A series of questions where students pretend they are Pokemon trainers and calculate how many points they would get in different scenarios. This inspires the students to derive general rules using basic algebra. This could be used either as an independant starter or as a group work activity. The students in my school are obsessed with Pokemon go and so using the game mechanics motivates them to engage with the maths. Answers are included.

Get ready for September by learning these mnemonics for the 100 most popular names of 2004. Most of your new year 7 students will have names on this list (there is considerable overlap with the 2003 list). We all know that learning students names quickly is key to good classroom management but for many of us it's difficult. By learning these visual mnemonics ahead of time it is much quicker and easier to learn to attach names to faces. Once you have a pre-prepared visual image like "Ben is climbing big ben" you can simply imagine your new student called Ben climbing big ben. Remembering his name is now as easy as remembering this image. Our brains are much better at processing and remembering visual information than names. It makes sense to take advantage of this to learn your students names quickly! This resource contains a csv file with names in one column and mnemonics in another. Most flash card programs will allow you to import from this format to generate flashcards. For example Anki is free and allows you to import from csv. These mnemonics are for the 100 most common British names of 2004, helping you to learn your new students names more quickly.

A powerpoint introduction to area, from the basic definitions of area to finding the area of combinations of rectangles. Includes harder questions for differentiation and a final slide assessment question to check that the whole class has understood. This was made as a 10 min activity to introduce the concept of area to year 7.

Some number rich information related to climate change followed by questions. Percentages, estimation, ratios, number, standard form. Start a discussion about climate change and how to understand information presented by the media. GCSE maths.

PDF containing lots of facts and numbers in different forms relating to the Syrian refugee crises. Helps students to think critically about numbers they have heard in the news and understand what they really mean. Practise manipulating and comparing numbers. Thanks for pointing out some typos! Resource has been updated.

A simple set of classroom rules for new classes or new teachers. Four rules with images so that students remember them. Help students with behaviour by setting clear expectations.

Students use examples from current football events to practise with numbers in standard form.