Victorian Christmas Traditions. KS1 and 2 power-point of 58 slides (including worksheets). This power-point can be used as a complete stand-alone lesson which can be edited into topic sections or as an additional spin off to related topics which encourage the pupils to think about how a Victorian Christmas is celebrated and how the traditions we know today originated. I have kept the information simple with a mix of slides, and lots of additional fun linked activities including a quick dictionary definition exercise, a short youtube clip, book exercises (written tasks), paired talk activities, 11 worksheets. Christmas traditions covered are: Tree, decorating the tree and the home, presents, crackers, cards, dinner, entertainment and games. Learning objectives • To know the origins of Christmas traditions in the United Kingdom. • To compare Christmas traditions today with Victorian Christmas traditions. • To express opinions and views about Victorian Christmas and compare what it was like for rich people and poor people. • To work co-operatively with a partner or small group to discuss answers and ideas about Christmas traditions. Worksheet 1: Matching task. Victorian and present-day Christmas tree decorations. Worksheet 2: Venn diagram – rich and poor Victorian Christmas. Book activity: Label the evergreen decorations. Worksheet 3: Write a message / joke for a cracker. Worksheet 4. Follow Instructions. How to make a Christmas cracker. Book activities: Christmas cards. Worksheets 5,6,7: 3 blank templates with a Victorian border for Christmas card designs. Worksheet 8: Work out the Figgy Pudding recipe used by the Victorians but written in old English. Worksheet 9: Blank plate templates for a Victorian and present-day Christmas dinner. Worksheet 10: 6 Victorian Parlour games on cards. Worksheet 11: Victorian traditions blank writing summary for each tradition. Each slide includes pictures which illustrate the key learning points. Useful alongside lessons or topics on Christmas, celebrations, Winter, entertainment, Victorians.

The Solar System. KS2 power-point of 31 slides (including worksheets). This power-point can be used as a complete stand-alone lesson or as an additional spin off to related topics which encourage the pupils to think about the Solar System and the planets. I have kept the information simple with a mix of slides and activities including a short youtube clip, paired talk activities, 7 worksheets. Learning objectives • To know that the sun is the centre of the solar system. • To know some interesting facts about the sun. • To name the eight planets which orbit the sun. • To organise the planets in order of closeness to the sun. • To know the names of other cosmic bodies in the solar system. Worksheet 1: Facts about the Sun. Worksheet 2: Ordering the planets mnemonic. Worksheet 3: Ordering the planets cut and stick activity. Worksheet 4: Labelling the planets. Worksheet 5: Cosmic objects in the Solar System. Resource 6: Planets fact cards. Worksheet 7: Planets research activity grid. Each slide includes pictures which illustrate the key learning points. Useful alongside lessons or topics on sun safety, summer, space and planets etc.

KS1&2 Christmas Nativity story sequencing activity. Learning objective: To sequence and retell the Christmas story in order. Pupils cut out the boxed images and descriptions and sequence the story onto a storyboard template. There are three templates attached which support differentiation and reading levels. Higher Ability (Timeline 1) template is numbered only and pupils order the story into the numbered boxes. Middle Ability (Timeline 2) is differentiated using key words from the main text in the numbered boxes. Lower Ability (Timeline 3) order the story into the numbered boxes with the support of key sentences which they can match to the main text. After completing the activity the pupils can retell the story using the timeline sequence as a prompt.

Close up picture quiz. Set of 20. Have fun identifying close up and cropped pictures of everyday objects, food and creatures which will challenge visual perception and creativity. Suitable for KS1 and KS2 as an individual, paired or group activity or competition. Do your pupils have an eagle eye?

Geographical features cards. Set of 60 cards depicting a physical geographical feature (natural and human) and a beautiful photographic image. The cards can be used to encourage recognition of the features. Pupils can use them as a sorting exercise or as a paired or group ‘guessing game’. Can be placed in the class library area or the ‘Early Finisher’ box/tray. A double set of cards (laminated) can offer pupils opportunities for fun games such as Snap and Pairs. I have used these to help pupils develop work on features eg: writing a factual or descriptive piece about a feature or set of features or a researched paragraph about current issues relating to a geographical feature eg: coastal erosion on Norfolk coastline, how the Grand Canyon was formed. Can be used by Y2 -Y6 upwards. Useful for topics on Geography, Climate and Weather, Coastal erosion, UK etc.

Local study Traffic problems set of 4 worksheets. KS2. Worksheet 1: Pupil traffic survey for pupils to investigate traffic flow on a street nearest to their school (morning, lunchtime, afternoon). The worksheet is simple to use with pictures for easy completion. Pupils count using a tally. Great for small group with an adult. I used this and gave a different group of 6 the task on a specific day of the week. All pupils had a chance to carry out the survey. By the end of the week, we had a picture of the road traffic problems over the course of a week at three different times of the day. Was great for comparison work. Worksheet 2: A set of follow up questions stemming from the survey plus 4 questions asking pupils their opinions about the road after the survey eg how safe do you feel riding a bike on this road? Worksheet 3: Problems caused by traffic through a picture/phrase matching task. Worksheet 4: Improving traffic issues by using road signs in town centres. Links well with work on Cities, Transport, Local Study.

Australia today: Series of 6 KS2 power-point Geography lessons. Each lesson is broken into short focused activities with supporting worksheets and maps. There are opportunities for pupils to recall prior learning, participate in a short quiz, take notes from a YouTube clip, scrutinise and compare population graphs and weather charts (included on slides), research native animals and use maps and atlases to locate Australia’s key cities and geographical features. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of Australia as well as simple cultural information such as greetings in at the beginning and end of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topics such as ‘Indigenous people’, ‘Rainforests’, ‘Weather’, ‘Deserts’ etc. Lesson 1 Learning Objectives I must find Australia in my atlas. I should recognise some of the features of Australia. I could describe where Australia is in the world using geographical words. Lesson 2 Learning objectives I must be able to spot the main features of Australia. I should find and label the features on my map. I could write a description about two features. Lesson 3 Learning Objectives I must describe a tropical climate. I should explain the temperature in different locations. I could interpret the climate data and temperature chart for each month. Lesson 4 Learning objectives: I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’. I should interpret the population table and identify the challenges for living in Australia. I could compare population graphs for Australian cities and explain population issues. Lesson 5 Learning Objectives I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’, ‘tropical climate’ and ‘weather’. I must order the ten most populated cities in Australia. I should explain how the location of Australian cities affects population size. I could explain how the weather and climate support the life of the Australian people. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives I must identify some features of natural beauty in Australia. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from Australia. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from Australia.

New Year 2024 KS1 & 2 Power-point lesson which can be used as a single lesson, assembly or as a stimulus for cross curricular work. 21 slides presented in simple text focusing on New Year greetings (in different languages) and historical information. The lesson encourages pupils to work in small groups of three / four to discuss and explain questions about the images and information presented on the slides. Slides include information on Janus the Roman God of new beginnings, reviewing the previous year and resolutions for the forthcoming year. There are a range of humorous images demonstrating resolutions and prompting ideas for pupils to use. Pupils are encouraged to record their resolutions, refer to them daily and try to stick to them!

Florence Nightingale KS1 complete lesson(s) pp of 49 slides and worksheets. Slides 2-6 begin with a 3-clue riddle for the pupils to solve; Slides 7-8 are learning objectives and a class poll; 9-15 focus on hospitals; 15-37 focus on Florence’s life with supporting worksheets and opportunities for paired talk. Slide 38 - a link to Youtube showing the children how to make a lantern; Slide 39 - a link to a clip about Florence’s life (13 mins);40-46 Hygiene and hand washing and a leaflet activity; 47-49 Florence’s life and a fact sheet for pupil use. Can be used as a one-off lesson or developed into 2-3 lessons using all of the worksheets and activities. Useful to link to topics on ‘Keeping healthy’, ‘People who help us’, ‘Famous people’, ‘Victorians’. Learning objectives To recognise a photograph of Florence Nightingale and explain her job. To describe what hospitals were like during the Crimea War before Florence Nightingale’s visit. To explain the changes Florence made to hospitals and caring for the soldiers. To explain how Florence’s work in the Crimea has changed how nurses work today.

Neil Armstrong Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

Earth Day KS1 and KS2 Assembly. A simply written whole school assembly to cover the main aspects of Earth Day which can be used in the days preceding or on 22nd April. A short video link (on last slide) can be easily slotted into the assembly if you chose. Power-point of 24 slides which include: Suggested music, video clip and hymns. Date of Earth Day (22nd April). How Earth Day began and the UN choice of Earth Day as the signing of the Paris Agreement. The issues of waste pollution and the impact on the planet. Earth Day projects and the importance of trees. Fossil fuels and the impact of global warming. What can we do? Some suggestions. An Eco champion – Greta Thunberg. ‘A poem for climate change’ (Can be read aloud) and a link to the ‘paper’ animated version (BBC). Final prayer. Optional video clip of David Attenborough ‘BBC Planet Earth celebration’. Links well with topics on environmental issues, climate change, global warming, people who make a difference, current world climate issues.

Harvest Assembly and supporting powerpoint. This assembly is complete but can be mixed or edited according to time limitations or pupil numbers/abilities. There are sufficient parts for 2 classes of KS2 pupils or pupils reading and taking acting/ speaking roles. The Assembly begins with a short introduction and information about harvest traditions and moves onto crops and grains harvested with a harvest Alphabet. The powerpoint has images which support the pupil text if you wish to use it. There are suggestions for well known songs and hymns at key points in the assembly. There is a prayer of thanks in the form of a poem which leads onto thanks to the parents/carers for their harvest donations. A short play depicts the theme of sharing with those who need it and moves onto supporting our planet and the climate issues it faces. (a summary of props is included on the playscript). The assembly ends with a ‘Happy Harvest’ where pupils can show their paintings or pictures as they read out short captions. My class made bread and we inserted pictures of the baking process (including the sticky hands and floury faces!) into the powerpoint. Also, the small recorder group played a short song and we took their photos and inserted them into the powerpoint. The children’s scripts were numbered so they sat in order of speaking (and moved if they had more than one part) and their script cards (their words) were mounted on Autumn pictures or collages made by the children and held up for the audience to see after speaking. I hope you enjoy this assembly and have fun with your children.

How to write a biography. Upper KS2. Set of five complete lessons with all worksheets and pupil resources. Includes a Biography checklist, sample biographies about Queen Victoria and Nelson Mandela, a blank biography spider-gram, blank planning templates (scaffolded) and a fact sheet about Mary Anning. The series of lessons include opportunities for pupils to give peer feedback and analyse two sample biographies. I have used these with Y5 and Y6 and have also extended the unit to include famous people which the children asked for or who we were covering in topic work eg Louis Pasteur, famous explorers/sports achievers. Learning objectives. Lesson 1 • To explain what a ‘biography’ is in my own words. • To name people who have had a biography written about them. • To list the features of a biography. • To identify the features in a short biography of a famous person. Lesson 2 • To explain what a ‘biography’ is in my own words. • To recall the features of a biography. • To plan then write a biography about someone in my family and use the checklist to include the main features. • To give helpful feedback to my partner. Lesson 3 • To read a biography about Nelson Mandela. • To use the Biography Checklist and identify whether the main features have been included in the biography about Nelson Mandela. • To identify areas where the biography could be improved. Lesson 4 • To choose a famous person for a biography. • To plan your ideas on a writing frame and listen to the feedback about the features from your partner. • To write an interesting biography which includes all of the main features. Lesson 5 • To use the factsheet about Mary Anning, taking out information which would be interesting in a biography. • To write an interesting biography about Mary Anning which includes all of the main features of a biography.

Mary Anning Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

Queen Victoria Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

KS1 & 2 Biography planning template. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own factual biographical writing. Includes a bullet point reminder of the rules for writing biographies and spaces for pupils to develop the structure of the biography about their chosen person or animal. Great to use following History /famous people/animals lesson or drama. Can also be used with most topics: My family, heroes, current or historical characters, explorers, travel, Halloween, etc.

Crime and Punishment ‘Witch Trial’ resource pack. The pack is based around a fictional short story set in 1649 and based on true events. A ‘Witch-Picker’ travels from Edinburgh to the North of England carrying out witch trials which resulted in the execution of over 100 people. The story includes a historical context and notes. I wrote the story myself after being unable to find resources which helped pupils understand the concepts, beliefs, fear and motivation surrounding the persecution of individuals as witches in the 17th century rather than focus on the gore and horror of punishment. The resource pack includes: • Short story and historical notes. • Historical information power-point about witches in the 17th and 18th centuries. Seven pupil resources: • Pupil worksheet to summarise the historical context of the story. • Glossary Activity • Glossary cards • Courtroom drama activity and resources for pupils. • Pupil activity about how the witch picker was so powerful. • Pupil activity – Thought Pyramid and questions for small group discussion (6 sets). • Pupil activity – match the crime to the punishment.

EYFS /KS1 Christmas Snap matching cards. Set of 20 simple picture cards (10 pairs) for younger pupils. Useful for matching games, stimulating Christmas vocabulary and for memory games (eg Kim’s game/Snap). Cut each picture, laminate or cover and pupils can use the cards more than once. Alternatively, the images can be used for pupils to use as part of a glue/stick activity. Images include simple everyday items and objects associated with Christmas for example: Santa, christmas tree, holly, snowflake etc.

A set of four creepy pictures for pupils to describe using spooky vocabulary and phrases. Useful for writing a single descriptive paragraph rather than a whole story. Great to link to topics on ‘Halloween’, Night and Day, Darkness, Sci-Fi etc

KS1/KS2 Matching pairs character cards. Set of 48 cards (24 pairs) for pupils. Useful for matching and pairing games, stimulating language and for book quizzes. Cut each picture, laminate or cover and pupils can use the cards more than once. Alternatively, the images can be used for pupils to use as part of a glue/stick activity. Images include the names of paired characters from books and movies for example: Pumba and Timon, Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan and Wendy, Dr Who and the Daleks.