34 CHAPTER 6 FINDING AND USING INFORMATION FROM NON … · Chapter 6: Finding and using information...

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The assessments included seven tasks which asked the students to find anduse particular information embedded in resources which were not books.The resources used were:

➢ a laptop computer with encyclopedia software installed (4 tasks);

➢ a video demonstrating an industrial process (1 task);

➢ a very detailed poster, including a key (1 task);

➢ five cards containing information about particular flowers (1 task).

One task was identical for both year 4 and year 8. Two tasks had overlappingversions for year 4 and 8 students, with some parts which were common toboth levels and others which were added for the year 8 students. The remain-ing four tasks used the computer and encyclopedia software. One of thesewas attempted only by year 4 students, the other three were attempted onlyby year 8 students.

Two tasks (the poster task with overlapping elements for year 4 and year 8students, and a computer task for year 8 students) have been selected as linktasks (to be used again in the year 2001), and therefore are not described indetail here. The other tasks are released tasks for which full details are given.

The chapter presents the assessment tasks in the following order:

➢ the released tasks attempted by both year 4 and year 8 students;

➢ the released tasks attempted separately by either year 4 or year 8 students;

➢ the two tasks which will be used as link tasks.

Both year 4 and year 8 students achieved substantial success in these tasks.On the task components common to both year levels, about 20 percent moreyear 8 students than year 4 students achieved success. The success of moststudents in using the laptop computer and encyclopedia software is notewor-thy: they approached the computer tasks with enthusiasm and oftenconsiderable confidence, and had high levels of success with most compo-nents of these tasks.

Students had least success when the pathway to finding the information wasindirect, or when the task required substantial interpretation or summarisingof information as well as finding that information.

CHAPTER 6FINDING AND USING INFORMATION FROM NON-BOOK RESOURCES

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Chapter 6: Finding and using information from non-book resources 35

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Questions/instructions

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2. Some of the steps for making the chocolate eggs are written on the cards.Choose 5 cards that show the main steps in making chocolate eggs.

1. Watch the video about making chocolate Easter eggs.

Chocolate Factory

Station Year 4 and year 8

Video, 8 chocolate egg cards.

A The egg halves travel on a machine called a bottomer.B The moulds are put onto a spinner for 15 minutes.C The chocolate egg is wrapped in gold foil.D You must wear a special coat and hat in the factory.E A packet of chocolate buttons is added to the egg.F The chocolate egg halves are stuck together.G A small a mount of liquid chocolate is poured into egg moulds.H Chocolate eggs are eaten at Easter time.

3. Now write the letters of the 3 cards that arenot part of the 5 main steps.

4. Now put the other 5 cards in the order thatthey happen.

5. Write the letter for each card in these boxes.

Selection of 3 cards not part of 5 main steps:correct 3 13 19

2 38 60

1 36 15

0 13 6

Ordering of 5 main cards:all correct 28 55

1 pair reversed 22 27

worse 50 18

Commentary

Many students at both year levels had difficulty judging which steps were not the five main steps. Year 8students had substantially higher success than year 4 students at putting their five cards into correct sequence.

D H C

G B E A F

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36 NEMP Report 7: Information Skills 1997


You are to choose a suitable plant for a garden outside a classroom.

• The small garden patch is outside a classroom.• The garden will get some sun but is mainly shady. There could be some frosts in winter.

• There won’t be anyone to look after it or water it in the school holidays.

Look at the cards about different plants.Choose one plant that would be best for the garden patch.

1. Write down which plant you would choose.

2. Write down why you would choose that plant. [Year 8 students only]

pansy � 65 83

Linked choice to 3 criteria: clearly 44vaguely 36

no 20

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Garden Patch

Station Year 4 and year 8

5 flower facts cards.

Flowering Flowers 20 weeks after sowing. Flowers best in lateDecember and early January. Gives masses ofbright colour when growing in bright sunshine.Sow in Autumn or Spring. Sow to a depth of 3mm. Plants need to be 10 - 15 cm apart.Plant in very sunny places only. Will die in frosts.Choose a sunny, well-drained position. Must bewatered every week. Use plenty of fertiliser to keephealthy.

Flowering Flowers at various times. Some plants will flowerevery year, some every five years.Sow in pots or trays and keep in a warm placeindoors. Some seeds make take months to grow.Must be grown indoors.Do not over water. Water only when soil is dry.Keep in a sunny place inside your home but donot let these plants get too hot.

Flower Fact File Card 1

ColeusThis plant offers an diversity of foliage colours, shapes andsizes. A colourful garden annual ideal for cheering up yourpatio or indoor display. Great for shady areas.

Flowering Flowers 10 weeks after sowing. Flowers last 3-4weeks. Remove flowers as they grow to keep planthealthy.

How to Plant Sow in early Spring to mid-Summer. Sow to adepth of 2 mm. Plants need to be 30cm apart.Grows well in pots.

Where to Plant Plant in shady places only. Keep away fromfrosts.

Care of PlantsMust be watered every week. Use plenty offertiliser to keep healthy. Replant every year.


Hanging LobeliaThis plant has exquisite blooms in an extensive colour range.The plants hang down from where they are planted and areespecially suited to window boxes and hanging baskets.

Flowering Flowers 14 weeks after sowing. Flowers throughmost of the year if well looked after.

How to Plant Sow in Autumn or Spring. Sow to a depth of 3 mm.Plants need to be 10 cm apart.

Where to Plant Plant in a pot, a window box or a hanging basket.Plants will hang down for 30 cm.

Care of PlantsGrow in a container, not a garden. Use plenty offertiliser to keep healthy. Keep well watered.


PansyThis plant gives large flowers in a romantic blend of warm-toned pinks, bronzes, burgundies and golds. The very longflowering time makes it perfect for any area where colour isrequired. Grows best in sun or semi-shade.

Flowering Flowers 16 weeks after sowing. Flowers throughmost of the year.

How to Plant Sow in mid-Summer, Autumn or Spring. Sow to adepth of 6 mm. Plants need to be 20 - 30 cm apart.

Where to Plant Can be planted in full-sun or semi-shade. Cantolerate frosts.

Care of PlantsUse plenty of fertiliser to keep healthy. Hardy plant— can survive some time without watering.


Livingstone DaisyThis plant produces a dynamic carpet of daisy-like flowers. Abrilliant display when planted in beds, rockeries or borders.Grows best in full sun.

Flower F act File

Card 2

CactusA mixture of small cactus plants gives aninteresting display in pots or window boxes, orany other spot indoors. The little floral surprisescan bring delight for years.

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Students first worked through a

practice programme, MacMoves,

which gave practice with pointing

using the mouse, clicking, scroll-

ing, and closing windows.

Start up the computer so that the ‘Homepage’ is showing on the screen. Set thetimer for 8 minutes. Do NOT start thetimer yet.In this activity you are going to use theNew Zealand Encyclopedia on thecomputer. You are going to look forinformation about some animals.

Here is a cue card with hints about usingthe encyclopedia. [see p.38]

Hand student the encyclopedia cue cardand read the yellow words in boxes 1 & 2.

Have student put on headphones.Now click on the yellow “Encyclopedia”button and follow the instructions.

Wait (and help) while student worksthrough introduction to scrolling, etc.Start timer.

1. Using the topic button, can youfind information on bees?

Hand student card with word “Bees”.Tell me when you’ve found informa-tion on bees.

3. Still using the topic list, can youfind information on crabs?

Commentary

About half of the year 4 students were able to usethe hardware and software without help, after prac-tice with the basic operations (pointing the mouse,clicking, scrolling, closing windows). Most of theremainder succeeded with limited teacherprompts. About 5 percent did not reach the sec-ond task (crabs) because of lack of understandingand/or the time limit.

Always allow time for them to figure it outthemselves.

Prompt if student doesn’t:• click on topic button:

Click on the topics button.

• scroll to find topic:Type the word “bees”.

• click on word “bees”Click on the word “bees”.

2. How many pictures of bees didyou find?

Hand student card with word “Crabs”.Always allow time for them to figure itout themselves.

Prompt if student doesn’t go backto topics list:

Click the close box.

click on topics button:Click on the topics button.

type in word or scroll to find topic:Type the word “crabs”.

click on word “crabs”:Click on the word “crabs”.

4. How many pictures of crabs didyou find?

Pictures

One to one Year 4 only

Macintosh Powerbook 5300cs laptop computer; New Zealand Encyclopedia software; cue card forusing encyclopedia; 2 word cards (‘Bees’, ‘Crabs’); timer.

Found bees: without help 45with help 49

20

35

17

did not find bees 6

Correct number 92

Found crabs: without help 52with help 37

30

8

12

4

did not find crabs 11

Correct number 89

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1. Pointing and clicking an object.Point and click on each frog to

make it jump into the water.

Each frog made a noise as it appeared tojump into the water.

Mac Moves

One to one Year 4 and year 8

Macintosh Powerbook 5300CS laptop computer with program Hypercard® Player; headphones;mouse; Hypercard® document Mac Moves.

2. Pointing with the fingertip part of the hand-shaped Hypercard® cursor.Click on the dark oval in the centre

and then on each ring from the fat

rings in the centre to the narrow rings

on the outside. Use the pointed finger

on the little hand on the screen to

point before you click.

As they clicked on each ring the colours(shades of blue and red) changed, and whenthey clicked on the smallest ring the screenflashed and they heard “Well done! You were

able to click even the smallest red oval!”

3. Using scroll arrowsThe instructions were presented verbally aswell as on the screen. The scroll arrows wereindicated by flashing pointers as they weredescribed. When the student clicked on anumber it appeared in the box ‘highest’ or‘lowest’.

Five skills were considered essential for carryingout the assessment tasks using the encyclopediaon the computers. The Mac Moves exerciseswere designed to ensure the students had the op-portunity to acquire or practice those skills be-fore beginning the assessed tasks. For eachexercise the student heard their instructionsthrough the headphones.At any time they could use the buttons at thebottom of the screen:Tell me… Hear the instructions repeated.Home Return to the main screen for

choosing tasks.Again Have another go.Next Go to the next exercise.

4. Clicking on highlighted text (pale blue in theencyclopedia)The box on the left was visible as the stu-dent began; when they clicked the high-lighted text the second box appeared.

5. Recognising and using close boxesThis exercise introduced the different kindsof close boxes students would need to use inthe encyclopedia which uses close boxes ofdifferent kinds and in different locations inthe window. Voice instructions and highlight-ing of the close boxes helped the studentcomplete the exercise.

TELL ME... HOME AGAIN NEXT





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What Happened When?

Station Year 8

Macintosh Powerbook 5300cs laptop computer; New Zealand Encyclopedia software; cue cardfor using encyclopedia; timer.

Questions/Instructions

Students first worked through a practice programme, MacMoves, which gave practice

with pointing using the mouse, clicking, scrolling, and closing windows.

You will have 9 minutes to do this task — start the timer now.

Use the NZ Encyclopedia on the computer to help you answer these questions. Start by using thetimeline. On some questions you may also want to search by topic.

1. Why was 1980 important for rabbit farming?

2. In 1974 the 10th Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch. A prime minister diedthat same year. What was his surname?

3. In 1952 Yvette Williams won an Olympic gold. What year was Yvette Williams born?1929 � 67

Total score: 3 57

2 25

1 9

0 9

Commentary

After practising basic computer skills, year 8 stu-dents were able to use the computer andencylopaedia software independently with a highlevel of success.

Kirk � 83

legalised � 82

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Treaty Search

One to one Year 8 only

Macintosh Powerbook 5300cs laptop computer; New Zealand Encyclopedia software;cue card for using encyclopedia; timer.

Students first worked through a practice programme, MacMoves (p38), which gave

practice with pointing using the mouse, clicking, scrolling, and closing windows.

Start up the computer so that the Home page is showing on the screen.Set the timer for 8 minutes. Do NOT start the timer yet.

In this activity you are going to use the New Zealand Encyclopedia on the computer to findinformation about the Treaty of Waitangi. You will have 8 minutes to do an introductory ac-tivity and to find the information asked for on this card.

Hand student the question card.If you get stuck, here is a cue card with hints about using this programme.

Hand student the computer cue card.As you find the information, tell me and I will write it down.

Now click on “Encyclopedia” and follow the instructions.

Start timer. Record the answers the student gives.If student asks for help:

Remember to use the computer cue card if you’re stuck.

When the student has finished or has run out of time click on the close boxes, then click on theQuit button to get back to the home page.

Treaty Search Question Card

1. When was the Treaty ofWaitangi signed at Waitangi?Find the day, the month andthe year.

2. What was the name of the person whosigned the treaty for the Britishgovernment?

3. Which of these chiefs signed the Treaty ofWaitangi?

RuataraTe KawauKaihau

6 Feb 1840 � 71

Commentary

The year 8 students had quite good success with the first two questions. The third question could not beanswered by looking up information about the Treaty of Waitangi, which many students persisted in trying.They needed to look up the names of the three chiefs. Many students ran out of time.

Hobson � 57

Te Kawau � 15

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Link tasks

41

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LINK TASK 10

One to one

Year 4 and year 8

Poster with key; cards with stimuli forquestions.

Students were asked to use the posterand key to answer 5(year 8) or 3(year 4)specific questions.

Question: 1 91 99

2 98

3 99

4 46 64

5 52 77

LINK TASK 11

Station

Year 8

Macintosh powerbook 5300cs laptopcomputer; New Zealand Encyclopediasoftware; cue card for usingencyclopedia; timer.

Students first worked through a practiceprogramme, Mac Moves, which gavepractice with pointing, using a mouse,clicking, scrolling and closing windows.

They were then asked to use theEncyclopedia software to answer sixfactual questions.

Commentary

Both year 4 and year 8 students were able to findinformation on the key and poster quite effectively.The poster was simplified for year 4 students.

Commentary

About 40% of the students were highly successfulin using the computer and software. Another 50%obtained some correct answers. Only 12% had nosuccess.

Question: 1 76

2 71

3 65

4 60

5 65

6 64

Total score: 6 38

5 19

4 7

3 10

2 6

1 8

0 12

34 CHAPTER 6 FINDING AND USING INFORMATION FROM NON … · Chapter 6: Finding and using information...

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