Popcorn Making
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Approach:  One to one
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Instructing, directing  
Resources:
Video on laptop computer, picture
FRAME 224Kb
Questions/instructions:  

This activity uses the computer.
I want you to tell me how you would explain to someone how to make popcorn. You will need to give very good instructions, so that someone would know exactly what to do and things they should be careful about. We will watch a video of popcorn being made so that you have the information you need.
Click the Popcorn Making button. [Click on graphic to enlarge]


description: Video of process from packet to popcorn, ready to eat. No voiceover; soundtrack of cooking sounds only.


Here are some photos from the video to remind you how to make popcorn.
Hand out picture. [Images taken from video, same as above.]
Look at the pictures and think about the instructions you would give to someone so that they could make popcorn. When you are ready, tell me what instructions you would give from the start to the finish.
 
% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
Explanation:
Get popping corn
70 (77)
81 (82)
Cut/get butter
70 (82)
80 (80)
Put butter into pot/pan/saucepan
83 (85)
86 (85)
Put pot on stove
45 (40)
51 (50)
Turn stove/element on
30 (35)
53 (46)
Wait for butter to melt
66 (64)
89 (93)
Put corn into pot –
yes, using spoon
27 (31)
54 (58)
yes
68 (63)
45 (42)
Put lid on pot
47 (38)
74 (79)
Wait for corn to pop –
fully
30 (22)
55 (44)
mentioned
43 (56)
33 (37)
Take lid off
12 (14)
17 (14)
Tip popcorn into bowl
74 (63)
84 (90)
Sequencing and
organisation of steps:
all steps mentioned are in correct order
74 (77)
71 (73)
one or more steps mentioned are out of order, initially, but corrected
8 (7)
10 (10)
one step mentioned is out of correct order
13 (10)
15 (13)
two steps mentioned are out of correct order
3 (3)
3 (4)
explanation jumbled or very limited
2 (3)
1 (0)
Speech clarity:
very clear and well articulated
58 (62)
74 (81)
some minor limitations in speech clarity
38 (32)
24 (16)
some significant difficulties in understanding words spoken
3 (4)
2 (3)
very hard to understand
1 (2)
0 (0)

Total score:
16–18
5 (5)
19 (20)
14–15
21 (17)
36 (34)
12–13
30 (36)
28 (29)
10–11
26 (30)
12 (13)
0–9
18 (12)
5 (4)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
As was the case with “Wasp Nest”, most students described some of the steps in the process and in the correct order, but many omitted a lot of the details. Year 8 Pakeha, Mäori and Pasifika students performed very similarly, as did year 4 Pakeha and Mäori students.