Pointless Gameshow starter!!! Fun.
Key terms
Use of key terms
Lots of AFL
Many images
Choropleth map
Atlas
Population
Challenges included
Example/ Model answer
Explain why the Sahara Desert is sparsely populated
Plenary
View different biomes
Guess the word starter (4 pictures 1 word)
Definitions
General climate
Video
Word bank
Definitions of words on board
Address misconceptions
All answers fade in
Task to find locations
TEA describe their locations
Challenges included
SEN worksheet
2024 Statistics
NASA night lights 2024
Interesting fun facts
Gap fill with word bank
Worksheet available for scaffolding
Definitions of words in detail
Lots of images
Lots of assessment for learning
Visual modelling with students possible
Mind map
Writing task (factors)
Density calculation
Numeracy included
Challenges included
Plenary: challenge both views
Self-assess
Helpsheets available
Both SEN, low ability and high ability covered
2024 Life expectancy statistics game (solo, teams, class options)
Involves world statistics, and 8 different countries.
Past and Future of UK, South Korea and Japan population.
In depth discussions about ageing population. Positive, negative, benefits, pro-natal policies, pensions, knock on effects, etc.
Population pyramid readings
Critical thinking/ guessing
Literacy lesson
Reading a newspaper (slide)
Optional: reading the news
Video of elderly explaining their actions
Critical thinking/ guessing with knowledge
Definitions all included
Writing a diary entry using key terms .
Lots of prompts provided with definitions.
Challenge question about resolution
Example provided for low ability
Template included for low ability
Task allows lower ability/ SEN the time the extra time they need for tasks, whilst higher ability work on a higher thinking skill challenge.
Lesson planned for 1-2hours depending how in depth your class can go on discussions/ prompts, critical thinking and their writing ability.
Height on maps
Gapfill and word banks
Spot height
Layer colouring
Contour lines
Explanation through colour coding, animations and different perspectives
Example drawing
2 minute video summarising
Option to draw contour lines on landscapes
Short tasks
Worksheet applying map skills onto OS map
All answers pop up
Includes higher thinking skills for those who need challenges
Gapfill plenary
Helpsheet available for low ability
Updated shorter version: Climate graph creation using template, and compared or interpreted with climate of South Africa. Lots of scaffolding included and animations step by step (otherwise consider visualiser for some parts). Climate graph template allows them enough to do it on their own with prompts, brilliant for a first time use and repetition if done again or removed as they get use to it.
Climate graphs of different biomes
Read climate graphs
Fill in pyramid task based on biomes
Address misconceptions (lots of images)
Draw climate graphs from blank
Lots of different helpsheets depending on students’ ability - line/ bar/ climate graph template
Pyramid template
Challenges included
Plenary on reading climate graphs, easy to assess
Can be 1hour to 2 hour lesson
Climate graph recap
Map recap using TEA (gapfill, images and prompts)
Pairwork
Literacy task
Optional background information
Optional adjustable information for lower ability (information as hidden slides)
Silent work
Students teach each other
Comprehension
Well controlled activity
Support low ability (with more time/ prompts)
Gap fill
Worksheets
Challenge (can adapt to involve GCSE geography answers instead)
Fun and supportive class activity
Quick plenary to assess all
Definitions mix and match boxes
Class activity
Low ability student support
High ability challenges
Examples for scaffold
Lots of imagery to address misconceptions
Worksheets available (differentiated)
Literacy task
Hinge questions for assessing knowledge
All answers (fade out)
All definitions on board under text
Plenary to find definitions of unknown words using dictionary practice
Reading/ knowledge/ linking to rainforest class
1-2hour lesson depending on ability.
Homework included
BONUS: PowerPoint Name Wheel! AND built in timer. No need to exit the screen, go onto websites etc. Easily adaptable to your student names and time is adjustable.
2 PowerPoints. 1 for lower ability to have them critically think more and focus on tasks first.
Animal adaptations
Lots of images throughout as prompts
Video included
Pair discussion
Writing task with sentence starters
Leads into fun application task as a geographer…
Create your own animal (label with adaptations and why its needed)
There are limitations (numeracy included)
Students share their work (rewards/ votes)
Challenge at end (solo or competition or class)
Recap of skills.
An exciting story to follow (promotes literacy).
Adaptable between year 7 to older by changing the story words.
Map is adaptable to change to your town/ school if you wanted.
TEA answer with gapfill to scaffold.
Concept used over a small scale.
Also available as a large scale (assuming it is a practice) to show Ebola as a real life case study.
All adaptable.
These are designed for 1hour. 3 slightly different versions depending on your resources/ class behaviour/ student abilities. You can mix them up. There are some Pokemon themed sections which you can remove/ alter. All materials and helpsheets included. Lesson plans are not included due to confidential data. Gapfill also included for students to try answers.
In seats, short task together, short independent task building towards main independent task. Pair work. Similar to a treasure hunt but using words, to decode a secret word.
Main activity is fun: linking into science, survival in real life using minimal items such as a leaf or a puddle etc. Depending on which resources you want to use and environment, this can be adapted. In this scenario, it’s in the classroom so it uses a bowl. There are other ways of making a compass but this is the minimal as you want magnetic north to address the misconceptions that North is always in front of you like the maps say.
If you happen to not have materials/ or it’s being used by the science department/ don’t have any at home or the budget… you can skip the making compass section and show with your compass/ your phone/ provide compasses (depending on resources). The main activity involves a team game where they have to the teacher from A to B using the classroom. For behaviour control, they can estimate the number of steps (assuming they have also not learnt scale/ distance yet), or if you have a behaved class you can allow one student per team to leave their seat to count steps (limits to about 6 students out their seats at a time for classroom management). The purpose of the lesson is compass directions so the other factors are not important in this class. Future classes will have these skills combined.
2 and 3 looks more into real-life survival skills and involves team activities. There are also extras included depending on the class speed/ lesson time.
If you have a break in classes, you can use it to prepare materials/ set up teams to save time. My students know how to move the tables, who’s in their teams, who is the team leader for collecting items (classroom management), and complete it within 30 seconds with materials. You must model it well if it is your first time with such activities.
A full 1 hour lesson. Lesson plan refers to 50 minutes but it is easily 1 hour or more depending on how much time you want to provide. I included this because you can understand each part. All sensitive information is removed. I have also included a section for a Plan B, in case the class does not go to plan.
A brief starter about each season to assess their prior knowledge and the importance of knowing this information. E.g. Would you wear a warm coat in the summer?
A merry-go-round activity with stations. This saves lots on resources as you only need 6 sheets.
Depending on the level of your class, you can remove more information, and remove the bold font as hints. Depending on your student’s knowledge, you may want to explain some things first or change some information. For example, food chains/ webs.
Powerpoint for a 1hour lesson on waterfall formation. Adjustable depending on students’ ability and lesson time. Each level gets harder for them to remember.
Starter for students to think
Mind map alone/ do together
Label picture and explain/ students guess
Match key terms and definition
Video on formation
What happened in the video (with image): explanation by students
Storyboard explanation
Fill in the blanks(1)
Complete the order (2)
Team activity: spot the mistakes/ correct
Team activity: summarise formation/ feedback
Plenary: checking understanding of key terms by labelling the waterfall
Homework: learning the definitions for pop quiz (literacy skills)
Includes an optional worksheet as homework to reineforce formation
Update 2024: KS3, more creative, scaffolding, and materials added.
Lots of visuals
Poster task
Student examples included as ideas.
1hour lesson
Wheel of fortune sharing (built into PPT)
Lesson 7.1: Year 7, first class of climate change (causes)
Lesson plan (1 page bullet pointed each section)
Powerpoint (to follow with the powerpoint) - leaflet/ writing task
PPT has videos and built in timer to help you keep your time management.
Alter as needed.
3hr lesson+
Lesson 4: economic opportunities and challenges
Print outs - how industry has changed with questions, social/economic/ environmental sheets
Apply task marking booklet following mark scheme - several slides to practice marking (yourself or students). Sample answers to mark. Helps students know what to look for or write in their own work.
4/10
Updated: Great lesson that I completed in several schools. It can fit in 1 hour, or easily be 2 hours.
Starter - differences in words
Differentiated reading variety: less options from easy to hard (polar bear has missing information for higher ability to think of answers). Full options provide a range of animals if you wanted to provide more variety, have a longer lesson etc.
Images and maps included
Endangered > Extinct line with examples included for understanding (helps lower ability a lot)
Mind map - with examples
Definitions included - break down of words (included in the lesson plan for how to do this)
Reading information - highlighting (make sure those with polar bears know they don’t have the 2nd highlighter which is prompted on PPT but depending on your students’ ability you may need to tell them). The original reading can be changed to beginning if the school runs reading session routines, this will make them more familiar with the text and ready for the task.
Create a fact file. Success Criterion included. Challenge included.
Fact file works better as students focus on writing (e.g. Yr 8s mixed ability did half a page in 5 minutes). I used this class in the best schools in Basingstoke. If you have more time, you may want to do a poster but ensure they do not spend ages designing, writing a title or drawing pictures as this shows no application of knowledge.
Students present their work. Depending on time and resources, you may want a table (removed from PPT) for them to complete as students present. Otherwise just some simple notes for extra information, but their in depth information will be displayed in their animal/ work.
Plenary. If time pair discussions, then class. In PPT, I’ve set as class vote due to time.
Reading materials include pictures, graphs, maps, statistics etc. so they have to think about the information.
Check students’ reading ages before you give them an animal.
Easiest is turtle, then Panda. Majority of students like Panda level.
Orangutan has the heavy text which should be given to those who enjoy reading and have a higher than average reading age.
E.g. grammar stream students were given polar bear, elephants, orangutans (but kept some pandas for any students who may happen to struggle on this topic).
Updated version: Only English. Used with students for locational knowledge. Timer already set so you don’t need to press anything and check the students/ control behaviour. You can adjust timer settings.
40minutes - 1hr class: alter to suit your needs/ wants to adjust timing.
This has PPT, an answer sheet for you, 1 page quiz worksheet (or they can write numbers and answers, depending on the ability of students or your resources), a video (which is already embedded in the PPT but you have this as an in case).
Powerpoint is already timed, so you only need to get the class into groups, give them a worksheet and the slides will go through. I monitor the classroom and if they already answered, then I would forward it to next slide to provide more discussion time at end.
Guess the country (flags made with their food)
Name the colours of the flag
Real or Fake flag
Short video clip about flags: memory test
At the end, you can mark answers by going through with students and having them swap their sheets with another group. You can even expand on each section/ answer by asking about the image which brings into cultural food and famous things of each country, or even some facts that students may know.
You can decide how they get full marks. For example, correct spelling only etc. Literacy is important in UK schools and you gain points for correct spelling in exams so you might want to factor your lessons.
I used this for English class where they had to translate it from their own language to English so I didn’t mark for spelling but gave them points for trying to spell (usually they would have the word in their langauge). Their geography level are good so I usually did forward the slides.
I used this as a reward day which is fun, engaging and has competition between teams. You can give rewards to the winning team if you like, usually candy or in UK it would be commendations.
2hour lesson
Recalls/ Do Now
Videos included/ or with embedded links
1 big worksheet/ several small worksheets/ images and graphs options
Gap fills for scaffolding
Applied task available as exam paper form - otherwise in PPT as normal with scaffolding options
Part 1/4 in climate change
Full Lesson (observed by universities and other higher educational roles).
Slightly different trade game.
Learn about HIC, NEE, LIC - global trade imports, exports - inequalities - international events, etc. You may need a glossary or students may have some prior knowledge about development or globalisation. Reflection is most important.
Includes 6 countries. Each countries equipment list included. Amendable. Borrow students’ equipment if needed.
Added observer roles for high ability who (who can also act as referees to control behaviour if you have behaviour problems). Make sure they are rewarded. They watch the countries, report to you, and write up a report. A4 sheet with list of questions and prompts for them to complete.
Note: You can make it clear if you are allowing or not allowing stealing. I only had one class steal a lot. This can link back to some History and Geography such as South Sudan. Remember to control physical fighting.
After game, you have a discussion as they will probably have a lot to say or comment about. Cut it off at the appropriate time. Must calm back down with writing reflection notes.
Reflection cards for them to answer prompt questions with challenges. This links to development (not X stole Y etc.) Observers will write their short report. You may have some share at end.
I completed it with new classes - considered risktaking by most educators. E.g. Some schools and teachers have never done such a lesson.
I’d recommend doing this if you know the class well enough, attempted some freedom lessons that you can trust them during this game, otherwise you need to have good behaviour management or plan B if you struggle to control. I’ve done this and other freedom lessons with new classes often with strict rules because every student are able enjoy and interact with the lessons (with any ability).
I used this for observations and gave the “power” to strong/ high ability characters who were able to report everything to me (cheating) as the game went, as well as give rewards and consequences. Even my lowest abilities and SEND, EAL (no English), several behavioural students, all did AMAZING, including good use of key terminology. Honestly was really proud of them. They were able to make the link (maybe with prompts), and I did not need to call a high ability student to help. I only have 2 higher abilities in the class (and one was not in). This class were “successful” by several observers for passing placements and obtaining job offers. The best feedback was nobody attempts it for observation, and if they do - it is a disaster - so when I did this it was great (and the class isn’t a good ability class either)! I had 2 students run away over the fence just before class so they were noisy before class but they were perfect (address behaviour immediately as you need it for this class)