Fishy Calendar
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Approach:  Station
Level: Year 8
Focus: Finding information in a non-fiction text  
Resources:
Book: Marine Fishes of New Zealand, calendar page
287Kb
Questions/instructions:




[Click on images to enlarge.]

Imagine that your class is making a calendar for next year. The calendar will show pictures and information about fish found around New Zealand. You are going to find information for the February page. It is information about the Greenback Flounder, the Yellow Moray Eel and the Red Rock Cod.

Your calendar page needs to say:
• in what part of New Zealand they are found
   and
• the average length of the fish.

Use the book, Marine Fishes of New Zealand, to find this information. Write the information on the calendar page.
 
% responses
2009 ('05)
y8
YELLOW MORAY EEL: (found north of Hawkes Bay)  
Mentioned:
north of/and Hawkes Bay
48 (42)
Hawkes Bay only
38 (39)
Average length:
80–100 cm
93 (90)
120 cm
2 (2)
GREENBACK FLOUNDER: (found around South Island and southern Australia)
Mentioned:
South Island only
71 (73)
both places
6 (6)
Average length:
25–40 cm
89 (92)
50 cm
2 (1)
RED ROCK COD: (found North Cape to East Cape; eastern Australia)
Mentioned:
North Cape to/and East Cape
68 (62)
one area
7 (4)
Mentioned:
eastern Australia
5 (2)
Average length:
25–45 cm
84 (74)
60 cm
2 (3)

Total score:
12–13
30 (23)
9–11
41 (38)
6–8
22 (30)
3–5
4 (7)
0–2
2 (2)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
 
Commentary:
Year 8 students were quite successful in locating and recording information about various fish found in New Zealand. Modest growth was seen from 2005. Girls slightly outperformed boys, and Pakeha and Pasifika students slightly outperformed Mäori students.