The history of China to now
Can easily be 2 lessons worth
Students are extremely engaged, lots of discussion points. I answered a few and had to tell them to write it down or address it next lesson.
Several tasks to do
Main task
Video with worksheet
You may need to pause depending on your students, or call out each number as you reach it.
Drawing a Then and Now image of China
Fun dingbats game. Example together first.
Learning objectives
Key terms (challenge included)
Explanation - sparse/dense
AFL thumbs
Lots of images - address misconceptions
Information on Asia (China) - Whats the differences discussion
Mind map - example together on board first. (challenge included)
Choropleth map introduction
Create your own (challenge included) - use Atlas
After a while - have countries on board to assist lower ability/ SEND and get them on pace
Answers on board - self check
Describe the distribution - copy example. Students write their own (help lower ability if needed). Challenge included. Having the example already in books allows them to have something available to refer to.
Plenary.
Engaging lesson about the one child policy
Depending on your class you can adapt the PPT.
The lower and higher ability materials are already available (it’s set on level 3 and 4)
Includes opinion line at start and end of lesson. Can be done in classroom on in their books.
See how it changes as they learn about the topic.
Print out of the colour coded answers for lower ability/ SEND students to assist.
Full terminology
Starter: key term with word bank
Map reading skills
Describe locations
Examples I do, we do, you do
Peer assessment
Hinge questions AFL
Biome information to read - optional methods/ tasks/ printouts if wanted
Map included for biome annotations
Journey through Russia Map (A, B, C, D)
Describe the biomes, what you see, etc throughout your journey
Success Criterion
Example (I do)
We do - together example
Answers for peer assessment
Plenary
Challenges included: these may be considered “hard” for KS3 but you can teach it or adapt them.
Engaged, fun task. You may need to finish earlier as students tend to not want to finish/ rush and continue/ willing to work into their breaks (but I don’t want them with me at break).
Rivers, Mountains, Deserts, Plains etc.
Prior knowledge check
Video - add to knowledge
Map creation - colour coded and Atlas use
2 versions - 1. blank (students had to really look and discover/ engage with the Atlas), they will ask for help or you can give prompts for harder ones. 2. Marked map (labelled)
Note: I only gave easier maps to students who go to special centres but my low ability and SEND students still did the blank map (they don’t complete it but they learn how to search and use the Atlas well). I did this because it is not in their assessment to know every part and map skills is more valuable for them.
Answers on board for marking
Reading information
Plenary
Extra version of map with key provided for lower ability/ SEND if you wish to use.
Included full lesson plan
Starter
Atlas use
Maps to label
Mind maps about countries - using stats
Challenges included
Quiz-Quiz-Trade game
Note down some facts from the game
Pointless Gameshow starter!!! Fun.
Key terms
Use of key terms
Lots of AFL
Many images
Choropleth map
Atlas
Population
Challenges included
Example/ Model answer
Explain why the Sahara Desert is sparsely populated
Plenary
starter
definitions of words (break down into 4 sections) - i do, we do, you do model with worksheets
green pen answers
lots of challenge questions -prior knowledge and current news. prompt them if needed during questioning.
pair discussions of images
questioning
print out of the images for annotations option
gap fill task (print out for lower ability with word bank available for all/ some)
back to annotations for those who finished early
glue into books/ keep tidy
answers via questioning/ reading
green pen
exam question modelling
marking
plenary quiz
An impact of climate change - focus on biodiversity
Starter - definition of words. challenge included
Green pen - add to answers
Point left/ right for correct answers (AFL)
Students read intentions
Students read the maps (write a sentence) - sentence starter on whiteboard
Students read endangered line (understading - why?)
Mind map reasons - do a few examples and add on board first
Green pen add 3 more ideas
Key term conservation
Break down the word - bio / diversity = diverse stem (on white board)
Breakdown sustainable
Students to write down if they don’t know the words
Differentiated reading (3 versions to make it easier for teacher to split them)
Highlighting, writing ideas, challenges
Create a poster or fact file (depending on time)
success criterion - emphasise there is no marks for pretty work - to do it after the writing
challenge
e.g. my year 8s wrote half a page of information (mixed ability) for fact files
e.g. my year 9s wanted to do more drawings (mixed ability) so their work varied but they were really into it and would need more time.
Feedback to class (table or notes - they were much faster with just making notes) - chose 1 per animal - visualiser for recognition and rewards
Plenary - which one to save? Hands up voting.
View different biomes
Guess the word starter (4 pictures 1 word)
Definitions
General climate
Video
Word bank
Definitions of words on board
Address misconceptions
All answers fade in
Task to find locations
TEA describe their locations
Challenges included
SEN worksheet
Updated shorter version: Climate graph creation using template, and compared or interpreted with climate of South Africa. Lots of scaffolding included and animations step by step (otherwise consider visualiser for some parts). Climate graph template allows them enough to do it on their own with prompts, brilliant for a first time use and repetition if done again or removed as they get use to it.
Climate graphs of different biomes
Read climate graphs
Fill in pyramid task based on biomes
Address misconceptions (lots of images)
Draw climate graphs from blank
Lots of different helpsheets depending on students’ ability - line/ bar/ climate graph template
Pyramid template
Challenges included
Plenary on reading climate graphs, easy to assess
Can be 1hour to 2 hour lesson
2024 Life expectancy statistics game (solo, teams, class options)
Involves world statistics, and 8 different countries.
Past and Future of UK, South Korea and Japan population.
In depth discussions about ageing population. Positive, negative, benefits, pro-natal policies, pensions, knock on effects, etc.
Population pyramid readings
Critical thinking/ guessing
Literacy lesson
Reading a newspaper (slide)
Optional: reading the news
Video of elderly explaining their actions
Critical thinking/ guessing with knowledge
Definitions all included
Writing a diary entry using key terms .
Lots of prompts provided with definitions.
Challenge question about resolution
Example provided for low ability
Template included for low ability
Task allows lower ability/ SEN the time the extra time they need for tasks, whilst higher ability work on a higher thinking skill challenge.
Lesson planned for 1-2hours depending how in depth your class can go on discussions/ prompts, critical thinking and their writing ability.
Height on maps
Gapfill and word banks
Spot height
Layer colouring
Contour lines
Explanation through colour coding, animations and different perspectives
Example drawing
2 minute video summarising
Option to draw contour lines on landscapes
Short tasks
Worksheet applying map skills onto OS map
All answers pop up
Includes higher thinking skills for those who need challenges
Gapfill plenary
Helpsheet available for low ability
Definitions mix and match boxes
Class activity
Low ability student support
High ability challenges
Examples for scaffold
Lots of imagery to address misconceptions
Worksheets available (differentiated)
Literacy task
Hinge questions for assessing knowledge
All answers (fade out)
All definitions on board under text
Plenary to find definitions of unknown words using dictionary practice
Reading/ knowledge/ linking to rainforest class
1-2hour lesson depending on ability.
Homework included
Climate graph recap
Map recap using TEA (gapfill, images and prompts)
Pairwork
Literacy task
Optional background information
Optional adjustable information for lower ability (information as hidden slides)
Silent work
Students teach each other
Comprehension
Well controlled activity
Support low ability (with more time/ prompts)
Gap fill
Worksheets
Challenge (can adapt to involve GCSE geography answers instead)
Fun and supportive class activity
Quick plenary to assess all
Recap of skills.
An exciting story to follow (promotes literacy).
Adaptable between year 7 to older by changing the story words.
Map is adaptable to change to your town/ school if you wanted.
TEA answer with gapfill to scaffold.
Concept used over a small scale.
Also available as a large scale (assuming it is a practice) to show Ebola as a real life case study.
All adaptable.
BONUS: PowerPoint Name Wheel! AND built in timer. No need to exit the screen, go onto websites etc. Easily adaptable to your student names and time is adjustable.
2 PowerPoints. 1 for lower ability to have them critically think more and focus on tasks first.
Animal adaptations
Lots of images throughout as prompts
Video included
Pair discussion
Writing task with sentence starters
Leads into fun application task as a geographer…
Create your own animal (label with adaptations and why its needed)
There are limitations (numeracy included)
Students share their work (rewards/ votes)
Challenge at end (solo or competition or class)