| 5.1
INTRODUCTION
|
| In
this section the tasks which were identified as requiring creative
thinking and, consequently, having the potential to assess this skill
are presented and discussed. The working definition of creative thinking
in this research is that it is: |
|
Thinking which is directed towards solving a problem in one's own
way. It often involves imagination and initiative. |
| |
|
|
| 5.2
THE CREATIVE THINKING TASKS |
| In
the table below the tasks the task judged to require creative thinking
skills are identified. The information given is: |
| |
• |
The assessment report |
| |
• |
The location of the item |
| |
• |
If the marking criteria for the item were considered. Indicated by
* |
| |
• |
The title of the item |
| |
• |
The year group assessed |
| |
• |
The task approach |
| |
• |
If the item appeared in the assessment of Maori students |
| |
• |
A brief description of the thinking aspect of the item |
| |
|
|
| Science
1995 |
| Page
35* |
Float
or sink |
Y4/8 |
1
- 1 |
|
| |
|
Q9.
Here is a lump of plasticine. See it sinks. Do you think you can make
it float? Show me. |
| |
|
|
| Art
1995 |
| Page
17* |
Imaginary
forest painting |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Paint
you own imaginary forest after watching a video. |
| Page
23 |
Firebird
pastel and crayon drawing |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Draw
a make-believe creature called a firebird. Think about your own ideas
and use your imagination. |
| Page
29 |
Insect collage |
Y4 |
Independent |
|
| Page
35 |
Insect head
collage |
Y8 |
Independent
|
|
| |
|
Make a make-believe or fantasy collage of an insect. Try to use your
papers in interesting ways. |
| |
|
|
| Music
1996 |
| Page
13* |
Animal parade |
Y4 |
Team |
|
| |
|
New Zealand
tourism video |
Y8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Watch
the video and make up some music to go with it. |
| Page
14 |
Phone jingles |
Y4 |
1
- 1 |
|
| Page
15 |
Answer phone |
Y8 |
1
- 1 |
|
| |
|
Watch
the video and make up some music to go with the phone message. |
| Page
24 |
Team machine |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Listen
to some music. Make up movements to go with it. |
| |
|
|
| Technology
1996 |
| Page
27* |
Space game |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Play
a game and think up ways of making it more fun. |
| |
|
|
| Reading
and Speaking 1996 |
| Page
50* |
Nils and
Nelli |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Put
cards in order to tell a story which is funny or sad or interesting
in some way. Tell the story to others. |
| |
|
|
| Listening
and Viewing 1998 |
| Page
30* |
Robbers in
the night |
Y4/8 |
1
- 1 |
|
| |
|
Put
pictures from a comic into order to make a story. The pictures do
not show an end. Try to think of 3 funny or unusual endings. |
| |
|
|
| Writing
1998 |
| Page
15 |
My place |
Y4/8 |
Independent
|
|
| |
|
Write
about a place which is special to you. |
| Page
18 |
Me |
Y4/8 |
Station |
|
| |
|
Make
up a short poem called 'Me”. |
| Page
20* |
The wishing
ring |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Make
up an ending for an incomplete story. |
| Page
22 |
Santa |
Y4/8 |
Station |
|
| |
|
Picture
of Santa thinking of something funny. Write in the speech bubble what
he could be thinking. |
| Page
24 |
Birthday
story |
Y4 |
Station |
|
| Page
26 |
A tale of
two donkeys |
Y8 |
Station |
|
| |
|
Put
4 pictures in order to make a story. Write the story under the pictures.
|
| Page
28 |
The conversation |
Y8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Photo
of policeman and fireman at a fire. Write a really interesting conversation
between them. |
| Page
34 |
Baby giraffe |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Video
of television news report on the birth of a baby giraffe. Write a
short newspaper story to go with a picture of the giraffe. |
| |
|
|
| Art
1999 |
| Page
14 |
Rainy day
- Monotype print |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Create
and depict an expressive image. |
| Page
19 |
Clay model
|
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Create
a person and a creature from clay which interact expressively with
each other. |
| Page
31* |
Cave creature |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
Maori |
| |
|
Draw
a picture of a make-believe cave creature from your own ideas and
imagination. |
| |
|
|
| Music
2000 |
| Page
15 |
Line music |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Using
voice and instruments, create music to follow a line chart. |
| Page
16* |
Radical rhyme |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Compose
and perform a rap to fit a rhyme. |
| Page
18 |
Boom Laka
Laka Ting |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Compose
and perform some music to match some words |
| Page
30 |
Musical sticks |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Make
up movements with a stick to match some music. |
| |
|
|
| Reading
and Speaking 2000 |
| Page
53 |
The sandwich |
Y4/8 |
1
- 1 |
Maori |
| |
|
Retell
a story from a picture book without words. Make it as interesting
as possible. |
| Page
54 |
Puppet play |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Plan
and present plays using hand puppets. |
| Page
55 |
Talk time |
Y4 |
Team |
|
| Page
56 |
Talk topics |
Y8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Give
the most interesting talk you can on a topic presented to you. |
| Page
58* |
Wishing ring |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Make
up a good ending to an incomplete story. |
| |
|
|
| Writing
2002 |
| Page
14* |
Imagination |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
Maori
|
| |
|
Choose
a picture and write a short story about it. Use your imagination and
your own interesting ideas. |
| Page
18 |
Spots |
Y4/8 |
Station |
|
| |
|
Invent
appropriate dialogue to fit a picture. What do you think everyone
in this picture is saying or doing? |
| Page
23* |
Te Potiki
|
Y4/8 |
Station |
Maori
|
| |
|
Put
4 pictures in order and tell a story about them. |
| Page
26 |
A better
story |
Y4/8 |
Station |
Maori
|
| |
|
Write
a more exciting start to a story. |
| Page
28 |
Please…!
|
Y4/8 |
Station |
|
| |
|
Write
down what you would say to your parents to persuade them to buy you
some thing special for your birthday. |
| |
|
|
| Visual
Arts 2003 |
| Page
14 |
Underwater
garden |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Paint
a beautiful, magical underwater garden. |
| Page
20 |
Bird battle |
Y4/8 |
Independent
|
|
| |
|
Make
a picture by cutting, tearing, arranging paper. Show two birds fighting. |
| Page
25 |
Dog walk |
Y4/8 |
Independent
|
|
| |
|
Make
a picture about taking a dog for a walk. Draw it so that it really
shows what it would be like to be dragged along by this very excited
dog. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3
MARKING CRITERIA FOR CREATIVE THINKING TASKS |
| In
this section the marking criteria used in the NEMP assessments are
considered for a number of the tasks which were judged to involve
creative thinking. The intention is to examine the extent to which
the criteria capture the creative thinking aspect of the tasks. In
the table below the tasks selected are given together with those parts
of the marking criteria which relate to the creative thinking aspects
of the tasks. The coding categories for the responses are also given.
|
| |
|
|
| 5.3.1
Science |
| 1995 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
35 |
Float or
sink |
Y4/8 |
1
- 1 |
|
| |
Q9. |
Here
is a lump of plasticine. See it sinks. Do you think you can make it
float? Show me. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| 20 |
Didn't
float
Boat/bowl, open upwards
Boat/bowl, open downwards (trapping air)
Other |
|
Comment: |
| |
|
The
marking criteria relate only to the final result without assessing
any creative approach to the problem. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.2
Art |
| 1995 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
17 |
Imaginary forest
painting |
Y4/8 |
Independent
|
|
| |
|
Paint
you own imaginary forest after watching a video. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
|
Expressiveness
image relevant to task
development of mood
sense of movement, where appropriate (e.g. water)
originality, avoidance of cliché |
| |
|
undeveloped
|
slightly
developed |
moderately
developed |
highly
developed |
| |
|
|
| 1999 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
31 |
Cave creature |
Y4/8 |
Independent
|
Maori
|
| |
|
Draw
a picture of a make-believe cave creature from your own ideas and
imagination. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R1 |
Expressiveness
image appropriate to task (ie cave creature)
strength, vitality and colour
movement / dynamism imagination / avoidance of cliché |
| |
|
under
developed |
slightly developed |
moderately
developed |
highly
developed |
| Comment: |
| |
|
The
criteria certainly seek to capture the creative nature of the tasks. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.3
Music |
| 1996 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
13 |
Animal parade |
Y4 |
Team |
|
| |
|
New Zealand
tourism video |
Y8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Watch
the video and make up some music to go with it. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
|
Planned
instrumental presentation (last presentation only) |
| |
1. |
Inventiveness: appropriate range / choice of sounds are demonstrated |
| |
2. |
Interpretation: sequence and choice of sounds gives a meaningful representation
of the scene (pitch, tempo, volume) |
| |
|
Weak
|
Moderate |
Strong |
|
| 2000 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
16 |
Radical rhyme |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Compose
and perform a rap to fit a rhyme. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
|
Mark
the final performance, where each student in turn says their part
of the rap. |
| |
R1 |
Beat
and rhythm |
| |
R2 |
Expressive
performance |
| |
|
strong
moderate
weak |
| |
|
Mark
the final performance, with the group singing the rap. |
| |
R15 |
Expressiveness
of group performance |
| |
|
strong
moderate
weak |
| Comment: |
| |
|
The
criteria seek to assess the creativity of the group as a whole, but
not the creative thinking of the individual students |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.4
Technology |
| 1996 |
|
| Task:
|
|
| Page
27 |
Space game |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Play
a game and think up ways of making it more fun. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
1. |
Quality of ideas selected for making the game more fun |
| |
|
Weak |
Moderate |
Strong |
|
| Comment: |
| |
|
There
is no indication in these criteria of the extent to which creativity
was valued in the ideas selected. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.5
Reading and Speaking |
| 1996 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
50 |
Nils and
Nelli |
Y4/8 |
Team |
|
| |
|
Put
cards in order to tell a story which is funny or sad or interesting
in some way. Tell the story to others. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
2. |
Story is imaginative |
| |
3. |
Story is entertaining |
| |
|
Weak
|
Moderate |
Strong |
|
| 2000 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
58 |
Wishing ring |
Y4/8
|
Team |
|
| |
|
Make
up a good ending to an incomplete story. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R1 |
Creativity
and originality
very creative / original
moderately creative / original
little or no creativity / originality |
| Comment: |
| |
|
The
criteria include aspects which relate directly to creativity but it
is the product not the process which is assessed. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.6
Listening and Viewing |
| 1998 |
|
| Task:
|
|
| Page
30 |
Robbers in
the night |
Y4/8 |
1
- 1 |
|
| |
|
Put
pictures from a comic into order to make a story. The pictures do
not show an end. Try to think of 3 funny or unusual endings. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R4 |
Story - creativity (Q2)
Looking
for X factor element
Creative
Little - no creativity |
| |
R6 |
Evidence of creativity in endings (Q3)
High
Quite high
Moderate
Limited |
| Comment:
|
| |
|
The
marking criteria specifically identify creativity. |
| |
|
|
| 5.3.7
Writing |
| 1998 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
20 |
The wishing
ring |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
|
| |
|
Make
up an ending for an incomplete story. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R3 |
Creativity
(ideas, originality)
Highly creative,
variety of ideas
Good level of creativity
Some creative effort
made
Low level of creativity,
originality |
| |
|
|
| 2002 |
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
14 |
Imagination |
Y4/8 |
Independent |
Maori
|
| |
|
Choose
a picture and write a short story about it. Use your imagination and
your own interesting ideas. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R1 |
Interest
and originality - impact, humour, ability to capture and hold reader's
attention
Very high level
Good level
Some attempts made
Little or none |
| |
|
|
| Task: |
|
| Page
23 |
Te Potiki |
Y4/8 |
Station |
Maori |
| |
|
Put
4 pictures in order and tell a story about them. |
| Marking
Criteria: |
| |
R2 |
How detailed is the story?
Rich in detail
Moderate in detail
Minimal in detail |
| |
R3 |
Overall
effectiveness in telling a story (entertaining, coherent, satisfactory
completion, not simply picture captioning)
High
Quite high
Moderate
Weak |
| Comment:
|
| |
|
The
marking criteria for the first two tasks contained specific reference
to creativity / imagination but not the third. |
| |
|
|
| 5.4
COMMENTS |
• |
Tasks involving creative thinking skills were found in 7 of the 12
curriculum assessment areas. |
• |
Art, Music, Reading and Speaking, and Writing contributed the most
tasks. |
• |
All of the tasks involve producing something which is the result of
creative thinking. It is the quality of the product which is assessed
in the marking criteria. |
• |
None of the tasks require students to explain or discuss the processes
used. |
• |
Only 5(13%) of the 40 tasks use a 1 - 1 interview task approach and
this will limit the potential for exploring the nature of the thinking
involved. |
• |
The contexts of the tasks were quite varied. Students were asked to
create: |
|
|
art
works
music
games
stories
plays |
• |
Again, it seems that a list of tasks of this nature would be a useful
teacher resource. |
