Agree or Disagree
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Approach:  Team
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Justifying opinions  
Resources:
4 cards, Agree / Disagree sign
FRAME 180Kb
Questions/instructions:  


Place ‘Agree or Disagree’ sign on the table. Place pile of cards upside down on the table.
[See topics below, with results.]

There are some ideas written on these cards. You are going to tell the others in your team why you agree or disagree with them. In turns, you will pick up one of these cards and read it to the others. Then, each of you will take turns to say whether you agree or disagree, and why. If you partly agree and partly disagree, give your reasons for agreeing, and your reasons for disagreeing. After every one has had their say, the next person will read the next card.
[Student 1], read the first card to the others.

Student 1 reads the card.

1. [Student 1]: Do you agree or disagree? Try to give good reasons.
Now pass your card around the team so that everyone says if they agree or disagree and gives their reasons.
2. [Student 2]: Do you agree or disagree? Try to give good reasons.
3. [Student 3]: Do you agree or disagree? Try to give good reasons.
4. [Student 4]: Do you agree or disagree? Try to give good reasons.

Ensure that everyone in the team talks about the statement. Then have Student 2 read out the next statement and go round the group getting each child to talk about this new statement. Keep doing this until all four statements have been read and commented upon.

% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
Topic 1: Fizzy drinks should be sold at school:    
Support of topic:
strongly in favour
2 (2)
10 (5)
mildly in favour
8 (8)
7 (22)
equivocal/neutral/unsure/unclear
10 (18)
25 (24)
mildy against
19 (22)
25 (33)
strongly against
61 (50)
33 (16)
Topic 2: School holidays should be longer
Support of topic:
strongly in favour
19 (16)
20 (16)
mildly in favour
12 (15)
25 (31)
equivocal/neutral/unsure/unclear
27 (16)
28 (28)
mildy against
20 (20)
15 (23)
strongly against
22 (33)
12 (2)
Topic 3: Talking in class helps you learn
Support of topic:
strongly in favour
10 (4)
17 (8)
mildly in favour
17 (11)
24 (34)
equivocal/neutral/unsure/unclear
21 (34)
45 (39)
mildy against
21 (20)
9 (11)
strongly against
31 (31)
5 (8)
Topic 4: Maths is the most important school subject
Support of topic:
strongly in favour
31 (34)
12 (15)
mildly in favour
21 (21)
22 (17)
equivocal/neutral/unsure/unclear
22 (23)
37 (32)
mildy against
12 (8)
17 (32)
strongly against
14 (14)
12 (4)
OVERALL:
Clarity of points made:
high
9 (6)
21 (14)
moderate
58 (50)
61 (64)
low
33 (44)
18 (22)
Relevance of arguments to viewpoints expressed:
high
11 (8)
29 (17)
moderate
64 (64)
54 (66)
low
25 (28)
17 (17)
Overall strength of arguments in support of viewpoints:
high
5 (4)
18 (8)
moderate
38 (35)
55 (46)
low
57 (61)
27 (46)

Total score:
4–6
14 (10)
34 (21)
3
26 (25)
37 (33)
2
22 (18)
8 (19)
1
21 (24)
9 (15)
0
17 (23)
12 (12)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
While the views expressed are recorded here, the total score is based on the final three criteria which were judged for each student separately. More year 8 students achieved high scores in 2008 than 2004, but there was little change from 2004 to 2008 for year 4 students. Year 8 Mäori and both year 4 and 8 Pasifika students averaged substantially lower than their Pakeha counterparts.