Topic 16 Describe it, sort it — what needs James (0)

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 1 · bank item PP-1 · tests SR3-001

EasyMCQType 1 — a child says one thing she noticed: what did she observe it with

Amani says, "The kettle is whistling." What did she observe that with?

1. a) her eyes
2. b) her ears ← key
3. c) her hands
4. d) her nose

Why it is this type: A whistle is a sound. / Sounds reach your ears. / So Amani observed the whistling with her ears.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 2 · bank item PP-2 · tests SR3-002

EasyMCQType 2 — a child sees a scene (the stem says what he saw): which of four sentences is an observation

Otto walks into the kitchen and sees milk on the floor. Which of these is an observation?

1. a) There is milk on the floor. ← key
2. b) A bottle of milk fell off the table.
3. c) Someone will slip on it.
4. d) Dad spilled it on his way out.

Why it is this type: Otto can see the milk on the floor. His eyes told him that, so it is an observation. / Nobody saw a bottle fall, Dad spill it, or anyone slip. / Those three are ideas about it.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 10 · bank item PP-3 · tests SR3-001

EasytypedType 10 — the meaning of the coin is given: type the word

text entry

What do we call something you noticed with your eyes, ears, hands or nose? Type the word.

Accepted answers (typed): observation · an observation · observations · observasion · an observasion · obsevation · observaton · obervation · observtion · observashun · abservation

Why it is this type: Easy because: the first atom's term, recalled from its meaning in one step; no trap. (Typed and easy: James's atom-order rule puts the first atom's recall in the easy band; typing does the job an MCQ cannot — the child produces the word.)

The why line (what a student reads after answering): Something you noticed with your eyes, ears, hands or nose is called an observation.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 3 · bank item PP-4 · tests MAT3-001

MediumMCQType 3 — "The X is [word]." Which property is this

"The blanket is fluffy." Which property is this?

1. a) its color
2. b) its shape
3. c) its size
4. d) how it feels ← key

Why it is this type: Medium because: a middle atom (James's mapping); the student names the kind of property from the value word.

The why line (what a student reads after answering): Fluffy is how something feels under your hand. / So "the blanket is fluffy" tells you how the blanket feels.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 4 · bank item PP-5 · tests MAT3-001

MediumMCQType 4 — which of four sentences tells you a property of the object

Which sentence tells you a property of the boat?

1. a) The boat is in the water.
2. b) The boat is white. ← key
3. c) The boat belongs to Uncle Jago.
4. d) The boat was built last year.

Why it is this type: White is a color, and a color is a property. / Where the boat is, whose it is, and when it was built are not properties. / They say nothing about the boat's color, shape, size or feel.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 5 · bank item PP-6 · tests MAT3-002

MediumMCQType 5 — two drawn groups of blocks, no labels: which property were they sorted by

drawn (pp_sort_size: left box a big green circle and a big red square; right box a small red circle and a small green square; no labels)

These blocks are sorted into two groups. Which property were they sorted by?

1. a) their color
2. b) their shape
3. c) their size ← key
4. d) how they feel

Why it is this type: Medium because: the student must rule out color and shape by reading both boxes, not match one word.

The why line (what a student reads after answering): Every block in the left group is big. / Every block in the right group is small. / Each group holds a circle and a square, and a red block and a green block. / So the blocks were sorted by size.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 7 · bank item PP-7 · tests MAT3-003

MediumorderingType 7 — put these in order from least to most of a named property

reorder

Put these animals in order from smallest to biggest.

Why it is this type: Medium because: a late atom, but the bare routine alone — one band down from hard.

The why line (what a student reads after answering): The order runs from the least size to the most. / A beetle is the smallest, so it goes first. / A rabbit is bigger than a beetle, and a cow is bigger again. / An elephant is the biggest, so it goes last.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 8 · bank item PP-8 · tests SR3-002 SR3-001

MediumtypedType 8 — a child hears something and says what he heard: what kind of sentence is that — type the word

text entry

Wilf hears a loud bang through a shut door and says, "There was a loud bang." What kind of sentence is that? Type the word.

Accepted answers (typed): observation · an observation · observations · and the child spellings listed under type 10

Why it is this type: Medium because: an early atom moved one band up — the coin is typed from memory (the stem prints neither class name) on a heard case, where the eyes-only belief pulls toward "not an observation". James, 29 Sep: "these are good Qs".

The why line (what a student reads after answering): Wilf heard the bang. / His ears told him that. / You can observe with your ears, so his sentence is an observation.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 6 · bank item PP-9 · tests MAT3-P01 MAT3-001

HardMCQType 6 — a described set, all alike in three properties and different in one: which property can sort them into two groups

Layla has eight round, smooth, red beads, some big and some small. Which property can she use to sort them into two groups?

1. a) their shape
2. b) their color
3. c) their size ← key
4. d) how they feel

Why it is this type: Hard because: a late atom; the choosing rule applied to a fresh set against three shared properties — rule out three, pick the fourth.

The why line (what a student reads after answering): Every bead is round, red and smooth, so shape, color and how they feel each put them all in one group. / Some beads are big and some are small. / So size can sort them into two groups.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar

Topic 16 · Describe it, sort it · Type 9 · bank item PP-10 · tests MAT3-003 MAT3-P01

HardtypedType 9 — a child wants a LINE from least to most of a described set (all one colour, two sizes): which property can he use — type it

text entry

Casper wants to put five white shells in a line from least to most. Some shells are big and some are small. Which property can he use? Type the property.

Accepted answers (typed): size · their size · the size · its size · sizes · big and small · how big they are · how big · bigness · siz · sise

Why it is this type: Hard because: two ideas joined (order needs a least and a most; the shells' shared colour gives none), and the property is worked out from the case and typed — the stem prints no property word. James, 29 Sep: "these are good Qs". The accept list now carries the child's forms "big and small" / "how big they are" (the 28 Sep blind reader's flag, accepted under today's rule that every correct answer is accepted).

The why line (what a student reads after answering): To put things in order, you need a property with a least and a most. / Size has a least and a most: smallest to biggest. / A color has no least and no most. / So Casper uses their size.

Recommendation: Approve as the exemplar