Resource used as a talking point with my form group, to discuss thoughts on the death penalty. Worked really well - they really responded to the different videos used within the presentation, and caused much mature discussion amongst the group.
They were particularly interested in the law's history within the UK.
Designed for high ability year 8s - in small groups, pupils use the provided information to plan a mini 'lesson' on their allocated deficiency.
One pupils stays at their station to teach others - the rest move around the room, learning about the other deficiencies. They then return to their group, and teach their presenter about what they have learnt.
Move on to look at BMIs, with some celeb data. Pupils are prompted to consider how this may not be a reliable measure of health. e.g. rugby player categorised as obese.
Activity designed for my year 8 form but could be used with any age group. Pupils are asked to write themselves a letter which they will revisit at the end of the year. Prompt questions are listed, in this case looking at the transition from year 7 to year 8 (many in my form have already struggled in this step up). Personal reflection time to consider how they have developed so far and what they hope to achieve in the year + steps to make such goals achievable. Pupils really enjoyed doing this and took the activity very seriously! Looking forward to them reading over their letters at the end of the year.
Have also adapted the resource for my subject area (Science) - v easy to do. e.g. what was science like in year x? What are you looking forward to in science this year? What is making you feel apprehensive? etc.
Taught to a higher ability year 10 class over several lessons.
Lesson 1 - The structure of the Heart
Lesson 2 - Blood vessels
Lesson 3 - Components of the blood (station activity, students collect info from around the room on the 4 components, and then apply their knowledge to answer exam-style questions).
Presentation to introduce learning in Science. Gets pupils to reflect on science in Primary schools and discuss their anxieties/excitement for secondary school science.
In small groups, use A3 paper for pupils to draw their mental image of a scientist. 99% will go with the mad scientist stereotype. Look at each other's drawings, and then go through some images of 'real-life' scientist, to get pupils to reconsider their initial stereotype - making the point that we can all be scientists as we make hypotheses, analyse, and consider solutions.
Skills sort (I laminated these) - Which skills are most important to a scientist. Pupils work in small groups, and generate excellent discussion, with teacher playing devil's advocate. Gets pupils to think about how scientists actually work.
Finally pupils can redraw their scientists, annotating diagrams with the key skills which a scientist may showcase!
Really fun lesson.
Lesson to a mixed ability year 7 group, 100 minute session but could be adjusted.
Market place activity, using differentiated booklets. AfL Dice game.
Followed by more ethics based activities, looking at how doctors can make the decision of who receives a donor organ. Developing higher order thinking skills (Bloom's) by ranking and justifying ideas.
Donor cards to be printed, and used as exit pass for 3-2-1 plenary.
Lesson used for a formal observation, which received a Grade 1. At a school where they have 100 minute lessons, therefore this could be adapted and spread over two lessons. Mixed ability class.
Learners really enjoyed the interactive nature of the lesson, and I was successful in showing progress at regular intervals. Differentiated through range of support offered in booklets.
I made dice for this lesson using excellent templates I had found on TES. One dice had pictures of specialised cells on each face, whilst the other had questions on each face. Students LOVED this, but I did make these myself to avoid wasted time in the lesson.
PowerPoint designed using the AQA syllabus for pupils to use to check their understanding of key concepts. Used in a lesson before their end of unit test. Pupils can identify areas they have struggled with and focus their revision on those questions. Hyperlinks to Bitesize to support less confident/able pupils.
100 minute session on the effect of exercise, smoking and asthma on the lungs
Could be extended over several lessons.
Learners conduct a practical to measure lung capacity, and could test the effect of exercise on breathing rate
Focus on graph work and concluding practical results.
100 minute session designed for KS3 - could be expanded or reduced.
Students understand the role of the respiratory system through:
- true or false activity with key stats
- demo of lambs lungs with bellow
- ordering the sentences for inhalation and exhalation
- team challenge to make a model of the system using limited resources
- introduce gas exchange
Fun 100 minute session on the heart and blood vessels - could be expanded or reduced.
Students to learn about the structure of the heart through a memory recall drawing challenge and a dissection. Video links to support learning.
Cryptogram challenge for students to learn about the blood vessels.
British Science week 2016
This presentation explores the history of science and how it is capable of having both a positive and negative influence. It also looks at some key science talking points from 2015/2016. There is a short quiz, and finally some key questions to consider and hopefully spark an interesting discussion!
Year 7 - Topic on Space
Lesson to follow the concept of applying to be an astronaut. Big focus on the skills which might be required.
In small groups, students consider the profiles of different applicants, and come to a decision as to who they would hire (imagine they are working for NASA). What sort of experience and key skills are they looking for, and why? How might hobbies link to this? Focus: justifying and supporting ideas.
Next students collect information on how astronauts live and survive in space. Information cards spread around the room, and there is also a video link (Kevin Fong RI Xmas Lecture). My school has iPads for research, but textbooks could also be used.
Homework: choice of tasks. Students to fill in NASA application form, or to create a space survival guide for new astronauts.
Lesson designed for KS3 to creatively approach the topic of the tilt of Earth's axis and the seasons. Using hibernation and migration to explore these concepts.
Students start by watching short clip (John Lewis Bear and the Hare)
Research activity on the seasons and hibernation
Choice of task: produce a documentary on the tilt of the axis OR to imagine a world without seasons (choose how to present this). Lower ability could make a model to demonstrate how the tilt affects the seasons.
Taboo plenary
For use over several lessons to enable students to explore this area fully. Fun and interactive!!! (and highlighting the hedgehog which is in huge decline in this country)
Article relating to a modern recreation of Priestley's photosynthesis experiment, with comprehension questions. Used for higher ability student in my Biology class.
Year 9 Physics lesson, could be adapted.
Students to work in small groups to put the order of events in a power station into the correct sequence.
Discussion of fission and fusion.
Students given source cards and to decide how they would invest the government energy budget, using evidence to support their answers.
Exam question practice - could peer assess using markscheme.
Plenary: nuclear energy loop game
Could be used with Year 10/11.
Was formally observed, and graded OUTSTANDING.
Interactive activities with one student from each group having to memorise a diagram of metallic structure and then describe it to their group.
Plenary activity to revise covalent bonding before their test. Molecules can be changed to make this lesson suitable for less able groups. Students thoroughly enjoyed the lesson.