Paper money for Monopoly (version A)

Paper money for Monopoly (version A)

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about asking useful questions to investigate the properties of paper.
A class of Year 6 students are creating a ‘Pasifika’ version of Monopoly. They would like to ‘make’ their own money but cannot decide on which paper to use for their game.
In order to make a good decision, students thought of questions to investigate that would help them decide the type of paper to use for their monopoly game.
a)
Draw a line from the everyday property term to match with its everyday meaning.
 
 
Everyday property term
 
Tearing resistance  •

Grease resistance  •

Fade-ability  •

Texture  •

Elasticity  •

See-throughness  •

Bendiness  •

Fold resistance  •

Durability  •
  
Everyday meaning

• Material does not fade quickly when out in light all the time.

• Material able to stretch easily.

• Material does not tear easily.

• Material can be smooth or rough or in between.

• Material does not fold easily.

• Material lasts a long time.

• Material lets light through and able to see images on the other side.

• Material does not absorb grease easily.

• Material bends easily.
 
The following are properties of paper using everyday language: durability, bendiness, fold resistance, elasticity, grease resistance, see-throughness, texture, fade-ability, tear resistance. They may be helpful in answering the questions in the second column of the chart below.
 
b) Complete the table below. The first one is done for you. You may want to return to ‘a)’ to help you complete column 2.
 
1. Questions to investigate 2. What is the paper property being investigated in this question? 3. Will this question help you to make a decision on the type of paper? 4. Give a reason why this question would / would not help you make a decision about which paper to use.
Which paper creases the least?
fold resistance
NO Will help because we don’t want the money to keep their folds otherwise we can’t see how much they are worth.
Which paper bends most easily?   YES NO
 
 
How long will the colour remain before it fades?   YES NO
 
 
Which paper can be photocopied on both sides without showing on the other side?   YES NO  
How long can the different papers be used?   YES NO
 
 
 
c)
 
If you investigated ALL the questions identified as ‘YES’ in column 3 of the table in ‘b)’, how might this help the Year 6 students decide which paper to use for making monopoly money?
 
 
 
 
d)
Students from another Year 6 class believe that another paper property needs to be investigated before a decision is made.
  i)
Which property is in ‘a)’ but is not found in the table of ‘b)’? ____________________
  ii)
My question to investigate for the property mentioned in d) i) above is:
 
 
  iii)
My reason why this question will help the students make a decision is:
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 

The activity takes approximately 25-30 minutes.

  • It can be done individually or in small groups that allow for discussion.
  • The first part could be photocopied and cut up as cards. Students could then ‘physically’ match the everyday property term with the everyday meaning.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Material World
Key Competencies: 
Thinking
Keywords: 
properties, paper, key competencies, vocabulary, self assessment, matching
Description of task: 
Task: Match everyday terms about properties with their meanings. Use their understanding about properties of paper and their uses to justify appropriate questions to investigate. Assessment focus: asking questions about paper properties.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using provided information about properties of materials in order to answer a question. about the use of the material
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data
Making Better Sense: 
Physical Change
Answers/responses: 
 

a)
Everyday properties terms Everyday meaning
Tearing resistance does not tear easily
Grease resistance does not absorb grease easily
Fade-ability does not fade easily when out in light
Texture Can be smooth or rough or in between
Elasticity able to stretch
See-throughness can see light and images on the other side
Bendiness bends easily
Fold resistance does not fold easily
Durability lasts a long time
b)
1. Questions to investigate 2. What is the paper property being investigated in this question? 3. Will this question help you to make a decision on the type of paper? 4. Give a reason why this question would / would not help you make a decision about which paper to use.
Which paper creases the least? Fold resistance YES NO Any plausible justification, e.g., Will help because we don’t want the money to keep their folds otherwise we can’t see how much they are worth.
Which paper bends most easily? Bendiness YES NO Any plausible justification, e.g., Will help because we don’t want the money to bend too easily or we will not be able to hold it
How long will the colour remain before it fades? Fade-ability YES NO Any plausible justification, e.g., Will not help because there will be little difference due to lack of light as it is usually kept in a box.
Which paper can be photocopied on both sides without showing on the other side? See-throughness YES NO Any plausible justification, e.g., Will help because you don’t want the text from other side showing through
How long can the different papers be used?

Durability

 YES NO Any plausible justification, e.g., Will help decide how long the paper will last
c) When the data from the four investigations are placed in a table the students will be able to identify the type of paper that creases the least; not bend too easily and where images do not appear from the other side and take a long time to wear out when being handled.
d) i) Either:

Tearing resistance
or
Grease resistance
ii) Either:
How easy is it to tear paper? (or something similar) if tearing resistance was chosen for d) i).
or
Which paper absorbs grease the least? (or something similar) if grease resistance was chosen for d) i).
iii) Either:
When the money is passed from player to player sometimes it is handled roughly and it would tear easily (or similar).
or
If the paper is handled all the time, the natural oils from the hand can collect on it and the paper could become slightly translucent. This will allow images to appear / light to pass through. Might become too slippery to handle if the grease remains in the paper (or similar).

Based on a trial sample of 7 Y6 students November 2007.

Teaching and learning: 
Background
Properties of materials are generally grouped as either physical or chemical properties. In this task, the focus is on physical properties. The words used to identify physical properties can be scientific or everyday language. At this level the scientific terms that apply to materials may be too advanced for most students; hence we have used everyday property terms in the task. The table below provides some of the appropriate scientific terms and their everyday meaning. Note that the scientific term hardness has more than one everyday meaning, i.e., resistance to scratching, grease, wear and tear and indentation. This can lead to confusion if attempted at this level so it is acceptable to use the everyday meaning.
 

Scientific terms used with properties of materials Everyday language
Tensile strength ability of a material to stretch without breaking or snapping.
Colour retention ability of  a material to maintain its colour and not fade when out in the light.
Ductility ability of a material to change shape (deform) usually by stretching along its length.
Elasticity ability of a material to absorb force and flex in different directions, returning to its original position.
Malleability ability of a material to be reshaped in all directions without cracking.
Hardness ability of a material to resist scratching, grease, wear and tear and indentation.
Toughness material that does not break or shatter when receiving a blow or under a sudden shock.
Opacity ability of a material to allow all, some or no light to pass through it.
 
Why is it important for students to develop vocabulary in a scientific context?
Using everyday meanings in the science context allows the teacher to start from the students’ understanding. It also ensures that the students are operating and communicating at the same level of understanding before the scientific terms are introduced. Further information about learning the language of science is available from Language of Science and Vocabulary and Comprehension.

Why is it important for students to identify appropriate questions to investigate?
Science knowledge / understanding have increased over the years via good science questions that focus on the collection of data / evidence in order to answer the question. This skill is important in developing students’ science knowledge and understanding in a meaningful way where the ownership and development of the science knowledge remain with students.


 

A key competency that could be strengthened through this activity is:

Thinking
Students are making sense of science information that helps develop their understanding about properties of paper so that an informed decision can be made.  It also helps them refine their scientific questioning skills. If this activity is done in small groups it will assist with the development of collaborative decision making skills.

Diagnostic and formative information: 

Trial responses to the questions during the field trials of this activity and others revealed that students did not have the scientific understanding for ‘properties of materials’. They had real difficulty with describing common everyday physical properties using the appropriate scientific language. Questioning of Level 3 students identified a narrow use of the word ‘property’. In almost all cases (albeit it was a just a very small sample) it was linked to either possession/belongings or home. The link between materials and their inherent properties was difficult to find in students. This activity (and version B) is a very useful diagnostic activity to elicit students’ understanding of this link as well as their use of appropriate scientific language.

Question a)  Most trial students were able to match the everyday term and their meaning. An exception was – durability. This term was a problem for well over half the students. These students did not understand the word itself.

Question b)  Trial students could use the information from the matching in ‘a)’ to complete column 2 and this was done well. Answers for column 4 (providing a reason to help make a decision) were either completed with a good reason or just left blank. If left blank, it appears that students lacked the understanding of the physical properties of paper and/or the terms used and its link to how the properties are used.

Question c)  The pattern described above ‘b)’ continued in this question. Those that answered all the questions demonstrated the link between properties of paper and how the property would be used in the game of monopoly. Trial students who did not answer the questions appeared to lack the understanding of physical properties of paper and/or the terms used and its link to how the properties are used in the game of Monopoly.

Next steps: 
Developing scientific vocabulary
The word "property" causes problems for students at this level. They are familiar with it in everyday terms of "possessions/belongings or home" but is foreign to most in its scientific meaning. This is a good example of a word with a specific scientific meaning that is different to its everyday meaning. For more examples go to Language barriers
Introduce the everyday terms that link to properties of materials. Create a ‘vocabulary’ wall of everyday terms linked to properties of materials. Have students look at various materials and post the name of the material next to a property that the material has. Reinforce the use of appropriate science terms when describing properties of paper, plastics, wood, metals, milk, fibres, soils, rocks etc.

Developing scientific questions to investigate
Provide students with a range of ‘science questions’ taken from Building Science Concepts books or any other resource. Ask students, in small groups, to identify the ‘science concept – what science they will learn’ in each question.  Another option for this activity would be to make up 2 sets of cards (one set with the questions and the other with the science concepts). Have students match the science question with the science concept being investigated.

Self/peer assessment
Make up 2 sets of cards. One set are the science questions and the other set is the property of the material that will be investigated. Students are to match the 2 sets.

 

Other resources
The following ARBs link to this activity: 
The best mopper upper uses a fair test to investigate the paper property of absorbency;
In Sorting plastic students identify properties of plastic that are used in a type of investigation called classifying and identifying
Paper money for Monopoly (version B) - students use evidence to investigate paper properties.

The following Building Science Concepts books focus on properties of materials:

  • Ministry of Education (2001). Building Science Concepts, Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Book 5, Fur, feathers, and bark.
  • Book 13, Aluminium.
  • Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts, Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Book 32, Introducing metals.
  • Book 33, Working with metals.
  • Book 48, Fabrics.
  • Ministry of Education (2004). Building Science Concepts, Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Book 60, Rubbish.
  • Book 61, Recycling.
  • Ministry of Education (1998). Making better sense of the material world. Wellington: Learning Media. How absorbing – This Level 3 exemplar illustrates a student's investigation of a physical property.
Other ARB resources about physical properties