Foam Clowns
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Approach:  Group
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Giving instructions  
Resources:
1 clipboard, 4 packs of foam shapes, 4 pictures
FRAME 228Kb
Questions/instructions:  


In this activity you are each going to give instructions to the others in your team to make a foam clown.

Hand each student a pack of foam shapes.

Here are your foam shapes. You will each get a picture of a different clown. You need to tell the others how to make the clown – but you can’t show them or move their foam pieces. Try to make your instructions very clear.

Let’s begin with [Student 1]. I’ll give you a picture of a clown. Don’t let the others in the team see your picture, but watch what they are doing to check that you are giving clear instructions. When the others have finished making the clown, show them the picture.

Attach picture 1 to clipboard and give to Student 1.
Ensure that students cannot see the photo being described. Repeat for Student 2, Student 3, Student 4.

Pack of foam shapes
2 eyes
1 big white circle
3 brown triangles
1 jagged green semi circle
2 blue triangles
2 green semi circles
3 yellow triangles
2 red semi circles
2 small yellow triangles
 1 pink semi circle
1 pink diamond
4 smiles
(1 each of red, pink, blue, green)
2 small squares (1 pink, 1 yellow)
5 small circles
(1 brown, 1 red, 1 pink, 2 blue)
2 small yellow circles with dots
2 small white circles with dots
2 small white circles with crosses

[Click on graphic to enlarge.]
 
% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
Clarity of individual instructions:
(including shape, colour, place)
high
25 (23)
43 (37)
moderate
56 (62)
52 (55)
low
19 (15)
5 (8)
Completeness of set of instructions:
(i.e. to what extent should it have allowed the
participants to create the desired picture)
all details covered
35 (26)
55 (55)
most details covered (1-2 wrong)
32 (39)
33 (27)
moderately complete (2+ wrong)
27 (29)
11 (15)
very incomplete
6 (6)
1 (3)
Efficiency of set of instructions:
(e.g. sequenced in correct sensible order;
extent to which correct positions signalled
without need for corrective instructions)
very efficient (no questions)
16 (11)
31 (23)
moderately efficient (few questions)
64 (68)
63 (69)
inefficient
20 (21)
6 (8)

Total score:
7
9 (6)
23 (15)
6
11 (9)
16 (19)
5
22 (18)
27 (29)
3–4
37 (48)
29 (29)
0–2
21 (19)
5 (8)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
This was a very popular task with a wide range of performance. Presenting a clear, complete and efficient set of instructions for such tasks is not easy. The improvement from year 4 to year 8 was moderate. There was little change from 2004 to 2008. At the bottom end, year 8 Pasifika students scored poorly, almost unchanged from year 4 Pasifika students.