Boredom is the enemy of education. These resources aim to give students an engaging, fun way into topics that are relevant to their lives, including awkward ones like sex education, and informing about issues that are shaping the world and their future. My hope is that they help be an effective tool to the teacher to wake up a hunger for knowledge in students, and that everyone in the classroom would have a more enjoyable and enriching experience because of their use.
Boredom is the enemy of education. These resources aim to give students an engaging, fun way into topics that are relevant to their lives, including awkward ones like sex education, and informing about issues that are shaping the world and their future. My hope is that they help be an effective tool to the teacher to wake up a hunger for knowledge in students, and that everyone in the classroom would have a more enjoyable and enriching experience because of their use.
This lesson is an introduction to global citizenship, part of a module on Global citizenship, that begins with a personal look at the individual. It includes youtube videos, mindmaps, one print out and structured questions to help students understand their own biases and the biases of the class they are in. It is a powerful step forward for self reflective learners, uses PELTS well, and incorporates SMSC, Ethics, PHSE, Citizenship and geography into one topic. Tasks are differentiated, with questions going from easy to more difficult.
Ideal for KS3-4 (11-16yr olds).
Learning Questions include:
What is global citizenship?
What is my own personal, social, historical and economic background?
How might my background affect how I see the world?
A scheme of work which covers the causes of war, how it is justified politically and religiously, nuclear war, pacifism, north korea, 9.11 and terrorism, with an opportunity for an creative and analytical assessment.
I've tweaked, modified and re-vamped these resources to maximise engagement and learning for 2018.
Gender and sexuality can be confusing for students (and teachers!), many of whom do not understand the idea of gender being a spectrum rather than a binary role connected to biological sex. Indeed, most do not understand that gender and sex are different things.
This presentation aims to present the different arguments around gender, varying from people who feel that their gender is different from their biological sex (transgender) or those who are biologically intersex (about 1-2% of the global population). It acknowledges that some people are very closed to the idea of transgenderism, whilst acknowledging the biological fact of intersex. It includes and article about Caster Semenya, the South African runner banned from competing in events because her testosterone is too high and told she would need to take medication to address this, as well as youtube videos, graphics, group discussion activities, opinion lines/corners, and written comprehension questions. There are also definition tasks too.
Ideal for KS3-5 students. (11-18yr old) A range of tasks that will not fit into an hour, so pick which work for you.
Learning questions include:
What is gender?
What is the difference between ‘intersex’, ‘transgender’, ‘transexual’ and ‘non-binary’?
What is a ‘patriarchy’?
Is gender a choice?
Is gender a spectrum?
This is a new resource on a tricky issue: feedback warmly, warmly welcomed.
Many thanks.
With Brexit being a ubiqutous and fairly exhausting topic in the news, I made this to try and teach my KS3 and 4 students about and explore their opinions on it. Mostly, students respond to the first learning question with ‘Brexit means brexit’ which has about as much substance as the middle of a doughnut. Not the jam ones.
Learning questions:
What is Brexit?
What is the EU?
What are the different Brexit options?
What are the arguments for and against it?
Stretch and Challenge:
After weighing up both sides of the argument, what is my opinion?
Some differentiation included, with a brief summary of the seven main brexit options available.
There is also a critical thinking extension which explores a claim that the PM’s deal meets all requirements, which is produced by a thinktank. Students will be shown how to use google power search’s ‘WHO IS’ function to find out who the director of that thinktank is, and how they have conservative leanings, hopefully boosting awareness of bias and independent thought.
There are group tasks as well as individual work and opinion line activities included. Also attached here are the ‘four corners’ posters which can be stuck on the four corners of the room so students move to that area depending on their opinion.
An assessment to see how much students have engaged and learnt from this scheme of work. There are two options, with differentiated questions to answer one after the other or a creative assessment option where students create something of their choosing (poem, rap, painting etc. which answers the questions in their own way).
It comes with printable questions and levelled marking grids to help you mark in a time efficient, clear way.
Enjoy :)
This is a lesson that focusses on the FBV of tolerance and mutual respect. It looks at worldwide variations in family structures, gender and religion. It encourages students to see their ideas of ‘normal’ (i.e. in France they drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road) as simply another way to do things. Hopefully without slipping into complete relativism, students are encouraged to question, develop and refine their opinions rather than give any opinions up all together. Learning objectives include:
Does culture affect what is ‘normal’?
How and why does culture affect religion, gender and family?
Extension: Does the information in this lesson change how you think about your own norms and values?
Tasks are differentiated by outcome, with group learning carousel, whole class discussion, and individual tasks all incuded. Questions become increasingly high level as they go on. Suitable for KS3-5. With some simplification it could work with KS2, but it would take some work to do so. It includes in the powerpoint slides to print out with the information on the case studies and a document about the many different forms of Islam in the world, and how culture affects religion. (As an aside, I could have chosen any religion. Christianity has 40 000 types!)
This lesson has been a few years in the making. I have been struggling to get together decent resources that inform, without shame or judgement, a generation of young people for whom porn is highly accesible, in huge quantities and ubiquitous (25% of all internet searches are for pornography).
I hope this goes some way towards that ambition.
The lesson covers:
What is pornography?
Why is it so addictive?
Is pornography having a negative effect on society?
Should all, or some pornography, be illegal?
It includes research tasks about fightthenewdrug.org, and then goes on to deconstruct that website to try and encourage critical thought, infographics, group tasks, debates and discussions. It aims to inform students of the dangers of porn addiction.
I have included here some controversial material for KS5 if you want to have a more nuanced discussion. The research done in the article ‘the sunny side of smut’ is quite problematic, and students should be directed to deconstruct it whilst also considering the points it makes.
Feedback really, really welcome.
This resource looks at Jewish identity, and is part of a scheme of work about the Shoah/Holocaust. It includes some basic beliefs about G-d (including why Jews often write G-d, instead of God) as well as a brief overview of 1000 years of anti-semitism. It puts the anti-semitism that flared into the Shoah into perspective and I’ve used it mainly with KS3 students. It includes a clip of some survivors testimonies which speak about their experience of antisemitism, and has differentiated tasks that explore quotes from the Torah and Talmud in more depth. Extension tasks also included. Easily adaptable for KS4.
Ideal for religious studies, SMSC, citizenship and PHSE.
Learning Questions (Objectives) include:
Can I imagine the possible impacts of the Holocaust on a Jewish person?
How may the Holocaust have influenced or challenged Jewish beliefs?
What are some key Jewish Beliefs?
EXTENSION: Can I evaluate how the Holocaust may effect Jewish people today?
This lesson explores who is to blame for the Shoah/Holocaust. It endeavours to introduce nuance and deeper empathy into students’ understanding in that the Shoah cannot simply be Hitler’s fault: millions of people collaborated, agreed and perpetuated anti-semitism, including some Jews in the Ghettos who faced making impossible decisions in desperate circumstances. Activities are differentiated, with youtube videos of survivors testimonies (which are a little quiet), and the lesson is perfect for religious studies, PHSE, citizenship and SMSC. It’s perhaps a bit personal for a history lesson, but may be used to augment existing scheme’s of work to help engagement.
Learning Questions include:
Can I describe the different things that were lost in the Holocaust? (level 4-5)
Can I explain my opinion on who was responsible for different things in the Holocaust? (5-6)
Can I evaluate different opinions on who was to blame in specific situations? (level 6-7)
There are also extension tasks which include footage of Otto Frank after his loss of his entire family.
All feedback gratefully received.
This lesson is an exploration of the incredible human beings who risked (and sometimes lost) their lives working to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. It is an inspiration from Philip Zimbardo who encourages us to educate children about the psychology of heroism. This powerpoint and collected resources aims to help students understand and be inspired by the incredible acts of bravery these people engaged with. I greatly encourage you to play the video linked to this lesson to students: it moves me to tears every time!
Learning Questions include:
How did some people act heroically in the Holocaust?
How did these heroes’ beliefs affect their actions?
Can you evaluate the motivations for people’s actions?
EXT: What is the psychology of Heroism? What can we do to help ourselves become more heroic?
Great for PHSE, Citizenship, Religious Studies and History. Extension tasks and differentiated activities included.
Including youtube links, independent learning activities, discussion activities and plenty of information, this lesson is about exploring the 'snoopers' charter' culture of the NSA and GCHQ, Edward Snowden's role as a whistleblower, and if we should allow our governments to spy on us. Particularly good for citizenship, sociology, RS and Politics this lesson is engaging and interesting to students.
Did you know facebook's new privacy policy allows them to use your microphone and camera? AI notes down everything we say via their app...1984? Or safety procedure?
Differentiated activities by outcome and task design, there's plenty here to stretch and challenge as well as scaffold.
This lesson also includes a debate and information which can be used like a treasure hunt activity. 26 slides of high quality teaching material.
Learning questions are:
Why is privacy important?
What is a whistleblower and what were Wikileaks?
Is the internet a force for increased freedom, or increased surveillance?
Which is more valuable, freedom or safety?
Suitable for year 6 and up, this is a single lesson, complete with clips and independent activities, to explain to your students what the refugee crisis is, how it happened, and if we should help. These can either be teacher led activities or student led, using a carousel system or marketplace. It therefore lends itself well to differentiation, and can be adapted to be an assembly too.
2 video clips included in this pack.
This resource is intended to facilitate independent inquiry and a choice of activity. Students should pick an activity and go through it, so this lesson works well with computers/iPads to access the resources attached which include video clips. There are also religious opinions and quotes to the environment, facilitating SMSC, RS, PHSE and Citizenship targets being met, and the lesson can of course be teacher led too. I usually give students 10-15minutes to feedback to the class what they found out.
A brief overview of what an election is, what a hung parliament is, and a debate about if 16 year olds should be able to vote. A chance for your students to make their own parties, too, and vote for them. WARNING: the youtube clip from the first slide has some mild obscenity in it (it's a humorous video by a made up party called the CBA party: intended to get students 'onside' - but not suitable for primary).
This lesson has a look at the truth and reconciliation trials in S. Africa and how those principles can be applied in everyday life, as well as solving more international issues such as ISIS. A bit of a labour of love, this one, as teaching about terrorism and extremism is always a bit depressing. It's a lesson to really help students connect to hope, and the Citizenship, SMSC and PHSE targets of self-awareness, other cultures and moral values.
Learning Questions include:
What was Apartheid?
What were the truth and reconciliation trials?
What was their aim?
How might Religious Believers respond?
What is your opinion on them?
Youtube clips, miniplenaries, differentiated activities and group creative tasks included following a blooms taxonomy structure, influenced by Kagan's learning cycle.
This is a resource to help tackle un-nuanced views that Christians are homophobic. It looks at some examples of welcoming Churches, and has a broad variety of resources for you to choose from including: debates, youtube videos, written evaluations and a choice of plenaries too. It's therefore well differentiated.
There are two lessons here: one focusses more on the westboro baptist church, whereas the other is more general. There is some repeated material in the two lessons, but plenty for you to pull two or even three lessons out of.
WARNING: The drama-documentary has some scenes of self harm at the end of it so could be a potential trigger for some students and should be skipped for younger year groups.
A powerpoint, worsearch, timeline, video and youtube video about how Nazi Germany gradually slid into more and more extreme versions of anti-semitism. It chronicles the dates of some of the 2000 laws passed against Jews in the years following Hitler's election in 1933, and attempts to answer the question HOW did normal people allow, and participate, in the Holocaust. It attempts to answer this to help students understand how vigilance in any society, and the trends within it, are something any healthy citizen should take part in.
The Key Learning Question is:
How did the Holocaust happen?
Activities are differentiated, and extension activities are included. Resources suited for yr.6 (10yo) and up.
This lesson is a Philosophy for Children lesson, supported by activities and pictures to try and get young people to engage with the huge injustice and personal loss of the Holocaust. It involves getting students to enquire into each others lives using the medium of their shoes: trying to be detectives (in a Sherlock deduction method sort of way). What can we tell about a person from a shoe? Very little. Yet this is all we have left of many human stories from the Holocaust, all 6, 258, 673 Jews and 3 million others. Its an attempt to get students to emote and empathise with the fact that each of those numbers is a person with a full story.
Learning Questions include:
The Holocaust-
What was it?
How many people died?
Why are we learning about it?
More detailed instructions on the P4C exercise included.
This powerpoint and worksheets provide a range of differentiated activities as well as video clips that explore how propaganda and indoctrination was used in the Holocaust to Brainwash people. It includes embedded videos, youtube links, examples of propaganda posters, team work and independent work activities as well as discussion topics.
Fine for use from yr. 6 (10 yo up)
The learning questions are as follows:
How did people let the holocaust happen? (Level 4-5)
Explain why is it important to think for yourself. (Level 5-6)
Can you evaluate the effectiveness of Nazi propaganda? (Level 6-7)
There are also a myriad of extension tasks, including examples of modern day propaganda around Islamophobia and Immigration.
A lesson to help students explore the meaning of life inclusive of, but not exclusive to, religious belief.
Learning questions include:
What is the meaning of life for you?
Do we all need a purpose in our lives?
Do you have to follow a religion to have meaning and purpose in life?
Excellent for SMSC, Religious Studies, PHSE and citizenship objectives and General Studies or Philosophy modules.
Slides have some instructions in the notes, and there is enough to pick and choose from to suit the needs of your class. 11 slides including youtube clips.