Approach: One
to one |
Level:
Year 4
and year 8 |
|
Focus:
Animal
adaptation
|
Resources:
3 pictures
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 |
872Kb |
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Questions/instructions:
|
Give
student pictures.
Humans have their bones on the inside of their bodies but some animals are different.
Here are three sets of pictures.
One set shows animals that have skeletons on the outside of their bodies [point
to set].
This set shows animals that have skeletons on the inside of their bodies [point
to set].
The last one shows animals that have no skeleton. |
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|
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%
responses
2003 ('99) |
y4
|
y8 |
Point to picture 1: skeletons on the outside of their bodies. |
|
|
1.
Look at this set. Why might it be good for some animals, like these, to
have skeletons on the outside of their bodies?
|
protection
plus other valid idea |
5
(15) |
13
(21) |
protection
only |
57
(56) |
68
(67) |
2.
What might be not so good about having skeletons on the outside of their
bodies?
|
reduced
flexibility, ability to get into places |
9
(5) |
19
(19) |
skeleton
more easily broken/crushed |
38
(38) |
42
(37) |
Point to picture 2:skeletons on the inside of their bodies. |
|
|
3.
This set has bones on the inside of their bodies. You and I belong to
this set. What might be good about having bones on the inside of your
body?
|
supports
body structure/shape |
4
(9) |
10
(25) |
protects
soft structures |
7
(8) |
9
(18) |
bones
protected, harder to break |
25
(26) |
39
(18) |
allows
more flexibility and easy movement |
34
(20) |
39
(16) |
4.
What might be not so good about having bones on the inside of your body?
|
harder
to check for or repair bone damage |
9 (12) |
23
(20) |
bones
damage other tissues or organs when broken |
5
(7) |
8
(12) |
body
less protected from damage/predators (cf. outside
skeleton) |
21
(23) |
34
(27) |
Point to picture 3: animals with no skeleton. |
|
|
5.
What might be good about having no skeleton? |
body
highly flexible |
47 (42) |
75
(65) |
no
bones to break/damage |
21
(16) |
31
(22) |
6.
What might be not so good about having no skeleton?
|
more
susceptible to tissue damage and predators |
33
(28) |
46
(43) |
constraints
on movement |
19
(27) |
22
(17) |
floppy
– not well supported |
25
(13) |
32
(18) |
did
student at any time take the perspective of a predator or enemy
(switching
advantages and disadvantages) |
19
(28) |
26
(23) |
|
|
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Total
score: |
10–18
|
1 (0) |
7
(2) |
7–9
|
21
(22) |
43
(41) |
4–6
|
44
(43) |
41
(41) |
0–3
|
34
(35) |
9
(16) |
Commentary
About 25 percent more year 8 than year 4 students achieved a total score
higher than 6. There was no meaningful change in performance between 1999
and 2003 for year 4 students, but a moderate improvement for year 8 students.
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