Chapter Graphic : Special Visitor
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Approach: Team Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Developing appropriate questions for a purpose.
1.2MB
Resources: 2 copies of photograph, 2 recording sheets, highlighter pen.
Questions / instructions:
Imagine your class is learning about people in different countries. Also imagine that you are going to have a visit from a very special person who is shown in the photograph. To get ready for the visit, you need to think up some good questions to ask.
I want you to think up two different kinds of questions: questions that can have very short answers, and questions that could give longer and more detailed answers. The "short answer" questions will give you some important pieces of information or facts about the visitor. The "longer answer" questions will give the visitor a chance to tell you quite a lot.
Show recording sheet.
I want you to start off by working in pairs. On one side of your paper write down questions that could have short answers. On the other side, write down questions that could have longer answers. See how many questions you can think of. If you want help with writing words, just let me know. You have about 5 minutes to make up your questions.
Assign students to pairs A1, A2, and A3, A4. Give each pair an answer sheet and photograph. Allow 5 minutes.
Now it's time for all of you to work together. I want you to show and read your lists of questions to each other. After that, have a discussion to decide on 5 of the best short-answer questions, and 5 of the best long-answer questions. You can use a highlighter pen to mark the questions after you have made your decision. Take care to choose the short answer questions because they will give you some important pieces of information or facts about the visitor. Choose longer answer questions because they will give the visitor a chance to tell you quite a lot. When you've finished doing this, let me know.
Allow time for students to make their decisions.
Now let's imagine I'm the special visitor, so you can practise asking your questions. Begin by asking your five short answer questions.
Encourage students to give their short answer questions.
     
% responses
y4
y8
Requested important facts or pieces of information
question 1
87
89
question 2
77
87
question 3
80
82
question 4
72
77
question 5
67
74
Now ask me your five longer answer questions.
Encourage students to give their longer answer questions.
Would give visitor an opportunity to tell a lot.
question 6
46
75
question 7
38
62
question 8
38
63
question 9
33
61
question 10
17
63
Appropriateness of total set of questions for purpose of learning about special visitor
appropriateness
high
11
67
moderate
51
30
slight
36
3
inappropriate
2
0
Commentary:
About 30 percent more year 8 than year 4 teams were able to generate questions in the requested long answer format. The advantage increased to 50 percent when the appropriateness of the 10 selected questions for their purpose was judged.
 
 
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