Teachers, Immerse Your Students in the Bronze Age with this Dynamic Resource Want to deliver vivid, interactive Bronze Age lessons? This comprehensive resource is exactly what you need! Created for teachers but presented in an accessible format, it brings this era of metal discovery and early globalisation to life. What makes this resource so useful? Logically structured sections build student knowledge from stone tools to bronze and its revolutionary impacts Bite-sized facts on mining methods, trade routes, cultural achievements hook students’ curiosity Supporting maps and images aid visualization of metal sources, artifact examples, etc. Conversational explanations decode complex concepts like metal composition and make content approachable On top of the stellar content, the document is formatted for immediate use. Print or photocopy pages as ready-made activities or slide supplements. If you’re seeking to ignite student engagement with the Bronze Age’s transformative technologies, belief systems, and interconnections, this is the resource for you! Let the unit’s pupil-friendly style transport your class back over 4,000 years to when Copper Age campfires evolved into vast Bronze Age trade networks spanning the ancient world. Making cross-curricular connections between science, technology, and culture thousands of years ago is an intricate task, but this first-rate Bronze Age unit rises to the challenge with aplomb. It brings an ancient world of smelted copper and far-flung trade networks back to vivid life across the classroom!

The Exit Tickets resource is a practical, evidence-based tool designed to help teachers conduct quick, informal assessments at the end of lessons. Exit Tickets allow students to reflect on what they’ve learned, providing teachers with immediate, actionable feedback on pupil understanding. This resource is grounded in research, making it a reliable way for teachers to identify learning gaps, adjust future lessons, and encourage deeper student engagement. The ten-minute guide helps teachers easily incorporate Exit Tickets into their classrooms, enhancing their teaching practices. This price offers great value for whole-school use, ensuring that all teachers can benefit from the research-backed advantages of using Exit Tickets to inform current and future teaching.

Fractions Jigsaw Practice for Upper KS2 This resource offers a comprehensive set of SATs-style questions on fractions, tailored specifically for Year 6 pupils. Designed with collaborative learning in mind, pupils work in “Jigsaw groups” of four to solve fraction problems, promoting teamwork and peer-to-peer support. The resource covers key areas of the KS2 Maths curriculum, focusing on fractions, percentages, and problem-solving. Pupils will engage with a wide variety of tasks, including: Converting fractions to percentages and vice versa. Identifying fractional parts of sets and logos. Solving real-world fraction problems, such as calculating the fraction of a class using iPads. Performing operations with fractions, including addition and finding fractions of numbers. Each set of questions is organised to help pupils strengthen their understanding of fractions through practical and visual problems. This resource not only reinforces core concepts but also prepares pupils for the SATs exams by giving them practice with question formats they are likely to encounter. Key Features: SATs-Type Questions: Familiarise pupils with SATs-style questions focused on fractions, ensuring they are well-prepared for end-of-year assessments. Collaborative Learning: Designed for use in Jigsaw groups, encouraging pupils to learn from one another in a structured yet flexible environment. Comprehensive Coverage: Covers a wide range of fraction-related skills, from simple operations to more complex reasoning problems. Evidence-Based: Built on research-based learning strategies that support deeper understanding and retention. This is an essential resource for Year 6 teachers looking to provide engaging, collaborative, and curriculum-aligned practice in fractions, ensuring pupils are confident and ready for their SATs tests.

Getting to Grips with Connectives This learning resource titled “Getting to Grips with Connectives” is an excellent tool for teaching y5/6 students about the usage and importance of connectives in their writing. Here’s a summary of what the resource covers: It starts by explaining what connectives are and their purpose in making sentences and writing more interesting and coherent. The resource covers the different types of connectives such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’, ‘because’, ‘although’, etc., and how they can be used to join simple sentences into compound sentences or clauses into complex sentences. It provides numerous examples and exercises for students to practise writing compound and complex sentences using various connectives. The resource also teaches how to vary the structure of sentences by moving the placement of connectives, and how to use pairs of connectives like ‘if…then’ and ‘either…or’ in the same sentence. It demonstrates how connectives can be used to link sentences within a paragraph, making the writing flow better. Finally, it covers the use of time connectives like ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’, ‘finally’ to sequence paragraphs and events in a logical order. Overall, this resource is comprehensive, engaging, and full of practice opportunities. It uses a science-fiction theme which could appeal to y5/6 students. The exercises progress from simple to more complex, allowing students to gradually build their skills with connectives.

This complete lesson on the key features of fantasy stories is designed for upper primary pupils (Key Stage 2). Priced at just £3 for whole school use, it provides a comprehensive exploration of the genre using Alice in Wonderland as a core text. The lesson emphasises three key educational skills: collaboration, thinking skills, and peer assessment, all supported by evidence-based learning (EBL) principles. Lesson Highlights: Key Fantasy Story Elements: Through guided activities, pupils learn about fantasy story staples such as real vs. imaginary settings, characters (both good and bad), and magical portals. Interactive Activities: Higher and Lower Order Questions: Engage pupils in critical thinking. Collaborative Poster Design: Pairs of pupils create a poster showcasing fantasy story elements, reinforcing the material through visual creativity. Peer Assessment: Pupils review and give constructive feedback on their peers’ posters, honing evaluation skills. Teacher CPD: Includes a five-minute evidence-based CPD segment on collaboration, with practical tips for teachers on maximising pupil learning through peer interaction. This lesson combines literary analysis with skill-building exercises, making it an ideal choice for primary teachers looking to introduce fantasy literature in a meaningful, interactive way.

Lesson Title: New Paragraphs and New Worlds – A Science Fiction themed English Lesson Dive into the imaginative world of science fiction with New Paragraphs and New Worlds, a fully resourced, ready-to-use lesson for Key Stage 2 designed to develop essential writing skills. This engaging lesson empowers pupils to craft paragraphs by understanding when to start a new one based on changes in time, setting, characters, dialogue, or action within a story. By working with sci-fi story extracts, pupils explore advanced storytelling techniques, making learning both educational and fun. Key Features: Target Skills: Five Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, peer teaching, and self-regulation, enabling pupils to develop advanced learning capabilities. Structured Activities: Interactive exercises guide pupils through the distinct characteristics of science fiction and the five essential reasons for starting new paragraphs. Writing Practice: Story extracts prompt pupils to add new paragraphs, with guidance on tense, perspective, and dialogue to strengthen creative writing. Collaborative Learning: Paired and independent tasks encourage discussion, helping pupils consolidate understanding by teaching peers. Teacher Support: A 5-minute CPD on peer teaching for teachers, highlighting research-backed strategies to enhance collaborative classroom environments. This resource is perfect for teachers seeking an engaging, research-backed writing lesson that develops critical literacy skills through an immersive, story-based approach. This lesson is available for only £3 for whole-school use, making it an affordable and impactful addition to any classroom.

Complete Lesson: The Three Types of Myth This ready-to-use lesson is designed for Key Stage 2, focusing on three primary types of myths: those that teach a lesson, explain a phenomenon, or set characters on a challenging quest. It uses engaging activities to develop essential skills in collaboration, self-assessment, and peer assessment, aligning with Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) principles. Lesson Highlights: Structured Learning of Myth Features - Students explore the characteristics of each myth type through examples like King Midas, making abstract ideas accessible and memorable. Collaborative Activities - Paired tasks develop teamwork and help students refine their understanding through shared insights. These exercises also include guided report writing, enabling students to practise factual writing while applying what they’ve learned. Self and Peer Assessment - The lesson includes structured opportunities for self-reflection and peer feedback, enhancing learning retention and encouraging positive reinforcement among students. Teacher Support - A quick CPD section offers insights into fostering a classroom environment supportive of self and peer assessment, with actionable reflection questions to ensure best practices. This lesson, complete with a report-writing scaffold, assessment templates, and CPD guidance, is an excellent choice for any teacher looking to build key thinking skills while introducing myths in an engaging and interesting manner.

A Teacher’s Guide to Problem Solving: An evidence-based time-saving, high-impact tool for essential skill development This resource is a concise, 20-minute evidence-based guide designed to help classroom teachers effectively teach problem-solving skills, emphasising their importance for 21st-century learners. It includes: Introduction to Problem Solving: Outlines the significance of problem-solving as a key skill for the future, particularly in adapting to challenges posed by rapid social and technological changes. Definitions and Features of Problem Solving: Provides clear definitions and discusses essential components, such as goals and barriers, associated with solving complex problems. Polya’s Four Steps to Problem Solving: Introduces George Polya’s structured method for problem-solving, which includes understanding the problem, devising a plan, implementing the plan, and reflecting on the solution. This approach helps pupils systematically tackle both mathematical and real-life challenges. Teacher Approaches to Problem Solving at KS2: Features practical strategies from educators, showing how Polya’s method has been used to build problem-solving confidence and adaptability among pupils. This guide supports teachers in preparing pupils to face modern-day problems, encouraging them to apply critical and creative thinking skills to non-routine tasks.

This complete Key Stage 2 lesson on the legend of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone offers a rich exploration of historical myths while building essential learning skills. The lesson draws on Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) practices to develop key cognitive and collaborative skills in pupils. Key Features: Focus on Legends: Through the classic story of King Arthur, pupils engage with the structure and themes of legends, understanding elements like fact vs. fiction, heroism, and moral lessons. EBL Skill Development: The lesson integrates five core EBL skills: collaborative learning, metacognition, peer assessment, thinking skills, and independent learning. These skills are woven throughout interactive activities such as a collaborative poster design, peer assessment, and individual reflection. Ready-to-Use CPD Component: A five-minute teacher CPD activity on metacognition is included, supporting teachers in explicitly developing metacognitive strategies in their classrooms. This engaging lesson encourages pupils to delve into the legend’s themes while fostering skills that enhance self-directed and reflective learning. The clear structure and ready-made resources make it an effective and convenient addition to a KS2 classroom.

This KS2 lesson on Comparing Myths, Legends, and Fables is a complete, evidence-based resource designed to engage pupils deeply while developing key learning skills. It offers a structured approach for pupils to differentiate between these three genres, developing a better understanding of story elements like moral, character types, and settings. Key features include: Genre Comparisons: Clear, concise summaries help pupils identify and distinguish between the features of myths, legends, and fables. Skill Development: Activities focus on collaboration, thinking skills, peer and self-assessment, and independent learning, aligned with eight evidence-based learning (EBL) skills. Engaging Activities: A mix of higher-order and lower-order questions, along with opportunities for discussion, make it suitable for a range of learners and for developing essential critical thinking skills. Teacher Support: A 5-minute CPD activity offers insight into evidence-based learning, supporting teachers in facilitating self and peer assessment. This lesson is ideal for KS2 teachers seeking to enrich their pupils’ understanding of traditional stories while building essential learning skills through collaborative and independent tasks.

This lesson, “The Pirate Code,” is a comprehensive, evidence-based learning (EBL) resource designed for KS2 pirates exploring pirate stories and the social dynamics aboard pirate ships. The lesson focuses on understanding the Pirate Code—a set of rules pirates had to follow—through activities that foster critical thinking, collaboration, and independent learning. Key components of the lesson include: Background on Pirates and the Pirate Code: Pupils learn the historical context of pirates, the need for a code of conduct, and the unique consequences pirates faced if they broke the code. Collaborative Thinking Skills Activity: Encourages pupils to work in pairs to discuss the importance of specific pirate rules, such as maintaining clean weapons and forbidding fights among crew members. Higher and Lower Order Questions: Pupils engage with a range of question types, from comprehension to analysis, helping them to understand both the practical and ethical reasons behind the Pirate Code. Metacognitive Reflection: Includes a “metacognitive thinking activity” where pupils reflect on which questions they found easier and why, promoting self-awareness in their learning process. Independent Learning and Peer Assessment Activities: Pupils complete individual tasks like labelling parts of a galleon (a type of ship associated with pirates) and engage in peer assessment, discussing with a partner to compare answers and refine their understanding. Teacher CPD (Continuing Professional Development): A five-minute CPD section for teachers introduces metacognition, offering tips to support pupils’ reflective thinking and strategies for integrating metacognitive questioning in the classroom. Each EBL skill is clearly marked with unique icons, making it easy for both pupils and teachers to identify the focus of each activity. This lesson is ideal for fostering deeper engagement with historical content while building essential learning skills through structured reflection and peer interaction.

This lesson resource, “Looking at the Start of Treasure Island,” is designed for KS2 pupils to engage with classic literature through evidence-based learning (EBL) techniques. Here’s an overview to help you decide if it’s suitable for your class: Key Features: Textual Engagement: Pupils explore an extract from the beginning of Treasure Island, answering questions that range from basic recall to higher-order thinking, fostering both comprehension and critical analysis. Creative Writing: The lesson encourages pupils to write an alternative opening for the story, focusing on descriptive techniques such as powerful verbs and adjectival phrases. This supports creativity and language skills. Collaborative Learning: Pupils work with partners for a thinking skills activity, where they discuss and agree on answers, which helps reinforce teamwork and communication. Peer and Self-Assessment: Through peer assessment activities, pupils review each other’s work, enhancing feedback skills and reflective thinking. A self-assessment activity encourages personal reflection on writing strengths and areas for improvement. Teacher CPD: Included is a five-minute CPD for teachers, focusing on understanding higher and lower-order questioning, making this resource valuable for both pupil learning and teacher development. Skills Developed: The lesson is crafted to build multiple EBL skills, including collaborative, thinking, self-assessment, and peer assessment, which align with research-based practices to enhance pupil learning outcomes. This resource would suit a classroom looking to balance literary analysis, creativity, and collaborative skills within a structured, research-supported framework.

This ready-to-use KS2 lesson, The Emperor’s New Clothes (I), offers a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning through a well-crafted blend of storytelling, structured activities, and evidence-based strategies. By using the familiar tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes, pupils are introduced to essential Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, peer assessment, and metacognition. Story Treatment: The lesson starts with pre-reading activities that provide context and key vocabulary, such as “impostor” and “swindler,” ensuring pupils are prepared to engage fully with the story. The narrative is presented in segments, allowing for pauses where pupils can discuss, predict, and immerse themselves in the emperor’s world. This structured approach not only strengthens comprehension but also prompts pupils to explore deeper themes, such as vanity, deception, and the courage to speak the truth. Engaging Activities: Collaborative Group Work: Pupils work in groups with designated roles (chairperson, scribe, presenters) to discuss and predict what happens next in the story. This structure promotes active participation and teaches pupils how to contribute meaningfully in a group setting. Character Analysis: The lesson encourages pupils to describe the emperor using four key perspectives: appearance, behaviour, speech, and thoughts/feelings. This activity deepens their understanding of character traits and motivations, reinforcing analytical thinking. Peer Assessment: A peer review process allows pupils to evaluate each other’s work, fostering constructive feedback and collaborative learning. Metacognitive Reflection: Pupils are guided to reflect on their learning process through metacognitive activities, enhancing their ability to understand and improve their thinking skills. The iconic conclusion of the story, where a child reveals the emperor’s folly, is used as a springboard for class discussions about the story’s moral, emphasizing the value of honesty, resisting peer pressure, and having the courage to speak up. Teacher Support: The lesson includes a five-minute CPD activity focusing on the importance of collaboration, supported by research that highlights the benefits of cooperative learning for both educational and workplace success. This lesson is an excellent resource for teachers looking to integrate storytelling with skill-building, fostering an environment where pupils develop key learning skills through enjoyable and hands-on engagement.

This evidence-based Teacher Guide, titled “Ten Strategies for Creating a Classroom Climate for Critical Thinking,” offers practical and research-supported techniques for fostering critical thinking in pupils. This guide is particularly useful for busy teachers who want to enhance their classroom practices to promote higher-order thinking skills. By integrating these strategies, teachers can create a classroom environment that supports thoughtful inquiry, deeper understanding, and the development of critical thinking abilities in their pupils. The guide is divided into two main parts: Introduction to Critical Thinking: It emphasises the importance of critical thinking as an essential skill for academic success and future careers, highlighting its role in effective communication, problem-solving, and navigating modern challenges like misinformation and biased information. Ten Strategies for Cultivating Critical Thinking: The guide provides actionable strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms, such as encouraging collaboration, developing metacognition, promoting decision-making, and using reflective practices. These strategies are designed to help students analyse, evaluate, and construct new ideas based on reason and evidence.

This resource, Why Critical Thinking is Crucial Today, is an evidence-based guide tailored for primary teachers. It is divided into two main sections: Part 1 is a practical teacher’s guide to understanding and fostering critical thinking in the classroom, while Part 2 provides research-backed evidence demonstrating the importance of these skills. The document offers definitions, key principles, and strategies for developing critical thinking, emphasising how it encourages pupils to question, analyse, and make informed judgments. Primary teachers will find value in this guide as it equips them with actionable approaches to cultivate critical thinking, benefiting pupils’ academic performance and lifelong learning capabilities. If fostering independent, reflective thinkers aligns with your teaching goals, this guide is an invaluable resource. Key highlights for primary teachers include: Definition and Importance: Critical thinking is defined as questioning information and analysing it logically to form judgments. This is essential for helping pupils make decisions, solve problems, and distinguish between facts and opinions. Practical Benefits: The guide explains that teaching critical thinking enhances curiosity, promotes deeper understanding, and helps pupils navigate complex information—an increasingly vital skill in today’s digital age. Classroom Strategies: The resource suggests methods such as posing reflective questions (“Why did you write that?”) and promoting group discussions to build pupils’ critical thinking skills. Real-World Relevance: It underlines the significance of critical thinking for recognizing biases and identifying fake news, skills that only 2% of UK children currently possess, according to research.

This Key Stage 2 lesson on the myth of Thor, the Norse god of thunder, offers an exciting blend of storytelling and Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, making it a valuable resource for teaching myth structure, historical perspectives, and critical thinking skills. Key Features: Exploring Thor’s Myth: Pupils are introduced to Thor’s story, focusing on how myths were used to explain natural phenomena. Through the lens of this Norse myth, pupils will understand how people historically explained thunder and lightning before scientific explanations were available. Integrated EBL Skills: Collaboration: A partner-based activity prompts pupils to discuss questions about Thor’s myth, promoting teamwork and the ability to articulate ideas. Thinking Skills: The lesson includes higher and lower-order questions, helping pupils analyse the myth and compare it with others, like King Midas, to understand different types of mythological storytelling. Self-Assessment: Pupils are encouraged to review their own written myths explaining why the sky turns dark, assessing both the quality and clarity of their work and identifying areas for improvement. Independent Learning: Individual activities include writing a myth and reflecting on how people once used stories to understand the world around them. Creative Writing Task: Pupils are tasked with writing their own myth to explain a natural phenomenon (why the sky turns dark at night), reinforcing their understanding of the myth structure and encouraging creative thinking. Five-Minute CPD for Teachers: Self-Assessment Included is a quick CPD activity on self-assessment, supported by educational research on its benefits, such as increased pupil reflection and ownership of learning. Teachers are prompted to reflect on the impact of self-assessment on pupils, with a checklist to guide classroom implementation. This resource brings together literacy, history, and critical thinking, making it a robust, engaging lesson for KS2 classrooms. It requires minimal preparation and provides pupils with a memorable learning experience that emphasises historical understanding and evidence-based skills.

This Key Stage 2 lesson on the myth of King Midas is a thoughtfully crafted resource designed to deliver essential Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills within a captivating story framework. It enables pupils to engage with the myth’s themes and structure while building crucial learning skills, making it an ideal tool for any KS2 teacher aiming to enrich their curriculum. Key Features: Engaging with Myth: The lesson centres around the story of King Midas, emphasising key elements such as character motivation, moral lessons, and the influence of the gods. Pupils will explore how myths convey lessons through a narrative, specifically the pitfalls of greed and the importance of thoughtful choices, with relatable activities like summarising key plot points and analysing the character’s transformation. This lesson offers a balanced approach, combining literacy and moral exploration with evidence-based learning strategies, making it an invaluable resource for developing independent, reflective, and collaborative learners. With minimal preparation required, it is a robust addition to a KS2 curriculum, aligning with core educational objectives while engaging pupils in meaningful, skill-focused learning.

Noun Phrases 2 - Peer Teaching Working with a partner, pupils made brief notes on Noun Phrases in part 1. The same pair should now be ready to make a presentation on this topic to another pair. In return this other pair will also make a presentation (on the same topic) back to them. In this process, all four pupils experience peer teaching and being peer taught thereby creating four “experts”. There is a suggested page of notes included in this part for pupils to check their own notes against before they peer teach this topic to each other. These four experts then combine the best bits of both of their presentations to create a short video about Noun Phrases. This video will form part of a library of grammar topics to be shared among the class.

Noun Phrases 3 - Self-Assessment Having made notes with a partner (part 1) and experienced peer teaching (and peer learning) and making a video (part 2) in a group of four pupils should now be ready to work on their own. After answering the questions pupils then self-assess their own work. The idea is to check that pupils’ individual understanding of Noun Phrases is secure. After completing this question and answer self-assessment unit pupils are in a position to see whether they are a purple monster (peer learner) or a green monster (peer teacher) of this topic. Purple monsters should be encouraged to watch videos on this topic.

This resource, “The Hare and The Tortoise,” provides a soft introduction to metacognition through a familiar fable, making it accessible for young learners. The story illustrates how thinking about one’s own thinking—metacognition—can be more effective than relying on raw ability alone. In the story, Shelly the tortoise wins the race by using metacognitive strategies: planning, monitoring, and adjusting his approach. In contrast, Swifty the hare, despite his speed, fails because he doesn’t reflect on his actions. The story highlights that metacognitive skills like self-awareness and reflection can lead to better outcomes, both in races and in everyday tasks. The resource includes reflective questions that guide pupils to think about the story and their own learning behaviours. For example, pupils are asked how Shelly’s planning helped him succeed, how they might plan ahead in their own tasks, and how they could apply metacognition to activities like homework. This approachable and engaging resource helps teachers introduce the concept of metacognition in a way that encourages pupils to consider how they can think about their own learning processes and apply these strategies to improve performance. Teacher’s comment: “The fable used here is perfect. It’s both familiar to the pupil and accurate in how metacognition is presented. It immediately conveys to the student the benefits of metacognition in a fun and interesting way. It reinforces the message to the pupil that it is their approach to learning, rather than their ability, that makes the difference.” Pupil’s (aged 11) comment: “I really like this. I like the story and how Shelley used their thinking skills to win the race. It’s very inspirational.”