| Approach: |
Team |
|
Level: Year
4 and year 8 |
| Focus: |
Conserving
resources and problem solving |
|
| Resources:
|
Video
recording on laptop computer, photo [substitute image shown], team
answer sheet |
|
|
| Questions/instructions: |
|
This
activity uses the computer.
This activity is about a serious problem for New Zealand.
We’ll start by
watching a video.
Click the Spud Grub button.
[Still shot only of spud grub.]
Imagine that the spud grub is in the area where you live. Your team has been
asked to think through the problem. To help, you will have a worksheet for writing
down your ideas. Before you write them down, you will need to talk about things
together, then write down what you all agree with.
Here is the team answer sheet and these are the things
you need to decide. [Answer sheet shows questions 1 and 2, as below, with
spaces for three problems.]
Give students the photo [same as video above], team answer sheet, and
read through each of the headings:
1. What are the problems?
2. What could be done about each problem?
When
you have finished, I’ll ask you to tell me about
what you have decided.
Allow time.
Now it is time for you to tell me about what you have decided. If you think of
any further ideas, I’ll write them down on your team answer sheet.
|
voice-over:
A new grub has arrived in New Zealand. It has been called the “Spud
Grub” because it kills potato and kumara plants.
This grub breeds very, very quickly. In a short time there could
be thousands and thousands of them. Just now, the grub is only in
one part of New Zealand, but it could soon spread over the whole
country.
The government wants to spray the part of New Zealand where the grub
has been found. The spray kills the grub. The trouble is, it also
causes cats and dogs to get very sick for about a month, but it doesn’t
kill them.
The spray costs a lot of money, so the government says the people
in the area with the spud grub should pay for it. The people are
NOT happy about that.
The people in the area are really upset about the idea of spraying.
People in other parts of New Zealand are telling the government to
get on with it – and the sooner the better. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
%
responses
2009 ('05) |
y4 |
y8 |
| Problem
1: |
|
|
|
| grubs
breed very quickly/are likely to spread around New Zealand quickly |
0
(0) |
0
(2) |
| grubs
kill potato and kumara plants |
22
(25) |
19
(22) |
| spray
that kills grubs costs a lot |
1
(2) |
7
(5) |
| government
does not want to pay for the spray |
2
(8) |
7
(10) |
| spray
makes dogs and cats very sick |
39
(32) |
43
(36) |
| people
worry about effects of spraying |
18
(17) |
14
(12) |
| Problem
described: |
very
clearly |
39
(45) |
43
(49) |
| |
moderately
clearly |
43
(40) |
49
(39) |
| Likelihood
that the suggested solution could be implemented and effective: |
|
|
| |
high
chance of good result |
25
(25) |
48
(37) |
| |
moderate
chance of good result |
33
(43) |
38
(46) |
| Suggested
solution was creative: |
yes
|
31
(43) |
32
(20) |
| |
no
|
69
(57) |
68
(80) |
| Problem
2: |
|
|
| grubs
breed very quickly/are likely to spread around New Zealand quickly
|
1
(0) |
3
(0) |
| grubs
kill potato and kumara plants |
32
(23) |
35
(51) |
| spray
that kills grubs costs a lot |
7
(3) |
6
(10) |
| government
does not want to pay for the spray |
15
(18) |
15
(19) |
| spray
makes dogs and cats very sick |
12
(17) |
14
(7) |
| people
worry about effects of spraying |
13
(17) |
13
(5) |
| Problem
described: |
very
clearly |
32
(35) |
44
(48) |
| |
moderately
clearly |
45
(47) |
47
(48) |
| Likelihood
that the suggested solution could be implemented and effective: |
|
|
| high
chance of good result |
23
(17) |
30
(20) |
| moderate
chance of good result |
40
(40) |
49
(56) |
| Suggested
solution was creative: |
yes
|
39
(43) |
51
(31) |
| |
no
|
61
(57) |
49
(69) |
| Problem
3: |
|
|
| grubs
breed very quickly/are likely to spread around New Zealand quickly
|
3
(3) |
3
(0) |
| grubs
kill potato and kumara plants |
17
(15) |
25
(14) |
| spray
that kills grubs costs a lot |
6
(7) |
14
(12) |
| government
does not want to pay for the spray |
18
(18) |
14
(20) |
| spray
makes dogs and cats very sick |
10
(10) |
14
(9) |
| people
worry about effects of spraying |
19
(23) |
18
(24) |
| Problem
described: |
very
clearly |
29
(28) |
46
(44) |
| |
moderately
clearly |
43
(50) |
46
(39) |
| Likelihood
that the suggested solution could be implemented and effective: |
|
|
| |
high
chance of good result |
15
(10) |
32
(17) |
| |
moderate
chance of good result |
33
(48) |
39
(47) |
| Suggested
solution was creative: |
yes
|
27
(33) |
52
(31) |
| |
no
|
73
(67) |
48
(69) |
|
Total
score: |
11–15
|
12
(15) |
33
(19) |
9–10
|
24
(15) |
23
(22) |
7–8
|
18
(37) |
22
(21) |
5–6
|
14
(13) |
14
(31) |
| 0–4
|
32
(20) |
9
(7) |
