Engaged, fun task. You may need to finish earlier as students tend to not want to finish/ rush and continue/ willing to work into their breaks (but I don’t want them with me at break).
Rivers, Mountains, Deserts, Plains etc.
Prior knowledge check
Video - add to knowledge
Map creation - colour coded and Atlas use
2 versions - 1. blank (students had to really look and discover/ engage with the Atlas), they will ask for help or you can give prompts for harder ones. 2. Marked map (labelled)
Note: I only gave easier maps to students who go to special centres but my low ability and SEND students still did the blank map (they don’t complete it but they learn how to search and use the Atlas well). I did this because it is not in their assessment to know every part and map skills is more valuable for them.
Answers on board for marking
Reading information
Plenary
Extra version of map with key provided for lower ability/ SEND if you wish to use.
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.
Video
Information of key features
Colour code
Categorising between tourism/ ecotourism
Images and examples
Case study with worksheet and challenges
Design task with success criterion
Student example available
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.
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)
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.
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).
1hr lesson - TEEP model
Images - odd one out and why. Challenge included.
Definitions
Biomes
Animals - information collecting. Challenge included.
Short story on your daily life (as one of the animals)
Sharing
3, 2, 1 plenary
1hr lesson
PPT step by step answers, images, colour coded, for low ability/ consistency in answers.
Guess where - images and flag
Prior knowledge check
World map handout
Describe location
Video
Information search (around the room/ sheets)
Fill in sheets
Lonely planet introduction writing task
Peer assessing
National Graphic Magazine task
This is for Year 12 mixed ability. I recommend printing the worksheets file as A3, and the rest can be as A4. It involves resources e.g. books, but also plenty of up-to-date/ live information which will need to be accessed with internet. E.g. computers, phones, or teacher can print them out from the website.
The exam board are aware of these A-level textbooks having older data, but students can infer information as years have gone by. Add information/ own knowledge, their knowledge when looking at boroughs and images. Bring the lesson alive. E.g. One student mentioned the Green Bridge that was unsuccessful, has a similar one built in Manchester instead.
Pages are included in the PPT.
The aim from the AQA spec: Case studies of two contrasting urban areas to illustrate and analyse key themes set out.
This includes:
patterns of economic and social well-being
the nature and impact of physical environmental conditions
with particular reference to the implications for environmental sustainability, the character of the study areas and the experience and attitudes of their populations.
Helpful materials:
Dictionary - expected key terminology for A level and above
white (fourth edition) Hodder A Level textbook - used in this lesson but I have attached a double sided page of information which can be used instead or in addition
cool geography
Resources: PPT, Graph paper, Help sheets, Templates
Keywords: Hypothesis, Perception, Crime, Analysis, Conclusion
Starter activity: Where would you like to live? (from reading newspaper headlines)
• Describe different peoples’ perceptions towards crimes
• Identify patterns in crime perceptions
• Explain why there are differences in perceptions of crime
Key terms
Data
Hypothesis
Bar chart
Peer assess
Description paragraph
Conclusion
Review
Group sharing
Examples
Modelling on board
Colour coded
Help sheet to scaffold/ help
Template available for those who are struggling a lot
Prompt questions
Challenge – How might someone’s perception of crime be affected?
Starter - crime in London vs. your town
Objectives
Key terms - challenge included
Crime rates calculation - handouts and modelling examples - available on PPT - challenge included
Answers available on PPT (also handouts for slow students to keep pace)
Description paragraphs (gap fills), using the data as examples - challenge included
Choropleth map - instructions - modelling examples - challenge included
Peer assessing (with marks and WWW/ HTI) - deeper assessment - Thinking box included
Describe crime in books questions (using data) - challenge included
Review objectives
1hr lesson, can easily be 2 depending on ability/ pace you want to go
intro
stages of relationships
postitive and respecful relationships
and 5. contraception
Unintended pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy - not in here yet
STIs
HIV and AIDS
Change and loss in a relationship - not in here yet
Extra: Real events movie and discussion (created 2022 by students at a Bristol school who wanted to share awareness).
Ground rules included
SOW included
Handouts included
Help sheet included
All materials
All adaptable.
Lots of information you can add to it and statistics you can add to it.
I really enjoyed teaching these subjects and all the questions the students had.
Very important topic and education so it is bundled together and ready to share.
Note: This town had the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe for a very long time.
Children have many questions as they are not aware of many terms used. Lots of misconceptions to address too.
I recommend a note box to collect further questions for shy students - mine is a safe space so they just ask in class - but have the option to leave a question anon.
I use to live and teach in rural Tanzania for a bit so I wanted to share culture about it to the students in an engaging way
Starter: images guessing where
Objectives
Images and storytelling (short)
Information sheets - around the room task for engagement - up to date info 2024
Tourism posters
Examples
Plenary sharing