Conversations
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Approach:  Team
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Adapting to varying contexts; communicating a role; expressiveness  
Resources:
2 pairs of cards, 4 team badges, special performance card, Working Together team card
FRAME 216Kb
Questions/instructions:    


Put on badges. Read and explain
Working Together card with students.

In this activity you will be working in pairs. [Student 1] and [Student 2] will work together and [Student 3] and [Student 4] will work together.

Hand out cards. “Lost” to Students 1 & 2, “Argument” to Students 3 & 4. Allocate A speakers (Student 1 and Student 3) and B speakers (Student 2 and Student 4).

Here are two conversations between people. In [Student 1] and [Student 2’s] conversation two children are lost. In [Student 3] and [Student 4’s] conversation two children are having an argument.

Lost
A. I think we’re lost.
B. We can’t be.
A. Where are we then?
B. I’m not sure.
A. Then we’re lost. Now what?
B. I’m scared!
A. Come on. Don’t be scared. Let’s explore.
B. I don’t like this. It’s dark in here.
A. It’s not as dark as you think. Once your eyes get used to it.
B. Don’t go so fast. Wait for me!
A. Come on. Wait a minute. I can see a light!
B. What’s that? Listen, what’s that?
A. Someone’s calling our names.
B. Yay! We’ve been found!

An Argument
A. I’m telling on you.
B. Don’t you dare.
A. Well, you did it.
B. You were there too.
A. But I didn’t do it.
B. Yeh, you never do anything wrong.
A. Wait till Mum finds out. She’ll go mad!
B. It’s your fault too. If you’d helped this wouldn’t have happened.
A. It’s not my problem. You’re the one who broke it!
B. You always make me take the blame. Go away!
A. Hey, I didn’t mean to make you cry.
B. Just go! I want to be alone.
A. Let me help you clean this up.
I won’t tell.
B. Really?

In your pairs, practise saying the conversation in the way that you think it would be spoken. After you’ve had time to practise it in your pairs, we will all listen to how well you say it.

You can read and practise saying it together now. You can stand and move around if you want.
Allow time.

Now [Student 1] and [Student 2] can read their conversation to us. When they have finished, [Student 3] and [Student 4] can read theirs. Remember to make them sound as real as possible.

Wave ‘Special Performance’ card.Students perform conversation in pairs.
 
% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
Expressiveness/drama appropriate to scenario:
(including timing issues in responses to partner)
high
43 (46)
51 (43)
moderate
45 (40)
39 (44)
low
12 (14)
10 (13)
Fluency of individual speech lines:
(including accuracy issues)
high
48 (53)
70 (65)
moderate
41 (42)
27 (34)
low
11 (5)
3 (1)
Speech clarity:
(listener can hear and understand the words)
high
75 (83)
87 (80)
moderate
22 (15)
12 (18)
low
3 (2)
1 (2)

Total score:
6
28 (33)
41 (38)
5
30 (27)
30 (24)
4
17 (20)
16 (21)
3
12 (12)
8 (10)
0–2
13 (8)
5 (7)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
This task was handled well by many students. There was little change from 2004 to 2008. Quite high proportions of year 4 Mäori and Pasifika students had low scores.