:City Mountains
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Approach: One to one Level: Year 8
Focus: Understanding reference features in books
Resources: Book: City Mountains
548KB
book coverQuestions / instructions:
We’re going to have a look at some of the information printed in this non-fiction book
called City Mountains. As well as having information about making buildings in cities
and giving the name of the author, the book also has other helpful information.

Show the book to the student, but don’t allow them to handle it yet.

[Click to enlarge images.]

 
% responses
2005 ('01)
 
Y8


Publishing Details

1. In the book it will have the date when it was published. Where in the book would you expect to find that date?  
front, after title page
 
24 (6)
front (other)
 
52 (71)
any other response
 
24 (23)
This book has a table of contents, and an index.
2. Where in the book would you expect to find the table of contents?
 
 
front, after title page
 
16 (6)
front (other)
 
75 (85)
any other response
 
9 (9)
3. Where in the book would you expect to find the index?
 
 
back
 
90 (92)
4. What is the difference between a Table of Contents and an Index?
 
Order:
[Table of Contents in page number order (shows order of topics); Index has its entries in alphabetical order.]
both differences mentioned
 
8 (5)
only 1 difference mentioned
 
24 (21)
no differences mentioned
 
68 (74)
Content:
[Table of Contents identifies chapters and sometimes major sections; Index usually has lots more detail; more entries (eg. words, subsections, people referred to).]
both differences mentioned 35 (42)
 
only 1 difference mentioned 27 (27)
 
no differences mentioned 38 (31)
 
5. This book also has a bibliography. Can you tell me what a bibliography is?
 
  other sources of similar information  
9 (7)
where information came from (like reference list)  
29 (29)
Now let’s have a look inside the book.
Show the student the relevant pages when asking the following questions.
 
6. It shows that the book was published in 1995. Why can it be helpful to have the date when a book was published?
 
  know how old or recent information is  
57 (47)
to help to find/purchase same book/edition  
8 (5)


Bibliography

At the back of the book is a bibliography. Let’s look at one of the entries in the bibliography.

Point to Duncan, Michael. How it is made — Skyscrapers, Faber & Faber 1987.

Try to explain to me what each part of this reference refers to.

 
7. What does Duncan, Michael tell us?
author  
 
39 (41)
8. What does How it is made — Skyscrapers tell us?
title / topic
 
36 (36)
9. What does Faber & Faber tell us?
publisher
 
37 (37)
10. What does 1987 tell us?
year of publication
 
31 (34)
when it was made, written
 
31 (28)
any other response
 
38 (38)
11. It can be helpful to have a bibliography. When might someone want to use the information that is in a bibliography?
if they want to find out more information about subject
 
49 (48)
if they want to know where the information came from
 
16 (18)
Total score:

15–20
 
3 (2)
12–14
 
16 (14)
9–11
 
25 (24)
6–8
 
30 (31)
3–5
 
23 (25)
0–2
 
3 (4)

Commentary:
The results do not show strong understanding of the reference features in non-fiction books. Only 44 percent of the year 8 students scored more than eight out of 20. There was little change between 2001 and 2005.

 
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