Cool, Cool Joanna
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Approach:  Station
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Comprehension  
Resources:
Work book
FRAME 132Kb
Questions/instructions:  

This story has three parts. Read Part 1 and answer the questions for that part. Then read Part 2 and answer its questions. Then do the same for the third part. Do as much as you can.

[For full resource see: School Journal Part 3, Number 3: Cool, Cool Joanna, (1983),
first published in School Journal. 40-48, by Learning Media on behalf of the
Ministry of Education: Wellington, N.Z. Copyright © Mooney, K.]
 
% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
Answer the questions on Part 1. (Circle the answer).    

Part 1:
My little sister Joanna is a cool, cool kid. She isn’t...
... charge of her. Miss Lewis sighed and handed Joanna a collecting bag.
1. What did Joanna do when the big dog growled at Joanna and her sister? a. She looked surprised and growled too      
b. She growled back and walked on
78 (84)
96 (96)
c. She took it to school with her  
d. She growled and grabbed her sister  
2. Who was planning to collect money in this story? a. The school teachers  
b. The junior school children  
c. The senior school children
62 (61)
86 (85)
d. The parents  
3. Why did Joanna go with her big sister that day? a. Her parents had other things to do
64 (70)
82 (87)
b. She liked collecting money  
c. She wanted to go to school  
d. She didn’t want to go with her parents  
4. What did Joanna do when the teacher told her she was too young? a. She said she was a big girl  
b. She said she could help  
c. She started to cry  
d. She said nothing
75 (78)
90 (89)
5. They were collecting money for: a. the school  
b. old people  
c. young people  
d. sick children
76 (83)
95 (94)
6. Why do you think Miss Lewis sighed when she gave Joanna a bag?  
Quality of response:
(- Miss Lewis was unhappy; - Joanna was too young; Miss Lewis had no choice as
Joanna was insistent.)
strong answer (two reasons given)
1 (2)
3 (4)
moderate answer (one reason given)
30 (37)
45 (55)
weak or no valid answer given
69 (61)
52 (41) 

Part 2:
When we reached our collecting street, our driver ...

... but she insisted.

Answer the questions on Part 2. (Circle the answer).
7. What did the driver want Joanna to do while they were collecting? a. Wait inside the car  
b. Walk up and down  
c. Wait near the car
55 (59)
77 (82)
d. Go with her sister  
8. Why do you think so many people put money in Joanna’s bag? a. She smiled and asked politely  
b. She looked furious at being left alone  
c. They felt sorry for people in other countries  
d. They admired the little girl for her efforts
19 (25)
57 (60)
9. Why did the boy on the bike put his
hand in his pocket? 		a. So that he could get some money out  
b. So that Joanna would hold the bag out to him
57 (64)
81 (87)
c. So that he could hide something  
d. So that Joanna would get curious  
10. What did the boy on the bike do next? a. Gave Joanna some money  
b. Roared at Joanna  
c. Took Joanna’s bag
62 (69)
85 (87)
d. Ran off down the street  
11. Who believed they would recognise the boy if they saw him again? a. The driver  
b. Joanna
49 (50)
74 (75)
c. Joanna’s sister  
d. The policeman  
12. What does it mean to say that she insisted (in the last line)?
 
definition given (in context)
(e.g. kept asking, persistent)
10 (5)
29 (25)

Part 3:
I rushed off to acquaint our parents with the state of affairs...

Then everyone spoke simultaneously.

... she’s smart, and she’ll go far, she will.
Answer the questions on Part 3. (Tick the answer).
13. How did they search for the boy? a. The collection driver took Joanna in his car  
b. Joanna went with her parents  
c. They walked round the neighbourhood  
d. Joanna went in a patrol car
53 (61)
83 (82)
14. What does “simultaneously” mean? a. loudly  
b. at once
33 (34)
64 (70)
c. angrily  
d. simply  
15. How did Joanna identify the boy?

 a. She examined his face
24 (25)
51 (57)
b. She saw the collecting bag  
c. She looked for his bike  
d. The other kids told her  
16. What did Joanna do when the boy claimed he was innocent? a. She said nothing  
b. She called the policeman  
c. She said he was lying
d. She said we should find his bike
36 (40)
72 (73)
17. How did the policemen eventually decide that they had the right boy? a. Joanna told them he was the one
b. The other kids told on him
c. They recognised his face and his bike
d. They found Joanna’s bag on his bike.
34 (41)
68 (75)
18. Write down two things from this story that make Joanna look really “smart”.    
Remembered boy who stole the bag:
yes - remembered boy’s face
6 (4)
12 (11)
yes - remembered boy
14 (20)
27 (41)
 
Remembered the boy’s bike
11 (11)
27 (23)
 
Knew to tell Miss Lewis when money was stolen
1 (0)
1 (3)
 
Suggested that she should look for the bike
1 (0)
6 (7)

Total score:
16–23
4 (5)
30 (37)
13–15
16 (20)
36 (33)
10–12
24 (26)
18 (18)
7–9
19 (22)
8 (7)
0–6
37 (27)
8 (5)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
About two thirds of year 8 students, compared to 20% of year 4 students, scored higher than 12 of the 23 possible marks. There was slight evidence of a decline in performance between 2004 and 2008.