Interpret representations resources

Students are asked to explain why the Southern Cross appears not to be in the same place in the night sky that it was a few months previously.

For this practical task students plan and carry out a fair test to determine which of four different cups will keep water the hottest over 10 minutes. Students are also required to graph their results and write a conclusion.

Task: Interpret data from tables. Assessment focus: data interpretation.

Task: Label a diagram. Assessment focus: relative positions of Earth and Sun for each season.

Students use two diagrams of the night sky to answer a multiple-choice question on each.

Students use the Beaufort Scale of wind speed to categorise diary entries about the wind in Auckland.

For this task students are provided with a table of weather observations for a day in September. Students are required to write a weather report using headings that have been provided.

Students are provided with data showing the temperature and the cloud cover over a one week period. Students use this information to identify the two nights that would be the best to protect plants outside from possible frost damage and also to identify why protection is needed on such nights.

Students use a table about properties of different materials to answer questions about this, and to group the materials listed into two groups.

Students use diagrams of rock layers to answer questions concerning geological history, oldest layer, and to account for the presence of fossils.

Task: Read a table to answer questions about when birds are likely to visit a native garden for food. Assessment focus: interpreting a table.

Task: Interpret a flowchart and text to identify in what ways goats are pests. Assessment focus: identifying ways in which goats are pests and how they are controlled.

Task: Students use observation and a key to identify native plants. Assessment focus: Using a classification key.

Students categorise statements according to whether they are evidence or inferences. They make inferences about moa, supporting them with evidence. Assessment focus: thinking in scientific ways.

Students identify the solids, liquids, and gases in three short passages.

Task: use information and observation skills to identify whether pictures of fish are either bony fish or sharks. Assessment focus: classification, interpreting a Venn diagram.

Students are provided with a food web based on organisms of the rocky shore and sea. Students use this to answer questions about food chains in the food web.

Students are asked four short questions that explore their understanding of the Earth's rotation, Earth's revolution, and seasons.

Students answer three questions by interpreting a weather map and other forecast information.

Task: Use a diagram to answer questions about seasons and day and night. Assessment focus: relationship of Sun and Earth.

Task: Identify direction of currents and explain reason for pattern. Assessment focus: convection patterns.

Students are provided with drawings of the main types of fingerprints. Students then make their own fingerprint and those of three other students. They then classify and describe the differences between these prints.

Students use keywords to label a simple circuit, and then explain how someone would know if the circuit is on or off.

This practical task requires students to test a number of circuits and to give reasons why some of the circuits do not work while others do. Students also look at other circuits and explain what happens to the brightness of the bulb.

Task: Use a key to identify six different metals from the descriptions provided. Assessment focus: using a key to identify metals.