:Bird Book
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Approach: One to one  Level: Year 8
Focus: Finding information in a reference book
Resources: Book: Which New Zealand Bird?, picture of egg, bird name card, recording book
1.6MB
Questions / instructions:

 Here is a book on New Zealand birds. Have a good look at the way the
information in this book has been set out to help you find different birds.

Flip through the book and hand it to the student.
[Clcik to enlarge image.]
 
% responses
2005
Y8
1. Use the book to show me where you can find information on mountain birds.
 
Record if student found the mountain birds section.
found the mountain bird section
 
95
Turn to page 89 in book. Hand student picture of an egg.
  
Here is a picture of a bird’s egg.
  
2. Use the egg chart to find the bird it belongs to. Then show me a picture of that bird in the book.
  
    Record student’s choice.
egg identified as Tui
 
96
used the index
 
42
found a picture of the correct bird
 
93
The White Heron, Kötuku is a special New Zealand bird.
  
Hand student White Heron / Kötuku card.
  
3. Use the book to show me where you can find information on the White Heron, Kötuku.
  
    Record if student found the White Heron/ Kötuku section.
located correct section
 
68
Show student page 81 if not found. Point to map in top right hand corner.
    
4. Why have they included a New Zealand map here?
showed where bird is found
 
90
5. Tell me how the book has been organised to make it helpful for finding information.    
Mentioned:
section on types of birds (page 3)
 
68
colour coding of sections
 
21
“key” passages at the start of most sections (e.g. pp6–7, 34–35)
  
11
index
 
32
Total score:
9–10
 
3
7–8
 
38
5–6
 
47
3–4
 
10
0–2
 
2
Commentary:
About 40 percent of the year 8 students showed considerable skill in using and understanding reference features of this non-fiction book. Another 47 percent performed quite well but did not identify or use a key feature. 
 
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