asking appropriate questions
 : Fire Fighters Project
Approach: Stations
1.7Mb
Resources: None

Questions / instructions:
Pretend that your class is doing a project about what fire fighters do and how being a fire fighter affects their lives. The class will have a chance to ask fire fighters 3 questions that would get good information about the work and lives of fire fighters.

Put ticks beside the best three questions in this list.

  % responses
y4
y8

3 questions
.
.
.

1. What do you do when there's no fire to go to?

 
23
23
2. What should I do if my clothes catch fire?  
.
60
56
3. How do you keep from getting burned when you're fighting a fire?  
52
55
4. How do I check to see if our smoke alarm is working?  
.
49
45
5. Do you like to slide down the fire station pole?  
.
18
4
6. What should I do if I wake up and find my room full of smoke?  
.
57
74
7. How does your work affect your family?  
28
39
Number correct 3
2
1
0
2
24
48
26
12
22
37
29
Commentary:
Students at both levels largely failed to select questions appropriate to the task set. The only correct question which was frequently chosen intended "you" to refer to a fire fighter, but was probably interpreted personally by the students. It appears that students were more interested in their own fire safety than in the lives of the fire fighters.

[ top of the page | Information Skills Report 1997 ]