Chapter Graphic
 : Pet Line
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Approach: One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus:   Describing an object and preparing an advertisement 
Resources: Picture of dog
388Kb
Questions/instructions: 
Show student the picture.
Imagine that this is your dog. Also imagine that it’s lost and you want to get it back. You can advertise your lost dog on the radio. When you ring up the radio station they have an answerphone. They ask you to leave a message to say what you want to go on the radio. Think carefully about what you would say, so that people listening to the radio would have enough information. I’ll let you think about it for
a minute, then you can tell me the message you would give to the radio station.
Allow thinking time before the student tells their message.
Now tell me what you would say in your message for the radio.
Remember, you need to give very clear information.
Wait for the student response.
Is there any other information you would want to give in
your message for the radio?

% responses
2004 ('00)
y4
y8
  gives appropriate reason for message
77 (69)
80 (78)
Information about dog (from picture):
              type of dog –
hush puppy or basset hound
1 (1)
3 (2)
medium size
5 (7)
13 (14)
long, floppy ears
52 (46)
64 (68)
short, stumpy legs
5 (3)
11 (4)
loose/ folds of skin (jowls)
8 (7)
18 (18)
collar and tag
70 (69)
86 (90)
colouring (score out of 7 for different colour features)
7
2 (6)
3 (3)
6
2 (6)
6 (10)
5
6 (3)
8 (11)
4
12 (8)
13 (9)
3
14 (13)
18 (19)
2
18 (11)
15 (12)
1
24 (35)
23 (23)
0
22 (18)
14 (13)
contact information given (phone, address or email address)
43 (37)
54 (66)
Overall message:
              – how clear, accurate and complete is the message?
very good
1 (0)
5 (9)
good
9 (6)
20 (16)
moderate
25 (24)
32 (31)
fairly weak
38 (40)
28 (30)
non existent or very weak
27 (30)
15 (14)
              – how well sequenced are the components of the message?
very well sequenced (reason, description, contact details)
26 (22)
42 (48)
moderately well sequenced
42 (48)
40 (39)
rather jumbled
32 (30)
18 (13)
did the student include any invented information (such as the name of the dog)
37 (45)
54 (70)
Total score:           16–18
1 (1)
2 (5)
13–15
3 (5)
13 (13)
10–12
19 (13)
31 (35)
7–9
33 (29)
26 (25)
4–6
24 (31)
21 (16)
0–3
20 (20)
6 (6)
Commentary
About 15 percent more year 4 than year 8 students had very little success with this task. There was no meaningful change in performance between 2000 and 2004 for either year level.
 
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