Questions / instructions:

In this activity your team is going to think up the good points, the bad points, and interesting points about an idea. I want you to discuss them together and write the ideas on a chart.

The first idea is that children should be paid for going to school.

Give children the sheet with idea 1 written on
First of all, think of the GOOD points of this idea. When your team has finished discussing the good points write them down.

Allow time
Now discuss the BAD points about the idea that children should be paid for going to school. When your team has finished discussing the bad points write them down.

Allow time
Now think of the INTERESTING points of the idea - ideas that aren't good or bad. When your team has finished discussing the interesting points write them down.

Allow time

Now we'll do a second idea.

Here is the idea. New Zealand earns a lot of money by selling wool to other countries. Before the wool is used for making carpets, clothes and fabrics, it is usually dyed different colours. If sheep were born with coloured wool it wouldn't need to be dyed, and we would save money.

We will watch a short video about this.

Play the video

The video shows a flock of sheep. Each sheep has wool of a different colour - yellow, green, red, blue. At the beginning of the clip they are seen in a paddock on a farm. As the clip progresses they are brought into a pen and are on display in a township.

Give students the activity sheet idea 2 and the picture.
Think about the GOOD points of this idea. When your team has finished discussing the good points write them down.
Allow time.

Merit of good points

strong
moderate
weak

Now think of the BAD points of the idea that sheep should be bred so that they are born with coloured wool. When your team has finished discussing the bad points write them down.
Allow time.

Merit of bad points

strong
moderate
weak

Now think of the INTERESTING points of the idea - ideas that aren't good or bad. When your team has finished discussing the interesting points write them down.
Allow time.

As a group, you have talked about the good, bad and interesting points. Now talk about this as a group and decide whether you agree with this idea.
Allow time.

Overall rating

very high
quite high
moderate
low

Commentary: This task is very similar to the year 4 task Coloured Sheep (opposite page) which was marked using the same criteria and standards.