Scottish Numeracy Energiser

NIACE for Learning Connections

Session 4 Using Blooms Taxonomy to Help Develop Critical Thinking

Handout 1

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom devised a model, or taxonomy, which stipulates that intellectual activity can be divided into six types of differing levels of abstraction and complexity. In the way that tutors design assignments and ask questions in lessons, they can prompt learners to develop or make fuller use of higher order intellectual skills, and consequently their ability to think critically. Domain LEVEL 1: KNOWLEDGE Constituent Functions observation and recall of information knowledge of dates, events, places knowledge of major ideas familiarity with subject matter Useful Words for Assignments List, name, describe, show, label, match, order, outline Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) When was.. e.g. the Battle of Britain? Whoe.g. presents Newsnight? What do you remember about.. the film Braveheart? What is a decimal? How many sides does a hexagon have? What does HTU. stand for? What does a conelook like? Whats ..the speed limit when youre driving on the motorway? How oftendoes the 16 bus run into town? How does a. hybrid engine/digital camera work? How much did the Scottish Parliament building cost?

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 1.

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Domain LEVEL 2: COMPREHENSION

Constituent Functions grasping the meaning of material interpreting it following instructions predicting

Useful Words for Assignments Summarise, state/rewrite in your own words, explain, estimate

Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) What does thisgraph/chart/table show about x/y/z? Whats your estimate of how much/many/oftene.g. how many Euros you would need if you went on holiday to Greece for two weeks? What would happen if you put petrol into a diesel engine? How can we tell that. the pound is doing well against the dollar? In a nutshell, how would you say that? What are the key points you have learned about?

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 2:

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Domain LEVEL 3: APPLICATION

Constituent Functions

Useful Words for Assignments use, show how, calculate, problem-solving demonstrate, find a way to,, using facts, rules and principles to arrive at a build, choose, plan, identify, apply, construct, develop, result change

Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) How would you use. a protractor to work out what the angle is? What examples can you find to illustrate how? How would you solve using what you have learned? How would you organiseto show? How is x an example of y? For example, How is this driveway an example of faulty workmanship? What is the relationship between x and ye.g. the area of the wall and how many tiles you would need? Whats the best way to make sure you dont run up late payment charges on your credit card? What would you have to do to get this X to work? How could we provee.g. that a diesel engine is more fuel-efficient than a petrol one?

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 3

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NIACE for Learning Connections

Domain LEVEL 4: ANALYSIS

Constituent Functions examining material and breaking it into constituent parts seeing patterns recognising underlying principles discerning implicit meanings, motives, causal relationships inferring interpreting

Useful Words for Assignments compare, contrast, examine, distinguish, critique, classify, explain how/why, work out how/why

Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) Whats the difference between e.g. the way the metric and imperial systems work? Whats the relationship between e.g. the height of a triangle above the horizontal and the size of its angles at the base? What pattern can you find in? What are the main features of? What are the key ingredients/factors/characteristics of..? How does X compare with Y? For example, How does a diesel engine compare with a petrol engine when it comes to fuel efficiency? What evidence is there that? For example, what evidence is there that were facing global warming? What conclusions can you draw about

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 4

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NIACE for Learning Connections

Domain LEVEL 5: SYNTHESIS

Constituent Functions combining elements into a whole to be able to generate new solutions or insights generalising from given information

Useful Words for Assignments construct, design, imagine, create, develop, compile, formulate, adapt, devise, compose, reorganise

Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) How could you improve on? How would you go about developing? How might you modifyso that it? If you had tohow would you?

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 5

Scottish Numeracy Energiser

NIACE for Learning Connections

Domain LEVEL 6: EVALUATION

Constituent Functions judging value against criteria assessing the merits/demerits of a situation assessing the reliability of data making decisions based on information

Useful Words for Assignments assess, decide, recommend, determine

Useful constructions for questions (with some examples) Which is the more effective/more useful.? Which is the better buy.a 5 mega pixel camera or a compact automatic with zoom? How would you rate X as compared with Y? Why? What do you deduce about the value of? Whichmonetary system is easier for small businesses to use, the Euro or the sterling? Give your reasons. Was theScottish Parliamenta sound investment? Would you choose a car with a hybrid engine.? Explain why/why not.

Add your own examples of questions that would prompt answers at level 6

Scottish Numeracy Energiser

NIACE for Learning Connections

Session 4 Numbers Make the World Go Round Task

Handout 2

From the range of items and statistics provided, choose one (or a pair) that captures your interest. Join or form a group.
1. Consider: what issues could you explore here, ranging from global and

community issues to personal interests and concerns? 2. Set out your ideas on flip chart paper in the form of a spider chart or mind map. 3. Work some of these ideas up into a set of activities for learners that encourages them to explore global and community issues as well as personal interests and concerns requires them to apply numerical/mathematical knowledge and skills requires (at least some of) them to think critically takes account of learners who are at different levels mathematically is likely to appeal to the learners you know.

Remember that activities can take all sorts of forms, including games, case studies, research, problem-solving etc.. Different members of your group may wish to work on different activities. If you need further information to help you design your activities, internetconnected laptops are available for your use. And dont be afraid to draw upon the other resources we have provided.

Be ready to present your work the whole group on Sunday morning. When you present it, you need to explain how it fulfils the remit.

Dont forget our various definitions of community!

Scottish Numeracy Energiser

NIACE for Learning Connections

Session 4

Resource Handout 1 Numbers Make the World Go Round

Some themes to consider: ENVIRONMENT MONEY WATER MIGRATION SHOPPING/TRADE CRIME Some Statistics to get you thinking

DRINK THE MUSIC BUSINESS HISTORY THE LAW TECHNOLOGY HEALTH

If every UK household installed just on energy-saving light bulb tomorrow, wed save 80 million a year and enough electricity to power the UKs street lighting for seven months. The Guardian 26.02.05. You could cut your heating bill by up to 10% by turning down your central heating thermostat by one degree. The Guardian 26.02.05. Each year, humanity gets through something like a trillion carrier bagsthey are used on average for 20 minutes, after whichthe bag survives as rubbish for a further 1,000 years. The Guardian 26.10.05. In a recent survey conducted by the British Heart Foundation, researchers found that 36% of eight to 14 year-olds did not know the main ingredient of chips was potato. Teletext 07.11.05. What tastes like 900 calories but in actual fact contains only 90? Tunnocks advertising campaign 2005 Nappy waste makes up 4% of household waste in the UK, approximately one million tonnes. Not sure of source The difference between the highest and lowest price for unleaded petrol in the UK is 19p. www.petrolprices.com A study by the NHS Greater Glasgow found 22% of Scottish take-aways had deep fried Mars Bars on its menu and another 17% used to sell them. In 2003, 75% of men and 60% of women had had an alcoholic drink on at least one day during the previous week. General Household Survey, 2003 The average woman eats between 4 and 10 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. Image 100 Survey, YWCA, Scotland In 2003/2004, 26% of adults aged 16 or over in Great Britain smoked cigarettes, an identical rate to 2002/2003. www.statistics.gov.uk.

Scottish Numeracy Energiser S4 TRAINER RESOURCE 1

NIACE for Learning Connections Statistics

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NIACE for Learning Connections

According to an Oftel Residential Survey, 75% of all adults in the UK owned or used a mobile phone in May 2003. Nearly 3 billion nappies are thrown away every year in the U.K. Thats a hefty 8 million a dayIn households with one baby, disposable nappies fill about 50% of the weekly bin! 90% of disposables end up in landfill sites. Womens Environmental Network (national community) While the average desktop computer and monitor weighs just 24kg (53lb), it requires at least ten times its weight in fossil fuels to build, and the manufacturing process consumes almost two tonnes of raw materials per machine.. The Times 08.03.04. Nine out of 10 women surveyed by the EOC said they expected to get the same as a man with the same qualifications. In fact, men earn on average 559 a month more than women, before tax, according to the Commission. Teletext 14.01.04. (national community) On average an American draws 600 litres of water a day, a European 250, an African 30. Food and Agricultural Organisation of UNESCO, quoted on www.earthfromtheair.com Some Useful Websites for statistics

www.scotland.gov.uk provides information and Scottish statistics on topics such as health, employment, education and housing. A link takes you to www.statistics.gov.uk for statistics for UK/Great Britain and for England and Wales. Another link takes you to the online 2001 census information for Scotland www.scrol.gov.uk This website is not fully operational yet but you can put in a postcode and get information from the 2001 census at a very local level .
www.direct.gov.uk provides information on national, devolved and local government matters, for example, information on the Disability Discrimination Act or consumer rights. www.cfoi.org.uk The Campaign for Freedom of Information is an independent organisation. Its website includes links to the Scottish CFOI. www.eoc.org.uk - Equal Opportunities Commission information on pay, gender and race issues. www.lowpay.gov.uk - the low pay commission provides information on the minimum wage, and has links to the Scottish Low Pay Unit, and other useful employment related organisations. www.hse.gov.uk the Health and Safety Executive provides analyses of types of accident that occur in different occupational areas. www.earthfromtheair.com -stunning aerial photographs linked to statistics of global concern.

S4 TRAINER RESOURCE 1

Statistics

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