A fun IDL lesson mashing maths and PE together, where pupils consolidate their understanding of fractions whilst getting active outside or in the gym hall.
Folding a square piece of paper into four and chopping on line to the centre, you can create small backdrops for peg dolls or other characters. Using the scene descriptors included in this pack (which all link to the Global Goals) pupils can scan for key information, before drawing onto their paper to create a vivid scene.
The Napier Code is a 6 lesson mathematics unit that explores patterns and sequences within number through an immersive story telling experience. It’s effectively a play on the Da Vinci Code but uses the Scottish Mathematician John Napier as the central figure in a deathly treasure hunt around Edinburghs landmarks.
Covered are:
Fibonacci Numbers
The Golden Spiral
The Number 9
Quadratic Sequences
Pascals Triangle
The Vedic Square
This is a unit of lessons that involve your class building a paper town as a hub for their learning. they can add to it as the topic progresses. I have plans to look at bus timetables, cars and pedestrians but these initial 4 lessons cover cycling in cities.
Lesson 1:
Consider and identify problems with transport in cities worldwide and in local area, initial time assessment, create paper city
Lesson 2:
Consider pros and cons of cycling, discuss Finnish town video, time telling activities, explore how bike gears work
Lesson 3:
Compare and contrast road cycling and cycle path, calculate journey times, create paper cycle path solutions
Lesson 4:
Balance exercises, calculating journey times
This is a four lesson unit of work that explores 2D shape whilst exposing children to abstract art from a diverse group of artists around the world.
Lesson one: Kandinsky and Circles - learning to use a compass and identifying properties of a circle
Lesson two: Thomas and Circles - learning about Archimedes and how to calculate the circumference
Lesson three: Malevich and regular/irregular shapes - lots of drawing and drilling down into the definitions of regular and irregular
Lesson four: Ocampo and symmetry - opportunities to practice with partners and concrete materials and exploring what symmetry and mirroring are
This resource is designed for upper primary pupils but could be adapted for those either side. Exploring Area and Perimeter through a Global Goals lens of ‘Decent Work’ pupils can involve themselves in practical activities that link to a variety of trades involved in construction. There are 4 lessons in total in this mini sequence but the tasks could be easily extended to provide consolidation and further personalisation
Whole class reading sounds great but I’ve always found two issues - financing and finding a suitable text the whole class can engage with. Books can be long!
This is designed for upper primary. Each chapter is no more than two pages long but there is a real variety of rich language and literacy techniques. Every chapter comes with a set of questions - ranging from word finding, literal questions to more higher order thinking tasks and a playful activity.
If you are lucky enough to have 1:1 devices (I am in that position) I am looking to airdrop this to their iPads using the Notes app, chapter at a time. Means they can markup, use read aloud and quickly look up definitions of words - whilst also saving on printing.
The story links to the Global Goals - specifically Climate Action and Life on Land.
Aimed at upper primary, these whole class lessons allow pupils to explore the Fibonacci sequence using concrete materials, drawings and present the opportunity to unleash their creativity in a purposeful way.
Low floor, high ceiling math tasks are designed to cut down workload and champion pupils in leading their learning. I usually start with a practical, hands on role play task before doing a little bit of input, followed by around 20 minutes independent work off the slide.
Percentages - get the lost property out, have pupils price it up with post it notes and then task them with reducing the items by 50%
Barbers - get A4 paper, cut it into ten strips (almost to the end of the paper) and attach to the back of chairs. Hand scissors to pupils and watch them cut, style, curl, taper and add extensions!
Area - get the blocks out, give them a rough blueprint with measurements and let them build the foundations with rulers for accuracy
A quick lesson that explores mortgages and sees pupils using their knowledge of multiplication and percentages to garner an underatanding of how the property market works.
Following on from ‘They Change’ and ‘From Beneath’ this is another whole class story that is aimed at upper primary/early secondary pupils.
What would happen to Earth without the Moon? A thrilling tale that rockets from laughs to deep dilemma . Peppered with cliffhangers and deep questions, this story is sure to keep your class on the edge of their seats throughout. Another wonderful story from Mr Minchin, delighted to see that links can be made to the Global Goals and UNCRC in every chapter.
Twelve Chapters in all (12 lessons) each no more than two A4 pages, meaning you print these out easily enough and distribute to your class. In my own setting, our P6 and P7 pupils have iPads and I airdrop the chapters to them using the Notes app, which allows for read aloud, word lookup etc
I usually task the class with 3 reads - one in their head, the other with their partner and a third taking turns with paragraphs. By P7, you can often drop this to two reads.
The tasks are designed to follow the same pattern every lesson. Some quickfire questions to consolidate key concepts, a comprehension task (I would have mine do this in their jotters/books) and then a creative, hands on task (again, having iPads means the class can use Clips/Keynote/Sketchbook/Minecraft and more but very easy to adapt to your setting if you lack the ICT).
A selection of individual, pair and team activities that require nothing more than a tennis ball. I have been taking my class outside to play these for 2x20 minute sessions after break and lunch.
A Spiderman themed day of learning all linked to the Global Goals. Easily adapted for most primary stages, pupils cover a wide spread of curricular areas (literacy, numeracy, HWB, science and STEM)
Create a play sandbox and help spiderman save the day. Write a newspaper article. Calculate how much it cost to make the spidey suit. Workout with spiderman and consider what muscles you are exercising. Discover the incredible science behind spider silk and see how scientists continue to try and learn from nature. Finally, become a true group of Avengers and work as a team to create a web of string to save a bus from plunging into the sea.
This sequence of three lessons allows pupils in upper primary to consolidate their double digit multiplication skills with grid, vertical multiplication and arrays. Through the lens of Clean Energy pupils can explore the benefits of clean energy whilst also considering the challenges involved in rolling sustainable power out across the world.
3 activities that link to Global Goal number 3 and will have your class getting active whilst developing their understanding of fractions and decimals.
This is a format of business enterprise lessons that I hope to use throughout this term. It begins with tackling issues in school around inflated resale of Prime, using sustainability and discussions around influencers to act as a catalyset for pupil led change.
Some reflective activities for your class to return to throughout the term as a means of stimulating conversation around feelings and their learning journey.
I must apologise as this is unfinished but had a fair number of people ask me to upload it. This is a poetry unit designed for upper primary, teaching about famous figures from black history and culture, whilst also learning about different poetry techniques.
Building on previous unit of time work linked to Global Goals 11, this is 4 lesson unit looking at buses.
Lesson 1
Pros and Cons of buses and navigating bus timetables
Lesson 2
Create a bus route and calculate how much money a bus can make
Lesson 3
Create a bus timetable from specific arrival times
Lesson 4
Calculate charging times for electric buses