Key terms
On the spot challenges
Adaptable lesson plan
In seats plan but can change to around the room idea/ or 1 worksheet
Timer use, kept good pace and fun.
Answers
Assessment
Plenary
Print outs available
An impact of climate change - focus on biodiversity
Starter - definition of words. challenge included
Green pen - add to answers
Point left/ right for correct answers (AFL)
Students read intentions
Students read the maps (write a sentence) - sentence starter on whiteboard
Students read endangered line (understading - why?)
Mind map reasons - do a few examples and add on board first
Green pen add 3 more ideas
Key term conservation
Break down the word - bio / diversity = diverse stem (on white board)
Breakdown sustainable
Students to write down if they don’t know the words
Differentiated reading (3 versions to make it easier for teacher to split them)
Highlighting, writing ideas, challenges
Create a poster or fact file (depending on time)
success criterion - emphasise there is no marks for pretty work - to do it after the writing
challenge
e.g. my year 8s wrote half a page of information (mixed ability) for fact files
e.g. my year 9s wanted to do more drawings (mixed ability) so their work varied but they were really into it and would need more time.
Feedback to class (table or notes - they were much faster with just making notes) - chose 1 per animal - visualiser for recognition and rewards
Plenary - which one to save? Hands up voting.
Learning outcomes:
Define the term NEE and give examples.
Rank and justify the improvements you would make to an LIC.
Investigate an African NEE country.
Each time you do one, you refer back to it via AFL with students
Strong focus on command words as these will be in exam questions (for young or older students to be aware of the meaning of these)
Scenario based thinking on own.
Pair work on same scenario but having to agree on one decision together.
Feedback to class
Learning Social/ Economic/ Environmental/ Political. Questions/ prompts per section to help students answer or categorise properly. Do an example together. Model it (especially if they are younger or have needs, otherwise it is already displayed on board)
Students read information and put them into the correct categories (10 minutes). AFL and check whole room progress. I added additional 3 minutes with their goal to have one thing per box as 2-3 boxes were mainly done. Challenge included if needed.
Random sharing. Depending on your student you can allow them to share any box, or you choose a box (but lower ability/ SEND may not have the box you want).
Plenary for students to recheck the intentions and discuss if they met them. This shows their progress and understanding.
Handouts available. SEEP in colour or black and white. Information sheet in colour, and shared handouts to have them exposed to graphs, tables and maps, and to help their partner as the task may be difficult for some.
Engaging and exploring lesson through reading.
If you don’t have the book, you can print out the pages (included)
1.To describe why Africa is both cursed and blessed by geography.
2. To identify key challenges that Africa faces.
3. To develop a creative piece of work about Africa.
• Starter: 5 facts – 2 minutes
• Date and title
• Learning intentions
• Read the book 5 minutes and 2 min discussion task
• Comprehension questions (10minutes) – challenges included.
• Peer assessment
• Raise of hands to check their knowledge
• Design a poster
• Plenary: share your work
Support: Examples, Colour coded, Answers on board, Word bank, Images, Gapfill for lower ability/ SEND
Animals in the Savanna - Lion King Remake of animals - Students well engaged and excited
Learning objectives - command words - meanings
Map of Savanna (students to add to their maps from previous lesson - Physical Geography of Africa). If you don’t have this, the maps (6 to a page) are also included if you wish to make this into an activity to shade in the biome and label the latitudes.
Video about the Savanna - Notes about the biome
Animal adaptation - I do (Lion), We do (Elephant), You do (Giraffe and Warthog). Challenges included.
All students are able to complete giraffe, lower ability may struggle with warthog so I had them think more about the giraffe. Remind them of Pumba from Lion King.
Answers on board - Students to add 3 more to their animals. Handouts available for students who can’t read, lower ability/ SEND to assist them. My students did not stick them in, they used it as help.
YOU ARE A GEOGRAPHER (Science advanced and you create your own animal!)
Choose 3 characteristics (timer them). Explain why those three and how they adapt to the Savanna.
Criteria and levels (on the board I have 5 and 6). On paper (handouts or printouts or you can adapt depending on your class/ student) I have level 3-7 success criteria.
Key words on the board, connectives on the board, challenges on the board, examples (sentences and images) on the board.
Sentence builders (shared between students) allows every student able to complete the task. Higher abilities will not use it but have it as a reference.
Students will be working at different paces due to ability. My higher ability asked to do more characteristics but only because they completed it. My lower ability/ SEND I expected at least 3 sentences (this is because this is in their assessment so they need to have this). Students who finished are able to sketch their animal. Higher rewards given as motivation.
Peer assessing. Students peer assess the presenter (visualiser if you have). We used fingers due to time, but if you have longer lessons or extend another class they can use the peer assessment handouts where students assess themselves, and then peer assess. They can then improve upon feedback.
Many students loved the task, wanted to share and spend their 15 minutes break continuing.
Starter images - good and bad things about living there
Learning objectives
Key terms - word bank and challenge
Image explanations to help lower ability
I do, we do, you do short activity and challenge question
Images for AFL checking push pull factors before main activity
Engaging activity - card sort real example
Paragraph writing reasons - sentence starters, challenge included
A few more examples of different scenarios - students think of factors and intervening obstacles
Plenary - push pull factors for themselves
The history of China to now
Can easily be 2 lessons worth
Students are extremely engaged, lots of discussion points. I answered a few and had to tell them to write it down or address it next lesson.
Several tasks to do
Main task
Video with worksheet
You may need to pause depending on your students, or call out each number as you reach it.
Drawing a Then and Now image of China
Engaging lesson about the one child policy
Depending on your class you can adapt the PPT.
The lower and higher ability materials are already available (it’s set on level 3 and 4)
Includes opinion line at start and end of lesson. Can be done in classroom on in their books.
See how it changes as they learn about the topic.
Print out of the colour coded answers for lower ability/ SEND students to assist.
Included full lesson plan
Starter
Atlas use
Maps to label
Mind maps about countries - using stats
Challenges included
Quiz-Quiz-Trade game
Note down some facts from the game
Very fun and engaging deforestation debate (they need some knowledge beforehand, otherwise your help during the debate). All students say it is the best geography lesson they had (including if I do this in other schools as a one off). All students are actively participating in every second of the lesson. I really enjoy this lesson but it is a lot of energy and they need to respond to you. For a class that are noisy/ active I used a bell per round (5), but other classes it is not needed.
Hot air balloon debate.
There is a bit of preparing time for all students at the start so they are ready.
Depending on their ability, during the “note taking” sections (between some rounds), you can give questions to volunteers/ help them out ready for the debate in advance. Otherwise, my students were just practicing their confidence and speech/ public speaking skills. E.g. I had one stand up high and speak loudly, and used the uniform as “one” to vote for him.
For example, they may ask for some advice. The lower abilities would take their books to read or use for ideas during this time. You may want to provide a finished handout for the volunteers as they are note taking (unless they are high enough ability to multitask it). I usually photocopy another students’ finished notes to give them because it is related to the actual debate they did, rather than what you’ll guess they will say.
After the debate, they have a good view on all stakeholders and can create their own speech about who they support. Sentence starters/ examples, prompts provided. Challenge included. Some students to share their speech afterwards.
This builds great confidence in their speaking, reading, and class support.
It is fast pace, so behaviour needs to be quickly acted upon.
Responsibility shared, more freedom and trust in the classroom. It is something different and worth trying if you haven’t. It will indicate whether you can trust/ give freedom in lessons.
This is a shorter version than my original to fit within 50mins-1hr class. It can easily be adjusted.
1-2 hour lesson
Lesson plan attached in full (updated)
Thinking starter image
Facts (prior knowledge check AFL)
Videos with questions on causes and impacts
News report with example, gapfill/ sentence starters
Plenary AFL
Worksheets to print
2 versions (diff AFL)
Updated: Loved lesson by schools. Focuses on literacy. I included emotions helpsheet in this for SEMH students.
Starter: Life expectancy game using 2024 statistics
Graph - students interpret or you explain
Definition
UK discussion topic - if you have more time - add in a maths question using the numbers (to include numeracy skills in your list)
Graph with lots of prompt questions. Depending on ability and past topics you can decide whether you go through this part together or in pairs/ alone.
Next slides - if they are quite low ability, do address how it links for understanding. Otherwise, it is easily understandable but check in with lower abilities by having them answer/ share (privately or in class depending how supportive the class is and if you manage behaviour well).
Articles, videos included - depending on time and ability you can choose whether to include all. I usually do the summarised slide and a video for lower ability to understand it.
Please address misconceptions that NOT every eldery does this.
Instructions with success criterion
Example which helps a lot
Template provided (print out versions available if you have students who aren’t able to write)
Challenge included
Peer assess - more positives than negatives.
Notes:
I mentioned TA but she just chills at the back of the room most of the time.
High ability (above top set) - if needed - I added lots of information about other countries with videos and personal knowledge (not included in PPT) but I found any of this difficult to fit and engage with average ability as they are only familiar with UK and still lack knowledge on that so I skipped them.
Identity
Key words
Google Earth - or consider Atlas - depending on students’ locational knowledge and skills
Video with a few comprehension questions - AFL
Images, Atlas, Split, Latitude images/ information available - explanation available if needed.
South Sudan - questions about placement etc. (in lesson plan)
Timeline reading
Mind map ideas - from timeline prompts - you may want to explain, draw etc.
I used Iraq as an example (about the war and religion) - and linking it to humanities - affecting this independence and conflict etc.
Design your own country - questions to ask to check understanding
Include prompt questions in instructions – e.g., do you want the capital city to be in the mountains or near the river? Why?/ do you want them to speak the same language or something different and why?
Questions about their new country - students to justify
They label their country
Challenges included
Random sharing - wheel of fortune included in PPT. Adjust names.
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).