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
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.
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
Starter: 130 slides
Plenaries: 122 slides
Lots of different resources
All hyperlinked to corresponding slides
Adaptable (if needed to something specific)
Options:
Select the one you want to do - through menu
Random flick, click to stop - chooses random
Keeps your lessons fresh/ different every time.
Don’t need to make your own.
Keep time aside for starters and plenaries so you can complete them and have fun.
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.
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
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.
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.
starter
definitions of words (break down into 4 sections) - i do, we do, you do model with worksheets
green pen answers
lots of challenge questions -prior knowledge and current news. prompt them if needed during questioning.
pair discussions of images
questioning
print out of the images for annotations option
gap fill task (print out for lower ability with word bank available for all/ some)
back to annotations for those who finished early
glue into books/ keep tidy
answers via questioning/ reading
green pen
exam question modelling
marking
plenary quiz
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)
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
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
Assessment
Challenges included
Peer assessing
Show progress before and after.
4 marker question (to assist with end of unit assessment)
When finished, students to keep their books nice and presented etc.
Video
List 10 facts
Plenary discussion
Later:
Teacher mark and award marks, checks through books (every few weeks) - rewards for consistent effort, presentation etc, recognition of students within books, and in class next lesson.
e.g. postcards home for good work and special stamps, okay work stickers, improvements needed nothing (all is based on student’s progress on their ability)
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
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 2 truths and 1 lie game. There is a total of 5 rounds. Answers are animated to appear when you click. It comes up with the correct fact, or an interesting fact that is related to the statement.
Title with icons. Rules included with images. This makes it understandable for all abilities, including EAL.
2024 statistics. Extremely fun and is perfect.
A range of different GCSE questions to help with subject knowledge, KS4 year 10 and 11 revision skills, and practice exam questions.
Please leave reviews for the resource :)
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
Theory (involves using whiteboard/ interactive board to explain or get answers)
Notes provided for off powerpoint actions
Label graphs
Interpreting graphs
Tasks on reading graphs
Includes interesting history knowledge
Plotting a graph
DTM challenge (KS3)
DTM included (GCSE)
Video included to summarise
Handouts available
Scale provided for scaffolding (to print)
Develops into DTM stages, conversations on ageing population, policies, developing countries, history (that they mentioned from previous lessons)
2-3 hour lesson.