I am an experienced Primary school teacher with over twenty years experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. I have made and used all of the interactive topic based lesson plans, power-points and resources in this shop with my classes. I hope you enjoy using them with your classes too.
I am an experienced Primary school teacher with over twenty years experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. I have made and used all of the interactive topic based lesson plans, power-points and resources in this shop with my classes. I hope you enjoy using them with your classes too.
KS2 Geography – Deserts power-point lesson of 45 slides.
Learning Objectives
To recognise the features of a desert.
To explain the differences and similarities between tropical and polar deserts.
To locate deserts on a map.
To identify countries where deserts are located.
To understand that some plants, animals and humans can survive in the desert.
The lesson uses pupil starting points and encourages partner and group discussion, map or atlas work. The introduction asks pupils to describe the desert climate following a simple experiment.
The pupils are asked to locate the 10 largest deserts on a world map following a youtube clip.
The lesson moves onto a simple explanation of the features of hot deserts and polar deserts with a Venn diagram comparison activity. Pupils will need a map, atlas or globe to explore the tasks fully and identify the desert regions.
There is a simple reference to landlocked deserts and more detail about people and animal adaptation in the desert which could be used as a starter for a follow up lesson.
There is a simple Google Earth task at the end of the lesson.
Lesson works well with topics linked to Adaptation, Weather and climate, Mapwork, and Hot countries.
KS2 Geography – Discover the Arctic Circle power-point lesson of 42 slides.
Learning Objectives
I must find the Arctic in my atlas.
I must recognise the symbols for the points on a compass.
I should identify the lines of latitude and longitude on a map or globe.
I should explain the term ‘Arctic Circle’.
I could describe where the Arctic Circle is in the world using geographical vocabulary and name some places located there.
The lesson uses pupil starting points and encourages partner and group discussion. Written tasks are built into each stage of the lesson following a discussion task, map or globe work. The introduction asks pupils to describe the arctic landscape and arctic animals using a selection of photographs. They use this information to build up a picture to guess the place. There are slides which demonstrate the features of the arctic and two linked worksheets for pupils to complete.
The lesson moves onto a simple explanation of latitude and longitude and the points on the compass. Pupils will need a map or globe to explore the tasks fully and identify the Arctic Circle and the countries and seas within it.
There are 2 YouTube links – a latitude and longitude song (great fun!) and a short clip about Arctic wildlife which could be used as a starter for a follow up lesson.
There is an optional assessment task at the end of the lesson.
Australian Animals fact cards. Set of 36 cards depicting an animal, bird, reptile or fish found in Australia and a beautiful photographic image. Each card includes a few key facts about the animal on the card. There are also 12 key word definition cards (predator, poisonous, marsupial, nocturnal, amphibious, carnivore etc) The cards can be used to encourage recognition of the animals and their features/characteristics. Pupils can use them as a sorting exercise or as a paired or group game to sort the cards under the definition words (make a Venn diagram, sort into a list, identify common features between animals.) 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 animals and their characteristics eg: writing a factual or descriptive piece about a particular animal or shared features of two animals or a researched paragraph about current issues relating to specific animal eg protected species. Can be used by Y2 -Y6 upwards. Useful for topics on Australia, Animals, Camouflage, Habitats etc.
The sun and our planet. EYFS/KS1 power-point of 36 slides.
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 sun and how it affects earth. I have kept the information simple with a mix of slides and activities including a simple riddle, a short youtube clip, paired talk activities, a practical ‘ordering planets’ activity and an assessment challenge to make a booklet about the information learned. Each slide includes pictures which illustrate the key learning points. Useful alongside lessons or topics on sun safety, summer, space and planets etc.
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 explain how the sun affects our planet.
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.
KS1 & 2 powerpoint lesson about Sun Safety. Written mainly for KS1 but can be easily adapted. Powerpoint of 18 slides which promotes small group and paired discussion about sun safety. Can be used as a complete lesson or adapted for an assembly. The first slides look at fun in the sun and lead into some simple facts about the sun following a short paired talk session to assess pupil knowledge. Pupils are encouraged to look at different photographs of the sun and describe features. There is a very simple slide on Vitamin D and UV rays linked to health. The children can discuss how to protect themselves in the sun and when to wear sunscreen. The final slides include an example of a sun safety poster which pupils can use as a basis to design their own for the rest of the school (and which can be used as an assessment of their learning).
KS2 Pompeii powerpoint lesson of 30 slides broken into short focused activities. There are opportunities for pupils to watch and take notes from a YouTube clip, scrutinise and compare photographs and paintings and use maps and atlases to locate Italy, the Bay of Naples and Pompeii. Each slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the history of Pompeii as well as simple information about Vesuvius.
Great to link with cross curricular topic such as Italy, Volcanoes, Ancient Rome, Early civilizations etc.
Learning Objectives
I must find Pompeii in my atlas.
I should recognise which the country where Pompeii is located.
I could explain what Pompeii was like and what happened in 79AD by looking at and comparing ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs and information from books and the internet.
Extension
I could research Pompeii and make an information booklet.
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.
Circle Time. Let’s talk! Nursery and Reception
Early Years Powerpoint lesson to guide a Nursery and/or Reception group or class through a Circle time introductory lesson. Can be used as one lesson or split into a series of introductions/lesson starters. 26 slides which include sitting arrangements, rules, simple starter questions and examples to share with the children. I have used a teddy bear in the lesson so it would be useful to have a teddy for the children to hold as the circle time progresses. There is a simple ‘I spy’ game including images of Noah’s Ark, a bowl of fruit, vegetables and the seaside.
The lesson provides useful prompts to encourage the children to talk, structure answers to questions and offer information about themselves.
Improving memory skills.
Power-point of 54 slides. There are 36 one-a-day memory activities to practise with pupils to improve visual and auditory memory skills. The activities are structured week by week to gradually challenge whilst providing practise. For individual pupils or a small group working with an adult.
I have used these activities with children of all ages who struggle to remember/recognise alphabet, phonics, HFW and basic numbers. The activities need to be carried out daily to enable the children to practise and improve. Useful for a TA or SEN TA supporting a group in the classroom.
Week 1 & 2: There are six individual picture games (for each week) to help pupils practise retelling a story with picture prompts or from memory. Pupil record grid (for adult use) is included to enable the adult to see the visual memory progress of each child and identify any issues or areas for further practise.
Week 3: There are six picture sequence/list activities for pupils to retell a short story with or without picture clues.
Week 4: Number sequence recall. Six activities for the adult to use with a child or small group to improve auditory memory skills. Recording sheet for pupil use is provided.
Week 5: Colour sequence recall. Six activities for the adult to use with a child or small group to improve auditory memory skills. Recording sheet for pupil use is provided.
Week 6: Listen and draw sequence activities. Full instructions for the adult are provided plus a pupil record sheet for adult assessment of pupil progress.
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.
Y 5 & 6 KS2 Christmas Maths Booklet
I made this booklet based upon similar Level 4 SATs questions but with a Christmas theme. It is targeted at Years 5 & 6 for practise in the areas below. There are 50 questions altogether in the booklet. Each topic has a learning objective for pupils to match against their targets. The questions are set out in a simple format with spaces for pupils to write answers and show workings and calculations. Christmas pictures are included alongside the questions which are practical and fun.
Answer sheet provided at the end of the booklet.
Pages 1 &2: Proportion and Ratio. 12 questions.
Learning objective:
I can solve ratio and proportion questions by working out the relationships between numbers.
Page 3: Checking the cost of Christmas (calculations). 3 questions.
Learning objective: I can check a calculation.
Page 4: Factors and Multiples. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can multiply pairs of factors to make a given number.
Page 5: Multiplication and Division. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can use times tables.
Page 6: Multiplication and Division. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can multiply and divide by 10 or 100.
Page 7: Using a calculator. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can use a calculator to work out calculations and solve problems.
Page 8: Christmas Maths: Measurement. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I know which units of measurement to use for length, mass and capacity.
Page 9: Tables and charts. 2 questions.
Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means.
Page 10: Tables and charts. 3 questions.
Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means.
Page 11: Number Patterns. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can recognise patterns in numbers and can explain the pattern.
How to write a party invitation with a Christmas focus. A KS1/lower KS2 power-point of 12 slides (including learning objectives) which can be used as one complete lesson or extended over a longer period. There is a warm up, two activities and a final writing task (to write an invitation to the school Christmas party). Included are examples of 2 invitations (birthday and Christmas party) for pupils to use in the lesson to spot the key features and help Tan correct his invitation (because no one has replied!). There are key questions to promote discussion and paired work. Also included is a simple invitation template for pupil use and a features checklist. Which pupils can also use to give paired feedback after writing their own invitation.
EYFS Weekly plan ‘The sun and the wind’
This is a weekly cross curricular plan for an EYFS topic based on Aesop’s fable ‘The sun and the wind’. It has been planned to include the learning and ideas for one week of teaching and includes differentiated planning in Literacy and Numeracy for HA, MA and LA groups. Includes non-negotiable vocabulary and linked learning activities in each area of learning. Links well with topics on ‘Being kind’, ‘Circles’ and ‘Weather’.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ fact sheet.
Page 1 Includes key events and important stages in the play broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and images.
Page 2 Includes interesting facts about the text, well known quotes and character information.
I have used this with pupils in Years 3-6 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a text 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.
Day of the Dead Mexican pp lesson with activities and worksheet resources.
Learning objectives
I know what’ El Día de Los Muertos’ means in English.
I can say which language it is translated from and where the celebration originates.
I know where Mexico is located on a map.
I can explain the features on the Mexican flag.
I can name the objects placed on the Day of the Dead altars.
I can explain the symbols and rituals carried out by the Mexican people on the specific celebration days.
I can describe how sugar skulls are made and why they are important.
I can write a non-chronological report using my knowledge about ‘The Day of the Dead’ celebration.
Includes six pupil worksheets, opportunities for partner work, simple map task and links to You Tube clips about the celebration and how to make ‘papel picado’.
Great KS2 lesson as a stand-alone or as part of a series of lessons with a cross curricular topic eg Mexico, Aztecs, Halloween, Celebrations etc
Famous artists and paintings cards. Set of 60 cards with a painting by a range of inspirational and well-known artists. The cards can be used to encourage recognition of the most well-known artists and their work. I have included a few examples of sculpture, stained glass, pottery, design. The images I have chosen range from 11th to 20th century from worldwide artists. Pupils can use them as a paired or group ‘guessing game’. Can be placed in the class library area or the ‘Early Finisher’ box/tray. I have used these to help pupils develop work on or research about a famous piece of artwork that they like by finding images of other work by the same artist or derivatives of that style, writing a descriptive piece about the work or a subjective paragraph about what the work means to them. Can be used by Y2 -Y6. Useful for topics on Art, Famous Paintings/Artists, using art as a starting point for writing or historical reference.
Pupil Assessment End of KS1 to end of KS2 progress tracking grid
Plot each pupil against their KS1 SATs actual result then track along the grid and write the pupil’s name in the box corresponding to the most recent actual assessment in their current year group. Use the Green shaded square to identify whether that pupil is on track for expected progress at the end of KS2 (Y6) based on KS1 outcomes.
This progress tracker can be used for each Year group from Y3-Y6.
Each year group or class(es) in a given year group should could use one tracker for all pupils in the year group.
The tracker can be updated each half term or termly depending on when and how the school carries out assessment of pupil progress (eg during an assessment week). I used a different pen colour for each assessment when updating the tracker with pupil names. As a working document, it was a bit messy by the end of the year but I had an at a glance picture of all pupils and their progress.
Pupils can be closely monitored and highlighted for intervention if they are not making expected progress towards their individual or group targets. I highlight SEN pupils in pink and use the key code for the area of SEN for each pupil.
The tracker can be passed onto the teachers at the beginning of each academic year. At the start of a new academic year teachers may wish to begin a new tracker using the outcomes (end of year assessment for the previous year) as well as the end of KS1 outcome for each pupil.
This tracker can also be recopied for tracking Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening and Maths.
KS1 A fun Pirate themed powerpoint lesson. Secret Agent Academy is a lesson (s) set in a ‘real’ stolen goods context where pupils are ‘trained’ for a special mission to catch a pirate villain. They create Agent Code Names and numbers, work as part of an Agent Cell, and take an oath of secrecy. Their mission consists of 4 main tasks which include cracking reverse alphabet and number codes, Maths number problem solving challenges and a geography map/flag challenge.
Slides 2-9 include a simple introduction to ‘what is a code?’ followed by a chance to practise cracking simple words using a reverse alphabet code before pupils enter the Secret Agent Academy.
Slides 10-16 focus on creating their own secret agent cell (decided by equivalent numbers maths task), creating code names, handshakes and taking the Agent’s promise etc
Learning Objectives
Solve an important mission for the Prime Minister by:
• Using number, reasoning and geographical skills to resolve a ‘real life’ situation.
• Deciphering messages using simple codes.
• Working out problems and puzzles to track and catch a pirate!
Slides 17-20 setting out the mission.
Slides 21-24 Mission 1: Crack a number coded message.
Slides 25-30 Information about Edward Teach/Blackbeard in preparation for Mission 2.
Slide 31 Label the pirate ship worksheet. Pupil template and answers provided.
Slide 32 Mission 2: Create a Wanted Poster (template provided)
Slide 33-38 Mission 3: Island geography of the Caribbean Islands. Pupil worksheets provided.
Slides 39-43: Identifying the Blackbeard’s hideout from the clues covered. Worksheet and answers provided.
Slides 44- 51: Solving number puzzles to track Bluebeard through underground caves. Pupil worksheet and answers provided.
Slides 52 A message from the King for returning the treasure.
There is a template for pupils to use at the end of each mission to record their Agent cell report plus spare code grids in case the children catch the code bug and want to make up their own coded messages!
Y 5 & 6 KS2 Easter Maths Booklet
I made this booklet based upon similar Level 4 SATs questions but with an Easter theme. It is targeted at Years 5 & 6 for practise in the areas below. There are 50+ questions altogether in the booklet. Each topic has a learning objective for pupils to match against their targets. The questions are set out in a simple format with spaces for pupils to write answers and show workings and calculations. Easter pictures are included alongside the questions which are practical and fun.
Answer sheet provided at the end of the booklet.
Page 1: I can calculate, order, and compare fractions and decimals. 3 questions.
Pages 2 and 3: I can solve ratio and proportion questions by working out relationships between numbers. 8 questions.
Page 4: Learning objective: I can check a calculation. 3 questions.
Page 5: I can multiply pairs of factors to make a given number. 5 questions.
Page 6: Learning objective: I can use times tables. 5 questions.
Page 7: Multiplication and Division. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can multiply and divide by 10 or 100.
Page 8: Using a calculator. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can use a calculator to work out calculations and solve problems.
Page 9: Measurement. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I know which units of measurement to use for length, mass and capacity.
Page 10: Tables and charts. 2 questions (multi parts).
Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means.
Page 11: Tables and charts. 3 questions (multi parts).
Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means.
Page 12: Number Patterns. 5 questions.
Learning objective: I can recognise patterns in numbers and can explain the pattern.