: Shells
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Approach: Team Level: Year 4 and year 8 
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Focus: To inform, descriptive writing
Resources:A4 shell chart, teacher recording sheet, 4 labelled envelopes with pictures of shells, 4 individual answer sheets
8MB

Questions/instructions:

Show chart.

In this activity I’m going to give each of you a picture in an envelope of one of the shells on this chart.

Remove chart so it is not visible to students.
Shells chart

You are going to work on your own to write a really good description of the shell in your envelope. Use as much detail as you can to describe the shell because others have to guess which shell you are describing. Don’t show your picture to the others.
When everyone has finished writing, I’ll get you to read your description to the rest of the group. They will see if they can find your shell on the chart by listening to your description. I will give you just a few minutes to write your description.

sheels envelope

 
Give out answer sheets and pens. Make sure each student is sitting away from the others. Allow about five minutes. After about four minutes say:
You have one more minute to finish off.

Allow for last minute.
Now put your pictures back in your envelopes. Then sit with your team.

Put chart on table.
Now I’ll ask one person at a time to read out your description to the others in the team. They will try to match the shell on the chart to what you have written. Listen to the whole description before you decide.


% responses
2006 ('02)
y4
y8
Group members guessed
the shell described?
all other students guessed the right shell
34 (18)
53 (51)
yes, but no consensus
(at least one other student guessed right shell)
50 (57)
39 (37)
no
16 (25)
8 (12)
Number of accurate clues/
descriptions given:
5–12
34 (40)
60 (61)
4
24 (28)
23 (20)
3
22 (19)
11 (12)
2
13 (7)
5 (4)
0–1
7 (6)
1 (3)
Overall, shell was described:
very well
8 (5)
38 (35)
well
29 (39)
37 (39)
moderately well
44 (33)
18 (17)
poorly
19 (23)
7 (9)
Total score:
7
7 (5)
34 (34)
6
17 (26)
24 (24)
5
18 (18)
18 (16)
3–4
35 (32)
17 (16)
0–2
23 (19)
7 (10)
Subgroup Analysis:
Year 4
Year 8
Commentary:
About three quarters of the year 8 students described their shell well or very well (compared to half that proportion of year 4 students). There was no meaningful change in performance between 2002 and 2006. In general, girls performed better than boys at both year levels.
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