mathematics

34 NEMP Report 23: Mathematics 2001
Party Time
trend
What’s the time?
trend
Approach: Station Level: Year 4
Focus: Adding costs and calculating change, with calculator
available.
Resources: Priced packets of candles ($1.00),
balloons ($1.25), sweet bags ($1.10)
and invitations ($ .95); calculator.
Approach: Independent Level: Year 4
Focus: Reading analogue clocks.
Resources: None.
Questions/instructions:
Draw a ring around the two clocks that are showing the
same time.
Questions/instructions:
You have some shopping for a birthday
party.
balloons
invitation cards
candles
sweet bags
1. How much do the 4 packets cost
altogether?
Answer: $4.30 42 (46)
2. If you had $5 to pay for the
shopping,how much change
should you get?
Answer:
correct, given answer in 1 38 (31)
3. If you had $10 to pay for the
shopping,how much change
should you get?
Answer:
correct, given answer in 1 32 (32)
Total score: 3 21 (19)
% responses
2001 (’97) 2001 (’97)
year 4
2 16 (13)
1 16 (26)
0 47 (42)
Commentary
Even with a calculator available, less than half the students
correctly totalled the four prices. Fewer calculated
the change appropriately.
% responses
2001 (’97)
year 4
top left & bottom right 38 (41)
Commentary
In 2001, 30 percent of students misread the top left clock
as 3:00 and matched it with the top centre clock. The
percentage of students choosing the correct pair was
very similar in 1997 and 2001.