = 876

b. 876

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c. 8 + 7 + 6 = 876

d. 800 + 70 + 6 = 800706

Category 3 : High School Worksheets.

       Worksheet prepared for a High School should be focused on Applicative skills apart from the Conceptual textual knowledge.

Worksheet should be informative, illustrative and helpful for the student to gain command on the topic.

Worksheet can include the questions like solving the crossword puzzles, brain teasers, elaborate logical thinking questions and diagrams.

Worksheet Prototype

         A worksheet can contain the following questioning patterns.

Multiple choice questions. Crossword Puzzle

Diagrams   State True or False  

Labelling the diagrams Answer in a word

Comparison of two different sources

Picture Diagnosis

Fill in the blanks. Choose the correct option

Match the following.   Odd man out

Comparisons Inferences

Conclusion:

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There is no specific prototype of writing a worksheet. The main objective is that the student should be benefited. Even a below average student should be thrilled and interested to complete the worksheet. These above questionnaires would furnish the required help to the teachers to accomplish their Worksheets.

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