Hexagons/Flexagons
Resources: Hexagon templates – either blank or filled in by teacher A3 (or larger) paper Glue/scissors How it works: Hexagons are an excellent tool for linking up learning and evaluating the end of a topic to see how ideas are linked/connected together, enabling the students to see the bigger picture. The idea is to not […]
Find SOMEBODY to…
Resources – Printed grids (3×3, 2×6 or whatever suits)How It Works Each student is given a grid. The students must then walk around the room and find somebody who relates/matches to the statements. Aim: is to get everyone active and focused at the very start of the lesson and thinking about learning. Relate to your subject: you […]
THUNK and FUNK
ResourcesQuestions printed on paper or displayed on Smart Board/written on a whiteboard/half whiteboard half desk.How It Works Thunks are designed to be controversial/thought provoking questions which could link to your subject. They are a great way to spark conversations that link to learning INSTANTLY. Examples: (PE) Female footballers should wear skimpier clothing on the pitch if […]
Blooming Bloom
Resources: Use the following links- Mr Ali’s Law Blog- Blooms DropBox- How It Works: Use the above links to download resources to get students understanding the different thinking skills involved in learning. These will present them with opportunities to stretch and challenge themselves.As a teacher set your objectives for your lessons using the bloom stems?Objective- Outcome- Success Criteria…I get […]
Strategy Deploying
STRATEGY DEPLOYING Resources: (Click on the links to download) Strategy grid Listening/reading/writing activity How it works? Pick a strategy such as ‘Before listening: Think of 10 words we might hear’ and then conduct the task. Afterwards, ask pupils to assess the strategy by completing the grid. Once you’ve created a strategy ‘bank’, encourage pupils to […]
The Dice Table
Resources: 2 Dice How It Works: Students throw 2 dice and if they get e.g. a 2 and a 4, find the box 2 across and 4 down. They need to make a sentence containing the words/picture from the 2 boxes. The question marked boxes can be any word! Students could make their own? Variations: More Pictures? […]
PLTs cards
PLTs cards to enable students to develop their literacy skillsA set of cards with all the Personal Learning Thinking Skills on them on each of my tables (double sided so students either side of the table are seeing what the other are) as a thinking tool kit. Laminate the cards (see pictures of below) so […]
Writing on the…windows!
Resources: Liquid chalk pens… (Can also be found on eBay/Amazon at a good price) Task: Students writing on windows- or any glass surface!! The pens are easy to wipe off and come in a variety of colours! You can use your windows to add revision topics/key words/specialist language and so on… but why? Students enter and […]
Crime Scene Investigation!
Resources:Crime scene props: Masking tape to create an outline of a dead body, murder weapon, Police “do not cross” tape, various other clues – photos, money, wallet etc. How It Works: You need to create a murder scene; As students come in, ask them to piece together the clues to create a written narrative explaining how the scene happened. […]
Riddles
Resources:Pre-written example of a riddlePost it notesHow It Works:The teacher shares a riddle based on a key idea or new terminology. The students then have to guess what the riddle is about. For example:I am inquisitive, but I need no answer.What am I? Hopefully they will guess: rhetorical question. Variations:Get students to write thier own […]