Work It Out (Y8)
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Approach:  One to one  
Level: Year 8
Focus: Computation strategies  
Resources:
Card
254kb
Questions/instructions:  

Hand card to student.
This card tells you that 54 times 6 is 324. Use this fact to work out 56 times 6.

54 x 6 = 324
56 x 6 =
 
 
 
% responses
2009 ('05)
y4
y8
1. Tell me what you think the answer is. 336   70 (63)
2. Now tell me how you worked it out.
   
    prompt: Can you explain that a bit more to me?    
explanation show understanding that the answer must be 2 lots of six (12) more than 324   56 (42)
another valid strategy that made use of information that 54 × 6 = 324   5 (10)
tried to directly calculate 56 × 6 (i.e. did not make use of 54 × 6 = 324)   14 (18)
any other response, including unclear explanation   25 (30)

Total score:
4
  52 (39)
3   8 (7)
2   13 (20)
1   5 (9)
0  
22 (25)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 8


Commentary:
Between 2005 and 2009, the percentage of year 8 students using an efficient number strategy to solve this task increased substantially, leading to a smaller rise in success with the task. Boys did a little better than girls, on average, with only small differences between Pakeha, Mäori and Pasifika students.