:Funny Taste
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Approach: Team Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Selecting people to help and questions to ask them.

Resources: 12 small pictures of people (occupation labelled), 4 answer sheets.

440KB
Questions / instructions:

Imagine that the town’s water has a funny taste, and people are complaining about it. Also imagine that the town mayor has asked your team to investigate why the water has a funny taste.

Here is a set of pictures showing some of the people who work and live in the town. Look at the pictures and decide on four of these people who could give you the best help to solve the problem. You will need to think of reasons why they would be good people to help you with the investigation.

Discuss this together a team, and when you are ready I will ask you to tell me which
people you choose, and why you chose those people. Here are the pictures. I’ll read them to you.

Read picture captions and put pictures on table. Allow time.

Now tell me which four people you would choose to help you, and why you chose those people. All of you can help to tell me why you chose each person.		  
Remove 8 pictures, leaving the 4 chosen ones on the table.

Now I want each of you to choose one of these people, and to think about the questions you would ask them to help you solve the problem of funny tasting water. Choose one picture each now, then I’ll explain what you do next.

Students select one picture each.

I am going to give each of you an answer sheet. Write the person you have chosen on the sheet. Try to write 3 questions that you would ask the person shown on your picture. They need to be useful questions that will help you to find out why the water tastes funny. When you’ve finished writing your questions, check them carefully to see that they are good questions.

Give students answer sheets. Allow time.

Now read your questions to the rest of the team. If you want, you can change or improve your questions if the team has some good ideas about them.
% responses
y4
y8
Chemist
I know about chemicals.
 
Weather Forecaster
I tell what the weather might be like.
Lawyer
I know about how the law works.
 
Teacher
I help others to learn.
Householder
I use lots of water.
 
Kaumatua
I am a leader and I give people guidance.
Microbiologist
I study bacteria and bugs.
 
Doctor
I know why people get sick and help them to get better.
Marine Biologist
I study sea water life.
 
Farmer
I work with animals and crops.
Engineer
I build dams.
 
Medical Officer of Health
I help to make sure our community is a healthy place.
People chosen:
microbiologist
73
95
marine biologist
68
36
 
chemist
49
88
 
medical officer of health
49
61
 
householder
40
12
 
engineer
36
24
 
doctor
24
48
 
weather forecaster
14
2

teacher
7
1
 
kaumatua
6
2
 
lawyer
5
1
 
farmer
4
3
Process:
all members contributed substantially
52
50
 
all ideas received constructively
65
81
 
decisions made by consensus
71
81
Following results: averages across students
Appropriateness of:
1st question
high
24
38
   
moderate
27
44
   
low
49
18
 
2nd question
high
17
39
   
moderate
30
40
   
low
53
21
 
3rd question
high
19
34
   
moderate
20
37
   
low
61
29
Number of distinct useful questions:
3
16
40
 
2
22
34
 
1
31
16
 
0
31
10
Amount of useful information likely to result:
high
13
38
 
moderate
32
45
 
low
55
17
 
Commentary:
Year 8 students placed greatest reliance for help on the microbiologist, chemist, medical officer of health and doctor. Year 4 students included the marine biologist (described as focusing on sea water life) rather than the doctor. Year 4 students also often chose the householder. Most teams of students made their decisions constructively and by consensus, but only half involved substantial contributions from all team members. About 30 percent more year 8 than year 4 students developed questions appropriate to the person being asked, and likely to gain useful information.
 
Chapter Graphic
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