Jars and Marbles
Loading Images
Approach:  Station  
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Measuring capacity; measurement sense  
Resources:
Jar filled with marbles, film canister, 3 jars, answer booklet
291kb
Questions/instructions:  

Look carefully at the jar of marbles.
Do NOT open the jar.

   
 
% responses
2009 ('05)
y4
y8
1. If you were to pour the marbles into jar 1, about where would the marbles come up to?    
a. b. c. d.
C 78 (78) 78 (83)
2. If you were to pour the marbles into jar 2, about where would the marbles come up to?    
a. b. c. d.
C 35 (34) 43 (47)
3. If you were to pour the marbles into jar 3, about where would the marbles come up to?    
a. b. c. d.
B 39 (42) 62 (65)
4. Look at the film canister. About how many film canisters would you need for all the marbles?    
  12+ 9 (7) 9 (6)
9–11 11 (11) 12 (12)
6–8 21 (20) 29 (25)
0–5 49 (53) 44 (49)

Total score:
4
2 (1) 3 (4)
3 16 (16) 27 (31)
2 35 (38) 40 (39)
1 38 (37) 22 (20)
0 9 (8)
8 (6)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4


Year 8


Commentary:
Students had particular difficulty estimating the number of the smallest containers (film canisters) that would be needed to hold all of the marbles. About 70% of students underestimated, many quite severely. Performance was very similar in 2005 and 2009. Pakeha, Mäori and Pasifika students in both years performed similarly. On average, year 8 students scored only slightly higher than year 4 students.