this workshop provides tutors with creative teaching ideas ... web viewfor example, the student...

Aspirational Lessons

PART One: Teaching ideas from start to middle of lessonIn part one we will consider how you can embed:

1. Starter ideas2.Embedding higher order thinking into the middle of lessons - examples

3.Analysis of how to implement into topic area

1.41 starter ideas to embed EnglishStarters set the scene, they help us to decipher wanted and unwanted behaviours. They get the brain moving and different thinking skills into practice. Sometimes a starter can help us embed equality and well-being themes and they are certainly a useful way of fostering good relations between learners. It is useful if starters are a fun activity, something that gets learners laughing and helps them to forget any problems they may be having. They can, as you see below also help us to embed English skills.

1. One word Students have 3 minutes to make as many words as possible from the letters in a given word.‘I forgot my’…. Divide class into two halves. One half finish off sentence on whiteboards: ‘I forgot my….’ Other half finish off sentence on whiteboards: ‘I went and… All students mingle together to find a partner to put their sentences into one connecting them with a cause and effect connective – consequently, thus, so, hence, as a result, because, therefore, accordingly, since, until.

2. Change one letterStudents try to change a word into another word in so many moves, by changing one letter each time. For example: Warm Ward Word Cord Cold.

3. Tall storiesStudents tell stories about why students were late for college etc. Each ‘excuse’ must begin with a concession connective (although, despite, without, even though…) attempting to sweet talk their way out!

4. Hot seatHot seat a character from a novel/play by beginning all sentences ‘Being…’ to explain how they feel about their circumstances. For example: ‘Being homeless made me realise the reality of life on the streets.’ Move on to include other –ing verbs.

5. Say the letter didn’t exist

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Ask students to rewrite a note without using a particular letter. For example, rewrite "a man gets awful lonely" without using the letter 'l'. Could also be done using key words and definitions.

6. Dr Foster went to Gloucester‘Dr. Foster went to Gloucester’ How did he go? When? Who can add the most words/phrases?

7. Spelling patternsTeams find as many words as possible with the same spelling pattern or root, e.g.:light, sight, bright / automobile, autograph, autobiography. Students can mark own work with a dictionary.

8. Sell the impossibleChoose an adverb that emphasises the necessity for another student to buy a particular product e.g. Actually, you’ll find these new kitten heeled trainers are just what you need! Basically, these new candy floss socks are both practical and tasty! Collectively, this litter of puppies will practically walk themselves! – Provide learners with unusual products to sell (like a piece of blue tac).

9. Match spelling patternsTeams find as many words as possible with the same spelling pattern or root, e.g.: light, sight, bright / automobile, autograph, autobiography. Students can mark own work with a dictionary.10. Collective nounsStudents compile as many collective nouns connected to the topic areas as possible.

11. Which one – what oneTutor writes a sentence in which there are 3-4 words to choose from to make a correct sentence. Students write what they consider to be the correct word on a mini whiteboard and hold up. Enables the tutor to identify which students need further support / intervention. For example, the student what/who/which/that gets the most correct answers will win a prize. Good for homophones.

12. Facing factsShow pictures of a character or place and display. Ask students to write a fact about them on the board. Choose one fact to make into a sentence: Heathcliff is married to Isabella Linton. Add in new facts using all who, which, whilst, when, which, etc. The winner is the group with the most grammatically correct, well punctuated sentence.

13. Key Word PictionarySplit class into 2 teams and split the board in half by drawing a line down the middle. One member of each team comes to the board, the tutor shows them both the same word to be drawn. The students draw the word in their half of the board and the first team to call out the correct word wins a point (it doesn't matter if they are looking at both students' drawings). Repeat.

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14. Memory GameWrite 15 words on the board or on flashcards. Give students a couple of minutes to memorise them then remove words. Students see how many they can remember. This should be differentiated by using words varying in difficulty, both in terms of meaning and spelling. Can be played in teams with more words or try giant playing cards.

15. Just a Minute – or twoPut students in groups of 3-4 and give them a topic to talk about (this could be a revision topic or a means of introducing a new topic). The aim is for the group to talk for minutes about the topic. One student is chosen to start talking, he/she will need a talking prop to pass round (e.g. a pencil case). As soon as the student runs out of things to say or begins pausing, he/she should pass the pencil case to another student to continue. Students in the group can offer to take the ‘prop’ and continue talking when they feel someone is drying up.This can be done throughout a unit of work – the more students learn, the longer they should be able to talk about the topic. The repetition should consolidate students’ learning, and by gradually extending the time, students will also see that their learning is ‘extending’.

16. Sentence ExpansionStudents add words and phrases to a sentence to see how much longer they can make it. This can be done in teams as a competition.

' A vice can be dangerous' can become, A vice which is used to…… can be ….dangerous if………. ……because it can…………………….which will cause…………'

The winner is the team with the most words in a grammatically correct and well punctuated sentence. It can be used to revise facts, events, cause and effect etc and also to produce creative writing.

17. Complete ClozeStudents recreate a completely blanked out text (short – 2 sentences max) which matches a picture or diagram. Write the sentence on the board in line form, i.e. one line for each word. Show the visual. Students call out words and the tutor writes correct ones in the spaces. If they call a word which appears more than once, write in all occurrences of the word. Students draw on their knowledge of grammar and understanding of the topic to complete the sentence. This can be done as a game by setting a time limit.

18. AnagramsWrite anagrams of 6-8 subject keywords, which have been previously introduced, on the board (revision). Students unscramble them. E.g. amsitg, menast, llopne, tapel, psael, ytsel (Science: pollination)

19. What's the Difference?Students explain the difference between two subject keywords which are closely related and may cause confusion. For example, risk and hazard. Can be used as an

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introduction to a new unit/ to consolidate previous learning. Students may need dictionaries. Encourage students to use whereas to signal the difference – write a sentence frame on the board' …..is…..whereas…….is……..'

20. Missing VowelsWrite about 8 subject keywords on the board, omitting the vowels. Students work out what the vowels are. Use to consolidate previously taught vocabulary and spellings. Can extend by doing whole sentences. For example, frm, md, mtrls, txtr, clr (Art)

21. Venn DiagramWrite the nouns in one circle, verbs in another, and words which can be in both the middle. For example: saw – timber - measure - vice - construct - fold

22. AntonymsWrite words on the board. Students match the opposite adjectives. Or, write only one of a pair and students supply its opposite. For example, shiny, flexible, smooth, inflexible / rigid, soluble, rough, insoluble etc. Highlight prefixes where they appear (inflexible)

23. Key Word SwatWrite items of subject vocabulary, which have previously been introduced, on the board (or, for more fun, use word cards on walls spread around room). Divide class in 2 teams. One student from each team stands at front. Give each a fly swat or long ruler. Orally, give definitions of the words. The teams call out the answer to their reps. The first student to swat the correct word claims it for their team.

24. Noughts and CrossesDraw a noughts and crosses grid on the w/b and write a number in each – 1-9. Split class in half and label them noughts or crosses. Team 1 chooses a number from grid. Tutor reads previously prepared question/ definition/ task which corresponds with that number. If students respond correctly, they win their O or X. For incorrect answers, the other team wins the O or X. It is now team 2's turn. First team to get 3 Os or Xs in a line wins.

25. Washing LineStudents have to organise words according to criteria given by the tutor. For example: Boiling Tepid Cold Freezing Humid Sultry Sweltering Roasting Ardent Nippy Aloof Hot

26. Hidden SentenceVolunteers sit at the front of the class (any number from 2-4). Tutor gives them a topic to discuss or argue, (revision activity), and gives a card to each student. Each card should have a different sentence about the topic written on it. Students learn their sentence. At some point during the discussion, each student should say their

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sentence as naturally as possible (and without reading it!) The rest of the class have to guess which sentence was given to them by the tutor – they will need to make notes as a reminder. This can be used to try and get students to use subject specific vocabulary in discussion (otherwise their sentence will stick out like a sore thumb!). It is an excellent activity for English to highlight / practice formal language. It can also be fun if one joke sentence/ really posh sentence or 'street' slang sentence is used, especially if it totally contrasts with a student's speaking style – can be very funny!

27. Twenty QuestionsStudents have a word or name stuck to their forehead. They have to ask a partner questions to find out who or what they are.

Alternatively, split the class in half, on 2 sides of the room – label them A and B. Choose an object or person for each half to guess and write it on a piece of card. Show half A, who/what half B is, and show half B, who/what half A is, by holding up the pieces of card (without the other half seeing). Each half of the class then takes it in turns to ask a question which is answered by the other half. The first 'half' to guess wins. Students often take a while to think of appropriate questions when playing in pairs; playing in 'halves' speeds the game up as there are more people to ask questions and they can plagiarise good questions from each other. It could also be played in groups of 6, with 3 students on each side.

28. True or FalseDivide class into 2. At one end of the room, stick 2 cards to the wall, one saying 'true' the other saying 'false'. One person from each team comes and stands at the other end of the classroom. The tutor reads out a statement about maths or English and the 2 students have to decide if it is true or false. They run to the other end of the room and stand in front of the correct card. Each correct answer scores a point for their team. Health warning: this can get very rough so only do it if students are reasonably sensible!

29. Ready Steady TeachProvide groups with a shopping bag of ingredients (for example, modelling clay, string, lollypop sticks, empty toilet rolls, et.). Tell them they have 5 minutes to plan an activity in which they use the ingredients to 'teach' something. For example, how to lay foundations

30. Mystery ObjectThe class are shown a mystery object. They are asked to write down five questions that, if answered, might help them to suggest what the object is.

31. ArticulatePut students into groups of 3-4 and give each group an envelope containing at least 25 words or phrases. Taking it in turns, students have 45 seconds each to explain as many words/phrases as possible without using any derivations of the word(s) (they should take one word/phrase at a time from the envelope, not a handful!). The explainer scores a point for every word/phrase they describe that is guessed correctly, (the skill is in the explaining). Students also score a point every time they

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correctly guess a word/ phrase. Good for practising subject specific terminology and for revising whole topics.

32. Topic Tennis (a fun form of brainstorming)Students should be in threes. The tutor names a topic. 2 students take it in turns to say words relating to the topic (like word association except words don't have to directly associate to each other, just to the topic), they keep going until one person can't go. The third student notes down the words. These are then fed back as a whole class. This can introduce an new unit or be used as revision. It can also be scored (out loud by the third student) as a game of tennis, hence the name – good for kinaesthetic students

33. Mind mappingOn entry, students are given a sheet with the main concept of the lesson printed in the centre. They have one minute to produce as many key words relating to the topic as possible. Take feedback.

34. RecallOnce seated, students watch the tutor produce ten resources/tools/key words from a bag. The tutor names and describes each item and replaces them in the bag. Students are then asked to name as many as possible in thirty seconds.

35. ContinuumAn imaginary line is made across the front of the room. The ends represent opposing points of view. Students place themselves at an appropriate point along this line, justifying their decision. This activity can be revisited as a plenary to see whether opinions have changed as a result of the lesson.

36. Students in roleStudents work in groups to physically recreate a picture (e.g. of politicians campaigning, or fox hunters meeting demonstrators). In role, students answer questions from their peers about what has happened, how they feel and why they feel this way. Students go on to frame their positions through persuasive writing.

37. Verbal tennisIn pairs, students take turns to come up with associated words. Hesitation or failure to follow on loses a point in the game. This can also be done in groups of three, including a referee, or as a whole class activity.

38. Back to backStudents are in pairs, sitting back to back or side by side. One student has a picture (which is concealed from the other) and describes it to the other who must reproduce and identify it. This is particularly useful for basic apparatus assemblies, and works well with specific diagrams, for example, the digestive system/electrolysis experiment.

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39. Visual stimulusThe tutor provides an artefact but without any explanation. This might be a simple pinhole camera and resultant image, for example. Students individually list three questions they would like answering about the artefact. Working in pairs, students try to answer and/or speculate on each other’s questions, identifying what other information they might need to form an answer. The questions can then be revisited as a plenary to ensure that students are able to answer the questions they devised.

40. SequencingDiagrams are cut up into steps/stages (e.g. an experiment undertaken in a previous lesson). Students are given a stage each and their group has to put themselves in the correct sequence. The original, complete diagram can be used for summarising, and tutors can use a variety of questions to maintain interest and challenge students.

41. Question sortSets of questions on a topic are printed on cards increasing in difficulty. Students individually sort these cards into ‘can do’, ‘can’t do’ and ‘not sure’ piles. In pairs, they then discuss why the cards are in particular piles and try to support each other in understanding how to tackle those questions in the latter two piles. The tutor is able to move around the room to support the process and get a feeling for difficulties uncovered, particularly those common to large numbers of students.

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TASK ONE: Create a starter that gets learners ready for the lesson.


2. Higher order thinking activitiesAll of these activities have been designed to help motivate learners, embed higher order thinking using Blooms Taxonomy, help to effectively process information by using a variety of cognitive tasks, gain personal skills and English and maths skills but also encourage enjoyment within the lesson, aiming to promote positive behaviours and reduce the chances of learners spiralling into negative behaviours. Before we look at ideas let us remind ourselves about Bloom’s Taxonomy by considering a lesson around unemployment.

‘Blooms taxonomy

contextStudent Learning Brief description of activity Possible resources

Knowledge based – mastery tasks available to all with source range to reflect variety of learning styles.

Unemployment as a measurable statistic.

Source handling and data selection.

Trend identification.

Students look through a range of provided sources (pictoral, tabular, graphical, text) which contain the unemployment rates for 1991-2001. They complete a table showing the rates over the period and write a statement as to the trend.

Unemployment rate sources – real and manufactured.

Table framework.

Comprehension based via classification with application introduced

Various “types” of unemployment established based on differing circumstances and events.

Linguistic skills developed around providing explanations and creating definitions

Matching cards exercise (unemployment “type” with sample causal situations or “examples”. Activity completed in pairs. “Collaborative talk” approach employed with students explaining to each other their understanding of the matches selected.

Particular focus on words used in the examples to secure initial definitions of each type.

Matching cards

Application and Application of features of Individual students in each Blank matching cards.

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TASK ONE: Create a starter that gets learners ready for the lesson.


analysis based examples to create own samples.

Problem solving to address each unemployment type.

pair devises own example on blank card of each type for other to match. Further collaborative talk to explain example and matching decisions.

Pairs then consider one example of each type and produce list of ways of preventing the type of unemployment from happening or getting the people in the example back to work.

List produced for each type.

Synthesis based (creative action)

Theoretical explanation of cures for unemployment.

Design skills for poster display.

Representing ideas.

Students use textbook to find summaries of solutions to each type to compare with own.

Pairs prepare poster demonstrating/describing types of unemployment with possible solutions/cures.

Display resources. Standard textbook.

Evaluation Essay construction.

Evaluation of knowledge gathered on unemployment.

Class discussion of wall displays focusing on advantages and disadvantages of methods available to reduce each type of unemployment. Table completed by students to ensure notes.

Wall displays.

Writing frame (see attached).

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Bloom’s Taxonomy and Task Design

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Categorise deduce

Knowledge state recall

A mix of mastery and developmental tasks is required

Mastery so that weaker students can succeed

Developmental to stretch the more able, and to ensure deep understanding for all students

Set a mix of these tasks for Q&A; lesson tasks; worksheets; assignments; etc

Evaluation - (judge, critically appraise)

strengths and weaknesses advantages and disadvantages give arguments for and against fitness for purpose value for money & value for effort compare and contrast consider evidence, bias etc

Synthesis (create, design, invent)

solve a problem write an essay, report, criticism ... design a leaflet, poster, presentation etc. give constructive suggestions for improvement in a given situation design a policy or strategy or device do a survey (eg with a questionnaire etc.)

Analysis (consider the parts separately)

analyse a situation, experiment, case study etc and describe what is happening.

classify compare give reasons, give causes and effects

Mastery Tasks

For example: Recognise and name the main constituents of a cell.

Copy and label a diagram of a power station

Characteristics:

They are easy. 100% of students can get them 100% right!

they are not dependent on prior learning

They can be attained in a short time, perhaps minutes

Developmental TasksFor example;

Evaluate the importance of full to high employment.

Report on the leisure time opportunities in Worcester City.

Characteristics:

they are difficult they are highly dependent on prior

learning development is slow and requires

considerable effort they create transferable learning of

important thinking skills they are more interesting, even to

weak students they are vocationally and academically

relevant they create deep learning

Application (Doing after being shown how) apply use calculate

Comprehension explain interpret

Hard


A. ApplicationThe next four teaching and learning activities are connected to application in an aim to help learners use what they have learnt in differing situations. If the ideas below do not work for your subject area, think about creating activities around the key words:

Apply – Practice – Employ – Solve – Use – Demonstrate – Illustrate – Show – Report – Dramatize – Schedule - Operate

Interpret - Translate

Application: Apply – Show – Dramatize – Interpret – Translate - Use

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Activity:1. As a starter choose some funny style video themes that will take learners through

different eras. I like to use 1950s public announcements; clips from the 1970’s children’s programs, ‘How’ and ‘Blue Peter’ 80s style. Choose those that may fit best into your subject area. Show the learners these clips and tell them to watch carefully, but not what they are going to be doing.

3. Ask the learners to guess what they are going to be doing in the lesson then go through the lesson objectives.

4. Each group is given either the same or different topic areas. Learners can either research this topic or this could be an end of unit activity. Then explain that you would

1. Can you entertain and teach children at the same time?


Application: Translate – Interpret – Show – Apply - Practice

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Activity:1. As a starter choose some funny style video themes that will take learners through

different eras. I like to use 1950s public announcements; clips from the 1970’s children’s programs, ‘How’ and ‘Blue Peter’ 80s style. Choose those that may fit best into your subject area. Show the learners these clips and tell them to watch carefully, but not what they are going to be doing.

3. Ask the learners to guess what they are going to be doing in the lesson then go through the lesson objectives.

4. Each group is given either the same or different topic areas. Learners can either research this topic or this could be an end of unit activity. Then explain that you would

Activity:

1. As a starter, ask learners to identify some of the time zones the TARDIS has visited (test their knowledge of what TARDIS stands for (Time and Relative Dimension in Space)). The sound of the TARDIS can be downloaded on U-Tube.

2. Provide each group with an idea/concept/theory etc. and ask them to translate the knowledge but only in terms of the time zone they have landed in. For example, hospitality and catering students in Victorian England could only create dishes with the ingredients available in that era. Psychology students could only analyse mental illnesses with the information available in 1950s Glasgow.

3. Learners then write notes scheduling how the topic area has moved on from that to this era by defining any major social, technological and knowledge developments.

4. Finally learners create a display explaining how the elements of their topic area have developed over the years and present this to the class.

5. Another element of this is not just eras but differing countriesEmbedding English and Maths:

English: Using language for an informal presentationEnglish: Recognising differences in language (i.e. cretin, idiot once acceptable for use

by health care workers)Maths: Calculating years

2. Lesson in a TARDIS


Applications: Apply – Practice – Use - Employ

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Activity:

1. As a starter, ask learners to identify some of the time zones the TARDIS has visited (test their knowledge of what TARDIS stands for (Time and Relative Dimension in Space)). The sound of the TARDIS can be downloaded on U-Tube.

2. Provide each group with an idea/concept/theory etc. and ask them to translate the knowledge but only in terms of the time zone they have landed in. For example, hospitality and catering students in Victorian England could only create dishes with the ingredients available in that era. Psychology students could only analyse mental illnesses with the information available in 1950s Glasgow.

3. Learners then write notes scheduling how the topic area has moved on from that to this era by defining any major social, technological and knowledge developments.

4. Finally learners create a display explaining how the elements of their topic area have developed over the years and present this to the class.

5. Another element of this is not just eras but differing countriesEmbedding English and Maths:

English: Using language for an informal presentationEnglish: Recognising differences in language (i.e. cretin, idiot once acceptable for use

by health care workers)Maths: Calculating years

Activity:

1. Learners are put into teams and each team is given an area of study. 2. The task is to apply the topic area to an interview situation. To achieve this, learners

will have to have enough knowledge to apply it to appropriate interview questions with the objective of identifying if the interviewee has appropriate knowledge to undertake the job offered.

3. As part of this session suitable interview techniques should be discussed and a particular job related to this topic invented.

4. Once each group has decided how to translate the topic area into interview questions, groups swap around so that participants from group one interview participants from group two and so on.

5. Learners take it in turns to be interviewer and interviewee.6. After interviews learners assess their level of knowledge and identify where they had

gaps in their knowledge.7. Remind learners that this is an important skill as most positions require technical

based interviews testing precise knowledge.

Embedding English and Maths:English: Write interview questions that can be easily translated into a verbal

conversationEnglish: Use verbal language appropriately for an interview situationEnglish: Use language to probe for information both written and verbal

People and personal skills: Interviewee and interviewer skills, identifying the importance of answering technical questions in an interview, confidence to communicate one to one and when under pressure, enjoyment of sharing knowledge

3. The Technical Interview


Application: Apply – Practice – Use – Employ - Illustrate

B. AnalysisThe next three teaching and learning activities are connected to analysis in an aim to help learners dissect and understand the structure and elements of what is being studied. If the ideas below do not work for your subject area, think about creating activities around the key words:

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Activity:

1. Learners are put into teams and each team is given an area of study. 2. The task is to apply the topic area to an interview situation. To achieve this, learners

will have to have enough knowledge to apply it to appropriate interview questions with the objective of identifying if the interviewee has appropriate knowledge to undertake the job offered.

3. As part of this session suitable interview techniques should be discussed and a particular job related to this topic invented.

4. Once each group has decided how to translate the topic area into interview questions, groups swap around so that participants from group one interview participants from group two and so on.

5. Learners take it in turns to be interviewer and interviewee.6. After interviews learners assess their level of knowledge and identify where they had

gaps in their knowledge.7. Remind learners that this is an important skill as most positions require technical

based interviews testing precise knowledge.

Embedding English and Maths:English: Write interview questions that can be easily translated into a verbal

conversationEnglish: Use verbal language appropriately for an interview situationEnglish: Use language to probe for information both written and verbal

People and personal skills: Interviewee and interviewer skills, identifying the importance of answering technical questions in an interview, confidence to communicate one to one and when under pressure, enjoyment of sharing knowledge

Activity:

1. First: learners produce their own world map on a piece of A3 paper.2. Second: Learners identify on the map locations connected to their subject area (i.e.

Alexander Fleming born in Ayrshire)3. Third: Learners produce a timeline for their subject area.4. Fourth: Learners create a factual leaflet describing the topic area.5. Fifth: Learners use this information to create an on-line learning tool for their colleagues.

The learning tool can be through any on-line medium the learner chooses

Embedding English and Maths:English: Language appropriate for instruction English: Using clear coherent language

People and personal skills: Understanding the role of the tutor, realising the limitations of on-line resources

4. Make an On-Line Lesson


Analyse – Dissect – Detect – Distinguish – Examine – Compare – Contrast – Survey – Investigate – Separate - Categorise

Classify – Relate - Debate

Analysis: Categorise – Separate – Relate - Debate

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Activity: 1. This activity is good towards the end of a unit when you would like learners to start

bringing all of the elements together, compare, contrast or rank them in some way. The exact rules are up to the board game creators but should be along the lines of producing a board game that contains various elements of the topic area. They must also add in red herrings that have nothing to do with the topic. The objective of the game they produce should be that players try to land on as many correct elements as possible to be the first to create their theory/concept/tool/etc. If players land on a red herring there is a forfeit, however, if learners are able to argue logically that their red herring belongs within the concept they can carry on.

2. To create the game, learners will have to be able to dissect enough knowledge to choose which words/concepts/tools go into the game.

3. There are companies that make designs into actual game boards – this may be a good reward for those who put in a lot of effort.

Embedding English and Maths:

English: Choice of appropriate description languageEnglish: Choice of language for a different medium (i.e. board game)English: Discussion

1. Board Game Creator


Analysis: Distinguish – Separate – Classify – Compare - Contrast

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Activity: 1. This activity is good towards the end of a unit when you would like learners to start

bringing all of the elements together, compare, contrast or rank them in some way. The exact rules are up to the board game creators but should be along the lines of producing a board game that contains various elements of the topic area. They must also add in red herrings that have nothing to do with the topic. The objective of the game they produce should be that players try to land on as many correct elements as possible to be the first to create their theory/concept/tool/etc. If players land on a red herring there is a forfeit, however, if learners are able to argue logically that their red herring belongs within the concept they can carry on.

2. To create the game, learners will have to be able to dissect enough knowledge to choose which words/concepts/tools go into the game.

3. There are companies that make designs into actual game boards – this may be a good reward for those who put in a lot of effort.


English: Choice of appropriate description languageEnglish: Choice of language for a different medium (i.e. board game)English: Discussion

Activity: (May take a little preparation time and we’re not really hunting down any librarians!)

1. This activity requires cooperation from your librarians.2. Plan the knowledge that you would like learners to analyse.3. You and the librarian devise several categories of information in which learners find and

investigate. For example, journal articles, CDs, websites, books, magazines etc.4. Learners are set small puzzles to help them guess the medium they need to find. Then

for each medium, they must investigate and find the answer to a set question. The questions you set should require learners to compare and contrast different ideas/views/ideologies.

5. By the end of the treasure hunt the learner will have enough information to be able to produce an essay on the topic area.


English: Library skills English: Read and locate information in a text English: Use differing modes to find information

People and personal skills: Working as a team, appreciating the wealth of resources in a LRC environment, appreciating library staff, working independently outside of the classroom

2. Hunt the Librarian


Analysis: Analysis – Classify – Examine – Compare - Contrast

C. SynthesisThe next four teaching and learning activities are connected to synthesis. In these activities we want to help learners put the parts they have learnt together to create something new or add into these elements something from previous lessons. If

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Activity: (May take a little preparation time and we’re not really hunting down any librarians!)

1. This activity requires cooperation from your librarians.2. Plan the knowledge that you would like learners to analyse.3. You and the librarian devise several categories of information in which learners find and

investigate. For example, journal articles, CDs, websites, books, magazines etc.4. Learners are set small puzzles to help them guess the medium they need to find. Then

for each medium, they must investigate and find the answer to a set question. The questions you set should require learners to compare and contrast different ideas/views/ideologies.

5. By the end of the treasure hunt the learner will have enough information to be able to produce an essay on the topic area.


English: Library skills English: Read and locate information in a text English: Use differing modes to find information

People and personal skills: Working as a team, appreciating the wealth of resources in a LRC environment, appreciating library staff, working independently outside of the classroom

Activity:1. Some business study students may have a head start with this one. Introduce learners

to the Pareto effect. Explain that The 80/20 Rule means that in anything a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial. In Pareto's case it meant 20 percent of the people owned 80 percent of the wealth. You can apply the 80/20 Rule to almost anything.

2. Ask learners to research the Pareto rule as this is a good principle for any work environment, then use what you are teaching to analyse issues such as:80 percent of problems come from 20 percent of causes80 percent of work absence is due to 20 percent of staff 80 percent of road traffic accidents are caused by 20 percent of drivers80 percent of a restaurant's turnover comes from 20 percent of its menu

3. Ask learners to consider this principle and apply it to various case scenarios, what does the principle help them to identify about the scenario and what changes would they make having this knowledge?

4. Finally learners produce a report providing an analysis of the subject area and how it could be improved with the knowledge gained.


English: Write using descriptive wordsEnglish: Read and understand technical languageEnglish: Write using language for analysisMaths: Applying percentages to information

People and personal skills: Recognition that other disciplines benefit form sharing method and knowledge, professionalism, experience of managerial technique

3. Pareto, Pareto its better than a Burrito!


these do not work for your subject area think about creating activities around the key words.

Create – Invent – Compose – Predict – Organise – Plan – Construct – Design – Modify – Image – Elaborate – Combine –

Original – Change – Adapt – Improve – Produce - Set up

Synthesis to include: Create – Elaborate – Adapt – Modify - Predict

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Activity:

Change the title depending on where you live.

1. Provide learners with the knowledge they need to reach their given criteria. Alternatively, provide learners with the criteria required and ask them to research the information. You may also want to provide learners with a basic guide on how to produce a script

2. The learners’ task is to adapt the topic area, skill or knowledge for a script (for example, a soap style program could be set in a professional kitchen where characters egotistically argue over best methods/recipes, a documentary style script could explain how brake pads are changed). The script should be around five minutes in duration. Different styles of plays could be encouraged, for example a play around risk assessment could be a comedy of errors. Learners should be encouraged to elaborate on the knowledge given.

3. Learners should create characters and a setting of their choice and have to decipher the amount of words needed for a five minute ‘act’.

4. Each group may act out their part, if they wish to do so, but this is not essential.

1. Slough Today, Hollywood Tomorrow


Synthesis: Create – Construct – Organise – Plan – Design – Set up

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Activity:

Change the title depending on where you live.

1. Provide learners with the knowledge they need to reach their given criteria. Alternatively, provide learners with the criteria required and ask them to research the information. You may also want to provide learners with a basic guide on how to produce a script

2. The learners’ task is to adapt the topic area, skill or knowledge for a script (for example, a soap style program could be set in a professional kitchen where characters egotistically argue over best methods/recipes, a documentary style script could explain how brake pads are changed). The script should be around five minutes in duration. Different styles of plays could be encouraged, for example a play around risk assessment could be a comedy of errors. Learners should be encouraged to elaborate on the knowledge given.

3. Learners should create characters and a setting of their choice and have to decipher the amount of words needed for a five minute ‘act’.

4. Each group may act out their part, if they wish to do so, but this is not essential.

Activity:

1. Provide learners with an example of how museums display educational information (depending on your subject area, you can choose the Transport Museum, Science Museum etc.).

2. Explain that museum displays have to be attractive and interesting to all visitors (i.e. a five year old child or a 70 year old tourist who speaks no English).

3. Learners’ task is to build a display board from the items supplied by the tutor. Their objective is to present the subject area but in a manner that all people would find interesting.

4. The learners may need to focus on the subject area from the perspective of the past, present and future.

5. Learners also create a worksheet of their display that visitors can complete. Worksheets may have a mixture of information, test questions and puzzles. Learners may also have items on their display that visitors can use and try out.

6. Once the display is complete, set the classroom up as a museum, learners are invited to visit each display, maybe invite other tutors as well.

7. Remind learners that the display must be aesthetically pleasing.8. The tutor organises peer assessment sheets and learners complete these as they visit

each stand.9. The activity ends with test questions set by tutor to assess learning.

Display Number:

Percentage grade

Reason for grade What would you have done differently

Embedding English and Maths: English: To a given standard communicate through words a variety of people find engagingEnglish: Use descriptive language in an interesting manner

2. Museum Display


Synthesis: Adapt – Merge – Modify - Predict

Synthesis: Create – Produce – Modify – Adapt - Improve

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Activity:

1. Provide learners with an example of how museums display educational information (depending on your subject area, you can choose the Transport Museum, Science Museum etc.).

2. Explain that museum displays have to be attractive and interesting to all visitors (i.e. a five year old child or a 70 year old tourist who speaks no English).

3. Learners’ task is to build a display board from the items supplied by the tutor. Their objective is to present the subject area but in a manner that all people would find interesting.

4. The learners may need to focus on the subject area from the perspective of the past, present and future.

5. Learners also create a worksheet of their display that visitors can complete. Worksheets may have a mixture of information, test questions and puzzles. Learners may also have items on their display that visitors can use and try out.

6. Once the display is complete, set the classroom up as a museum, learners are invited to visit each display, maybe invite other tutors as well.

7. Remind learners that the display must be aesthetically pleasing.8. The tutor organises peer assessment sheets and learners complete these as they visit

each stand.9. The activity ends with test questions set by tutor to assess learning.

Display Number:

Percentage grade

Reason for grade What would you have done differently

Embedding English and Maths: English: To a given standard communicate through words a variety of people find engagingEnglish: Use descriptive language in an interesting manner

Activity:

1. Provide learners with a list of the topics, knowledge or skills they have previously learnt, alternatively ask learners to make this list.

2. Ask learners to choose a partner.3. Instruct them to take today’s topic and merge it with one of the previous topics listed

to create something new (for example, new law, new recipe, new type of blow dry).4. Explain that a lot of synthesis in the workplace is about existing ideas merging

together, by having the skill to synthesis you can begin to invent more effective methods. For example, most academics create theory from old theory just by adding a new element.

5. Learners then produce a report explaining their new idea. The report must contain:

a) An explanation of their idea b) Predict strengths and weaknesses of their idea c) If there is a cost element ask learners to calculate thisd) What factors would be required to practically implement this ideae) How might this area be viewed differently by differing gender/ethnicities/classes

6. Learners could if you think appropriate present their report to the group7. Group could peer assess

Embedding English and Maths:English: Embeds report writingEnglish: Use of formal languageCommunication: Discuss appropriate contentMaths: Possible calculation of cost

People and personal skills: Working one to one with another learner, producing a level of work expected of the workplace, presentation skills, identify a level of professionalism required for the workplace when producing reports, equally sharing workloads.

3. Take Two

4. Suppose you ruled all of ……


D. EvaluationThe next three teaching and learning activities are connected to evaluation. Here we are helping learners to make judgments about the value of ideas, items, materials, and more. If these do not work for your subject area, think about creating activities around the key words:

Judge – Select – Choose – Decide – Evaluate – Compare – Interpret – Prioritise – Conclude – Defend – Critique – Justify –

Debate – Verify – Argue – Recommend – Assess – Rate – Score - Measure

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Activity:

1. Provide learners with a list of the topics, knowledge or skills they have previously learnt, alternatively ask learners to make this list.

2. Ask learners to choose a partner.3. Instruct them to take today’s topic and merge it with one of the previous topics listed

to create something new (for example, new law, new recipe, new type of blow dry).4. Explain that a lot of synthesis in the workplace is about existing ideas merging

together, by having the skill to synthesis you can begin to invent more effective methods. For example, most academics create theory from old theory just by adding a new element.

5. Learners then produce a report explaining their new idea. The report must contain:

a) An explanation of their idea b) Predict strengths and weaknesses of their idea c) If there is a cost element ask learners to calculate thisd) What factors would be required to practically implement this ideae) How might this area be viewed differently by differing gender/ethnicities/classes

6. Learners could if you think appropriate present their report to the group7. Group could peer assess

Embedding English and Maths:English: Embeds report writingEnglish: Use of formal languageCommunication: Discuss appropriate contentMaths: Possible calculation of cost

People and personal skills: Working one to one with another learner, producing a level of work expected of the workplace, presentation skills, identify a level of professionalism required for the workplace when producing reports, equally sharing workloads.

Activity:

1. Tell learners they rule all of … the beauty salons in the world …. farms ….. factories ….. laws …

2. Learners identify what they would improve by having this power.3. Learners must also reflect on the responsibility of this power and negatives of having it

in relation to their subject area (i.e. lack of creativity in the field of music)4. Aim to start with a discussion of what learners are thinking5. Learners put a presentation together using any presentation tool they feel would get

their message over (PowerPoint, flipchart etc.)6. As part of their presentation, learners must devise an exercise to create questions that

help learners to think more deeply about their suggested idea.7. Observers should be invited to critique the idea of the presentation but not the style of

presentation8. All groups go back to the drawing board and see how criticisms could be embedded to

improve idea

Embedding English and Maths:English: Write presentation English: Use language to teachEnglish: Choose appropriate medium to get message acrossCommunication: Present ideas in a coherent manner

People and personal skills: Be confident to stand by ideas however crazy they may seem, present and talk in front of a whole class, enjoy communicating ideas, take criticism of ideas and look to how they could help in modifying idea so far.


Evaluation: Decide – Debate – Assess – Conclude – Argue – Measure - Judge

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Activity:

1. Choose a case study for your subject area and adapt the PowerPoint attached called ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’

2. Lay two long pieces of wallpaper down on the floor within the space you have available.3. In two teams learners sit around the wallpaper and are given various tasks. 4. The rule is each team has to discuss the answer before it can be written on the

wallpaper and answers must be written before the allocated time is up.

Looking at the case study (could be a health and safety scenario, children’s case study for child studies, case study of bias, learning disorder diagnosis etc.):

1. TASK ONE: Rate, as a percentage, how good the outcome of this case was?2. TASK TWO: Do you agree with the actions and the outcome of the case?3. TASK THREE: If you were only to think of your personal opinion how would it

change the answer above?4. TASK FOUR: Would you recommend changing anything to change this situation in

the future?

Each group then presents their piece of wallpaper to the rest of the group and wallpapers the wall (not with wallpaper paste!)

Embedding English and Maths:English: Discussion skillsCommunication: Take turns at giving opinions Maths: Use percentages to rate an idea

People and personal skills: Groups work, negotiation of, assertion in giving opinion,

1. The Writing’s on the Wall


Evaluation: Justify – Discuss – Argue – Decide - Conclude

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Activity:

1. Choose a case study for your subject area and adapt the PowerPoint attached called ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’

2. Lay two long pieces of wallpaper down on the floor within the space you have available.3. In two teams learners sit around the wallpaper and are given various tasks. 4. The rule is each team has to discuss the answer before it can be written on the

wallpaper and answers must be written before the allocated time is up.

Looking at the case study (could be a health and safety scenario, children’s case study for child studies, case study of bias, learning disorder diagnosis etc.):

1. TASK ONE: Rate, as a percentage, how good the outcome of this case was?2. TASK TWO: Do you agree with the actions and the outcome of the case?3. TASK THREE: If you were only to think of your personal opinion how would it

change the answer above?4. TASK FOUR: Would you recommend changing anything to change this situation in

the future?

Each group then presents their piece of wallpaper to the rest of the group and wallpapers the wall (not with wallpaper paste!)

Embedding English and Maths:English: Discussion skillsCommunication: Take turns at giving opinions Maths: Use percentages to rate an idea

People and personal skills: Groups work, negotiation of, assertion in giving opinion,

Activity:

1. Place words in a contraption/box/ of some sort2. The learners in ones, twos or groups randomly choose a word3. Once the word is extracted. The learner(s) must write a few sentences to justify why

theirs is the best. 4. The class must then make a physical line of the most and least important. To make this

line, learners will have to argue their point and decide.5. In law, the random word machine could contain cases (which one has had most impact etc.). For engineering, it could be why their method is best, in carpentry why their wood plane is best.5. Finally, the class needs to create a rating scale to illustrate which is most important

Embedding English and Maths:English: Use language to persuadeEnglish: Use of written language to persuadeMaths: Rating

People and personal skills: Groups work, negotiation of ideas, assertion in giving opinion, decision making, time management, decision making, allowing others to have their say.

2. Justification Machine

3. Arguing your Opposing View


Evaluation: Argue – Debate – Decide – Evaluate - Recommend

Evaluation: Judge – Argue – Justify – Rate – Interpret – Recommend - Select

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Activity:

1. When a topic you are teaching has an opinion consider creating a panel type lesson2. There are two types of experts in this activity: panel experts and audience experts3. The tutor can be the chair 4. First learners are given the task of researching the topic area, the aim being to decipher

their opinion on the given subject5. Once you have discovered their opinion you tell them – ‘okay for our panel activity you

will be on the opposite side of that argument to argue instead that …….’6. The panel activity should have four panel members who give opinions on a topic (in this

case the opposite of what they believe) plus audience members who also argue the opposite of what they believe

7. After the activity you allow learners to write down how arguing the opposite effected their opinion and whether it changed it or made it even more precise in some way

8. Also reflect on how it felt.9. As a plenary, students could produce a bar chart of opinionsEmbedding English and Maths:

English: Use debating languageEnglish: Write up research in the style of an argumentEnglish: Think carefully about the spoken word to persuade othersEnglish: Think about the skill of debating not the topicMaths: Create a bar chart

People and personal skills: Research skills outside of the classroom, self-motivation, time management, capability to argue something we do not believe, recognition that other points of view may strengthen viewpoint.

Activity:1. Choose a topic within your subject area that has a moral issue embedded into it (for example health and safety, sustainability, manufacturing processes, any ideology). When you begin teaching the topic, ask learners to think through the knowledge they already have and evaluate the questions below:

How are consequences judged in this topic and who decides it is a consequence?How might conflicts between goods, services or the theory be argued?Does this topic require bad to have good?How does this topic help create a better life? Is it a better life for all?Under what ideologies are we making these judgements?If the topic has a morally good outcome but some of the processes to get there are immoral – does the final outcome make it justifiable?

4. The Game of Moral Dilemmas


PART THREE: Ideas for teaching English and mathsPart Two: Creativity in teaching1. Creative teaching activities

Activity Exercise4 Corners 4 words / themes / headings / facts are stuck on the wall in

each corner of the room. The tutor gives a statement pertaining to one of the corners, and students move to the correct area of the room.

Wrong choices are out, and ultimately the last one to get there is out.

Learning can be shared by asking correct students to explain why they chose it.

Connects facts that may be mundane to a funny situation and a moment in time. Finish activity with learners writing sentences to clarify facts. Use a scrapbook for a plenary to get learners to take photo of activity

and link information to that photo.

How will you use:

Adopt a Word Students are initially given a word to adopt, and write down in a template: Word-meaning-class-example of usage. They research it and return to present findings to the class.

They then write it up onto a card and place it in a word-

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Activity:1. Choose a topic within your subject area that has a moral issue embedded into it (for example health and safety, sustainability, manufacturing processes, any ideology). When you begin teaching the topic, ask learners to think through the knowledge they already have and evaluate the questions below:

How are consequences judged in this topic and who decides it is a consequence?How might conflicts between goods, services or the theory be argued?Does this topic require bad to have good?How does this topic help create a better life? Is it a better life for all?Under what ideologies are we making these judgements?If the topic has a morally good outcome but some of the processes to get there are immoral – does the final outcome make it justifiable?


adoption poster. Students proceed to either research other given words or

choose own.This higher order thinking activity allows learners to take

responsibility for their own learning rather than being ‘told’. As a plenary, ask learners to come up with an ingenious way of getting

others to remember their word.How will you use:

Ambassador The Class is divided into groups of 4. One of the groups is nominated as the ambassador group and leaves the room to watch a demonstration / watch a video / read. They must make notes, being aware that they must teach a lesson on the subject, during which time the rest of the class is taught more about the theory.

Ambassadors return to the classroom, by which time, ideally the theory work has been completed. They now teach the demonstration to their respective groups explaining and if necessary repeating, the steps.

The recipients return the compliment by teaching the theory that they have just learned to their ambassador. Tutor to observe groups’ learning.

Teaching theory to learners who have chosen a practical subject can be hard. This method helps relate the theory to the practical so they leave

the classroom with more visual cues and having made mental links to visual reasons as to why a certain method or rule is important.

How will you use:

Back to Back Learners sit in pairs “back-to-back” – the chair backs should touch so the learners are close enough to hear each other above the noise that will follow. They decide who is A and who is B.

A is given visual material, e.g. a descriptive passage in a play which they hold close to their chest, B is given a piece of plain paper and pencil.

A describes the visual to B, while B draws it, aiming to make a perfect replica which is exact in size shape and detail, complete with labelling. Describers can only use their language.

This is a co-operative exercise. B can ask as many questions as they can ask as many questions as she likes and A’s job is to be as helpful possible.

When time is up, partners compare the original with attempted copy.

Partners either swap roles and try it again, using different material, with B describing and A drawing, or discuss why

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the elements previously omitted might be significant.This exercise will help learners use visual skills and improve recall skills

later on during exams in a visual form. How will you use:

Blockbusters Students travel across a grid containing initial letters.Research has found that asking learners over and over again will help the

neurons create a LTM and moreover connect the fact to other already recognisable pieces of information. Testing is crucial to preparing learners for exams simply because the more you can recreate the

conditions of an exam the better the learners will remember when they get into the exam room.

How will you use:

Bouncing Bounce answers around the room to build on understanding and have students develop stronger reasoning out of misconceptions.

E.g. “Jimmy, what do you think of Sandra’s answer?”“Sandra, how could you develop Carl’s answer to include more detail?”“Carl, how might you combine all we’ve heard into a single answer?”

Having discussions will help learners to be able to build stronger neuron links and have something to look back on when trying to retrieve

information.How will you use:

Conversion Ask learners to take material that is presented in one format and convert it into a different format.

Typical examples include:-Chart / key-word plan / overlapping circles / ranked bullet points. Turn mind maps, flow diagrams, story boards, chart, graphs and bullet points into texts.

Converting requires a greater number of neurons to be involved in the process of storing information. It also allows the neurons to create a small bank of neurons with all kinds of information connected to one

topic or word.

How will you use:

Delegation Set up resource stations around the room. These might include a combination of posters to examine, experiments to

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carry out, a short video to watch, pages of a text book to read etc.

Split the learners into groups (four or five in each group). Each group has the same objective to understand and learn all aspects of the topic exhibited around the room.

Therefore, each group decides which learners to send to which resource station, perhaps taking account of their preferred learning style. These envoys then go to their stations and makes notes to take back to base. Delegates from different groups help each other to master the resources, so everyone goes back to their starting group feeling clear and confident.

On returning to their group they take turns to teach each other. The deliverer moves around the room monitoring the quality of teaching and responding to questions and extending learning

Connects facts that may be mundane to a situation and a moment in time. Teaching requires greater use of the knowledge and helps the

brain realise it is important enough to go into LTM.How will you use:

Discussion Carousel

Clear the desks Have a group sitting on chairs in two concentric circles, an

“outer” and “inner” circle, of equal numbers. The inner circle faces outwards and the outer circle faces inwards. In other words, everyone is facing a partner.

The facing pairs are given prompt and have a conversation for, say, three minutes. They are asked to make sure that each has a chance to speak. The deliverer lets them know when it’s half time.

When the time is up, the outer circle stands and spins round to the left until the deliverer says stop. Learners now sit down, facing a new random partner.

Before the new pair launch into their conversation, developing the subject further, each has to summarise to the other their previous partner’s contribution

Once again, when time is up, the outer circle “spins” and new pairs are formed. Learners have to summarise both their first and second partners’ contributions before conducting their third conversation.

This may be repeated as many times as is useful.In a fun activity learners are asked to recall information in practice for

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exams.

How will you use:

Don’t Say Yes or No

Answer tutor’s questions without saying yes or no. May need alternative suggestions to begin with.

Encourages the learner to think carefully when recalling. So many exam questions are misread or read correctly but the learner recalls the wrong

data without thinking first. Also helps learners understand misinterpreted facts during a lesson.

How will you use:

Formalise Ask how many reasons they can think of for writing a formal letter.

Give learners the inappropriately informal letter. Ask a few simple comprehension questions. Have they been in contact before? What's it about? What are the problems?

Then ask what's wrong with the text. Next, students re-write the letter to make it more

appropriate as a formal letter. Give students the model letter, and ask them to compare it

with their letter. Emphasise that the model is only one possible way of re-writing the letter - this can lead to a discussion on whether any differences are equally correct.

Ask the students to identify language from the model which they could use to improve their letter.

At this stage you might also wish to draw attention to other conventions of formal writing, e.g. Faithfully for an unknown recipient, use of Ms., indentation, address location.

The same exercise is interestingly done in the reverse – to make an informal letter particularly informal, excluding taboo language for lower key stages.

This will help learners to memorise complex language or techniques.

How will you use:

Inquisition Students write a question about what they would like to learn in this lesson about the topic. They pin them to the board, then take someone else’s. Each student to read and then attempt to explain why that question was asked.

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As a group activity, the tutor can check answers, and then return to owner to write up the responses as ‘answers’ to be displayed for the duration of the unit.

This activity will make the brain sit-up and pay attention when the knowledge is later discussed

How will you use:

It was a dark and stormy night…

Ask the students to:-Draw the face of a person in the top right-hand corner of the page-Give the person a name-On the top left of the page ask them to write five adjectives to describe the person's appearance.-Next ask them to write five more adjectives to describe the person's character-Then ask the students to write three things that the person likes doing-Then ask them to write who the person lives with. In this way they build up a character profile for the person they are going to write about.-Dictate: 'It was a dark and stormy night and'. Then they put in their character’s name, followed by the word 'was'.-Then ask the students to complete the sentence from their imagination and add one more sentence.-Next, get them to stop and pass the paper to the pair on their right (this means that every pair of students now has a new character).-They then read through the information and the beginning of the story and then add one more sentence to it.-Now, ask them once more to pass the paper to the next pair on their right.Continue to do this with each pair of students adding a sentence to each story, gradually building up each story as the papers are passed around the class. -Ask them to introduce a problem and, each pass, they develop the action until you ask them to start to reach a conclusion.

Follow up: -Give each pair of students a story and get them to try to find and correct errors.

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-Get the students to write the stories up on a computer and then ask them to add more description and detail to the stories, making it their own as much as possible.

This is such a lovely way to create a strong cluster of neurons. It uses all the coding processes and we all remember story lines and characters

within those stories. How will you use:

Jeopardy The answer is XYZ – now write the question. N.B. The question could begin with the words ‘What is…’

This is a nice simple teaching technique that will prepare learners for exams by helping recall when a question is seen in an exam.

How will you use:

Jigsaw Learners work on their own or in pairs to assemble logically coherent material that has been cut up into separate parts. It is important to choose the material and the divisions carefully.

The simplest form of jigsaw is sequencing. There needs to be enough clues in each separate piece for it to be possible to connect them in a logical sequence. The sequence could be provided by chronology, or the order of events in the narrative of a story.

This exercise will help the brain to memorise processes better by providing visual stimulus during memory retrieval.

How will you use:

Just a Minute – or Two

Put students in groups of 3-4 and give them a topic to talk about (this could be a revision topic or a means of introducing a new topic).

The aim is for the group to talk for a minute (or 2) about the topic.

One student is chosen to start talking; he/she will need a talking prop to pass round (e.g. a pencil case).

As soon as the student runs out of things to say or begins pausing, he/she should pass the pencil case to another student to continue.

Students in the group can offer to take the ‘prop’ and continue talking when they feel someone is drying up.

This can be done throughout a unit of work – the more

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students learn, the longer they should be able to talk about the topic. The repetition should consolidate students’ learning, and by gradually extending the time, students will also see that their learning is ‘extending’.

The prop in this activity is important. Try to choose something that will be in the exam with the learner. This will trigger the neurons to

go the right area of the brain before retrieval.How will you use:

Living Photographs

Provide 1 or more photographs (containing people, e.g. a war photograph. If more than one, they should be linked in theme).

In groups, students choose one to recreate as a freeze frame. Tutor then asks for suggestions as to what the 'bigger picture' might be – what is going on that we can't see?

Students then create the 'bigger picture'. Ask them to be ready to speak their thoughts as the person

in the photograph.If I connect a fact to a face I may be able to create a visual trigger. For example, if I were teaching Tort law and had a picture of a man called Mr Bloggs who had noisy neighbours, my brain by remembering the

photo would remember easier the facts connected to certain Tort facts. Think in terms of neuron clusters!

How will you use:

Maps from Memory

In groups of 3-4, students have to memorise and collectively reproduce a map, diagram or chart that is on the tutor’s desk. All students should be numbered from 1-4.

The tutor then calls out number ones, students come to the tutor’s desk to look at the map/diagram/ chart for 20 seconds (without making any notes). The tutor signals the end of 20 seconds and students return to their groups to reproduce what they have memorised on sugar paper.

Wait for about 30 seconds before calling out number twos; this gives groups a chance to organise themselves. Repeat as many times as necessary.

As they are completing the activity, students should be constantly asking each other the following questions (note on w/b before beginning activity):

▪What strategies are you using for remembering the diagram and the text?

How are you organising yourselves to work effectively?

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What are you finding easiest/ most difficult about the task? Debrief - it is the debrief that fully develops thinking skills.

Ask students to feed back their responses to the questions and try to ensure that discussion mentions the following memorising strategies:

Using headings / subheadings - Remembering key words - Remembering the first letter of each phrase or sentence - Using a mnemonic - Remembering by rote -

Seeing the parts of the diagram or text on the page (photographic memory).

Better run after a series of lessons exercising said memory skills.

Not only does this activity teach a topic but it improves the skill of actively using our memories

How will you use:

Opinions Cards produced with issues, for example, ‘capitalism’, ‘violence’, ‘war’. Students draw a card out of a bag. They then pick one of two cards ‘for’ or ‘against’. They are given 5 minutes to prepare an argument to support their position. They then present to the class and take questions.

When learners have a debate they will remember so much better as more will have been made of the subject. The debate may even hold

other memories like silly things said that make everyone laugh or jokes made. Again these memories help to create deeper memories

that are stored in LTM.How will you use:

Post-it Note Groups

On 4 sheets of A3 paper, stick, write or place a different question/ statement/ picture/ painting /diagram or object.

Put students into 4 groups. Give each group A, B, C or D one of the sheets so each group

has a different one. Also give some post-it notes to each group.

Students have 2 minutes to respond to the question/ describe the visual/ annotate the diagram etc.

They write their responses on post-its, legibly and stick on the A3 paper.

Now, group A moves to group B's table, B to C's table, C to D’s table and D to A’s.

They read the previous post-it notes and add to the

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responses – they cannot repeat ideas. Groups move around again and repeat. Each time their

thinking will be extended as they cannot repeat ideas. Students move back to original table to read their post –its. Groups feed back to the class.

A useful activity to embed knowledge into the LTM and keep it there.How will you use:

Quiz - builder Groups devise multiple choice questions designed to catch out other groups.

Good exam practice, the more questions asked in preparation for exams the better

How will you use:

Run-around Learners work through a series of set tasks in any order within a given timescale.

Design a number of tasks pertinent to the topic. Remember to cover a range of learning styles to encourage all learning.

Set the tasks in different locations (tables) around the room. If facilities allow, they might include watching a video for selected information (with the monitor facing into a corner of the room), listening to audio and various reading, writing, graphic and tactile activities on the tables.

Explain the learning outcomes, and the assessment to be conducted at the end of the series of activities.

Learners set off, tackling the activities and tasks around the classroom, the deliverer moves around extending and challenging the learning taking place.

At the end of the run-around, learning is consolidated by the deliverer, drawing on the knowledge and understanding achieved by the learners, and a final assessment task is provided.

The learner practices in a way that helps them to embed the information into LTM

How will you use:

Universally Challenged

Give students a list of 8-12 questions on a particular topic, or as a whole class, get students to come up with the

34


questions and write them on a sheet for the tutor and one for them.

The aim of the game is to answer each question with the previous question's answer.

Demonstrate to students: get one student to ask you the first question but respond with a 'Mmmm'. When they ask the second question, you give the answer to the first question and so on. The combinations can be quite amusing. Get one group to ask the other group, and take note of correct answers – out of synch of course. Then change round

Good exam practice.How will you use:

Wall Dictionary On a large piece of thick paper, stick on 26 pockets, labelled A-Z. Cards are labelled A-Z and the students must put a word / term and definition in each pocket; bonus marks for Q, X and Z. In future lessons, students can take a random card from the dictionary, write it in their book and use it in a sentence.

Helps revision skills and can be used later for revision lessonsHow will you use:

2. The plenary

35

Take what we have learnt and use it to invent

something completely

random that could save the world.

Draw a pie chart to represent what you have learnt today.


36

Take what we have learnt and use it to invent

something completely

random that could save the world.

Draw a pie chart to represent what you have learnt today.

Is there anything about the topic we have

studied today that would create less pain and

more happiness?

Is forced marriage something that

happens in all societies and how can we stop

it?Take one

fact/opinion/method you have learnt since the

start of the lesson and argue why it was wrong.

Design an app that would help teach a five

year old this knowledge.

Re-design what we have learnt today for

a person with a hearing impairmentCreate a flowchart

to illustrate how this unit fits

together

List the many types of extremism that

exist in the UK

What is most important to you

and will this change as you get older?

Create a QR reader that relates to this

topic

Does today’s lesson relate to British

values in any way?


37

What is your own moral code?

Review your public profile on-line and write a description of what a prospective employer

might think of you?If a genie said you can have one wish to cure all the ills of the world what wish would you

choose?

Is it right that FGM is a crime?

How might empathy make me better or worse at

this topic area?

Create a nice way of saying ‘no’

without hurting a person’s feelingsCan you define

rudeness and the effect it has on

people?

If we were all atheist would the

world be more peaceful?Do you think that

new generations are ever capable to learn

from the past?

What makes people angry to the point they are willing to

harm others?


38

Today’s objectives are (tick once they are achieved)

Write below your own objective if required:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Middle:We are half way through the lesson how is your mood helping or hindering you so far?

End:Write one paragraph explaining what you know now that you didn’t at the start of this lesson

Describe what you have done to help one person in the room (this may include the student!)

Have you learnt anything new about equality or just life in general?

Lesson checklist

Is there something about today’s topic that if used, would improve equality?

Do you talk too much or too little? Analyse

why?

this workshop provides tutors with creative teaching ideas ... web viewfor example, the student...

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