the ultimate lesson activity generator 120 activities for use across the key stages and the...
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The Ultimate Lesson Activity Generator
120 activities for use across the
Key Stages and the curriculum
Created by Mike Gershonwww.mikegershon.com
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Group Work Evaluation
Active Learning
Analysis
CategoriesDiscussion
Drama
Design
Creation
Writing
Paired Work
Misc.
All On One Page
Enquiry-Based
Learning
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Discussion
Back to the Start
Speed Debating Silent Debate Stimulus Material
Question Set Café Culture Sit and Move
Card Talk Question Porters Goldfish Bowl
Listening Triads
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Group Work Back to the Start
Jigsawing Envoys Marketplace
Rainbow Groups Interviewing Team Challenge
Presentations Activity Stations Socratic Dialogue
Moral Dilemmas
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Drama Back to the Start
Radio Phone-In TV Chat Show Hot Seating
Role-Play Vignettes Human Modelling
Monologue Re-enactment Forum Theatre
Shopping Channel
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Design Back to the Start
Design Brief Comic Strip Testing, Testing
Alternatives Advertising What If…
Solutions Website Newspaper Front-page
Poster Presentation
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Evaluation Back to the Start
Defend Your X… Formal Debate Speech Writing
Pros and Cons Casting Judgement Match-Group-Rank
Peer-Assessment Self-Assessment Criticising Arguments
Using Criteria
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Analysis Back to the Start
Examination Investigations Question Set 2
Case Studies Narrative Review
Reading and Questions Key Messages Categories
Compare and Contrast
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Creation Back to the Start
Videos Modelling Quizzes
Board Games Storyboard Visualise
Mind-Maps Spider Diagrams Glossaries
Revision Guides
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Writing Back to the Start
Creative Writing Comprehension Keyword Practice
Genre Writing Essay Writing Report Writing
Script Writing Target Practice Persuasive Writing
Guides, Leaflets and Posters
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Active Learning Back to the Start
Person Bingo Visits and Visitors Distributed Content
Library Lessons Computer Room Numbered Information
Try It Out Continuum Student Teachers
Translation
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Enquiry-Based Learning Back to the Start
Options Choices Big Question
Why is that? Hypothesis Trial and Error
Working Backwards Research Round Table
Mystery
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Paired Work Back to the Start
Character Discussion Question Development Rewrite
Explain It To Me Snowballing Problem-Solving
Summarising Paired Writing Paired Discussion
Think-Pair-Share
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Miscellaneous Back to the Start
Community of Enquiry Circle Time Tabulating
Mock Exam Questions Competitions Rearrange
Worksheets Textbooks Interactive
Video and Questions
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Defend Your X… Formal Debate Speech Writing Pros and Cons Casting Judgement Match-Group-Rank Peer-Assessment Self-Assessment Criticising Arguments Using Criteria
All the Activities on One PageBack to the Start
Speed Debating Silent Debate Stimulus Material Question Set Café Culture Sit and MoveCard Talk Question Porters Goldfish Bowl Listening Triads
Jigsawing Envoys Marketplace Rainbow Groups Interviewing Team Challenge PresentationsActivity Stations Socratic Dialogue Moral Dilemmas
Radio Phone-In TV Chat Show Hot Seating Role-Play Vignettes Human Modelling MonologueRe-enactment Forum Theatre Shopping ChannelDesign Brief Comic Strip Testing, Testing Alternatives Advertising What If… Solutions WebsiteNewspaper Front-page Poster Presentation
Examination Investigations Question Set 2 Case Studies Narrative Review Reading and Questions Key Messages Categories Compare and Contrast
Videos Modelling Quizzes Board Games Storyboard Visualise Mind-Maps Spider Diagrams Glossaries Revision Guides
Creative Writing Comprehension Keyword Practice Genre Writing Essay Writing Report WritingScript Writing Target Practice Persuasive Writing Guides, Leaflets and Posters
Person Bingo Visits and Visitors Distributed Content Library Lessons Computer Room Numbered Information Try It Out Continuum Student Teachers Translation
Options Choices Big Question Why is that? Hypothesis Trial and Error Working Backwards Research Round Table MysteryCharacter Discussion Question Development Rewrite Explain It To Me Snowballing Problem-Solving Summarising Paired Writing Paired Discussion Think-Pair-ShareCommunity of Enquiry Circle Time Tabulating Mock Exam Questions Competitions Rearrange Worksheets Textbooks Interactive Video and Questions
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Present students with a statement.
Divide the class in half.
One half are for, one half are against.
Groups have time in which to develop their arguments.
Students then pair up. Each pair should have a ‘for’ person and an ‘against’ person.
Pupils take it in turns to put their case (1-2 minutes each) before both speaking at the same time (1 minute).
The ‘for’ students then stand up and find a new partner and the process is repeated.
Speed Debating
Discussion
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Distribute five sheets of A3 (or larger) paper around the room.
Each piece should have a contentious statement or question written in the middle (which connects to the topic).
Students walk round the room in silence and use a pen to write comments on each piece of paper.
When they have commented on each statement and question, they then go back and comment on other people’s comments.
Conclude by dividing the class into five groups and giving each group one of the sheets. They analyse this and pick out the most interesting comments.
Silent Debate
Discussion
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Present students with some stimulus material which will cause them to talk and discuss. Examples include:
- A video- An object- An article- A point of view- A piece of music- An image- A source- A piece of work
You can present the item to the whole class or divide students into groups and then give each group a piece of stimulus material.
Scaffold the discussion by providing model questions or categories of analysis.
Stimulus Material
Discussion
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Create a set of questions you can use as the basis of a whole-class or group discussion.
The questions should connect to the topic in question or a particular theme.
You can present the questions orally or in writing.
If working in groups, students can go through the questions at their own pace or at a pace set by the teacher.
Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to underpin the questions, ensuring they get progressively more challenging.
Appoint a scribe (or scribes in each group) to record what is said during the discussions.
Question Set
Discussion
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Hand out six sheets of A3 paper to six different students.
Each piece of paper should have a question or statement written on it.
The pupils with the sheets of paper are the café owners. They stay where they are.
The rest of the class stand up and find a café to join. Ensure roughly equal numbers go to each café.
Students discuss the question or statement at their café. The café owner facilitates the discussion and makes notes on the piece of paper.
After sufficient time has passed, ask pupils to move to a new café and to start a new discussion.
Café Culture
Discussion
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Present the class with a topic for discussion. This might be a question or statement. Equally, it could be that which has been studied most recently.
Display a set of sub-questions relating to that which is to be discussed.
Students get into pairs and have a discussion based around the topic making use of the sub-questions.
After 3-4 minutes, one person from each pair stands up and finds a new partner. The fresh groupings now have their own discussion (for variation, you might want to display a new set of questions).
Repeat the process a final time, allowing the other students to stand up and move.
Sit and Move
Discussion
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Pupils work in groups of four.
The teacher gives each group a set of eight cards. On each card is a question or statement related to the topic.
One person from each group removes a card at random. Groups must discuss what is on the card for three minutes.
When the time is up, groups pull out another card at random and begin a new discussion.
Variations include having one set of cards for the whole class, students creating cards for each other and groups changing their make-up after each discussion.
Card Talk
Discussion
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Students work in groups of three or four.
Each group elects a question porter. They come to the front and are given a question and a sheet of paper by the teacher. Make sure all the questions are different.
Porters return to their groups and lead a discussion on their question, making notes as they go.
After 3-4 minutes, the teacher asks the porters to stand up and move to a new group, taking their paper with them.
New discussions takes place, building on the work of the previous discussions.
Repeat for a total of 3 or 4 times.
Question Porters
Discussion
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Students work in groups of four.
The teacher introduces the topic and invites groups to prepare a set of notes ready for a whole-class discussion. (You may want to make it for and against or hand out specific roles to different groups).
After sufficient time has passed, the teacher asks each group to nominate two discussers and two watchers.
The class forms two concentric circles. On the inside are the teacher and the discussers. On the outside are the watchers.
The teacher leads the inner circle in a discussion while the outer circle watches and makes notes.
When time has passed, the outer circle give feedback on the ideas and performance of the inner circle. The circles may then swap over if you have enough time.
Goldfish Bowl
Discussion
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Students work in threes.
The teacher presents a statement or question for discussion.
In each three, two pupils volunteer to discuss. The third student is the observer.
While the two students discuss, the third takes notes. The teacher provides a set of criteria on which these pupils can focus.
When the time is up, the observer feeds back to the two discussers.
Repeat with role changes.
Listening Triads
Discussion
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Students work in groups of four or five.
The teacher asks pupils to number themselves off in their groups (1 – 4 or 1 – 5).
They then present a series of numbered tasks or questions (1 – 4 or 1 – 5).
Groups break up. Pupils find the students who have the same number as them. The numbered groups then attempt the question or task which matches their number.
After sufficient time has passed, the original groups re-form (like a jigsaw) and students take it in turns to teach their peers what they have learnt.
Jigsawing
Group Work
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Students work in groups of 3, 4 or 5.
Each group is given a different task to complete or area of the topic to research. (If you have a large class, you might choose to double these up).
After sufficient time has passed, each group nominates an envoy.
The envoy leaves their group and visits each other group in turn, teaching them what they have found out during the activity.
Finally, the envoys return to their home groups. Here, they find out from their peers what the other groups have learnt.
Envoys
Group Work
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Students work in groups of 3 or 4.
Each group is given a different area of the topic to research. These might be structured by a specific question, or a series of questions.
When sufficient time has passed, groups set up a market stall (a classroom table) from where they will ‘sell’ their learning.
One member of each group remains at their stall. The rest of go off into the market to learn about all the different areas which have been researched. They should make notes as they go.
Finally, groups re-form and the student who remained at the stall is taught by their peers.
Marketplace
Group Work
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Pupils work in groups of five or six.
Each group is given a topic to discuss. These are the home groups.
After sufficient time has passed, each group is given a colour. The groups then break up.
New groups are formed. Each should contain a member of each of the original groups (so, all the different colours).
Students take it in turns to explain what they discussed in their home groups (and to lead a further discussion if time is available).
Finally, the home groups re-form and discuss what they found out.
Rainbow Groups
Group Work
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Students are introduced to a topic. This could be something new or something which they have already been studying.
The teacher asks pupils to come up with a set of questions (6-10 depending on time constraints) based on the topic.
Students then have to use these questions to interview between 3 and 10 of their peers (again, depending on the amount of time available).
The activity is concluded by having pupils write up the results of their interviews.
Interviewing
Group Work
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Divide students into teams and then set them a challenge which they have to complete. This could be against the clock, in competition with other teams or without specific constraints.
Team challenges include:
- Games such as creating a bridge out of a newspaper.
- Problem-solving.- Designing a solution to something or designing
something new such as a brand.- Analysing or evaluating key information.- Making and then testing predictions or
hypotheses.
Team Challenge
Group Work
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Students work in groups to create a presentation which they then give to the whole class.
Here are some tips to ensure high quality presentations:
- Give clear success criteria.- Model what you want.- Provide a set of questions pupils can ask
themselves in order to gauge whether or not their presentation is of the requisite standard (essentially a self-assessment tool).
- Ban the use of PowerPoint.- Insist on an interactive element.
Presentations
Group Work
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Students work in groups of three or four.
Each group receives a clipboard and a worksheet. The worksheet is divided into seven sections.
Around the room, set up seven different activity stations. At each one, groups must have to do something (read, discuss, watch, interact and so on). The information or activities at the stations should all connect to the topic of study.
Groups go round the activity stations, visiting each one in turn. At each station they respond to or interact with whatever is there.
In addition, students make notes on their worksheets, capturing the learning as they go.
Activity Stations
Group Work
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Pupils work in groups of three or four.
The teacher presents a statement or question connected to the topic of study.
Each group nominates one person to play the role of Socrates. It is their job to ask questions of their fellow group members in the style of the Ancient Greek philosopher.
You can find a crib sheet for Socrates’ questioning style here.
If you have time available, introduce a second question or statement and ask for a different person to play Socrates.
You may also like to appoint scribes to make notes of the discussions which take place.
Socratic Dialogue
Group Work
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Students work in groups of three or four.
Place six or seven moral dilemmas connected to the topic of study around the room.
Invite groups to visit each moral dilemma in turn and to discuss what they would do and why. They should also explore the likely consequences of the choices they advocate.
You may like to supplement the task by giving groups a hand-out which they use to capture the decisions they settle on for each dilemma.
Conclude the activity by having groups share their choices with each other. You might like to follow this with a whole-class discussion which focuses on a couple of the dilemmas.
Moral Dilemmas
Group Work
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Students work in groups of 4 or 5.
Introduce a topic and assign each group a character connected to that topic (someone who has an interest, or a vested interest, in the issue). Characters can be individuals or indicative of a wider group (e.g. a 19th century Russian serf).
Students work in their groups to create a crib sheet detailing the arguments their character would make about the topic at issue.
Each group elects a representative. This person comes to the front of the class to take part in the radio phone-in.
The teacher leads the phone-in while the representatives stay in character. The rest of the class watch, listen, peer-assess and call in with questions for the guests.
Radio Phone-In
Drama
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Create a TV chat show based around a topic you have been studying with your class.
Assign different pupils characters who they have to play.
The rest of the class are the audience.
Lead the chat show, facilitating discussion and debate between the various ‘guests’ who come onto the show.
Get the audience involved where possible by having them ask questions or respond to what is said.
TV Chat Show
Drama
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One pupil comes to the front of the class. They are in the hot-seat.
This student either takes on the role of a character connected to the topic of study or remains as themselves.
The rest of the class ask questions.
The student must either strive to answer all of the questions while staying in role, or strive to correctly answer as many as possible as themselves.
As an alternative, have students work in groups of 4-5 with one person in each group taking the hot-seat.
Hot Seating
Drama
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Here are three ways you can use role-play in your classroom:
- Pupils work in groups. They have to construct a role-play which illustrates a key concept or idea they have learnt.
- Students work in pairs. Each member of the pair is given a different character to play by the teacher. Pupils discuss while staying in character.
- Pupils work in groups. They are given a scenario connected to the topic and have to develop a role-play which explores the situation through the experiences of different, relevant characters.
Role-Play
Drama
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A dramatic vignette is a short scene. Here are two ways you can use them in the classroom:
- Students work in groups of three or four. Each group is given a different idea or concept they need to illustrate through a dramatic vignette. Groups are given time to think, plan and rehearse. They then show their pieces to each other, offering an explanation of their rationale as well (which may lead onto a further discussion).
- The class is divided in half. Each half is given a different idea or concept to relate through a dramatic vignette. Each half is subdivided into groups of three or four. After planning and rehearsal time, the two halves of the class show their pieces to each other (groups run through consecutively) and then discuss the meanings and relevance of the concepts or ideas.
Vignettes
Drama
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Students work in groups of 3, 4 or 5.
There are three options available:
- The teacher displays on the board something connected to the lesson. Groups must create a human model illustrating this (or which in some way connects to the item in question).
- The teacher displays a range of things connected to the lesson. Groups must create a human model illustrating one or more of the items in question.
- Groups select their own item connected to the lesson and model these. Models are shown to the rest of the class who have to try to guess what each model represents.
Human Modelling
Drama
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Students write a monologue for a character who is connected to the topic of study.
This monologue could be subsequently performed, peer-assessed, read or left as it is.
Scaffold the monologue by providing success criteria. For example:
- Ensure you use appropriate vocabulary and terminology in your monologue.
- Explore how the character would feel about what has happened or what is going to happen.
- Show how the character might interact with what we are studying.
Monologue
Drama
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Students work in groups or as a whole-class to re-enact moments from your subject’s past (or to re-enact moments which are not necessarily from the past but which form part of the basis of your subject).
For example:
- History: Pupils recreate the working conditions of a nineteenth century textile factory.
- Science: Pupils recreate a nuclear fission reaction, with different students playing electrons, atoms and so on.
- Maths: Pupils recreate the application of mathematics to the design and construction of the pyramids.
Re-enactment
Drama
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Forum theatre was created by Augusto Boal. See here for more information.
Students begin a piece of improvised or structured performance connected to the topic of study.
The rest of the class watch. They are allowed to intervene at any point and make suggestions about what might happen next, what else might have been said or done by the actors, to discuss the points at issue, to swap with one of the actors or to offer alternative readings or ideas.
The activity is particularly good for helping students to think about different responses, alternative outcomes and unorthodox approaches to areas of study.
Forum Theatre
Drama
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Students work in pairs or groups of three.
Each group has to create a shopping channel advertisement ‘selling’ an idea, concept, interpretation or aspect of the learning.
When sufficient time has passed, students showcase their sales pitches to one another.
Encourage pupils to analyse what they are selling in detail. To evaluate it in search of the key benefits and strengths, and to think carefully about how they can communicate this as effectively as possible.
Shopping Channel
Drama
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Provide students with a design brief they have to fulfil individually or in groups.
Here is an example:
- Create a response to the video. You must include at least three examples and you should use two different types of communication (written, verbal or visual).
With a deign brief, the purpose is to present pupils with a structure in which they can make creative choices and decisions. As such, it can be easily altered to fit nearly any topic from nearly any subject.
Design Brief
Design
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Ask students to create a comic strip. This might be to illustrate:
- An event- A relationship- A process- A key concept or idea- A piece of information
Or something else entirely!
Various blank comic strip templates can be downloaded here.
Comic Strip
Design
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Back to the StartTesting, Testing
Design
Ask pupils to come up with a method for testing something and then to try out this test (if possible) or to think through the possible outcomes (if the test is unmanageable in a classroom context).
Examples include:
- Design a test to find out if a number is a prime number or not.
- Design a test to assess how democratic a country is.
- Design a test to find out how reactive a gas is.- Design a test to assess whether or not a poem
has the same emotional affect on different groups of people.
- Design a test to find out whether people prefer light or dark packaging.
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Ask students to design a set of alternatives for a given situation. This can be done individually or in groups.
For example:
- Come up with three alternative readings of Yeats’ The Lake Isle of Innisfree.
- Develop two alternative methods for investigating whether gravity is a constant.
- Sketch out and then test three alternative methods for solving algebraic equations.
- Suggest three alternative conclusions which might be drawn from the source. Discuss these with a partner.
- What alternatives might there be to increased tourism in the Nile delta?
Alternatives
Design
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Students work individually or in groups to create a single advert or an advertising campaign focussing on something connected to the topic of study.
Advertising can include:
- Posters- Radio adverts- Television adverts- Web pages- Emails- Leaflets- Billboards- Mailshots- Speeches
Advertising
Design
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Present students with a ‘What if…?’ question (or ask them to develop their own).
They should work individually, in pairs or in groups of three to discuss the question and to develop designs which give voice to the possible consequences which might stem forth.
For example:
- What if the witches had been on holiday during Macbeth?
- What if you had to move around school by first plotting your travel as a graph?
- What if some of the creatures on Earth had evolved under other circumstances? How might they differ?
What If…
Design
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Students come up with solutions to problems set by the teacher. This can be done individually or in groups.
For example:
- Maths problems in which pupils have to apply rules or reasoning, or in which they have to design new applications of these.
- ICT problems in which students have to work out how to achieve an end product by using the software that is available to them.
- DT problems in which pupils have to work out how they can create a product which meets the needs of people in society.
Solutions
Design
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Students are set the task of designing a website that focuses on the area of study.
The websites could be constructed using computer software if you have this available.
Alternatively, ask students to develop a design of their website focussing on:
- Layout- Structure- Visuals- Content- Selection of appropriate information
Website
Design
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Students work individually or in groups to create a newspaper front-page centring on the topic of study.
You can get a blank template for this here.
When students have finished their front-pages, ask them to leave these out on their desks.
Hand post-it notes to your pupils and ask them to go around the room and peer-assess the front-pages, leaving notes on them detailing strengths and areas for improvement.
Newspaper Front-Page
Design
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Pupils work in groups of three or four to create a poster presentation.
This sees students creating a large poster which details information about the topic.
They then present this, either to the whole class or to smaller groups, giving an explanation of what they have created. In addition, they expand on their work by providing further information and ideas.
Poster presentations can be easily peer-assessed and also often make good wall displays.
Poster Presentation
Design
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Students work in groups of five or six.
Pupils number themselves off in their groups (1 – 5 or 1 – 6).
The teacher displays the same number of statements on the board, each of which is connected to the topic.
Students take it in turns to defend their statements to the group. Other group members have the chance to ask questions or to rebut what is said.
Defend Your X…
Evaluation
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Divide the class in half.
Present a statement connected to the topic.
Half the class have to argue in favour of the statement; half the class have to argue against.
Students work in their teams developing arguments.
The debate itself sees each team putting forward 3 speakers – a proposer, a seconder and a summariser.
These take it in turns to speak, alternating from side to side.
The rest of the class are the audience and can also ask questions of the speakers.
Formal Debate
Evaluation
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Set students the task of writing a speech which propounds a specific position connected to the topic of study.
Some points to bear in mind:
- Will you ask students to read out their speeches or are they just to be written?
- Will you provide a set structure or leave it up to pupils?
- What success criteria will you identify for students to try to meet?
- Will you ask students to focus on the positives or to pick out problems in alternative positions as well?
- What level of rhetoric will you allow?
Speech Writing
Evaluation
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Ask students to identify the pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses or benefits and limitations connected to a particular item.
The simplest way in which to structure such an analysis is in table form.
Another option is bullet pointing.
You can easily follow up this activity with speech writing, essay writing, a debate, a discussion or some kind of design task which makes use of the evaluation and analysis students have conducted.
Pros and Cons
Evaluation
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Ask pupils to cast judgement on something connected to the topic of study. This could be in writing or verbally.
For example:
- To what extent do you agree with this interpretation of the data?
- How effective do you think the council’s plans for the industrial park will be? Why?
- Of the various methods we have looked at, which do you think will be most effective in this situation and why?
You can develop this activity by having students come up with situations connected to what they have learnt which they then ask their peers to make a judgement on.
Casting Judgement
Evaluation
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Students work in pairs or groups of three.
The teacher presents a set of items connected to the topic.
First, students match these items together. They must analyse the information and work out what goes together and why.
Second, they group the items. The group categories can be provided by the teacher or it can be left up to the pupils to develop appropriate ones themselves.
Finally, students rank the items according to some set of criteria. Again, this can be provided by the teacher or pupils can develop them independently.
Match-Group-Rank
Evaluation
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Students peer-assess each other’s work.
Here are three possible approaches:
- Pupils work in pairs. They swap work and assess what each other have done using a mark-scheme or a set of success criteria.
- The teacher collects students’ work in, shuffles it and redistributes it. Pupils assess the work they receive, write a comment and then find the author to return the work and discuss the judgement with them.
- If students have produced work in groups, they leave this out on their tables and walk around the room with a set of post-it notes. They use these to leave comments on other groups’ work.
Peer-Assessment
Evaluation
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Students assess their own work. Here are three possible approaches:
- The teacher gives students a mark-scheme or set of success criteria which they use to assess their own work. They identify what they have done well and what they need to do to improve.
- The teacher provides a set of reflective questions which pupils use to assess their own work.
- Students go back to their last target and assess whether or not they have successfully put this into practice in their most recent piece of work.
Self-Assessment
Evaluation
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Students work in pairs or groups of three.
The teacher presents pupils with a set of arguments connected to the topic of study. Five is usually sufficient.
Groups discuss each of the arguments in turn. They then make a note of all the criticisms they would level against each of these arguments.
Finally, groups pair up and compare and contrast the various criticisms they have identified, before ranking the arguments from strongest to weakest.
Criticising Arguments
Evaluation
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Provide pupils with a set of criteria they have to use to make judgements. This will see them applying the means of judgement to different situations.
For example:
- Give Science students a set of criteria for determining whether something is a metal or not.
- Give English students a set of criteria for judging whether a piece of prose is part of the Gothic genre or not.
- Give Geography students a set of criteria for assessing where a new nuclear power station should be sited.
Using Criteria
Evaluation
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Students work individually or in pairs to examine something. For example:
- A piece of writing- A source- An image- The results of a test- Data- Research findings- A theory
They then report back to the rest of the class or share their findings with the students around them.
You might like to scaffold an examination by providing a series of analytical questions students can use to guide their work.
Examination
Analysis
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Pupils work in pairs or groups of 3 or 4 to investigate something connected to the topic. For example:
- In History, students might investigate why a certain event came to pass.
- In Biology, students might investigate why the duck-billed platypus has evolved as it has.
- In Religious Studies, students might investigate how Christians and Muslims would respond to different ethical dilemmas.
As you will note, investigations tend to focus on research and the application of analytical skills in order to find something out.
You can scaffold investigations by providing students with a series of steps or a framework which they can follow.
Investigations
Analysis
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We outlined the general idea of a question set elsewhere. Here we focus on an analytical question set.
Present pupils with something you want them to analyse and accompany this with a set of questions students can use to conduct that analysis.
A common example of this is found in History where students are given a source and the set of abbreviated questions:
- Who, what, where, when, how, why?
Question Set 2
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Case studies contextualise abstract ideas. They usually take the form of a narrative (at least in part). This makes them easier to analyse and assimilate than discrete blocks of information.
Students can look at case studies individually, in pairs or in groups.
It is best to provide a set of questions or tasks through which to structure the analytical engagement pupils make with case studies.
You might also like to follow up individual or group analysis with a whole-class discussion or with a variation of interviewing.
Case Studies
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Narratives are an excellent tool through which students can get to grips with new or complex information.
Examples include:
- Case Studies- Newspaper stories- Films, clips or videos- Fiction stories- Reports of events
Ask pupils to look at narratives analytically, either individually or in pairs.
To aid them in this process, provide a set of questions (or develop a set in conjunction with your class at the beginning of the activity).
For more on narrative, see the work of Jerome Bruner.
Narratives
Analysis
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Review the learning with your class. This sees your students analysing what they have done so far in the lesson. In that sense, it is a metacognitive activity.
Five review activities are:
- Ask students to summarise what has been learnt so far.
- Mini-plenaries inserted into lessons.- Pupils discuss the key points of the lesson with
their partner.- Students group what they have learnt so far
according to a set of categories you provide.- Pupils apply what they have learnt and then
reflect on how easy/difficult/effective this was.
Review
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On old classic!
Provide pupils with a piece of text and a set of questions. Ask them to read through the text and then answer the questions.
Suitable texts include:
- Textbooks- Work produced by students from the previous
year- Newspaper articles- Fictional work- Sources- Print outs from websites- Magazine articles
Reading and Questions
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Students work individually or in pairs to compare and contrast two separate items connected to the topic.
This is easily done through use of a table with two columns labelled ‘similarities’ and ‘differences’.
Here are some examples:
- In Science, students are asked to compare and contrast animal and plant cells.
- In Sociology, pupils are asked to compare and contrast Marxist and Functionalist explanations of crime and deviance.
- In Art, students are asked to compare and contrast late- and early-period Picassos.
Compare and Contrast
Analysis
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Present students with a set of resources connected to the topic. Ask them to work in pairs to identify a certain number of key messages which summarise that material.
Develop the activity by specifying a certain number of key messages for different sections of the material (for example, two key messages in the introduction, five in the main body and two in the conclusion).
Ask pupils to share their work with another pair when they are finished in order to see whether or not they came to the same conclusions.
Key Messages
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Students work in pairs or groups of three.
Each group is given material connected to the topic.
The teacher then displays a set of categories on the board.
Groups analyse their material through the lens of each of the categories in turn.
For example:
- In an English lesson, students might be given a poem followed by these categories: use of metaphor, rhythm, meaning, context, emotional affect.
Category-Led Analysis
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Students work in groups of 3, 4 or 5 to create a video based on the topic of study.
Flip cameras are cheap and easy to use. They are a useful tool for this type of activity. An example of a flip camera can be found here.
You can presage the filming of the video with a storyboarding task in which students plan out the different scenes they will shoot. You can find free storyboard templates here.
Editing is likely to be the most cumbersome part of the process. You will need to book a computer room for this (or set it as a homework task).
Videos
Creation
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Provide pupils with materials they can use to create a model of a key concept, idea or piece of information connected to the learning.
This can be done individually, in groups or in pairs. To some extent, this will depend on the type of modelling material you make available.
Modelling materials include:
- Play-doh- Plasticene- Lego- Used packagaing- Cardboard or newspaper
Modelling
Creation
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Students create quizzes connected to the topic which they then test out on each other.
Quizzes can be produced individually, in pairs or in groups of 3 or 4.
You might like to structure the quiz creation by asking for certain types of question or by giving certain criteria which need to be fulfilled.
A good caveat involves stating that all quiz creators must be able to answer their own quiz questions.
Quizzes
Creation
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Students work in groups of three or four to create board games based on the topic of study.
Groups then get together and try out each other’s games.
Make sure you provide sufficient materials for pupils to use. They will need cardboard, glue and coloured pens or pencils as a minimum (and will probably make requests for further materials).
Board Games
Creation
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Set students the task of storyboarding a process, relationship, idea or series of events which connect to the topic of study.
Storyboard templates can be found here.
You might like to suggest to your pupils that they sketch out their storyboards first, in order to get a sense of how many frames they will need in the finished product.
Storyboards can be purely visual, annotated or supplemented by writing underneath each frame.
Storyboard
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Ask students to visualise a process, relationship, idea or series of events they have so far only come across in writing or speech.
Examples of how something might be visualised include:
- In a diagram- In a flow chart- In a comic strip or storyboard- In a matrix- In an image- In a dingbat- In symbolic form
Visualise
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups to create a mind-map of a topic.
Mind-maps are often created at the end of a unit of work. However, they can also be developed at the beginning as a means by which to immerse pupils in a topic.
In addition, you might like to ask students to create a mind-map which they then keep returning to and developing through the course of a unit of work.
You can download a free mind-mapping software program here.
Mind-Maps
Creation
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Students work individually or in pairs to create a spider diagram. Things which can sit at the centre of a spider diagram include:
- A key word- An image- An idea- An event- A person- A process- A statement or question- A symbol- An answer- A theory- A problem
Spider Diagrams
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Pupils work individually or in pairs to create glossaries for a unit of work.
Glossaries can constitute:
- A series of words alongside explanations.- A series of images alongside explanations.- A series of words alongside visual
explanations.- A non-linear set of words and definitions, for
example in the form of a mind-map.- A series of words and definitions
supplemented by memory aids of various sorts.
Glossaries
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups of 3 or 4 to create revision guides for a unit of work.
Structure the task by presenting any of the following:
- A set of success criteria.- A list of what needs to be covered.- A form which the revision guides should take.- A series of questions which need to be
answered.- A series of subheadings which together are to
form the revision guide.
Revision Guides
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Students connect with the topic of study through creative writing. Forms include:
- Poetry- Storytelling- Graphic novels or comics- Diary entries- Newspaper reports - Imagined conversations- Monologues- Short scenes (as in scenes from a play)
Creative writing is particularly good for getting students to empathise, to explore different ideas and to develop their imaginations.
Creative Writing
Writing
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Students complete a piece of writing in which they demonstrate their comprehension of something, such as a text, an idea or a piece of information.
Comprehension activities include:
- A piece of text accompanied by a series of questions about the text.
- Questions which require students to explain, outline and describe.
- Tasks in which students have to produce a summary, a précis, or in which they have to pull out the key messages from a piece of text.
For more comprehension ideas, see my resource The Bloom Buster.
Comprehension
Writing
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Students work individually to practise the use of keywords connected to the topic of study.
Here are three example activities:
- Pupils have to answer a series of questions, including a certain number of keywords in each of their answers.
- Students are set an extended piece of writing. The teacher displays a range of keywords on the board. Pupils have to use as many of those keywords as possible in their writing.
- Students create tests, glossaries, mini-dictionaries, usage guides or illustrated mind-maps covering a series of relevant keywords.
Keyword Practice
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Students work individually or in pairs to create a piece of written work which fits the conventions of a specific genre.
Genres can be related to fiction, such as:
- Fantasy; Science Fiction; Adventure; Crime; Ghost Stories
Or they can be non-fiction genres, such as:
- Reports; journalism; research write-ups; essays; advertising copy
In any case, the teacher should provide success criteria outlining what is required to be successful when writing in the genre in question.
Genre Writing
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups of three to write or plan essays connected to the topic of study.
For fifty activities, strategies, ideas and techniques connected to essay writing, see my resource The Essay Writing Toolkit.
Essay Writing
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Students work individually or in pairs to create a report on something connected to the topic of study.
Things on which reports can be written include:
- Investigations or experiments- Research into a certain area- Personal experiences- A review of pertinent literature- Historical events connected to the topic- Case studies- Themes
Scaffold the activity by providing a framework for the report, indicating the different sections it should include and the audience for which it is intended.
Report Writing
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups of 3 or 4 to write a script exploring ideas or information connected to the topic of study.
This is a good activity for allowing pupils to explore how aspects of a topic connect to the lives and experiences of various people.
For example:
- Ask Geography students to write a script for a confrontation between a pro-tourism MP and an anti-tourism protestor.
- Ask Maths students to write a script for a conversation between two gamblers discussing how to work out the odds in a casino.
- Ask PE students to write a script for a debate between two coaches about the best way to improve performance in netball.
Script Writing
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Students work individually or in groups to create guides, leaflets or posters connected to the topic of study.
Give the activity some structure by setting out specific success criteria.
It is useful to suggest in the success criteria certain things which the guides, leaflets or posters must contain as well as some options from which pupils are free to choose.
Peer-assessment nearly always works well when combined with this activity.
Guides, Leaflets and Posters
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Students are given formative feedback by their teacher.
This feedback includes a target connected to the student’s writing.
Pupils are given the opportunity to put their targets into practice during the lesson.
This happens through a writing activity which has two aims. First, to get pupils thinking and writing about the area of study. Second, to give students an immediate chance to apply the targets the teacher has set.
You may even set up a writing task in which pupils have two or three opportunities to apply their target.
Target Practice
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Students work individually or in pairs to write persuasively about something connected to the topic of study.
Persuasive writing requires pupils to think carefully about the benefits and strengths of that which they are writing about. Therefore it calls on skills of analysis and evaluation.
Persuasive writing includes:
- Speeches- Essays- Advertising copy (which could be for various
mediums)- Letters- Testimonials
Persuasive Writing
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Students receive a sheet of A4 paper containing sixteen boxes.
In each box there is a question connected to the topic.
Pupils must move around the room and find peers who can answer each of the questions.
When they find a peer who can answer a question, this student should write the answer in the box and sign it.
The first student to get all 16 boxes correctly signed and filled in shouts out ‘Bingo!’
Caveat the activity by stating that pupils mayonly sign the same sheet once.
Back to the StartPerson Bingo
Active Learning
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Visits and visitors are a great way to facilitate active learning.
If you invite someone into one of your lessons, do some preparatory work in the lesson before so as to ensure your pupils get as much out of the event as possible.
School visit websites offer a simple and easy way to arrange outings:
http://www.nstgroup.co.uk/?gclid=CKzI3tr3pbsCFWzHtAodzkwAVA
There are also sites through which you can book speakers:
http://www.schoolspeakers.co.uk/ http://www.speakers4schools.org/ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/school-projects/oxfam-school-speakers
Visits and Visitors
Active Learning
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This activity is particularly good when you have a lot of information you want your students to assimilate.
Before the lesson, pin up pieces of information connected to the topic in different places around the room. Eight to ten pieces is usually a good number.
Divide the class into pairs or groups of three.
Give each student a hand-out containing the same number of boxes as there are pinned-up pieces of information.
Pupils move around the room in their teams with the aim of filling in their hand-outs.
Distributed Content
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Book the library for a lesson.
Some activities you can do with your class are:
- Silent reading- Research- Computer-based work (if your library has a
suite of computers)- A literature review- Writing (either in response to reading done in
the library or based on some prior learning)
Library Lessons
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Book a computer room for a lesson.
Some activities you can do with your class are:
- Research tasks- Online learning games- Interactive websites- Creation of presentations or other materials in
PowerPoint- Writing on MS Word
Computer Room Lessons
Active Learning
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Students work in teams of 2 or 3. The teacher displays ten questions on the board labelled A – J.
There are also ten sheets of paper placed face down on a desk at the front of the room. These are numbered 1 – 10 on the back.
Each sheet of paper contains the information required to answer one of the questions. However, the numbers and letters do not tally.
Teams send one member to the front. They take a sheet away and then have to work out with their group which question it answers.
Teams then write down their answers and swap their sheet for another one. This continues until everyone has answered all the questions.
Numbered Information
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups to try something out.
This activity is most apt in practical subjects such as Art, DT, Science, PE and Drama. It can also be used successfully in Maths.
You can structure the activity as follows:
- The teacher models that which is to be tried out. Pupils then follow.
- Students receive no instructions and have to analyse and problem solve, working out what they are supposed to do.
- Pupils receive written instructions which they have to follow in order to try out the thing in question.
Try It Out
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Display a continuum on the board like the one shown to the left.
At one end write ‘Strongly Agree’ and at the other end write ‘Strongly Disagree.’
Present pupils with a series of statements connected to the topic and invite them to stand at the front of the room at the point on the continuum which best represents their view.
Lead students in a discussion on each occasion, focussing on the reasons why they are stood where they are.
Continuum
Active Learning
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In this activity, students teach their peers. Here are three examples of how the activity might work:
- Pupils work in teams of three to develop a ten minute activity concerned with a certain part of the topic. Teams then pair up and have a go at each other’s activities.
- Students work in teams of three to develop a starter or plenary activity for the following lesson. The teacher selects a team at random to deliver their activity to the rest of the class in the next session.
- The class is divided in half. One half research one part of the topic; the other half research something else. Students pair up and teach each other about what they have learnt.
Student Teachers
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Students work individually or in pairs to translate an idea, concept or piece of information into a different form.
The process requires careful thought, precision and analytical rigor. As such, it makes high cognitive demands on students.
Examples of what pupils might translate an idea, concept or piece of information into, include:
- Dingbats- Symbols- Diagrams- Poems- A series of images
Translation
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups.
The teacher introduces the topic of study and then presents pupils with a range of options from which they are allowed to choose.
This approach gives students a sense of control, increases motivation and generates goal-directed activity (as pupils have decided what they want to do themselves) instantaneously.
You might choose to display five options, of which pupils are to select two to complete.
Alternatively, you might display a number of things students need to do and give them the option of deciding in what order to tackle the tasks.
Options
Enquiry-Based Learning
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups.
The teacher presents pupils with a range of choices they need to make. Types of choices include:
- How to respond to a question or task.- What medium to use as a response.- What to focus on and what to leave out.- How best to meet the success criteria.- Which of a number of different routes to go
down.- What question to investigate.- What hypothesis to test.
When students have completed their work, the teacher asks them to reflect on how they made their choices and what came about as a result.
Choices
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Present pupils with a big question which forms the basis of the lesson.
This means that you and your students will be enquiring into this question throughout.
Ways in which you can facilitate this enquiry include:
- Presenting a series of sub-questions.- Reviewing the learning intermittently in order
to assess how close to an answer the class are.- Dividing the class into groups and having
different groups enquire into different areas connected to the big question before reporting back to their peers.
Big Question
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Turn the learning on its head by beginning with the question: why is something the case?
This is instead of starting from the premise that we need to know everything about an issue or topic first, before enquiring into its origins.
The approach shifts the focus of the lesson onto problem-solving and analysis.
You can extend the method by asking pupils to put forward hypotheses or theories which the class go on to test and investigate during the course of the lesson.
Why is that?
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Students work in pairs or groups of three.
The teacher presents the class with a hypothesis and asks groups to investigate this over the next twenty to thirty minutes.
Provide any materials you think groups my need in order to conduct their investigations.
When the time has passed, invite teams to pair up and share their findings.
Conclude the activity by leading a discussion in which different groups share their discoveries and the whole class works to find consensus in relation to the original hypothesis.
Hypothesis
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Give students the opportunity to work at a problem or task through the method of trial and error. This can be done individually or in groups.
Examples include:
- Applying a newly learnt formula or law to different situations.
- Trying out different theories or hypotheses concerning why something is or is not the case.
- Applying and reflecting on formative targets over and again.
Trial and error will bring more significant learning gains if you give students the chance to reflect on the processes they have used and the way in which they have learnt from their mistakes
Trial and Error
Enquiry-Based Learning
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Students work individually, in pairs or in groups.
The teacher presents an answer or finished product and pupils have to work out how it ended up like that.
It is likely you will need to provide some appropriate resources students can use to help them in their quest. For example: written resources, examples of the answer or finished product, descriptions, textbooks or images.
You might like to introduce a discussion phase during which pupils or teams share their ideas with one another and then use these conversations to help further refine their own thinking.
Working Backwards
Enquiry-Based Learning
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Students work individually or in groups to conduct research.
Research might focus on the following:
- An area connected to the topic.- A question or a series of questions.- A problem.- An event, person or process.- Relevant literature.- Different perspectives on something.- People’s opinions, thoughts or ideas.
You can structure research by providing success criteria, pro-formas or a series of sub-questions for students to work through.
Research
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Students work in groups of five or six.
Group members number themselves off 1 – 6.
Each group member is assigned a different perspective, question, problem or area connected to the topic.
They are given time to research this and to find information and ideas suitable for sharing. As an option, you might like to have students work in groups for this (all the 1’s together, all the 2’s together and so on).
The home groups re-form and engage in a round table debate. Pupils take it in turns to share their findings and to invite criticisms, responses and discussion.
Round Table
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Present pupils with a mystery they have to analyse, investigate, think about or solve.
Examples of mysteries include:
- A mystery object.- An event or result for which no reason or
rationale is provided.- Something which is partially revealed but
which students have to further investigate in order to get to the full truth.
- Something unusual which you suspect pupils will never have come across before.
- Something converted into code, or partially obscured, and which requires further analysis if it is to be fully revealed.
Mystery
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Pupils work in pairs.
The teacher introduces a topic or issue and two characters connected to this.
Students develop a discussion about the matter in question with each member of the pair playing the role of one of the characters.
For example:
Topic: The use of language in a leaflet.
Characters: A 19th century poet and a 21st century blogger.
Character Discussion
Paired Work
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Students work in pairs to develop their own questions connected to a topic they have been studying, as well as a set of model answers.
Pairs then team up and test out their questions on each other before discussing their respective answers.
You might like to structure the activity by providing a list of categories you would like pupils to base their questions on.
Question Development
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Pupils work in pairs.
The activity takes place after students have produced a piece of extended writing.
Pupils swap books and read through what their partner has written.
They peer-assess this, identifying one way in which it could be improved. They then rewrite all or a section of the work, demonstrating how to put this improvement into practice.
Finally, students swap books back and talk each other through what they have done.
Rewrite
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The teacher displays a set of ideas, keywords or pieces of information connected to the topic.
In pairs, students take it in turns to explain these to each other.
The process is a good way through which to consolidate learning.
Encourage pupils to ask questions and to discuss during the explanations wherever it seems necessary.
Develop the activity by having pupils explain through mime, drawings or without using the words about which they are talking (Charades, Pictionary and Taboo).
Explain it to me
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The teacher introduces a question or statement.
Students have a couple of minutes in which to think about this on their own. They should make a note of their thoughts.
Pupils then find a partner a share their thoughts with. A discussion ensues in which students must pare down their respective ideas to three key points on which they both agree.
Pairs then get into fours and repeat the process (growing like a snowball being rolled downhill).
Conclude by having groups share their thoughts with the whole class.
Snowballing
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Students work in pairs.
The teacher presents one or more problems which pupils have to work with their partner to try to solve.
Variations include:
- Displaying one problem on which the whole class works.
- Displaying two problems. Half the class work on each problem.
- Giving out a series of different problems to different groups.
Conclude with a discussion or with groups teaming up to share their work.
Problem-Solving
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Students work in pairs.
The teacher asks the class to summarise ideas or information connected to the topic of study.
Variations include:
- Asking pairs to produce summaries of a series of different things.
- Asking pairs to summarise key ideas or information and then to pare this down so it is even more concise (for example, 3 key messages).
- Asking pairs to summarise different ideas or information before sharing these with other groups in exchange for their summaries.
Summarising
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Students work in pairs to produce a piece of writing to which they have both contributed. Examples include:
- Essays- Reports- Summaries- Creative or persuasive writing- A guide or leaflet
Such a process requires both students to think carefully about their work and to analyse how the separate pieces of writing will fit together to form a coherent whole.
Paired Writing
Paired Work
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Students work in pairs to discuss a particular issue, statement, topic, question or idea.
Variations include:
- Pupils take it in turns to argue for and against a proposition.
- Different pairs discuss different things and then feed back in groups or to the whole class.
- The teacher provides a series of questions which structure the discussion.
- One member of the pair takes notes during the discussion.
- Students discuss and then write up the results of their discussions.
Paired Discussion
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An old favourite.
Pupils work in pairs.
The teacher introduces an idea, topic, statement or question.
They give students thinking time during which to consider whatever is at issue.
Pupils then discuss their thoughts with their partner.
Finally, the teacher selects pairs to share with the whole class.
Think-Pair-Share
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The class sit in a circle and develop an enquiry into a question which is chosen through a voting system.
For a full explanation of how a community of enquiry works, see here.
Community of Enquiry
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Students sit in a circle.
The teacher explains what the class are going to talk about and what the ground rules are for the discussion.
Students take it in turns to share their thoughts, to debate, challenge and put forward suggestions.
You might like to have an item which the speaker holds to indicate it is their turn to talk.
Good topics for circle time include:
- An extended plenary-style review of the lesson or unit of work.
- Contentious topics such as ethical issues.- Arguments or interpretations.
Circle Time
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Putting information into a tabular form is a good way of helping students to analyse and to create a tool (the table) which they can use to better understand the information they have been dealing with.
Examples of common table types include:
- Yes/no tables- For/against tables- Pros/cons tables- Strengths/weaknesses tables- Similarities/differences tables- Supporting/countering tables- Confident/unconfident tables
Tabulating
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Mock exam questions give students the opportunity to practise exam technique in advance of their final tests.
They are also a good way for teachers to check students’ learning.
You might like to team mock exam questions with peer- or self-assessment using a relevant mark-scheme. This will help to open up success criteria for pupils.
You may also like to provide model answers after the mock is finished. Students can then analyse and discuss these, drawing out lessons to apply in the future.
Mock Exam Questions
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Competitions are a good way to motivate pupils.
Here are some examples:
- A competition based around finishing a certain task first.
- A competition based around completing a specific task to a certain level of quality.
- A competition to find an effective solution to a problem.
- A competition to produce a piece of work which most effectively meets the success criteria.
- A competition to demonstrate a certain type of thinking most effectively (for example, analytic, creative or evaluative).
Competitions
Misc.
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Cut an article or essay up into separate pieces.
Divide the class into groups of three or four.
Ensure you have the same number of sets of cut up pieces as you do groups.
Hand a set of pieces to each group and ask them to arrange these so as to correctly remake the original article or essay.
During the process, pupils will be compelled to scrutinise the material closely, analysing and assessing as they go.
Rearrange the Pieces
Misc.
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Produce one or more worksheets connected to the topic of study which students have to complete.
Variations include:
- Create a set of progressively more challenging worksheets.
- As above, except keep these at the front. On completing one worksheet, a student must come to the front and demonstrate their mastery to you before being allowed to move on.
- Use worksheets containing a series of tasks which require paired or group interactions.
Worksheets
Misc.
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Ask students to work individually or in pairs to complete work connected to a textbook.
Variations include:
- Students work on their own to create notes from the textbook.
- Pupils work in pairs to complete the activities in the book. The teacher then leads a discussion on these.
- Students work in pairs to create summaries reflecting various sub-headed sections of the book.
- Pupils work individually or in pairs to make notes. They then share these with another student or pair, peer-assessing and checking to see whether they have all the necessary information.
- The teacher sets the class a series of questions which have to be answered through recourse to the textbook.
Textbooks
Misc.
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Use interactive resources available online to create engaging or immersive experiences for your pupils.
Interactive resources include:
- Videos- Sounds and music- Games- Images- Interactive whiteboard activities- Materials available from subject-specific
websites- Materials available from educational websites- Materials available from the educational
sections of websites belonging to organisations such as museums and galleries
Interactive Resources
Misc.
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Show your students a video connected to the topic of study and then ask them a series of questions related to it.
Variations include:
- The teacher presents pupils with three questions before the video starts. Students make notes on these while they watch.
- The teacher presents pupils with a series of questions after the video has finished. Students discuss these in pairs and then share their thoughts as part of a wider discussion (or in writing).
- Students watch the video and come up with relevant questions they use to test their peers.
Video and Questions
Misc.
Gadfly Stingray
Midwife Ignoramus
Asking lots of little questions to push thinking and avoid sloppiness. Like a gadfly continually nipping away at an animal.
Big questions that pack a jolt. Like a stingray when it unleashes its sting.
Questions that help to give birth to ideas. Like the midwife - who delivers, but does not give birth to the baby.
Playing dumb (and asking ‘dumb’ questions) to encourage explanation. Like a person who has never before encountered a particular topic.
Examples:- What do you mean by that?- But what if X?- Does that always apply? Why?- What evidence do you have?- Can you be certain that is true?
Examples:- Imagine X was not the case. Then what?- What if everything was turned on its head?- You say that…But, what if Y happened? What
then?
Examples:- That’s an interesting idea. Could you explain it
in a different way?- How might that affect things?- What made you think of that idea?- Where might we look for things which support
what you are saying?
Examples:- What does that even mean?- I don’t understand. You’ll have to start right
from the beginning.- So, do you mean that…?