Guess What!
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Approach: One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Asking questions
Resources: Chart, rules card, 3 cards, question counter with clothes peg, counters
468Kb
Questions/instructions:

Click on graphic to enlarge.


Give student chart.

We are going to play a question game called “Guess What!” In this game you will need to try to ask good questions. I have three cards with names of things that are on this chart. You are going to ask me questions to work out which things are on my cards. Here are the rules for the game.

Show and read
rules card.

You can put the counters on the things that you think are not the answer. I’ll move the peg each time you ask a question.

Hand out chart and counters. Place question counter in front of student. Take one card at a time – in the numbered order beginning at 1, then 2 then 3.
Start with clothes peg on question one and move to question two when they are ready to ask question two.

“What is your first question?”

Children can guess a thing at any stage but this ends the game (rule 3).
 
% responses
2007 ('03)
y4
y8
Card 1. Goldfish:
first question certain to eliminate at least four of the things
23 (25)
43 (47)
Number of questions used:
1
6 (5)
2 (0)
2
15 (12)
11 (14)
3
21 (17)
22 (17)
4
21 (25)
32 (38)
5
37 (41)
33 (31)
Got the correct answer:
79 (79)
85 (82)
Card 2. Fruit tree:
first question certain to eliminate at least four of the things
28 (34)
47 (56)
Number of questions used:
1
3 (1)
0 (0)
2
6 (6)
8 (7)
3
18 (19)
29 (26)
4
23 (26)
26 (31)
5
50 (48)
37 (36)
Got the correct answer: 73 (67) 83 (85)
Card 3. Owl:
first question certain to eliminate at least four of the things
Number of questions used:
1
2 (3)
1 (1)
2
14 (10)
15 (16)
3
27 (25)
31 (33)
4
25 (21)
26 (28)
5
32 (41)
27 (22)
Got the correct answer:
82 (80)
87 (90)

Total score:
6
4 (4)
15 (21)
5
14 (11)
21 (21)
4
18 (21)
25 (25)
3
36 (29)
25 (19)
0–2
27 (35)
14 (14)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
Only about one quarter of year 4 students and half of year 8 students used efficient strategies for asking questions. There was little evidence of change between 2003 and 2007. Year 8 Pakeha and Mäori students performed similarly.