I am an experienced Primary school teacher with over twenty years experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. I have made and used all of the interactive topic based lesson plans, power-points and resources in this shop with my classes. I hope you enjoy using them with your classes too.
I am an experienced Primary school teacher with over twenty years experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. I have made and used all of the interactive topic based lesson plans, power-points and resources in this shop with my classes. I hope you enjoy using them with your classes too.
Speech bubble cards. Set of 21 cards. Can be used with all ages and abilities. Each card has a fun picture of an animal in winter with a speech bubble. Each card has a simple question to prompt pupil imagination to think of a response for the animal on the card. Pupils can be as sensible, humorous or as Zany as they want!
I laminated each card and use them as a fun class quick fire round at the end of lessons. Also can be used as a lesson starter/plenary or small group activity when covering conversation topics, speech bubbles and thought showers.
KS2 Eco-Warrior News. A newspaper style page focusing on the important eco issue of rewilding the environment through the reintroduction of beavers into the countryside and the benefits they can bring to humans and wildlife. I made this resource to enable pupils to read a newspaper style article about beaver rewilding, to identify features of a newspaper, genre style and language as well as learning about the topic of wildlife and eco systems. Can be used as a factsheet, comprehension, guided reading passage or the basis for developing a class newspaper.
Useful linked to topics about Wildlife, Ecosystems, Beavers, Rivers and Waterways, Animals that help us.
KS1 & 2 Science Fiction story planning template. A writing Science Fiction stories and spaces for pupils to develop descriptive words and phrases, space setting , problems, themed vocabulary and the structure of their story.
Can be used with topics : Space, Adventures, Explorers, Planets.
KS1 & 2 Fable planning template. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own fable. Includes a bullet point reminder of the rules for writing fables and spaces for pupils to develop character description, setting, the moral and the structure of their story.
Great to use following an assembly or moral writing lesson /drama. Can also be used with topics : Aesop’s fables, Morals and Dilemmas, Animals.
Set of two Book review blank templates. KS1 and KS2. A quick review resource for pupils to use to comment on books they have read in class, as part of World Book Day or library events. Space to write a short summary, draw a favourite character and rate the illustrations and text difficulty. Great to use in a class library for pupils to share ideas about their favourite fiction and non -fiction texts.
Sun and summer: Bundle of 6 resources.
Resource 1. Sun safety complete powerpoint lesson. Written mainly for KS1 but can be easily adapted. Powerpoint of 17 slides which promotes small group and paired discussion about sun safety. Can be used as a complete lesson or adapted for an assembly. The first slides look at fun in the sun and lead into some simple facts about the sun following a short paired talk session to assess pupil knowledge. Pupils are encouraged to look at different photographs of the sun (sunset, sun rise, in space) and describe features. There is a very simple slide on Vitamin D and UV rays linked to health. The children can discuss how to protect themselves in the sun and when to wear sunscreen. The final slide is an example of a sun safety poster which pupils can use as a basis to design their own for the rest of the school (and which can be used as an assessment of their learning).
Resource 2. The sun and our planet. EYFS/KS1 power-point of 36 slides. This power-point can be used as a complete stand-alone lesson or as an additional spin off to related topics which encourage the pupils to think about the sun and how it affects earth. I have kept the information simple with a mix of slides and activities including a simple riddle, a short youtube clip, paired talk activities, a practical ‘ordering planets’ activity and an assessment challenge to make a booklet about the information learned. Each slide includes pictures which illustrate the key learning points. Useful alongside lessons or topics on sun safety, summer, space and planets etc.
Learning objectives
• To know that the sun is the centre of the solar system.
• To know some interesting facts about the sun.
• To name the eight planets which orbit the sun.
• To organise the planets in order of closeness to the sun.
• To explain how the sun affects our planet.
Resource 3. EYFS Weekly plan ‘The sun and the wind’. This is a weekly cross curricular plan for an EYFS topic based on Aesop’s fable ‘The sun and the wind’. It has been planned to include the learning and ideas for one week of teaching and includes differentiated planning in Literacy and Numeracy for HA, MA and LA groups. Includes non-negotiable vocabulary and linked learning activities in each area of learning. Links well with topics on ‘Being kind’, ‘Circles’ and ‘Weather’.
Resource 4. ‘All about the sun’ factsheet template. KS1 factsheet template about the topic of the sun. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own ideas for a non-fiction factsheet or booklet. There are heading prompts to help pupils develop ideas.
Resource 5. EYFS/KS1 summer picnic activity sheet. Learning objective : I can choose and name at least 8 things to put in a picnic basket.
A simple observation and identification activity for pupils before undertaking an out of school visit (to the beach, woods, park). Pupils draw what they will need for a picnic. There is a simple picture/word key at the bottom of the worksheet to help pupils identify 8 common items found in a picnic basket. Can be used as a follow up activity for topic work on ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’, seaside, summer, ‘We’re going on a picnic!’ by Pat Hutchins etc.
Resource 6. EYFS/KS1 Beachcombing activity sheet.
Learning objective : I can find and name at least 8 things found on a beach.
A simple observation and identification activity for pupils while on a visit to the beach. Pupils draw what they find in the empty bucket. There is a simple picture/word key at the bottom of the worksheet to help pupils identify 8 common items found on a beach.
Resource 1 Halloween powerpoint lesson. Fully resourced with 9 pupil worksheets.Learning objectives
• To know the origins of Halloween.
• To compare long ago Halloween customs, superstitions and rituals with those celebrated today.
• To create and perform spells and spine-chilling descriptions about Halloween.
• To work co-operatively with a partner or small group to discuss answers and ideas about Halloween and create a short role play.
Fun, interactive lesson which begins with pupil experiences of Halloween. Simple historical origins, customs and superstitions are introduced through riddles, mapwork, completing captions in speech bubbles, role play and idea showers. There are opportunities for pupils to complete structured written tasks and develop literacy ideas through writing spells (using ‘the witches’ from MacBeth) and short descriptions. The lesson includes nine pupil worksheet activities which link (optional) to the lesson and include a creepy picture description, Haunted house spine chilling vocabulary, witch / monster descriptive template, Halloween activity mat (jumbled words, wordsearch, maze, pumpkin decorating, draw the other half), a spell template, co-ordinates activity, Pumpkin acrostic poem template and a 32 card Halloween Quiz.
This lesson can also be broken into 2-3 lessons if all of the templates are used.
Resource 2: Halloween Quiz of 32 quiz cards
Resource 3: Horror Story Planning Template
Resource 4: Bats 2 week planning grid including learning objectives and ideas for a topic on Bats.
Resource 5: Bats Factsheet.
Resource 6: Halloween wordsearch x2
How to write a biography. Upper KS2. Set of five complete lessons with all worksheets and pupil resources. Includes a Biography checklist, sample biographies about Queen Victoria and Nelson Mandela, a blank biography spider-gram, blank planning templates (scaffolded) and a fact sheet about Mary Anning. The series of lessons include opportunities for pupils to give peer feedback and analyse two sample biographies.
I have used these with Y5 and Y6 and have also extended the unit to include famous people which the children asked for or who we were covering in topic work eg Louis Pasteur, famous explorers/sports achievers.
Learning objectives.
Lesson 1
• To explain what a ‘biography’ is in my own words.
• To name people who have had a biography written about them.
• To list the features of a biography.
• To identify the features in a short biography of a famous person.
Lesson 2
• To explain what a ‘biography’ is in my own words.
• To recall the features of a biography.
• To plan then write a biography about someone in my family and use the checklist to include the main features.
• To give helpful feedback to my partner.
Lesson 3
• To read a biography about Nelson Mandela.
• To use the Biography Checklist and identify whether the main features have been included in the biography about Nelson Mandela.
• To identify areas where the biography could be improved.
Lesson 4
• To choose a famous person for a biography.
• To plan your ideas on a writing frame and listen to the feedback about the features from your partner.
• To write an interesting biography which includes all of the main features.
Lesson 5
• To use the factsheet about Mary Anning, taking out information which would be interesting in a biography.
• To write an interesting biography about Mary Anning which includes all of the main features of a biography.
William Shakespeare Famous person fact sheet.
Includes key events and important stages in his life, broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos.
I have used this with pupils in Years 3-6 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.
Groovy Grammar KS2 starters. Simply click a button on the first page of the power-point and get a starter! 169 starters aimed at KS2 pupils, each slide contains a grammar point for pupils to practise through a range of strategies including talk partners, mime, games eg ‘I spy’, ‘Kim’s game’, ‘And/But game’, Charades, Performing Punctuation and Ready! Steady! Teach! As well as practise sentences, cartoons, rewriting sentences, word substitution etc.
Grammar includes: recognising and using nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Prefixes and Suffixes, determiners, pronouns, conjunctions, alliteration, vocabulary extension, expressions and their meanings, eponyms, changing the ‘mood’ of a sentence , apostrophe ‘s’, word order swaps, commas, speech marks personification etc.
I have used this as a start of the day activity as revision or sometimes as a lesson starter depending on the focus. The children love to choose the starter so I have a rota!
Florence Nightingale Famous person fact sheet.
Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos.
I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.
Queen Victoria Famous person fact sheet.
Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos.
I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.
Martin Luther King Famous person fact sheet.
Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos.
I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.
Samuel Pepys Famous person fact sheet.
Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos.
I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.
Mystery story template
KS1 & 2 Mystery story planning template. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own mystery writing. Includes a bullet point reminder of the rules for writing mystery stories and spaces for pupils to develop character description, setting and plan the structure of their story.
Great to use following an writing lesson or drama. Can also be used with a range of topics : Seasonal mysteries, Explorers, Different countries, Travel, Halloween.
KS1 or lower ability KS2 powerpoint. Collective nouns interactive lesson of 17 slides. Each slide supports learning through images and practise examples. Pupils have the opportunity to talk, suggest ideas and create their own descriptions for collective nouns. The final image rounds off the lesson with a paired one minute teach it activity.
Powerpoint of the most well-known of Aesop’s proverbs. KS2. 20 slides of images for pupils to work out the proverb. Each slide stimulates discussion to help pupils understand the meaning of Aesop’s messages. The full powerpoint can be used as a stimulus for a lesson exploring proverbs or specific slides can be selected to focus on proverbs or meanings linked to a specific lesson or topic eg RE, History, PE.
‘All about the sun’ factsheet template.
KS1 blank factsheet template about the topic of the sun. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own ideas for a non-fiction factsheet or booklet. There are heading prompts to help pupils develop ideas.
Great to use following Science /sun safety/space lesson or drama. Can also be reused with most topics: My family, heroes, current or historical characters, explorers, travel, Halloween, etc.
Dinosaur comprehension cards. Set of 12. KS1/lower KS2. Each card includes a simple information about a dinosaur and eight questions for pupils to retrieve from the text. Simple layout for pupils to find information easily and an engaging picture of each subject on the card. Can also be used without the comprehension questions as a reference resource for pupils to research a dinosaur independently.
A simple scaffolding template for a pupil letter to a new teacher at the start of term. Can be used for Y2-Y6 depending on ability. Useful as a prompt for pupils to introduce themselves to their new class teacher . Structured to cover the main areas pupils usually want teachers to know about and can be used as a starting point for ‘Guess who?’ games and encouraging friendships between pupils with similar tastes and hobbies.
