Fishing Game
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Approach:  One to one
Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Investigating, applying and evaluating design  
Resources:
2 fishing toy games (1 dismantled, 1 working order)
216Kb
Questions/instructions:  


In this activity you will be looking at a children’s toy and telling me how it works.

Hand student toy game (working order).

This toy is a fishing game. The aim of the game is to catch as many fish as you can before it stops turning. I’ll wind it up and you can play the game. See how many fish you can catch.

Wind up the toy and let the student play with it.

Now let’s see how the toy works.


[Click on graphic to enlarge.]
 
% responses
2008 ('04)
y4
y8
1. How are the fish caught on the fishing line?
prompt: Can you show me how this works?		    
Explanation involving magnetic attraction:
mentioned magnet on fishing line,
metal inside fish mouths
17 (21)
21 (30)
reverse of above, or identified both parts as magnets
44 (39)
57 (43)
general idea that a magnet is involved
30 (32)
21 (26)
no mention of magnet
8 (8)
1 (2)
Mentioned:
fish are only “caught” when their mouths are open
32 (38)
31 (35)
2. How do the fish open and close their mouths? You can use the toy to see how it works.
prompt: Can you show me how this works?
Explanation of turntable:
[(blue part) rotates/turns, sloping ramps
(parts) underneath push fish up.]
clear explanation
7 (5)
20 (17)
vague explanation
29 (30)
37 (43)
mentioned ramps but not function
11 (15)
11 (13)
no mention of ramps
54 (50)
32 (27)
Mentioned:
when fish are pushed up, their mouths fall open
39 (36)
55 (57)
 
Hand student toy game (dismantled).
[Click on graphic to enlarge.]

Here is the same toy but it has been taken apart so you can see how it works and how it is made.

Hand the student the winder mechanism.

3. Look carefully at the winder. How does the winder make the game work?
Explanation of turning the winder to wind up a motor/spring:
specific mention of winding up
spring (i.e. storing energy in spring)
4 (8)
13 (13)
vague idea of winding up motor
56 (61)
52 (55)
no relevant comment
41 (31)
35 (32)
Explanation of:
the spring/motor then making its axle
(and/or the associated cogs) turn
23 (30)
37 (43)
the large cog alongside the spring
making the other cog(s) and/or
axle(s) turn
27 (29)
44 (38)
the cog on outside of motor connecting to cog on turntable (making it turn)
53 (49)
63 (67)
4. Is there anything that could be done to make this a better toy for children?
prompt: What could be done?
Quality of ideas:
strong
12 (15)
20 (29)
moderate
44 (36)
50 (41)
weak
44 (49)
30 (31)
5. Are there any people this toy might not be suitable for? Why?
 
dealt specifically with danger of
removable small fish for little children
who might put the fish in their mouths
54 (53)
68 (74)
Overall quality of ideas:
strong
7 (12)
12 (17)
moderate
60 (52)
56 (61)
weak
33 (36)
32 (22)

Total score:
13–18
4 (9)
15 (14)
10–12
16 (15)
28 (37)
7–9
35 (23)
30 (28)
4–6
30 (39)
22 (15)
0–3
14 (13)
5 (6)
Subgroup Analysis [Click on charts to enlarge] :
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
Students were moderately successful in explaining the workings of a mechanical game involving magnets, springs, cogs and a motor. Many students, at both years, had good ideas on how to improve the game. Gains from year 4 to year 8 were moderate. There were negligible gender differences. Pakeha students were more successful on the task than Mäori and Pasifika students at year 8. Results were similar to the 2004 results.