The ULTIMATE Teachers’ Toolkit 1 st ed.

Remember what you are planning to encourage:

thinking: students actively processing data creatively, logically, laterally, imaginatively, deductively and so on

emotional intelligence: learning to manage emotions and relate to others skilfully; developing positive personal qualities such as self-control and values such as justice

independence: students acquiring the attitudes and skills that enable them to initiate and sustain learning without a teacher

interdependence: students engaging in mutuality, which is the essence of cooperation and the basis of democracy

multi-sensation: students experiencing through a number of senses simultaneously, in effect seeing, hearing and doing

fun: sheer enjoyment

articulation: students speaking or writing thoughts, often in "draft" form, as an essential part of the process of creating personal understanding

What follows is as diverse a collection of AfL techniques as possible.

This will comprise of a range of STARTERS, including English specifics,

Followed by a range of ACTIVITIES,

Ending with a range of PLENARIES.

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BLOOM’S TAXONOMIES

Evaluation : assess, judge, weigh, rate, determine, rank, assay, decide, arbitrate, grade, appraise, classify

Synthesis : combine, build, originate, regroup, conceive, blend, develop, mix, compound, structure, make, generate, join

Analysis : break down, examine, dissect, scrutinise, inspect, sort, analyse, separate, investigate, compartmentalise, classify, take apart

Application : apply, adapt, transfer, adopt, transcribe, solve, use, transform, employ, manipulate, utilise, transplant, relate, convert

Comprehension : reword, convert, outline, explain, define, interpret, reconstruct, paraphrase, transpose, understand, conceive, calculate

Knowledge : what, who, when, where, recall, locate, repeat, name, recite, list, find, identify, label

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VAK – According to Neuro-linguistic Programming Research

Any individual will operate in all three “modalities”, but with a preference for one or two.

Visual learners are likely to prefer mind-maps, diagrams, picturesque language, flow charts, use of colour, white space on the page etc.

Auditory learners are likely to prefer discussion, explaining things to others, using a tape recorder, teaching linked to anecdotes/jokes etc.

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Kinaesthetic learners are likely to prefer group work, using models/objects in describing things, walking around while learning, hands-on activities, books with strong plot etc.

STARTERS

ACTIVITY Exercise With

3 Things List 3 things you found out/learnt last lesson wb hds

3-4-5 pupils have 4 minutes to tell 5 people the 3 questions they would like answered on a particular topic.

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4Wheel Drive

In pairs they discuss:What 3 things they remember from last lessonWhat they found easyWhat they found difficultWhat they would like to learn in the future.

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5 into 1 Summarise what you know about the topic in 5 bullet points - reduce to 5 words - reduce to one word

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Acrostic Each letter of a term begins a line. Key word begins the line. The ‘poem’ should reflect the qualities of the concept.

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Articulate Put pupils into groups of 3-4 and give each group an envelope containing at least 25 words or phrases. Taking it in turns, pupils have 45 seconds each to explain as many words/phrases as possible without using any derivations of the word(s) (they should take one word/phrase at a time from the envelope, not a handful!). The explainer scores a point for every word/phrase they describe that is guessed correctly, (the skill is in the explaining). Pupils also score a point every time they correctly guess a word/ phrase. Good for practising subject specific terminology and for revising whole topics.

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Codebreaker

Break the code to identify the 3 main points of today’s lesson (1=e, 3=s etc.) Give several clues.

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Complete Pupils recreate a completely blanked out text (short – 2 sentences max) which matches a

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Cloze picture or diagram. Write the sentence on the w/b in line form, i.e. one line for each word. Show the visual. Pupils call out words and the teacher writes correct ones in the spaces. If they call a word which appears more than once, write in all occurrences of the word. Pupils draw on their knowledge of grammar and understanding of the topic to complete the sentence. This can be done as a game by setting a time limit.

Continuum An imaginary line is made across the front of the room. The ends represent opposing points of view. Pupils place themselves at an appropriate point along this line, justifying their decision. This activity can be revisited as a plenary to see whether opinions have changed as a result of the lesson.

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Crossword Complete crossword containing key words or information useful in lesson.www.puzzle-maker.com

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Dominoes Match definition and key word. cds

Dr. Johnson Write dictionary definitions for new terms learnt last lesson

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Follow on A pupil gives a statement or sentence. Another pupil has to come up with a statement or sentence related to the same topic which begins with the last letter of the previous offering which develops the argument/discussion.

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Freeze frame

Get students to represent a key event of a novel to summarise what they have learned so far. Can be extended by asking student to give a suggestion to another, and so on.

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Get labelling Label or annotate a diagram or illustration – one word in each box. Can be half-complete for less able

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Graphics Draw a graphic summary of knowledge so far – diagram, steps, flowchart, mind/concept map

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Groups of 4 Number every student from 1-4, then ask them to group up in the corner of the room. Put up 4 statements on the board that the groups must inform the other group – but you choose the

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speaker.

Just a minute

Pupils talk on a topic without hesitation, repetition etc. Failure results in another pupil having the chance to talk non-stop for just the remainder of the time to claim the prize.

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Mind the Gap

Put in the words missing from a cloze summary of learning last lesson

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Mindmapping

Pupils are given a sheet with the main concept of the lesson printed in the centre. They have two minutes to produce as many key words and thoughts relating to the topic as possible. Take feedback.

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Noughts and Crosses

Draw a noughts and crosses grid on the w/b and write a number in each – 1-9. Split class in half and label them noughts or crosses. Team 1 chooses a number from grid. Teacher reads previously prepared question/ definition/ task which corresponds with that number. If pupils respond correctly, they win their O or X. For incorrect answers, the other team wins the O or X. It is now team 2's turn. First team to get 3 Os or Xs in a line wins.

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Odd-one-out Give groups sets of 3 words and ask them to identify the odd one out and explain why.

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Pictionary Draw the word without speaking or writing. iwb wb

Recall Once seated, pupils watch the teacher produce ten resources/tools/key words from a bag. The teacher names and describes each item and replaces them in the bag. Pupils are then asked to name as many as possible in thirty seconds.

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Slap-head Post-it notes or stickers on foreheads – pupils work out word by asking neighbour questions which receive yes/no answers.

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Splat 6/7 pictures or words on board, 2 students up at board, read out clues, have to splat the right answer with their hands.

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Stop-Start-Continue : Action Research

Get students to brainstorm all the kind of things you as a teacher do and things which we do in class e.g. speaking in pairs, playing games, explaining grammar, setting homework…Then, give out a sheet of paper to each

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student and get them to draw three columns on the page, headed by the words Stop, Start, and Continue.

Next, ask them to think about the things we do in class and write a comment about them in one of the columns e.g. 'We have too much homework please give us less' could go in the 'stop' column. 'I like playing revision games,' could go in the 'continue' column if they already like doing it, 'Let's watch some videos,' might go in the 'start' column..

This is best done anonymously and without observing them in order to remove inhibition, and collect them at the end of the lesson. Remember to act on them.

Taboo Student describes a word/concept/character/event to a partner without saying the taboo words.

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Take Art Selection of pictures/cartoons/objects – which relates to last lesson’s learning and how might the others tie in later? e.g. Work by artist or example of technique currently being studied

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Tension chart

Give score out of 5 for tension at various points in a text. Plot on graph and review findings

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Think, pair, share

This helps focus pupils on their prior learning and allows the teacher to move around the classroom to scan responses and thus identify what reinforcement needs to take place.Using whiteboard packs, pupils individually note two things learned last lesson They then pair up to discuss and develop their list of four things. Two pairs next combine to list eight items.

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Timeline Draw a simple timeline of events covered so far

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Visual Stimulus

Provide an unusual artefact but without any explanation (somehow related to your pending topic). Pupils individually list three questions they would like answering about the artefact. Working in pairs, pupils try to answer and/or speculate on each other’s questions, identifying what other information they might

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need to form an answer. The questions can then be revisited as a plenary to ensure that pupils are able to answer the questions they devised.

What am I Thinking

Think of a word or person to do with a topic and students have to ask yes/no questions in order to work out what you are thinking. Can be repeated as plenary perhaps with a pupil.

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What's the Difference?

Pupils explain the difference between two subject keywords which are closely related and may cause confusion. e.g. climate and weather.Can be used as an introduction to a new unit/ to consolidate previous learning. Pupils may need dictionaries. Encourage pupils to use whereas to signal the difference – write a sentence frame on the w/b-' …..is…..whereas…….is……..'

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Wordsearch Complete wordsearch containing key words or information useful in lesson – can use clues/definitions to activate prior knowledge.

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Language, Syntax and Grammar STARTERS

ACTIVITY Exercise With

All About Me

Autobiographical alphabet adverbial starters. ‘Actually, I was born in….’, ‘Basically, my favourite hobby is…’, ‘Confusingly, I am an identical twin…’

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All Cut Up Draw up a list of about ten sentences that revise a grammatical point e.g. the passive. Sentences should ideally be no longer than 10 words. Ensure they vary in length and difficulty. Number each sentence. Starting with sentence 1, write each word in the sentence on a small piece of card (10 words = 10 cards). Put them in an envelope and write the number 1 on the envelope (it also helps to note the number of words in the sentence on the envelope so pupils can count them back in). Do

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the same for all sentences. Pupils should be in groups of 3-4.Ask pupils to write numbers 1-12 (depends on number of sentences) in their exercise book.Put the envelopes on a table at the front of the room. One person from each group takes 1 envelope only back to their group.They sequence the sentence and write it in the corresponding number in their book. They then replace the word cards very carefully, counting them back in (nominate a counter), take the envelope back and take another one etc.Winning group is first to finish, providing sentences are correct. You may need to say first to five, in case some groups are still working on a sentence.

Anagrams Write anagrams of 6-8 subject keywords, which have been previously introduced, on the board (revision). Pupils unscramble them.

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And But So Put students in threes. Join pairs/threes of simple sentences using and, but or so. Do the same again without using and, but or so.

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Boggle Pupils have 3 minutes to make as many words as possible from the letters in a given word.

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Cause and Effect

Divide class into two halves. One half finish off sentence on whiteboards: ‘I forgot my….’ Other half finish off sentence on whiteboards: ‘I went and… All students mingle together to find a partner to put their sentences into one connecting them with a cause and effect connective – consequently, thus, so, hence, as a result, because, therefore, accordingly, since, until.

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Change the Word

Pupils try to change a word into another word in so many moves, by changing one letter each time. E.g. Warm – Cold: Warm Ward Word Cord Cold.

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Connective Sort

Sort connectives into related groups and give sentence examples.

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Excuses Tall stories about why students were late for school etc. Each ‘excuse’ must begin with a concession connective (although, despite,

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without, even though…) attempting to sweet talk their way out!

Highlight On board, highlight extracts of text to show main and subordinate clauses in different colours and explain the effect.

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-ing ing Hotseat a character from a novel/play by beginning all sentences ‘Being…’ to explain how they feel about their circumstances e.g. Link, from ‘Stone Cold’ ‘Being homeless made me realise the reality of life on the streets.’ Move on to include other –ing verbs.

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Missing Letter

Ask pupils to rewrite a note without using a particular letter. E.g. rewrite "a man gets awful lonely" without using the letter 'l'.Could also be done using key words and definitions.

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Modification ‘Dr. Foster went to Gloucester’ How did he go? When? Who can add the most words/phrases?

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Patterns Teams find as many words as possible with the same spelling pattern or root, e.g.:light, sight, bright / automobile, autograph, autobiography. Pupils can mark own work with a dictionary.

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Sell Me That Emphasis alphabet game – choose an adverb that emphasises the necessity for another student to buy a particular product e.g. Actually, you’ll find these new kitten heeled trainers are just what you need! Basically, these new candy floss socks are both practical and tasty! Collectively, this litter of puppies will practically walk themselves!

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Sequencing Use sequencing connectives to recap the plot of a story

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Shark Either on wb being acted out by pupils, or on iwb program. Pupils call out letters; teacher writes correct letters into the word and notes incorrect ones on w/b as a reminder. For every incorrect letter, the person moves further along the cliff, finally falling into the shark's mouth.

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Show Me Teacher writes a sentence in which there are 3-4 words to choose from to make a correct sentence. Pupils write what they consider to be the correct word on a mini whiteboard and hold up. Enables teacher to identify which pupils

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need further support / intervention.E.g. The pupil what/who/which/that gets the most correct answers will win a prize. Good for homophones.

Snake Alphabet verb+ing sentence snake around the class.

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Spot the Clause

Give students three complex sentences using different permutations of MC + SC, SC + MC and MC with embedded SC. Ask them to explain which clause is which. Get students to explain their answers.

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Sub-Clause Picture

Show picture of a character or place and display. Ask student to write a fact about them on the board. Choose one fact to make into a sentence: Heathcliff is married to Isabella Linton. Add in new facts using all who, which, whilst, when, which, etc. The winner is the group with the most grammatically correct, well punctuated sentence.Will work with a key phrase too.

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Synonym Ranking

Write a word on the iwb. Pupils must write all the synonyms for that word they can think of. Then you can drag and drop to rank them ‘strongest-weakest’. Exercise can be repeated for antonyms.

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Time Preps Topic check of last lesson by using prepositions of time:Before last lesson, I knew…During last lesson, I learnt…Since last lesson, I found out…By the end of this lesson I want to know…

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Venn Diagram

Write the nouns in one circle, verbs in another, and words which can be both in the middle.

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ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY Exercise Wit

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4 Corners 4 words / themes / headings / facts are stuck on the wall in each corner of the room. The teacher gives a statement pertaining to one of the corners, and pupils move to the correct area of the room.Wrong choices are out, and ultimately the last one to get there is out.Learning can be shared by asking correct pupils to explain why they chose it.

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Adopt a Word

Students are initially given a word to adopt, and write down in a template: Word-meaning-class-example of usage. They research it and return to present findings to the class.They then write it up onto a card and place it in a word-adoption poster.Students proceed to either research other given words or choose own.

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Ambassador The Class is divided into groups of 4. One of the groups is nominated as the ambassador group and leave the room to watch a demonstration / watch a video / read. They must make notes, being aware that they must teach a lesson on the subject, during which time the rest of the class is taught more about the theory. Ambassadors return to the classroom, by which time, ideally the theory work has been completed. They now teach the demonstration to their respective groups explaining and if necessary repeating, the steps.The recipients return the compliment by teaching the theory that they have just learned to their ambassador. Teacher to observe groups’ learning.

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Back to Back

Learners sit in pairs “back-to-back” – the chair backs should touch so the learners are close enough to hear each other above the noise that will follow. They decide who is A and who is B.A is given visual material, e.g. a descriptive passage in a play which they hold close to their chest, B is given a piece of plain paper and

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pencil.A describes the visual to B, while B draws it, aiming to make a perfect replica which is exact in size shape and detail, complete with labelling. Describers can only use their language.This is a co-operative exercise. B can ask as many questions as they can ask as many questions as she likes and A’s job is to be as helpful possible.When time is up, partners compare the original with attempted copy.Partners either swap roles and try it again, using different material, with B describing and A drawing, or discuss why the elements previously omitted might be significant.

Blockbusters

Pupils travel across a grid containing initial letters to answers.

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Bouncing Bounce answers around the room to build on understanding and have students develop stronger reasoning out of misconceptions.E.g. “Jimmy, what do you think of Sandra’s answer?”“Sandra, how could you develop Carl’s answer to include more detail?”“Carl, how might you combine all we’ve heard into a single answer?”

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Card Loops Cards have unrelated question and answer on either side. Pupil reads question and person with answer responds and then reads theirs.

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Conversion Ask learners to take material that is presented in one format and convert it into a different format.Typical examples include:-Turn text into a mind map / flow diagram / storyboard /Chart / key-word plan / overlapping circles / graph / ranked bullet points.Turn mind maps, flow diagrams, story boards, chart, graphs and bullet points into texts.

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Delegation Set up resource stations around the room. These might include a combination of posters to examine, experiments to carry out, a short video to watch, pages of a text book to read etc.

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Split the learners into groups (four or five in each group). Each group has the same objective to understand and learn all aspects of the topic exhibited around the room.Therefore, each group decides which learners to send to which resource station, perhaps taking account of their preferred learning style. These envoys then go to their stations and makes notes to take back to base. Delegates from different groups help each other to master the resources, so everyone goes back to their starting group feeling clear and confident.On returning to their group they take turns to teach other. The deliverer moves around the room monitoring the quality of teaching and responding to questions and extending learning

Discussion Carousel

Clear the desksHave a group sitting on chairs in two concentric circles, an “outer” and “inner” circle, of equal numbers. The inner circle faces outwards and the outer circle faces inwards. In other words, everyone is facing a partner.The facing pairs are given prompt and have a conversation for, say, three minutes. They are asked to make sure that each has a chance to speak. The deliverer lets them know when it’s half time.When the time is up, the outer circle stands and spins round to the left until the deliverer says stop. Learners now sit down, facing a new random partner.Before the new pair launch into their conversation, developing the subject further, each has to summarise to the other their previous partner’s contributionOnce again, when time is up, the outer circle “spins” and new pairs are formed. Learners have to summarise both their first and second partners’ contributions before conducting their third conversation.This may be repeated as many times as is useful.

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Don’t Say Yes or No

Answer teacher’s questions without saying yes or no. May need alternative suggestions to begin with.

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Exemplar work

When setting students a piece of work, show them examples that make it clear what it is they are being asked to do – and what they need to do in order to meet the assessment criteria.

Students could mark exemplar work using the assessment criteria. This will help model what is being asked for and how it relates to the process of assessment.This is best done as a paired exercise to begin with.

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Formalise Ask how many reasons they can think of for writing a formal letter. Give learners the inappropriately informal letter. Ask a few simple comprehension questions. Have they been in contact before? What's it about? What are the problems?Then ask what's wrong with the text.Next, students re-write the letter to make it more appropriate as a formal letter. Give students the model letter, and ask them to compare it with their letter. Emphasise that the model is only one possible way of re-writing the letter - this can lead to a discussion on whether any differences are equally correct.Ask the students to identify language from the model which they could use to improve their letter. At this stage you might also wish to draw attention to other conventions of formal writing, e.g. Faithfully for an unknown recipient, use of Ms., indentation, address location.The same exercise is interestingly done in the reverse – to make an informal letter particularly informal, excluding taboo language for lower key stages.

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Inquisition Students write a question about what they would like to learn in this lesson / about the topic. They pin them to the board, then take someone else’s. Each pupil to read and then attempt to explain why that question was asked.As a group activity, the teacher can check answers, and then return to owner to write up

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the responses as ‘answers’ to be displayed for the duration of the unit.

It was a dark and stormy night…

Ask the students to:-Draw the face of a person in the top right-hand corner of the page-Give the person a name-On the top left of the page ask them to write five adjectives to describe the person's appearance.-Next ask them to write five more adjectives to describe the person's character-Then ask the students to write three things that the person likes doing-Then ask them to write who the person lives with. In this way they build up a character profile for the person they are going to write about.-Dictate: 'It was a dark and stormy night and'. Then they put in their character’s name, followed by the word 'was'.-Then ask the students to complete the sentence from their imagination and add one more sentence.-Next, get them to stop and pass the paper to the pair on their right (this means that every pair of students now has a new character).-They then read through the information and the beginning of the story and then add one more sentence to it.-Now, ask them once more to pass the paper to the next pair on their right.Continue to do this with each pair of students adding a sentence to each story, gradually building up each story as the papers are passed around the class. -Ask them to introduce a problem and, each pass, they develop the action until you ask them to start to reach a conclusion.

Follow up:-Give each pair of students a story and get them to try to find and correct errors.-Get the students to write the stories up on a computer and then ask them to add more description and detail to the stories, making it their own as much as possible.

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Jeopardy The answer is XYZ – now write the question. N.B. The question could begin with the words ‘What is…’

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Jigsaw Learners work on their own or in pairs to assemble logically coherent material that has been cut up into separate parts. It is important to choose the material and the divisions carefully.The simplest form of jigsaw is sequencing. There need to be enough clues in each separate piece for it to be possible to connect them in a logical sequence. The sequence could be provided by chronology, or the order of events in the narrative of a story.

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Just a Minute – or Two

Put pupils in groups of 3-4 and give them a topic to talk about (this could be a revision topic or a means of introducing a new topic).The aim is for the group to talk for a minute (or 2) about the topic.One pupil is chosen to start talking; he/she will need a talking prop to pass round (e.g. a pencil case).As soon as the pupil runs out of things to say or begins pausing, he/she should pass the pencil case to another pupil to continue.Pupils in the group can offer to take the ‘prop’ and continue talking when they feel someone is drying up.

This can be done throughout a unit of work – the more pupils learn, the longer they should be able to talk about the topic. The repetition should consolidate pupils’ learning, and by gradually extending the time, pupils will also see that their learning is ‘extending’.

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Keep in Role Hot-seating activity to extend pupil’s knowledge / inquisitiveness of characters.

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Living Photographs

Provide 1 or more photographs (containing people, e.g. a war photograph. If more than one, they should be linked in theme).In groups, pupils choose one to recreate as a freeze frame. Teacher then asks for suggestions

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as to what the 'bigger picture' might be – what is going on that we can't see?Pupils then create the 'bigger picture'.Ask them to be ready to speak their thoughts as the person in the photograph.

Maps from Memory

In groups of 3-4, pupils have to memorise and collectively reproduce a map, diagram or chart that is on the teacher’s desk. All pupils should be numbered from 1-4.The teacher then calls out number ones, pupils come to the teacher’s desk to look at the map/diagram/ chart for 20 seconds (without making any notes). The teacher signals the end of 20 seconds and pupils return to their groups to reproduce what they have memorised on sugar paper.Wait for about 30 seconds before calling out number twos; this gives groups a chance to organise themselves. Repeat as many times as necessary.

As they are completing the activity, pupils should be constantly asking each other the following questions (note on w/b before beginning activity):▪What strategies are you using for remembering the diagram and the text?▪How are you organising yourselves to work effectively?▪What are you finding easiest/ most difficult about the task?Debrief - it is the debrief that fully develops thinking skills. Ask pupils to feed back their responses to the questions and try to ensure that discussion mentions the following memorising strategies:Using headings / subheadings - Remembering key words - Remembering the first letter of each phrase or sentence - Using a mnemonic - Remembering by rote -Seeing the parts of the diagram or text on the page (photographic memory).

Better run after a series of lessons exercising said memory skills.

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Might Instead of straight question – insert the word ‘might’ into the question to broaden the range of questions it elicits.

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Opinions Cards produced with issues on, pertinent to novel studied, for example, ‘capitalism’, ‘violence’, ‘war’. Pupils draw a card out of a bag. They then pick one of two cards ‘for’ or ‘against’. They are given 5 minutes to prepare an argument to support their position. They then present to the class and take questions.

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Post-it Note Groups

On 4 sheets of A3 paper, stick, write or place a different question/ statement/ picture/ painting /diagram or object.Put pupils into 4 groups.Give each group A, B, C or D one of the sheets so each group has a different one. Also give some post-it notes to each group.Pupils have 2 minutes to respond to the question/ describe the visual/ annotate the diagram etc.They write their responses on post-its, legibly and stick on the A3 paper.Now, group A moves to group B's table, B to C's table, C to D’s table and D to A’s.They read the previous post-it notes and add to the responses – they cannot repeat ideas.Groups move around again and repeat. Each time their thinking will be extended as they cannot repeat ideas.Pupils move back to original table to read their post –its.Groups feed back to the class.

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Quiz - builder

Groups devise multiple choice questions designed to catch out other groups.

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Runaround Learners work through a series of set tasks in any order within a given timescale.Design a number of tasks pertinent to the topic. Remember to cover a range of learning styles to encourage all learning.Set the tasks in different locations (tables) around the room. If facilities allow, they might include watching a video for selected information (with the monitor facing into a corner of the room), listening to audio and various reading, writing, graphic and tactile activities on the

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tables.Explain the learning outcomes, and the assessment to be conducted at the end of the series of activities.Learners set off, tackling the activities and tasks around the classroom, the deliverer moves around extending and challenging the learning taking place.At the end of the run-around, learning is consolidated by the deliverer, drawing on the knowledge and understanding achieved by the learners, and a final assessment task is provided.

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Taking Sides

Teacher writes statements on OHT or w/b. In pairs, pupils discuss if they agree or disagree with them. Feedback. Can be made kinaesthetic if Agree, Disagree and Don’t Know are displayed on opposite walls – pupils move into position and should be prepared to justify their responses. Remember to quiz people why they move as the discussion develops, and why some remain unswayed.

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True or False

Hold up card/whiteboard to show whether statement on board is true or false.

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Universally Challenged

Give pupils a list of 8-12 questions on a particular topic, or as a whole class, get pupils to come up with the questions and write them on a sheet for the teacher and one for them.The aim of the game is to answer each question with the previous question's answer.Demonstrate to pupils: get one pupil to ask you the first question but respond with a 'Mmmm'. When they ask the second question, you give the answer to the first question and so on. The combinations can be quite amusing. Get one group to ask the other group, and take note of correct answers – out of synch of course. Then change round. Show Two Ronnies Mastermind sketch first!

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Wall Dictionary

On a large piece of thick paper, stick on 26 pockets, labelled A-Z. Cards are labelled A-Z and the pupils must put a word / term and definition in each pocket; bonus marks for Q, X and Z. In

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future lessons, pupils can take a random card from the dictionary, write it in their book and use it in a sentence.

Washing Line

To embed the characters, events, themes, elements of a story, get pupils to write them out on a piece of paper, cut into a shape of clothing. Then, using a washing line and clothes pegs, hang them on the washing line. After going through the clothes, I hide some of the clothes. They name the missing clothes and then explain them.

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Who Wants to be Millionaire

Questions answered in pairs- answers A-D written onto planner whiteboard and score taken. Which pair becomes the richest?

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PLENARIES

ACTIVITY Exercise With

1 to 4 Groups of 4, numbered 1-4. Put up 4 statements on WB which individuals must explain to group. Then ask each group if any statement wasn’t satisfactorily explained to them. If not at any point, then ask a different number from a different group that didn’t raise a hand to explain it to them.

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2-4-8 In pairs for a minute, then fours, then eights make pupils discuss how we have met the learning objective. Write the consolidated answer on a ‘post it’ note. Stick them on board and review– does the

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class agree?

3 things List 3 things you learnt this lesson wb pl cl

3-4-5 In this activity, pupils have 4 minutes to tell the 3 main points of the lesson to 5 people. Class can be asked to freeze at any point to ask individual last comment heard. Teacher can ask class afterward where the agreement lay.

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5 into 1 Summarise what you know about the topic in 5 bullet points - reduce to 5 words - reduce to one word

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60 Second Challenge

Sum up knowledge of text, or write down all the words you can think of to explain what you’ve learned today.

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Acrostic Each letter of a term begins a line. Key word begins the line. The ‘poem’ should reflect the qualities of the concept learned.

ex

Anagram Identify the key points/terms to feature in today’s lesson from anagrams

iwb wb

Ask Thy Neighbour

List 3 things your neighbour has learned today. Tell the teacher.

tgt

Bingo As you read, pupils must spot word/term and mark card digit.

cd

Blankety Blank

Group class into 6/7/8. One from each group go to front and act as a contestant. For one contestant at a time, read out a sentence missing a key word. Rest of the contestant’s group write their answer on their wb planner page, and contestant can ask for two answers to use to help them. Repeat for each contestant. Only allow each group member to answer once so each of them gets a go and contestants can ask tactically.

pl cl

Cinquain Write a poem: cl

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-One word: the idea/theme/term-Two words: explain the meaning of the idea-Three words: explain what the idea does-Four words: explain what idea means to you-One final word: repeat the idea.

Communication

Ask pupils to show their understanding of how they achieved the learning objective: writing it down their explanation, using it in an example, drawing a cartoon of it, acting it out, drawing a map…

tgt

Crossword Complete crossword containing key words or information useful in lesson.

ho iwb

Generate and Answer

Have the pupils generate the questions that would test their understanding of the LO.

cl

Group Response

Have pupils discuss their plenary responses before they’re given, that way they are more confident, and the information has already been agreed and sorted.

tgt

Heads Together

This activity is a means of ensuring all pupils are involved in Question and Answer routines.Put pupils into groups of 4 and ask them to number themselves 1-4. Tell them you will ask a series of progressively more challenging questions that all pupils will be expected to answer. Importantly, ensure they know that they will not know who will be called on to answer the question.

Ask the first question and say ‘Heads Together’ – pupils have to discuss the answer to the question and ALL must be able to verbalise it. Call out a number between 1-4. If you call number 3, all number 3s must put up their hand, you then choose one of them to answer the question. Ask the other number 3s if they agree with the answer and if they would like to add anything further. Ask the next

gp

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question and repeat. If pupils do not put up their hands when you call a number, it will show that they need more discussion time.

Hot-seating Recount what has been discussed in the lesson in the role of a character involved.

tgt

Lucky Dip Revise a topic by getting the pupils to prepare questions for others to answer. Have cards with numbers written on - "One to however many pupils there are in the class". Give pupils their numbers orally. Shuffle cards. First pupil picks one. That number pupil asks question. The number card at the bottom of the pack answers.

cd cl

Match it Match word cards and definition cards. Can be done as card sort or snap. Pupils will also have to memorise the position of cards.

cd iwb

Mind the Gap Spot missing words in cloze summary of learning.

tgt

Mnemonic Create a mnemonic which reflects the meaning of a new word or term you have learnt today.

cl

Move Cube The cube has pictures/words on each face. The teacher throws the cube to a pupil who must then provide some information about the picture/word facing them before passing the cube on.

tgt

Odd-one-out Give groups sets of 3 words and ask them to identify the odd one out and explain why.

tgt

Pictionary Draw the word without speaking or writing.

iwb wb

RIP Write the epitaph for a character you have been studying.

cl

Slap-head Post-it notes or stickers on foreheads – pupils work out word by asking neighbour questions which receive yes/no answers.

pi

Soft Ball A soft ball is thrown from one pupil to another named pupil in class. Pupil states one concept/key word - next one explains it. Next one chooses a word which links to it.

tgt

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Spot the Difference

Show two pictures with slight / obvious differences e.g. characters from different representations of a novel’s character. Discuss the significance of the differences.

cl

Storyteller In the style of the genre of text being discussed, explain what has been learned today.

tgt

Switch Pupil as Teacher – asks questions about what was learned today.

tgt

Taboo Student describes a word/concept/character/event to a partner without saying the taboo words.

tgt

Tennis Divide class into 2 groups who take turns to say a word related to the current topic. No words can be repeated. Scored as tennis.

tgt

Tension Timeline

Write 5 key events onto IWB, then drag them onto a tension graph / rank order them.

iwb

Thumbs Check class understanding of what you are teaching by asking them to show their thumbs.

cl

Tree of Knowledge

A sketch of a bare tree is drawn over two sheets of sugar paper. Each pupil has a leaf shaped piece of paper. On it they write as briefly as possible what has been the most important thing they have learnt in the lesson – preferably one word. Pupils in turn stick their leaf on the tree and say what is on the leaf. Pupils then reflect on everyone's answers as they look at the tree.

cl

What and How

Take one minute to compose two statements in your head to explain what we have learnt and how we have learnt it.

cl

Who Wants to be Millionaire

Questions answered in pairs- answers A-D written onto planner whiteboard and score taken. Which pair becomes the richest?

cl

Wordsearch Complete wordsearch containing key words or information useful in lesson – can use clues/definitions to activate prior knowledge.

ho iwb

X and Y Ask pupils why X is an example of Y tgt

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Table of abbreviations:

pl Plannerpr In pairsps Postergp In groupstgt Targetted questionssh Sheetex Exercise bookHo Handout

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iwb Interactive White Boardwb White boardcl Classcds Prepared carspi Post-itsho Handouts

Naturally, this list of resource and layout requirements is not inexhaustible. Indeed, variation is not only inevitable but expected.

One pre-requisite for all activities, however, is forward planning and organisation; this is the reason I made myself compile this.

Any notable omissions are simply because I am only developing my own practice by standing on the shoulders of giants and contributing the occasional titbit. Suggestions for future editions would be gratefully received, and the Toolkit would therefore be revised sporadically for both our benefit.

Thanks thus far to those I know I have been inspired by / stolen from:

Englishteaching.co.uk, gaborones, histweb, Teacher’s Toolkit, youyouyou

Apologies and thanks to those whom I have plagiarised and appear to be passing off as my own. You know who you are.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Bigwiganer.

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