:Opinions
Trend Task
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Approach:  Station Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus:  Persuasive writing.  
Resources: Pictures in answer booklet.
192KB
Questions/instructions:
Some children have written their opinions. But what do you think?

% responses
2002 '98
y4
y8
Why do you say that?


Position:
yes
 
47 (38)
35 (35)
no
51 (58)
64 (60)
Relevance of argument to position:
strong
9 (2)
24 (29)
moderate
53 (49)
52 (52)
weak or none
38 (49)
24 (19)
Clarity of expression:
very clear
16 (14)
39 (37)
moderately clear
71 (70)
55 (55)
unclear or none
13 (16)
6 (8)
Strength of justification:
very well justified
5 (0)
17 (24)
quite well justified
25 (19)
35 (34)
a little justified
57 (67)
43 (37)
not justified
13 (14)
5 (5)
YEAR 4 – HIGH RANGE:
NO –
 Because you can’t play fetch you can’t take them for a walk, and you don’t realy take them out.
yes – 
 cats don’t poo on the Lawn dogs make loud sounds cats can come inside so you can cuddle it and you don’t have to take it for a walk 
yes – 
 Because dogs bark all day You can hold cats in your hands.Their cuter. They don’t meow that much. 

YEAR 4 – MID RANGE:
NO! –
 Dogs are better cats because Dogs are more playful and Cats are Just plane lazy!
NO –
 Because dogs can do alot of tricks and cats can’t
no –
 because cats wonder off and don’t pay attention
YEAR 8 – HIGH RANGE:
Yes –
 I believe cats make better pets than dogs because cats don’t need to be fed as much, they exersise themselves and don’t need to be continuosly watched. They are easy to care for pets.
No –
 Because a dog can be trained to guard the house but also be patted and hugged etc. They can be house trained and keep you fit because they need runs.
No –
 Dogs are more intelligent then cats, they can do so many tricks. For example if you train a dog well the can smell drugs, rescue people and shake hands.
YEAR 8 – MID RANGE:
No –
 Because cats are lazy and don’t do anything. But dog are fun and playful plus they listen.
No! –
 Because dogs can fend for you and do heaps & heaps of trick’s and cats can’t.
Yes –
 Because dogs are mean and fight and eat anything but cats are good and does not fight and be mean to other pets

Why do you say that?

Position:
yes
66 (64)
72 (67)
no
30 (30)
25 (28)
Relevance of argument to position:
strong
4 (2)
20 (19)
moderate
41 (29)
48 (46)
weak or none
55 (69)
32 (35)
Clarity of expression:
very clear
7 (8)
28 (22)
moderately clear
64 (56)
61 (60)
unclear or none
29 (36)
11 (18)
Strength of justification:
very well justified
2 (0)
12 (9)
quite well justified
15 (12)
34 (44)
a little justified
49 (54)
42 (31)
not justified
34 (34)
12 (16)
YEAR 4 – HIGH RANGE:
yes –
 there can be some stuff the kids belive. It can hurt your eyes.
Yes –
When they wack [watch] t.v. they learn bad habbits of doing things.
yes –
 Because you can go blind If you wathed a fihgting move you might play that and hirt someone. It colud have roud [rude] stuff.

YEAR 4 – MID RANGE:
Yes –
 sometimes T.V. has bad programs Pokemon.
Yes –
 Because when you watch TV sometimes there a programs which have bad words in them
yes –
 because sometimes tv is violent
YEAR 8 – HIGH RANGE:
Yes –
 TV teaches young children that it is ok to fight and hurting others is funny when it is not. Some programmes encourage laziness and that school is boring when that is not the case.
Yes –
 Because cartoons have an influence on some children and there is some violence in cartoons. Also, some cartoon characters have some very bad habits that children can copy
Yes –
 There could be programmes on T.V. that are innapropriate for younger viewers such as foul language or drug abuse, violence, etc. As you grow older you understand more so it’s ok then!
YEAR 8 – MID RANGE:
No – There are good things that t.v.can teach like the discovory channel and stuff.
Yes! – Because on some movies people jump off high cliffs and intend to fly. They make little kids do that.
YES – Because TV teacher sometimes Bad language and rude people

Why do you say that?
Position:
yes
 
15 (18)
14 (20)
no
84 (82)
85 (77)
Relevance of argument to position:
strong
6 (1)
20 (15)
moderate
58 (60)
57 (68)
weak or none
36 (39)
23 (17)
Clarity of expressive:
very clear
10 (8)
29 (29)
moderately clear
72 (80)
63 (65)
unclear or none
18 (12)
8 (6)
Strength of justification:
very well justified
2 (1)
11 (6)
quite well justified
20 (22)
34 (49)
a little justified
62 (70)
50 (44)
not justified
16 (7)
5 (1)
YEAR 4 – HIGH RANGE:
yes –
 maybe they fell sick and the could go home they might be having a bad day
No –
 Because it’s agents [against] the lar [law] not to go to school wene your under about25. You woun’t learn anything.
No –
 it will be better for your reputation and education, you will be smarter and intellergent

YEAR 4 – MID RANGE:
NO! –
 If people diddint go to school they would be as dome [dumb] as eneything!
No –
 Because most people need to learn
NO –
 Because the probably won’t get a really awesome report
YEAR 8– HIGH RANGE:
No –
 It is very important for our community and country to be well educated. Where would we get our doctors etc? It is also important as it may be a waste of school buildings and resources if the schools haven’t enough students.
No –
 Children need a good education and if they had a choice most would probably not go to school and get a bad education and not get far in life.
Yes –
 Children should be able to make their own choices and if they say no, they will find that if you go to school, you can get a good job, earn more money and find friends.
YEAR 8– MID RANGE:
No –
 School teachs you things it helps you learn so when you are older you can get a job and some money.
No! –
 Because when kids go to school they get learnt different types of things, example: Unit, how to write & read and spell.
NO –
 Children Have to go to school Because they would not get education and might not get a job.
Total score:
22–27
2 (0)
16 (18)
 
19–21
7 (6)
19 (16)
16–18
19 (14)
26 (34)
13–15
32 (33)
24 (16)
10–12
23 (28)
12 (10)
0–9
17 (19)
3 (6)

Commentary:
About 20 percent more year 8 than year 4 students attained the highest level on each of the nine task components examining the quality of persuasive writing. Despite this, about half of the year 8 students could manage no better than ‘a little justified’ in arguing for their chosen position. There was very little change in performance between 1998 and 2002, at either year level.
 
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