The Curriculum Through ICT Program

Ideas Bank

An Online Quiz: The Solar System

Years P - 3Years 3 - 7

THE TASK

Students created an email-based quiz to demonstrate their learning about the Solar System and to inform other students about a subject that they had found fascinating.

In this early childhood class, this task was completed as a small group activity, with students working initially in "expert" groups. These "expert groups" were: email experts, advertising experts, information experts and organisation experts. Once the experts had learned what they needed, the groups were reorganised with one expert in each group.

The students discussed how to make the quiz an interesting activity for others to participate in. Because some of the questions were open ended, students also decided what would constitute a winning entry.

The quizzes were created using a word processor and emailed across the school. Responses were reviewed and discussed, winners were selected and announcements made at a school assembly.

ICT ENRICHMENT

  • Use of a word processor enabled the students to edit and improve their products with ease following self- and peer-review.
  • Digital photographs (eg., of planets) could be inserted and viewed in colour by the quiz users.
  • Links to web pages provided users with relevant information and clues.
  • The quiz was asynchronous, meaning that students from different classes could take part in the quiz when time allowed. It was not necessary for the school to meet or even for class time to be allocated to it.
  • Although this activity was conducted in one school, an email quiz offers great potential as a collaborative activity across different schools.

ASSESSMENT

  • This assessment task was used to monitor achievement of the Earth & Beyond outcome, adding to evidence collected throughout the unit.
  • Technology & Enterprise outcomes and cooperative skills were monitored throughout the task.
  • Students reflected on their progress and on the final product using the "Plus-Minus-Interesting" organiser.

LEARNING AREA OUTCOMES

Science
Earth & Beyond

Technology & Enterprise
Technology Process
Information

English
Writing

Mathematics
Number
Calculate

Learning activity developed by Rochelle Reeves.
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