planet earth and beyond - nemprelated to the planet earth and beyond strand of the science cur- ......

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The assessments included 14 tasks related to the Planet Earth and Beyond strand of the science cur-riculum.

Ten tasks were identical for year 4 and year 8 students. Three of these are trend tasks (fully described with data for both 1999 and 2003), three are released tasks (fully described with data for 2003 only), and four are link tasks (to be used again in 2007 so only partially described here). One trend task was attempted only by year 4 students and another trend task was attempted only by year 8 students. Two link tasks were attempted only by year 8 students.

The task details and results for trend tasks are presented in the first section, followed by the task details and results for released tasks. The third section contains a little task information and the results for the link tasks. Within each of the three sections, tasks used with both year 4 and year 8 students are presented first, followed by tasks used only with year 4 students and then by tasks used only with year 8 students.

6Planet Earth and Beyond

Comparing results for year 4 and year 8 students

Averaged across 115 task components used with both year 4 and year 8 students, 12 percent more year 8 than year 4 students produced correct responses. This indicates that, on average, students have made useful progress between year 4 and year 8 in the skills assessed by the tasks.

Trend results: comparing 1999 and 2003 results

Four trend tasks involving a total of 57 components were administered to year 4 students in both the 1999 and 2003 assessments. More 2003 than 1999 students succeeded on 29 components, more 1999 than 2003 students succeeded on 21 components, and there was no difference on seven components. Averaged across the 57 components, the same percentage of students succeeded in 2003 as in 1999.

Four trend tasks involving 62 task components were administered to year 8 students in both the 1999 and 2003 assessments. More 2003 than 1999 students succeeded on 41 components, more 1999 than 2003 students succeeded on 13 components, and there was no difference on eight components. Averaged across the 62 components, three percent more students succeeded in 2003 than 1999.

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Approach: Focus: Resources:

Year:

% responses2003 (‘99)

year 4 year 8

Questions / instructions:


year 4 year 8

Trend Task: Our Solar System One to one 4 & 8 Solar system 4 pictures

In this activity we’ll talk about the moon, the sun, Earth and Mars.

Show student moon (picture 1).

Here is a picture of the moon.

1. What is the moon? Try to tell me all that you know about the moon.

satellite of the Earth (travels round the earth) 12 (8) 33 (26)

smaller than Earth 2 (3) 8 (5)

made of rocky materials 17 (11) 18 (17)

about 400,000kms from Earth 0 (0) 0 (0)

reflects sun onto Earth (provides light at night) 12 (8) 22 (16)

has lots of craters 35 (36) 42 (42)

has no atmosphere/oxygen/ air/ozone/clouds, etc. 9 (21) 17 (21)

any other valid scientific response (not myths or historical events) 9 (10) 10 (6)

2. Imagine you have arrived on the moon.What would you notice �that is different from being on planet Earth?

no atmosphere/oxygen/air 31 (30) 45 (45)

black sky all the time 10 (8) 10 (7)

you can see the earth from there 1 (0) 3 (3)

less gravity than on Earth 6 (4) 16 (11)

[no gravity] [25 (21)] [37 (29)]

no vegetation/animals/people 34 (33) 44 (40)

rocky/dusty/barren landscape 27 (30) 45 (34)

no water 16 (11) 18 (18)

3. How is it that we can see the moon with our eyes?

PROMPT: What makes the moon visible to us?

light of sun reflected from moon 23 (25) 42 (46)

4. Why do you think that the moon appears to change its shape?

PROMPT: Try to explain why the moon looks different at different times of the month or year.

part seen (as bright) depends on relative positions of sun, moon and earth 6 (5) 18 (17)

has idea, but not well explained 16 (29) 29 (33)

Commentary:

Between 1999 and 2003, there has been very little change in performance for year 4 students, but a small increase for year 8 students.

Show student Earth (picture 2) and Mars (picture 3).

Here is a picture of planet Earth and a picture of planet Mars.

Scientists tell us that people like us cannot live on Mars but we know that we can live on planet Earth.

5. Why can’t people live on planet Mars?Tell me as many reasons as you can think of.

Temperature:(very hot during day, cold at night) both 3 (0) 5 (7)

just one 52 (56) 59 (51)

atmosphere issues 51 (47) 73 (71)

lack of water 34 (25) 50 (46)

lack of food 24 (19) 22 (13)

6. Why are we able to live on planet Earth?Tell me as many reasons as you can think of.

temperature suits our bodies 21 (24) 30 (26)

air/oxygen/atmosphere 52 (59) 78 (72)

water 57 (46) 72 (67)

food sources 37 (32) 41 (29)

Show student Sun (picture 4).

Here is a picture of the sun.

7. The sun is not a planet. What is the sun? star 41 (34) 57 (28)

ball of fire/gases 29 (27) 26 (47)

8. How is the sun different from planet Earth?

much bigger 13 (8) 24 (15)

extremely hot/ball of fire 84 (82) 91 (85)

no life or life requirements (e.g. water/oxygen) 22 (16) 37 (28)

no well defined surface (outer layers gas/plasma rather than solid/liquid) 6 (4) 15 (3)

Total score: 20–33 1 (0) 7 (0)

16–19 5 (4) 20 (14)

12–15 21 (17) 29 (29)

8–11 33 (36) 25 (28)

4–7 28 (29) 16 (24)

0–3 12 (14) 3 (5)

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Year:



year 4 year 8


year 4 year 8

Trend Task: Sand One to one 4 & 8 Geology 3 sand samples, hand lens

Give student hand lens and 3 sand samples.

Tip a small quantity of sand in each lid.

In this activity we’re going to look at different kinds of sand.

You can have a close look at each of these sands now.

Commentary:

Year 8 students performed much better than year 4 students. While there was little change between 1999 and 2003 for year 4 students, there was a marked gain for year 8 students.

3. I want you to have a good look at the sands. Use the hand lens to help you.

Why are the sands different colours?

come from different types/colours of rock/stone/shell 20 (16) 45 (30)

vague, but on right track (come from different places) 40 (41) 36 (34)

4.�The sands are different sizes.

Why are some pieces of sand big and some pieces of sand small?

different materials and different stages of breakdown 2 (2) 9 (2)

different stages only 20 (17) 42 (31)

different types only 11 (8) 13 (11)

Total score: 8–11 4 (5) 20 (13)

5–7 22 (14) 40 (27)

2–4 53 (62) 36 (47)

0–1 21 (19) 4 (13)

1. These sands were gathered from different places in New Zealand.

Where might you go to collect sand?

PROMPT: Anywhere else?

ocean beaches, estuaries, mudflats 95 (98) 98 (99)

riverbeds, banks, lakes 24 (30) 43 (48)

deserts 2 (6) 4 (3)

places where there used to be a beach or river (including commercial sandpits) 2 (5) 2 (6)

quarries where rock is ground up 2 (0) 4 (6)

2. How do you think sand is made?

by rocks, stones, shells getting broken up 36 (39) 68 (52)

Mechanisms:(rubbing against each other – e.g. in river beds; wind action; water/wave action)

really good account including at least 2 of these ideas 0 (1) 2 (0)

mentioned two ideas 2 (5) 7 (5)

mentioned one idea 18 (18) 35 (28)

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Year:


year 4 year 8


Trend Task: Moving Water One to one 4 & 8 Tides Video recording on laptop computer

This activity uses the computer.

In this activity we’re going to look at a video showing low tide and high tide.The first part shows low tide. The second part shows the same place later in the day at high tide.

Click the Moving Water button and the video will start.

Commentary:

This was a very demanding task. It is difficult to understand why there are two tidal peaks and lows per 24 hours. Year 8 students scored a little better than year 4 students.

[No voiceover; sound of waves only]

1. Every day the tide goes in and out.

What do you think causes the tide to go in and out?

full explanation 1 (0) 4 (0)

mentions moon and gravitational forces 3 (2) 20 (22)

mentions moon 9 (11) 19 (14)

2. If low tide is at 6 o’clock in the morning, about what time will it be low tide again?[about 12 hours 25 minutes later]

6:30pm 1 (1) 0 (1)

6:00pm 33 (39) 48 (47)

3. Why do you think the tide is out twice most days?

mentions idea of two bulges and two shallows (see marking guide) 0 (0) 2 (0)

Total score: 4–6 1 (0) 4 (1)

3 2 (2) 10 (14)

2 6 (6) 19 (13)

1 33 (38) 36 (33)

0 58 (54) 31 (39)

high tide:bulge of water caused by direct gravitational pull of moon

EARTH

Moon

low tides:caused by fact that approx. half of the ocean’s water is being pulled forward into a bulge, making these sections of water shallower.

high tide:this water accumulates because there is less gravitational pull on it by the moon. This lack of pull is because this water is furtherest from moon & it is also shielded from the pull of the moon by the earth’s bulk.

Diagram that accompanied marking guide:

Tides are caused mainly by the moon. When the moon is overhead, its gravity pulls upwards on the sea, pulling it away from the shore, causing a bulge.

Tides rise and fall twice in 24 hours 50 minutes. This is because of the gravitational pull which creates two high tides and two low tides at any one time during the course of the 24 hours. The extra 50 minutes is due to time it takes the moon to move in its own orbit around Earth.

“tides operate on a 12+ hour cycle = 2 x low & high tides in 24 hours” would be an example of an ‘any other response’.

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Year:


year 4


year 4


Trend Task: Spaced Out One to one 4 Solar system Diagram of solar system

Here is a diagram which shows our solar system.

Give student diagram.

Commentary:

Overall, there is very little change between 1999 and 2003.

3. On planet Earth we have gravity. What do you think gravity is?

an attractive force which objects exert on other objects 0 (1)

a force which pulls people/things down to earth 55 (55)

4. What would it be like if there was no gravity on Earth?

people/objects would not weigh anything 2 (1)

people/objects would fly off into space 68 (64)

Earth would lose its atmosphere/water 7 (7)

Total score: 5–14 7 (14)

4 21 (21)

3 33 (25)

2 17 (13)

1 15 (21)

0 7 (6)

1. What do you think would happen if planet Earth was the furthest planet from the sun?

darker 14 (20)

colder 80 (79)

longer years 1 (1)

uninhabitable (without above reasons) 6 (9)

2. Is there something you can tell me that is true for all of these planets?

PROMPT: Is there something that is the same for all of these planets?

share (rotate around) same sun 14 (12)

are in same solar system and galaxy 4 (2)

are mainly solid bodies 0 (1)

are approximately round/spheres 17 (27)

all have some gravity 1 (1)

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year 8


year 8

Trend Task: Greenhouse Problem Station 8 Climate influences Picture

Glasshouses are usually warm because the glass lets heat in from the sun but slows it down from getting out.

Scientists believe that the earth is warming up just like a glasshouse. Warmth from the sun is being trapped under a layer of gases. These gases are stopping the heat from escaping. This is making the earth hotter.

Look at the picture and then answer the questions below.

Commentary:

Students responded more to visible smoke in the picture than to other known factors (such as animal flatulence). There was very little change between 1999 and 2003.

3. Some people want us to cut down the amount of gases going into the air.

How do you think this could be done?

reduce emissions from fires (domestic) and factories 27 (28)

reduce emissions by engines burning fossil fuel (including use of car pooling, public transport) 57 (56)

change numbers of animals or their diet (or genetics) 0 (1)

reduce production and use of specialised gases (e.g. aerosols) 23 (21)

absorb undesirable gases (e.g. plant trees) 1 (2)

other valid responses 6 (4)

Total score: 8 or more 15 (10)

6–7 43 (43)

4–5 32 (39)

2–3 9 (7)

0–1 1 (1)

1. Name four things in the picture that add gases into the air. volcano 82 (73)

forest fire 45 (51)

factories/chimneys/smoke/city buildings 89 (88)

trains 15 (13)

cars/buses/trucks 34 (26)

boats/ships 58 (63)

houses 11 (10)

people/animals 1 (1)

other valid response 4 (0)

2. What problems might happen if planet Earth gets hotter?

melting of polar ice caps and snow/ice on mountains 21 (17)

sea levels rising 13 (10)

low lying islands and coasts submerged, flooded 11 (6)

changes in weather patterns 23 (31)

changes in plant and animal species 37 (37)

increased exposure to UV rays (associated with increase in skin disease) 12 (13)

other valid response 5 (4)

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Year:Year:

Questions / instructions: Questions / instructions:

% responses y4 y8

% responses y4 y8

Task: Ocean Journey One to one 4 & 8 Navigation methods 2 pictures

Show student the pictures.

Commentary:

About one third more year 8 than year 4 students scored four or more.

Task: Planets Station 4 & 8 Solar system Picture in recording book

Imagine you are going for a trip in a spaceship. The picture shows the places you will visit. There is a sun, five planets and a moon.

Commentary:

This was one of the least popular tasks, perhaps because having so many answers the same was regarded as trying to trick the students. About 25 percent more year 8 than year 4 students scored four or more.

1.Write number one beside the star. sphere in middle 34 60

2.Write number two beside the coldest planet. furthest planet 44 62

3.Write number three beside the planet with the longest year. furthest planet 40 54

4.Write number four beside the planet with the strongest gravity. furthest planet 20 19

5.Write number five beside the moon. moon of furthest planet 29 50

6.What other things aren’t in this picture that you might expect to find in space? comets 7 18

meteors 11 21

asteroids 9 18

satellites/rockets/spaceships 14 20

black holes 7 13

other stars/constellations 33 40

other valid response 48 60

Total score: 8–12 2 7

6–7 7 23

4–5 25 32

2–3 46 31

0–1 20 7

Ancestors of the Mäori travelled to this land in waka (or canoes). Have a careful look at the pictures. They show a waka on its way to this land. The pictures also show the signs these people used to help them find their way.

1.How could knowing about the sun help them to find their way?

show direction because sun rises in East, sets in West 5 23

shows the direction/way to go 34 49

2. Is there anything else you can see in the pictures that would help them to find their way?

stars 21 54

moon 25 37

visible land 13 22

clouds often associated with land 8 13

other signs of nearing land (land-based birds, flotsam, logs, seeds, other debris) 47 69

prevailing wind patterns 10 12

ocean current patterns 21 25

pathways of migrating birds 12 24


4–5 14 39

2–3 42 42

0–1 42 9

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% responses y4 y8

% responses y4 y8

% %

Task: Landforms One to one 4 & 8 Landforms 3 pictures

Show pictures.

The land around us changes over time. In this activity, you are going to tell me what you think has formed the land.

Look at each of these pictures carefully.

Commentary:

The level of understanding of the formation of volcanoes and river valleys was low.

Show picture C.

3.This is a river valley.

How was this formed or made?

river erodes (cuts into) the land 7 19

occasional river floods outside channel deposit silt to make fertile valley 1 1


3 4 14

2 10 22

1 26 27

0 57 30

Show picture A.

1.This is a volcano.


inside of earth gets too hot in particular region 9 9

magma/lava (melted rock) escapes and spills over 17 28

flow of magma/lava tends to create cone shaped hill/mountain 6 11

Earth’s plates create cracks/weak spots for magma to escape: detailed 0 3

general idea 4 12

Show picture B.

2.This is a coast line.


sea action on coast erodes coast 28 56

A

B

C

planet earth and beyond - nemprelated to the planet earth and beyond strand of the science cur- ......

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