Children enjoy using a questionnaire and working from a clipboard when they are researching for a project. It is a useful skill to be able to put together a set of questions which guides an interview in the right direction, so that each answer builds on the one before. Children should be encouraged to look for open questions (those that can t be answered by a simple *yes' or 'no'). Suggest ten or twelve questions for an lnterview with a parent or teacher, a Professional at a particular job or someone knowledgeable in an area of históry, the envlronment, the locality. Encourage the children to notę down answers in rough, then to transcribe these at a later datę.
Ouestionnaire to Grown-ups on books they read as children.
1. Roughly what age were you when you react the book first?
2. Did you read it morę than once?
3. Who was yoUr favourite character and why?
4. Why was the book your favourite?
5. What was the best/most interesting/most exciting part of the book?
6. Was there any part of the book that was frightening. or that you did not like?
7. What category would you put it in? e.g. adventure. humour etc.
8. Was it set in the countryside, abroad. town etc?
9. Do you think that modern day children would enjoy reading it?
TOrWas it set in any particular time in fiiśtory?
11. Have you any other comments on the book?
(See results in display photograph on facing page.)
Make up questionnaires to find out what people think about an aspect of local government; what changes children would like to see in the playground area; the jobs people do - why they like/ dislike them; what old people remember about their childhood etc.
Before children go out on an educational visit, work out a questionnaire so that they will know what to ask of those who show them around. Use the literaturę about the cathedral/castle/museum to help you. Work in groups to put together a questionnaire before you visit a factory or Office e.g. a newspaper Office.
It requires a fairly logical mind to make up a crossword. Use a made-up book of crosswords for children. Study how they are put together. Look at the clues. Do a few of the puzzles, then use the answers and make up new clues. Finally ask the children to make up new crosswords from scratch. Work in groups or pairs, making up and working through each other's crossword.