: New Zealand
Trend task
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Approach: Station
Level: Year 8
access task
Focus: Distinguishing fact and opinion
Resources: Video recording on laptop computer

Questions/instructions:

This activity uses the computer.

Click the New Zealand button to hear the video.
Video voiceover:
The video shows two children talking. Some of the things they are saying are facts, and some of the things they are saying are opinions.
The video will pause after each speaker. When the video pauses, tick the box to show if they have said a fact or an opinion. The first one has been done for you to show you what to do.

Ne Student video
[two children talking; after each question, soundtrack pauses, fades to prompt, “Fact or Opinion?” then fades to map]
Girl: This is a good map, eh, Johnny?
Boy: Yeah.
Girl: New Zealand is much closer to Australia than it is to some of the other big countries in the world.
Boy: (1) Yeah. New Zealand is the best country in the world to live
in because everyone is so friendly in New Zealand.
Girl: (2) Not all of the people who live in New Zealand were born
in this country.
Boy: (3) New Zealanders who were born in New Zealand know
lots more about New Zealand and its history than New
Zealanders who weren’t born here.
Girl: (4) The best thing about living in New Zealand is the beaches
and lakes and rivers and mountains.
Boy: (5) Yeah. Lots of people in New Zealand like to go to the
beaches and rivers in the summer for swimming and fun.
Girl: (6) And there are really good indoor swimming pools in some
towns where you can swim in the summer or the winter.
Boy: (7) Auckland is the best place to live because there are
better things to do in Auckland than in other places.


% responses
2006 ('02)
y8
It’s a fact. New Zealand is closer to Australia than other big countries.  
 
Fact
tick
Opinion
 
1. New Zealand is the best country in the world to live in because everyone is so friendly in New Zealand.
 
opinion
70 (75)
2. Not all of the people who live in New Zealand were born in this country.
 
fact
72 (77)
3. New Zealanders who were born in New Zealand know lots more about New Zealand and its history than New Zealanders who weren’t born here.
 
opinion
61 (63)
4. The best thing about living in New Zealand is the beaches and lakes and rivers and mountains.
 
opinion
76 (73)
5. Lots of people in New Zealand like to go to the beaches and rivers in the summer for swimming and fun.
 
fact
53 (57)
6. There are really good indoor swimming pools in some towns where you can swim in the summer or the winter.
 
fact
63 (73)
7. Auckland is the best place to live because there are better things to do in Auckland than in other places.
 
opinion
74 (83)
Total score:
7
19 (22)
6
28 (28)
4–5
26 (29)
2–3
16 (17)
0–1
11 (4)
Subgroup Analysis:
Year 8
Commentary:
Distinguishing fact from opinion on this task proved difficult for year 8 children. Only about one in five children got all seven questions correct. There was little change in performance between 2002 and 2006. There were only minor differences according to gender but Pakeha students scored a little higher than Mäori and Pasifika students.
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