Free open educational resources from the University of Edinburgh to download and adapt for primary and secondary teaching.
Winner of the 2021 OEGlobal Awards for Excellence Open Curation Award for this collection of high quality student made OER on the TES platform.
Free open educational resources from the University of Edinburgh to download and adapt for primary and secondary teaching.
Winner of the 2021 OEGlobal Awards for Excellence Open Curation Award for this collection of high quality student made OER on the TES platform.
This Meteorological Observation Guide has been written as part of a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) Research Experience Placement carried out in the School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh.
Aimed at National 5 to Higher.
The aim of the research project was to investigate specific aspects of how global climate change affects the climate of Britain.
There are two main aims to this project:
1. Conduct visibility observations from Blackford Hill in Edinburgh, observing to see whether in times of anti-cyclonic weather, pollution build up in the atmosphere reduces the observed visibility.
2. Analysis of historical climate models to see how the frequency of anti-cyclones over the UK has changed due to anthropogenic climate change.
This guide is part of the former section. The procedure that follows is the procedure used over the period of the project, and the Blackford Hill example used is the actual visibility observation that was conducted.
This element of the project is transferable to other locations with a suitable vantage point. The work can be carried out by a class group or as part of a specific scientific project for senior pupils.
Author: James Holehouse
Unless otherwise stated all content is released under a CC-BY 4.0 license
Keywords: Anti-cyclonic weather; Meteorological Visibility Observations; hill; Climate Change; Weather; Climate
Cover image is The view over the City of Edinburgh looking towards the north from Blackford Hill by Brian Cameron, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Four lessons giving an introduction to volcanoes and various aspects of geology: Volcano Experiments,
“The Debate to Save Heimaey”, Volcanic Eruption Research, and a Field Trip.
Educational Level 2 and 3
(SCN 2-17a, SCN 2-19a, SOC 2-07b, SOC 3-07a, TCH 2-02a, LIT 2-02a, EXA 2-14a)
This resource makes use of a variety of educational approaches to introduce learners to volcanoes and various aspects of geology. There are four lessons in this resource that lead on from one another.
Lesson 1: Introduction to Volcanos
Lesson 2: Eruption of Eldfell - The Debate to Save Heimaey
Lesson 3: Volcanic Eruption Research
Lesson 4: Arthur’s Seat Field Trip
Created as part of the School of Geosciences’ Outreach Programme, which allows students in their final year to work in partnership with a local school to develop a set of lesson plans.
Author: Isla Simmons
Unless otherwise stated all content is released under a CC-BY 4.0 license.
Cover image is: Fissure eruption in Holurhraun (Iceland), 13. September 2014 by Joschenbacher (Wikimedia), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Three lessons covering, adaptation, survival characteristics and the extinction of the woolly mammoth with comparison to living elephants. Includes presentation slides and student worksheet with answers.
Aimed at Level 2 (Biodiversity and interdependence, SCN 2-01a)
This resource bundle includes:
Lesson 1: Woolly mammoths and the ice age
Lesson 2: The pygmy mammoths
Lesson 3: Comparison of African elephant and the woolly mammoth
Created as part of the School of Geosciences’ Outreach Programme, which allows students in their final year to work in partnership with a local school to develop a set of lesson plans.
Author: Chloe Young, adapted by Cecily Plascott.
Unless otherwise stated all content is released under a CC-BY 4.0 license.
Cover image: Model of Mammuth primigenius at the Royal BC Museum by Iain Reid is licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0.
These are teaching resources for free use, aimed at the second curriculum level pupils aged 10-12.
The series of seven lessons titled ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ introduces pupils the field of archaeology and the archaeological significance of the Orkney Islands through interactive activities.
Throughout the seven lessons, learners will explore the important concepts around archaeology and the skills to be a good archaeologists, ticking off the skills in the accompanying ‘Archaeology Skills Passport’. Learners are encouraged throughout the lessons to think creatively and work collaboratively through a range of activities, such as an excavation, drawing and group discussions, allowing them to develop a range of Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os, an educational framework identifying a range of learning activities for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence) in a highly interdisciplinary and active way.
Teachers can choose to teach all the lessons or pick any lesson as a standalone class. This pack, ‘Introducing the Orkney Islands’, is the second lesson of the seven, and it introduces the Orkney islands and their historical significance and archaeological finds.
What this resource pack includes
This pack includes a set of slides in Powerpoint and PDF formats, along with a Teacher’s guide to help teachers run a class with the slides. Additionally, the pack includes the Evidence Book and Archaeology Passport PDFs which are intended to be used with all of the lessons as explained in the Teacher’s Guide. These can also be found in each of the lesson packs linked below.
Links to the accompanying lessons
Lesson 1: Introducing Archaeology
Lesson 2: Introducing the Orkney Islands - this lesson
Lesson 3: Excavation
Lesson 4: Human-environment Interactions
Lesson 5: Orkney and Human-Environment Interactions
Lesson 6: Protecting Sites
Lesson 7: Educating the Public
Author: Sam Connor, adapted by August Enger and Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
These are teaching resources for free use, aimed at the second curriculum level pupils aged 10-12.
The series of seven lessons titled ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ introduces pupils the field of archaeology and the archaeological significance of the Orkney Islands through interactive activities.
Throughout the seven lessons, learners will explore the important concepts around archaeology and the skills to be a good archaeologists, ticking off the skills in the accompanying ‘Archaeology Skills Passport’. Learners are encouraged throughout the lessons to think creatively and work collaboratively through a range of activities, such as an excavation, drawing and group discussions, allowing them to develop a range of Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os, an educational framework identifying a range of learning activities for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence) in a highly interdisciplinary and active way.
Teachers can choose to teach all the lessons or pick any lesson as a standalone class. This pack, ‘Introducing Archaeology’, is the first lesson of the seven, and it introduces the field of archaeology and the artefacts archaeologists deal with.
What this resource pack includes
This pack includes a set of slides in Powerpoint and PDF formats, along with a Teacher’s guide to help teachers run a class with the slides. The PDF titled ‘Organic Inorganic’ is intended for the Organic or Inorganic Category Game as described in the Teacher’s guide. Additionally, the pack includes the Evidence Book and Archaeology Passport PDFs which are intended to be used with all of the lessons as explained in the Teacher’s Guide. These can also be found in each of the lesson packs linked below.
Links to the accompanying lessons
Lesson 1: Introducing Archaeology - this lesson
Lesson 2: Introducing the Orkney Islands
Lesson 3: Excavation
Lesson 4: Human-environment Interactions
Lesson 5: Orkney and Human-Environment Interactions
Lesson 6: Protecting Sites
Lesson 7: Educating the Public
Author: Sam Connor, adapted by August Enger and Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
This resource is a set of information packs, worksheets and a presentations on the topic of Satellite Earth Observation complete with slides. The target audience for this resource is learners ages 10-14.
This interdisciplinary resource was originally developed by SatSchool using current research and development from global scientific communities. It is an adaption of the online Introduction to Earth Observation Module, available on the SatSchool Web Page.
These resources provide foundational knowledge for understanding the way we can use technology to produce digital imaging, and introduce the history of satellite developments leading up to current technology. Learners are encouraged to ask questions, engage with scientific developments and consider the role of real-world scientists in understanding the Earth and Space.
Earth observation explores the use of satellites and other technology used to measure Earth from space. This resource introduces this through booklets covering four key sections:
Overview
Satellites and Orbits
Satellite Sensors
Image Resolution
Also included is an introductory overview presentation and two activity worksheets.
Where two versions of a document are included, one version is an editable version ( e.g. Word document) and the other is the best format for viewing/printing (PDF). All the resources are contained in a compressed folder in the download pack. The pack also contains a selection of images used only to provide preview images on the tes webpage.
Relevant learning outcomes: SCN 3-08a, SCN 3-11b, SCN 3-20, SOC 3-14a, SOC 3-08a
This resource is an adaption of the Earth Observation module on the SatSchool Website, created as part of the SatSchool Outreach Course. SatSchool is an Earth Observation outreach programme designed and delivered by PhD students from SENSE CDT, spanning multiple universities and researchers.
This resource was developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh OER Service.
Authors: Bryony Freer, Eszter Kovacs and Megan Udy, adapted into OER form by Molly Wickett and Alyssa Heggison.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Cover Image: Jason-3 Satellite, Copernicus Marine, EUMETSAT, European Union Copernicus Sentinel images,
This resource is a quiz-style lesson presentation focussed on the impacts of machine learning social media algorithms on society and individuals. It is an interdisciplinary resource covering topics from health and wellbeing, technology, data and social studies and is also relevant to the NPA Data Science Qualification Suite. The contents are suitable for learners aged around 12 upwards and relevant to all ages.
About the resource content:
The presentation covers the definitions of algorithms and machine learning then provides examples of both beneficial uses and ethical problems with their use. The content then focusses on applications to social media user retention. The aims of social media companies, the contributions of automated decision making to societal biases, inequalities, the promotion of dangerous content, polarisation and echo-chamber creation are some of the main topics covered. This resource allows students to develop their awareness of the dangers posed to themselves and others when using social media and encourages responsible and informed use of platforms.
The downloadable pack of resources includes a quiz-style informational presentation, and word document containing duplicate content in plain text format.
Curriculum Relevance:
This interdisciplinary resource is recommended for and relevant to all ages 12 and upwards, and covers themes from health and wellbeing, technology and social studies.
This pack may particularly be a useful teaching resource for the National Progression Award Data Science SCQF Levels 4,5 and 6, particularly the Machine Learning Optional Unit. The resource relates to aims 4 and 11 of the qualification to “stimulate interest in data science” and to “Raise awareness of the societal issues relating to data science including data ethics” respectively. The resource contains content focussed on non-technical data skills such as consideration of the impact of data, and ethical use of data and AI. In particular it may be relevant to the level 6 qualification which “takes a more academic view of data science, situating it in the wider context of AI and big data” and aims to raise “awareness of data ethics”.
The materials could also be used as part of English language activities in which students read and evaluate the linked articles, form and discuss their opinions and create factual or persuasive writing pieces on this topic.
This resource was developed as part of an Open Content Curator Internship with The University of Edinburgh Open Educational Resources Service.
Authors: Alyssa Heggison, with guidance and input from from Amy Yin, Megan Thomson and Dr Vicki Madden at The University of Edinburgh Information Services Group
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Cover Image:
Germs, Disease, Vaccines & Chemical Reactions has been created as a teaching resource for the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Curiosity Club’, an Intervention Strategy initiative that is currently operating in Council schools.
The focus of the four planned lessons is to increase knowledge and awareness during and after the covid-19 pandemic and help support the pupils in developing fair tests and inquiry skills.
In each of the four/five sessions, the scene is set by Jason Leitch, Clinical Director asking pupils to act as investigators to solve a problem. The first introduces four types of microbe and where they lurk in schools. The second is a comparison experiment using a plant spray to mimic sneezing. The third session explores vaccines and fair testing on chemical reactions. The final session uses a card game to explain pandemics and global diseases patterns.
A lab-book is enclosed with optional additional worksheets. The Teacher’s guide offers help with the experiments (including photos) and basic science on the resource in addition to hyperlinked resources.
All sessions can be linked to the covid-19 pandemic if wished.
Help and resources are to be found in the Teacher’s Guide.
Contents in this resource
• Extensive Teacher’s guide
o Lesson Plan
o Resource list and safety information
o ‘Basic Facts and online resources’ (hyperlinked)
o ‘Help with the Investigation’ (includes photos)
• PowerPoint presentations. Included in these are the letter (‘hook’) from the current National Clinical Director, Professor Jason Leitch. Here are some of his videos (In the Young Scot one, he introduces himself)
• Lab Book (short reflective notebook)
• Learner worksheet for ‘sneeze experiment’ (session 2)
• Pandemic cards (for photocopying in session 4)
• Suggestions for extension
**Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence **
SCN 2-19a, SCN 2-20a, SCN 2-20b, SCN 1-13a
Second Level: Sciences Inquiry and Investigation skills:
SOC 2-14a, SOC 2-19a, MTH 2-21a
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Stacey Fullerton, adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
OpenCovid4Ed
Volcanoes and Vulcanologists has been created as a teaching resource for the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Curiosity Club’, an Intervention Strategy initiative that is currently operating in Council schools. The interdisciplinary approach involves pupils in developing knowledge and skills through five separate lessons. The first session involves pupils experimenting with everyday chemicals to make a ‘volcano’. The second session uses food (biscuits, bananas, custard) to show the structure and functioning of the different Earth layers. The third session involves a comparison test to mimic lava flow in different types of volcano. The fourth session involves composing a rap or poem using knowledge of the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, the location for 75% of the Earth’s volcanoes. The final section looks at the advantages and disadvantages of living near a volcano, where the learning is deepened using expressive arts. Vinnie (my volcano character), learning book and Vinnie certificate are included with a lesson plan and ppt for each of the five sessions.
Due to the volume of content in this resource, a selection of files are available to preview and the full selection of content is contained within the zipped folder in the download pack.
Contents in this resource
• Five Lesson Plans
• Five PowerPoints
• Volcano photographs and factsheets
• Sample Risk Assessment
• ‘Vinney’s’ Learning book (Self-reflective)
• ‘Vinney’ emotion pictograms
• ‘Vinney’ hook letter
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence
SCN 1-15a; SCN 2-15a; SCN 2-17a; SCN 2-19a
Second Level: Sciences Inquiry and Investigation skills
SOC 2-07a; MNU 1-11b; MTH 2-21a; LIT 2-02a; EXA 2-02a; EXA 2-04a; EXA 2-13a; EXA 2-18a; TCH 2-09a; TCH 2:10a; TCH 2-12a
I hope you and your pupils enjoy my resource. Vinnie would like that!
Kim Greig, Primary Teacher.
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
The pupils receive a distress call from an alien planet. Over the course of 3-4 lessons, pupils will learn about how life is adapted to live in different places, why water is necessary for life and the size of the Solar System by helping the aliens. The target audience for this resource is level 2 learners, corresponding to 10-12 year old pupils (P5-P7 classes in Scotland).
Pupils have the opportunity to learn more about their assigned alien world using the pre-prepared fact files. They will then share this knowledge with the rest of their class and will finally celebrate successfully saving the aliens!
Lessons in this resource:
o Lesson 1: First Contact
o Lesson 2: Lift Off
o Lesson 3: Save the Day
o Lesson 4: Celebrate
This resource bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
• Lesson plans for teachers for lessons 1-4, including relevant Es, Os and Benchmarks
• PowerPoint presentations for lessons 1-4
• Fact files on Europa, Mars, Titan and Venus
• Transcripts of messages received from Europa, Mars, Titan and Venus
• Worksheet titled “Building a Scale Model of the Solar System” for lesson 2
• Instructions & Worksheet titled “Can you help the aliens?” for lesson 3
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence:
SCN 2-01a: I can identify and classify examples of living things, past and present, to help me appreciate their diversity. I can relate physical and behavioural characteristics to their survival or extinction.
SCN 2-05a: I can apply my knowledge of how water changes state to help me understand the processes involved in the water cycle in nature over time.
SCN 2-06a: By observing and researching features of our solar system, I can use simple models to communicate my understanding of size, scale, time and relative motion within it.
MNU 2-10c: (Extension) Using simple time periods, I can give a good estimate of how long a journey should take, based on my knowledge of the link between time, speed and distance.
This resource was created as part of the Geoscience Outreach Course which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of Geosciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Ray Honeysett, adapted by Amy Cook
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
This resource is a the second of a set of five lesson plans with STEM activities based around a group of 10-12 year olds, wanting to get their ‘wings’ from Flight School, by completing activities on forces associated with flight.
Other sessions involve LIFT, THRUST, WEIGHT), and the fifth AEROPLANE pulls together all the learning.
In this second session students are introduced to the force LIFT. This session is designed to allow the students to investigate lift by focusing on the shape of an aeroplane wing. By the end of the lesson the goal is that the students will have an understanding about the shape of an aeroplane wing and how it causes the aeroplane to fly up into the air.
This bundle includes: extensive teacher notes bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
• Teaching Notes - contents for each lesson includes:
• Science behind the lesson
• Materials best for the session
• Parachute shapes
• Plenary responses
• List of resources specific for this lesson.
• Main Lesson Plan (as a PowerPoint Resource)
• Learning goals
• Overview
• Set Up
• Task
• Plenary and Feedback
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence and associated benchmark
SCN 2-08a: I have collaborated in investigations to compare magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational forces and have explored their practical applications.
TCH 2-04b: I am developing dexterity, creativity and confidence when working with textiles.
MTH 2-16b: Through practical activities, I can show my understanding of the relationship between 3D objects and their nets.
LIT 2-02a: When I engage with others, , I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value others’ contributions and use these to build on thinking.
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of Geosciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Joanna Barrie. Adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley
This resource is a the fifth of a set of five lesson plans with STEM activities based around a group of 10-12 year olds, wanting to get their ‘wings’ from Flight School, by completing activities on forces associated with flight.
**This fifth session combines the knowledge of the forces DRAG, LIFT, THRUST, and WEIGHT from the precious four sessions, to investigate aeroplane design in a comparative test. The learner self-evaluation and learning log which has also been included in this bundle.
In this lesson students can create their planes from a design focus combined with their learning so far during the previous four lessons. They will be able to really contextualise their learning while experimenting and creating their own aeroplane designs.
This bundle includes: extensive teacher notes bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
• Teaching Notes - contents for each lesson includes:
• Science behind the lesson
• Materials best for the session
• Parachute shapes
• Plenary responses
List of resources specific for this lesson.
• Main Lesson Plan (as a PowerPoint Resource)
• Learning goals
• Overview
• Set Up
• Task
• Plenary and Feedback
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence and associated benchmark
SCN 2-08a: I have collaborated in investigations to compare magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational forces and have explored their practical applications.
TCH 2-04b: I am developing dexterity, creativity and confidence when working with textiles.
TCH 2-04c: I can extend and explore problem solving strategies to meet increasingly difficult challenges with a food or textile focus.
MTH 2-16b: Through practical activities, I can show my understanding of the relationship between 3D objects and their nets.
LIT 2-02a: When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value others’ contributions and use these to build on thinking.
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Joanna Barrie, adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
This resource is a the fourth of a set of five lesson plans with STEM activities based around a group of 10-12 year olds, wanting to get their ‘wings’ from Flight School, by completing activities on forces associated with flight.
This lesson is the final of the four forces and it is WEIGHT. This force will already be understood by a lot of children as it is part of everyday life. However, it is worth guiding their attention to weight in relation to flying aircrafts. By the end of the lesson students should have an overall understanding of the four forces involved in flight. They will also have gained some good problem-solving experience which has hopefully helped them develop some useful skills for their futures.
Other sessions involve DRAG, LIFT, THRUST, and the fifth AEROPLANE pulls together all the learning. The sixth section contains the learner self-evaluation and learning log which has also been included in this bundle.
This bundle includes: extensive teacher notes bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
Teaching Notes - contents for each lesson includes:
• Science behind the lesson
• Materials best for the session
• Parachute shapes
• Plenary responses
List of resources specific for this lesson.
• Main Lesson Plan (as a PowerPoint Resource)
• Learning goals
• Overview
• Set Up
• Task
• Plenary and Feedback
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence and associated benchmark
SCN 2-08a: I have collaborated in investigations to compare magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational forces and have explored their practical applications.
TCH 2-04b: I am developing dexterity, creativity and confidence when working with textiles.
TCH 2-09a: I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models.
MTH 2-17b: Through practical activities, I can show my understanding of the relationship between 3D objects and their nets.
Flight School has been created as a teaching resource for the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Curiosity Club’, an Intervention Strategy initiative that is currently operating in Council schools.
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Joanna Barrie, adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
This resource is a the third of a set of five lesson plans with STEM activities based around a group of 10-12 year olds, wanting to get their ‘wings’ from Flight School, by completing activities on forces associated with flight.
In this third session students are introduced to the force THRUST while building on their understanding of LIFT. This session is designed to allow the students to experiment with design to create a ‘mini helicopter model’. By the end of the lesson the goal is that the students will have an understanding of THRUST and LIFT in relation to flight.
Other sessions involve DRAG, LIFT, WEIGHT), and the fifth AEROPLANE pulls together all the learning. The sixth section contains the learner self-evaluation and learning log which has also been included in this bundle.
This bundle includes: extensive teacher notes bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
• Teaching Notes - contents for each lesson includes:
• Science behind the lesson
• Materials best for the session
• Parachute shapes
• Plenary responses
List of resources specific for this lesson.
• Main Lesson Plan (as a PowerPoint Resource)
• Learning goals
• Overview
• Set Up
• Task
• Plenary and Feedback
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence and associated benchmark
SCN 2-08a: I have collaborated in investigations to compare magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational forces and have explored their practical applications.
TCH 2-04b: I am developing dexterity, creativity and confidence when working with textiles.
MTH 2-16b: Through practical activities, I can show my understanding of the relationship between 3D objects and their nets.
LIT 2-02a: When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value others’ contributions and use these to build on thinking.
Flight School has been created as a teaching resource for the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Curiosity Club’, an Intervention Strategy initiative that is currently operating in Council schools.
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Joanna Barrie, adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
This resource is the fourth of a set of 4 lesson plans with STEM activities based around a group of 10-12 year olds, wanting to explain the science and maths behind magic.
This session teaches STATIC ELECTRICITY, a magic wand trick.
(Other sessions involve PROBABILITY, AIR PRESSURE, CHEMICAL REACTIONS. )
Wonder in Magic has been created as a teaching resource for the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Curiosity Club’, an Intervention Strategy initiative that is currently operating in Council schools. The focus of the four planned lessons of Wonder in Magic is to explain the ‘magic’ behind science and maths activities.
The first has an activity on air pressure. The second has an activity on probability and tthe third is on chemical reactions. There is an optional activity (session 5) on showcasing the knowledge and skills obtained in Wonder in Magic. You can find all of these in our TES Shop for free download and re-use.
The log-book (‘Book of Spells’), general teaching notes, completion certificate and letter (‘hook’) are included with all resources.
This bundle includes: extensive teacher notes bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
Electrostatics – Hopping Magic Wands - contents for each lesson includes:
Resource list
Learning Intentions
Shared success criteria
Relevant Es&Os
Assessment Methods
Lesson Plan
General resources
*
‘Hook’ letter from the Head Teacher of Scotland’s Magic School
Log-book (aka Book of Spells)
Completion Certificate
General Teaching Notes
Learning outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence and associated benchmark
SCN 2-08a: I have collaborated in investigations to compare magnetic, electrostatic and gravitational forces and have explored their practical applications. (Explains how some objects may become electrically charged by rubbing two surfaces together and how the charges produce an electrostatic force. Investigates and demonstrates understanding that electrostatic forces can both repel and attract.)
LIT 2-07a: I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to literal, inferential, evaluative and other types of questions, and by asking different kinds of questions of my own. (Asks and responds to a range of questions, including literal, inferential and evaluative questions, to demonstrate understanding of spoken texts.)
This resource was created as part of the GeoScience Outreach Course, which is a 4th year undergraduate course in the School of GeoSciences aiming to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own science communication and engagement project.
Author: Philippa Johnston, adapted by Kay Douglas and Charlie Farley.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
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This is an Open Educational Resource for the Early Curriculum Level and Beyond (Suitable for the Age 5 to 105).
This resource pack includes a booklet with images, information and song audio of 17 common garden and woodland birds in Midlothian and in Scotland. Useful to complement any science work involving environment.
Learners can gain an insight into the range of bird species and biodiversity of a local area. Free poster of the birds included to help learners identify birds by their relative sizes.
Author: Booklet by Radina Atanasova, adapted by Mayu Ishimoto and a poster by Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
These are teaching resources for free use, aimed at the second curriculum level pupils aged 10-12.
The series of seven lessons titled ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ introduces pupils the field of archaeology and the archaeological significance of the Orkney Islands through interactive activities.
Throughout the seven lessons, learners will explore the important concepts around archaeology and the skills to be a good archaeologists, ticking off the skills in the accompanying ‘Archaeology Skills Passport’. Learners are encouraged throughout the lessons to think creatively and work collaboratively through a range of activities, such as an excavation, drawing and group discussions, allowing them to develop a range of Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os, an educational framework identifying a range of learning activities for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence) in a highly interdisciplinary and active way.
Teachers can choose to teach all the lessons or pick any lesson as a standalone class. This pack, ‘Excavation’, is the third lesson of the seven, and it focuses on an interactive excavation project for hands-on learning with digital alternatives.
What this resource pack includes
This pack includes a set of slides in Powerpoint and PDF formats, along with a Teacher’s guide to help teachers run a class with the slides.
The Word Document titled ‘Artefact Recording’ and the Powerpoint slide titled ‘Site Grid’, also available in PDF formats, are intended to be used for the indoor/outdoor excavation activity as described in the Teacher’s guide. The PDF titled ‘Sword Shells Vases Cutout’ is also intended to be used for the excavation to represent artefacts when alternatives are not available. Another Word Document titled ‘Google Earth Investigation’, also available in a PDF format, is intended to be a guidance for the Google Earth Investigation activity as described in the Teacher’s guide.
Additionally, the pack includes the Evidence Book and Archaeology Passport PDFs which are intended to be used with all of the lessons as explained in the Teacher’s Guide. These can also be found in each of the lesson packs linked below.
Links to the accompanying lessons
To find more Open Educational Resources from the University of Edinburgh, visit open.ed.ac.uk.
Author: Sam Connor, adapted by August Enger and Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
These are teaching resources for free use, aimed at the second curriculum level pupils aged 10-12.
The series of seven lessons titled ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ introduces pupils the field of archaeology and the archaeological significance of the Orkney Islands through interactive activities.
Throughout the seven lessons, learners will explore the important concepts around archaeology and the skills to be a good archaeologists, ticking off the skills in the accompanying ‘Archaeology Skills Passport’. Learners are encouraged throughout the lessons to think creatively and work collaboratively through a range of activities, such as an excavation, drawing and group discussions, allowing them to develop a range of Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os, an educational framework identifying a range of learning activities for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence) in a highly interdisciplinary and active way.
Teachers can choose to teach all the lessons or pick any lesson as a standalone class. This pack, ‘Human-environment Interactions’, is the fourth lesson of the seven, and it introduces how humans adapt to, depend on, and modify their environments.
What this resource pack includes
This pack includes a set of slides in Powerpoint and PDF formats, along with a Teacher’s guide to help teachers run a class with the slides. Additionally, the pack includes the Evidence Book and Archaeology Passport PDFs which are intended to be used with all of the lessons as explained in the Teacher’s Guide. These can also be found in each of the lesson packs linked below.
Links to the accompanying lessons
Lesson 1: Introducing Archaeology
Lesson 2: Introducing the Orkney Islands
Lesson 3: Excavation
Lesson 4: Human-environment Interactions - this lesson
Lesson 5: Orkney and Human-Environment Interactions
Lesson 6: Protecting Sites
Lesson 7: Educating the Public
Author: Sam Connor, adapted by August Enger and Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
These are teaching resources for free use, aimed at the second curriculum level pupils aged 10-12.
The series of seven lessons titled ‘Introduction to Archaeology’ introduces pupils the field of archaeology and the archaeological significance of the Orkney Islands through interactive activities.
Throughout the seven lessons, learners will explore the important concepts around archaeology and the skills to be a good archaeologists, ticking off the skills in the accompanying ‘Archaeology Skills Passport’. Learners are encouraged throughout the lessons to think creatively and work collaboratively through a range of activities, such as an excavation, drawing and group discussions, allowing them to develop a range of Experiences and Outcomes (Es&Os, an educational framework identifying a range of learning activities for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence) in a highly interdisciplinary and active way.
Teachers can choose to teach all the lessons or pick any lesson as a standalone class. This pack, ‘Orkney and Human-Environment Interactions’, is the fifth lesson of the seven, and it looks closer at human-environment interactions on Orkney through the Mesolithic, the Neolithic, and the Viking Age.
What this resource pack includes
This pack includes a set of slides in Powerpoint and PDF formats, along with a Teacher’s guide to help teachers run a class with the slides. Additionally, the pack includes the Evidence Book and Archaeology Passport PDFs which are intended to be used with all of the lessons as explained in the Teacher’s Guide. These can also be found in each of the lesson packs linked below.
Links to the accompanying lessons
Lesson 1: Introducing Archaeology
Lesson 2: Introducing the Orkney Islands
Lesson 3: Excavation
Lesson 4: Human-environment Interactions
Lesson 5: Orkney and Human-Environment Interactions - this lesson
Lesson 6: Protecting Sites
Lesson 7: Educating the Public
Author: Sam Connor, adapted by August Enger and Mayu Ishimoto.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
In this resource, pupils will learn how sensory stories from our oral history research reveal surprising details about life in mid-20th century Inverclyde. Pupils will also learn how to conduct their own sensory oral history interview to explore hidden histories in their local area.
Teachers and pupils can explore the role of sugar in shaping the history of Greenock and then conduct their own interviews to find out about the history of their local area – focusing on sights, smells, sounds and taste. Students can use objects and questions about the senses creatively to discover what life in their town was like in the past and compare this with other knowledge of the same historical period.
While this resource was originally designed for primary and secondary school children in Inverclyde to share local stories of Greenock’s sugar industry, it could easily be adapted to another area with an industrial past that could be explored using the same methods. This resource is also designed to be adaptable for students from P5 up to S3 classes (ages 10-15 years).
This resource bundle includes pdf and editable versions of the following:
• A PowerPoint presentation about Sensory Oral Histories (within the context of the sugar industry in Greenock)
• Teacher’s guide, including a lesson plan on Sensory Oral History interviews (an overview and practise outline)
• Student information sheet
• Student worksheet for interview practise
• An interviewee consent form
Learning Outcomes in the Curriculum for Excellence:
Social studies - SOC 2/3-01a; SOC 2/3-02a; SOC 2/3-03a; SOC 2/3-14a
• Develop my understanding of the history, heritage and culture of Scotland, and an appreciation of my local and national heritage within the world
• Learn how to locate, explore and link periods, people and events in time and place
• Learn how to locate, explore and link features and places locally and further afield
• Explore and evaluate different types of sources and evidence
Literacy & English - LIT2/3-26a; LIT 2/3-24a; LIT2-07a; LIT2/3-10a
Students will research local and global history by conducting sensory oral history interviews, applying their skills and understanding in a range of contexts and suitable formats. The writing format of the piece of text, accompanying historical materials, level of challenge, length and complexity of task are to be determined by the teacher.
This resource was created by Marisa Wilson and adapted by Amy Cook at The University of Edinburgh. Unless otherwise stated, all content is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.