:Transportation
Trend Task
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Approach:One to one Level: Year 8
Focus: Finding information in an encyclopedia.         
Resources:Oxford Children’s Pocket Book of Knowledge, recording book.  
592KB

Questions/instructions

In this activity I want to know how you go about searching for information. Imagine your class is doing a project on transportation.
Each person in the class has different information to use.

Your information is this book, the Oxford Children’s Pocket Book of Knowledge. Hand student the book.

 
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% responses
2000 ('97)
y8
Have a look at the book to see how the information is set out and organised.

1. Can you explain to me how the information is set out and organised?
alphabetically by topic
69 (69)
Sometimes when you look for information it’s not under the heading that you first try, so you have to think of other headings or words to look up. If you want to know how to spell a word, ask me and I will help you.

If the student doesn’t ask for assistance with spelling, DO NOT GIVE IT.
2. Some people use bikes for transport. Tell me what you would look up first to find information on bikes? Now look there. What did you find?

If student doesn’t find it because they’re on the wrong page - Prompt: Are you sure?
found information on bikes
91 (91)
3. There is information in this book about cars. Tell me what you would look up to find information on cars? Now look there. What did you find?

If information is NOT there -
Prompt: Do you want to try another word? Prompt: What did you find?

Repeat process until successful or student asks to stop.
found information on cars
28 (46)
tried 4 or more topic words
21 (55)
Commentary:
Information on cars was difficult to find (under topic “Motorcars”). The 2001 students were less persistent than the 1997 students, and thus less successful. There was no performance difference on the other two questions.
 
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