Cows and Sheep
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Approach: Station Level: Year 8
Focus: Interpreting graphs
Resources: 2 graphs in work book
252Kb
Questions/instructions:

Click on graphs to enlarge.

 
% responses
2007 ('03)
y8
Look at this graph carefully [Numbers of Dairy Cows].

1. Write three facts about dairy cows in New Zealand.
 
 
3 correct facts
24 (21)
2 correct facts
26 (35)
1 correct fact
23 (20)
identified that graph shows no cows in some years
23 (26)
Now look at the Cows graph and the Sheep graph.

2. How has farming in New Zealand changed between 1994 and 2002?
 



used both graphs and recorded a change over time
(cows increased and sheep decreased)
22 (31)
used one graph and recorded a change over time
(cows increased or sheep decreased)
41 (37)
response included an incorrect interpretation
20 (19)

Total score:
6
11 (14)
5
20 (23)
4
14 (15)
3
22 (21)
0–2
33 (27)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 8


Commentary:
Many year 8 students had some difficulty in interpreting bar graphs where there were gaps in the graph. Performance declined slightly from 2003 to 2007. Pasifika students, in particular, had little success with this task.