Timeline
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Approach:  One to one
ACCESS
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: New Zealand history  
Resources:
6 captioned pictures [captions only shown; see page 54 for details], 6 cards with dates, recording book
164Kb
Questions/instructions:  

Make sure pictures are in order from 1-6. Do not give the student the pictures yet.
In this activity you will be looking at some pictures and putting them in order. The pictures show events that happened in the history of New Zealand.
Give the student the pictures one at a time, starting at number 1. Read the student the captions.
1. A gold rush takes place in Otago.
2. The Treaty of Waitangi is signed.
3. Lord of the Rings wins 11 Oscars.
4. Abel Tasman visits New Zealand.
5. An important land march takes place.
6. 2700 New Zealanders die at Gallipoli.
   
 
% responses
2009 ('05)
y4
y8
1. Try to put these pictures in the order in which you think they happened. Put the pictures in a line on the desk. Start with the event that happened first.    
[Correct order: 4, 2, 1, 6, 5, 3] all pictures in correct order
 6 (5) 29 (28)
2 pictures out of place
12 (17) 28 (33)
3–6 pictures out of place 83 (78) 43 (39)
2. Here are six date cards. Match the date cards to the pictures to show when each event happened. You can move the cards around until you are happy with where you have put them.
1642 1840 1860s
1915 1975 2004
   
[1642 = pic 4, 1840 = pic2, 1860s = pic 1,
1915 = pic 6, 1975 = pic 5, 2004 = pic 3]		 6 dates matched correctly
4 (3) 31 (32)
4-5 dates matched correctly
12 (17) 27 (28)
3 dates matched correctly
15 (12) 17 (16)
0–2 dates matched correctly 70 (68) 25 (24)
3. Choose any two of the pictures and tell me as much as you can about the events shown in these pictures.    
[6 Gallipoli: Who were fighting, high proportion killed, year 1915, stimulus for ANZAC Day.    
5 1975 Hikoi: Land march, protesting loss of Mäori land rights, Dame Whena Cooper, 1975.
4 Abel Tasman: Explorer, Dutch, 1642, here before Cook, first European discoverer
3 Lord of the Rings: Filmed in New Zealand, Peter Jackson director, won Oscars, led to tourism.
2 Treaty of Waitangi: 1840, at Waitangi, who signed it, Mäori and English version, stated intent.
1 Gold Rush in Otago: lots of money earned, Chinese heavily involved, harsh conditions.]
First picture chosen: 6 - Gallipoli 25 (24) 24 (25)
5 - Land March (1975 Hikoi) 4 (1) 1 (0)
4 - Abel Tasman visits New Zealand 10 (11) 10 (11)
3 - Lord of Rings - Oscars 22 (41) 19 (34)
2 - Treaty signed 25 (18) 41 (26)
1 - Gold Rush in Otago 8 (3) 5 (4)
Quality of description: strong description of the event
(e.g. including specifics, names)		 1 (3) 13 (20)
some description of event 18 (22) 49 (42)
simple description of picture only, no other details 56 (59) 32 (32)
Second picture chosen: 6 - Gallipoli 21 (25) 30 (26)
5 - Land March (1975 Hikoi) 9 (5) 2 (0)
4 - Abel Tasman visits New Zealand 7 (12) 5 (4)
3 - Lord of Rings - Oscars 20 (31) 30 (46)
2 - Treaty signed 20 (7) 23 (15)
1 - Gold Rush in Otago 9 (9) 7 (5)
Quality of description: strong description of the event
(e.g. including specifics, names)		 1 (0) 15 (17)
some description of event 9 (16) 41 (51)
simple description of picture, no other details 53 (61) 32 (24)
 
Total score:
 10–13
1 (3) 29 (37)
8–9
8 (10) 25 (24)
6–7
14 (15) 24 (24)
4–5
45 (48) 18 (14)
0–3 32 (23)
4 (2)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
This task showed remarkable growth from year 4 to year 8. Year 4 students had great difficulty with putting the pictures in chronological order or in matching dates correctly, whereas year 8 students were much more successful. A decline is seen from 2005 to 2009, but this is in large part attributable to many students in 2005 discussing the movie, Lord of the Rings, which was less in the news in 2009. Year 8 boys scored significantly higher than girls.