Word tennis

Students work in groups of three with two 'serving' words related to the topic. The observer monitors for words which are 'out'

(subscription only)

Acting up

A fun starter activity.

Students are given a character card. They then have to explain a term related to this topic whilst staying in character.

(subscription only)

task

characters

Scrabble

Starter task

Students are given a blank scrabble type sheet and take it in turns to write down key words related to this topic

(subscription only)

task

Teach me about ...

Students become the teacher! One student is tasked with preparing a five minute revision starter about this topic for the beginning of the following lesson.

(subscription only)

ppt

10 Questions

A volunteer (either a student or class teacher) is given a slip of paper so they know 'what they are'.

The rest of the class can ask up to a maximum of 10 questions to guess what they are. The volunteer can only answer 'yes' or 'no'

(subscription only)

task

ppt

Consider all Reasons

Students are given an open ended statement related to the topic.  In pairs, they identify as many reasons as possible in order to provide an answer to the statement

(subscription only)

ppt

3-2-1

Display this on the whiteboard as students are walking through the door. They can work individually or in pairs to come up with the answers.

Good for differentiation as all students should be able to get at least one of the six points.

(subscription only)

ppt

Give me ten

Students work in pairs to come up with ten words related to this project before joining up with another pair to expand their list.

(subscription only)

ppt

Lucky dip questions

Every student is given a number at the start of the activity. This is used to help pick who will ask and answer questions about what has been learned during the lesson.

(subscription only)

task

Memorise this!

Students work in pairs or small groups to remember words which have been shown to them.

(subscription only)

ppt

Teacher talkabout

The class 'test' the teacher on their knowledge of key words related to this topic

(subscription only)

ppt

Draw me a picture

Starter or plenary

Students are given a selection of key terms and are asked to illustrate one of them in a diagram.

(subscription only)

Just a minute

Starter or plenary task

Students are asked to talk to a partner about this topic for 60 seconds whilst abiding by a set of rules

(subscription only)

One, Two, Three

Can be used either as a starter or a plenary task.

Students are given a sheet to complete firstly on their own, then with a partner and then joining up with another pair

(subscription only)

task

Pass the Buck

An excellent starter or plenary for involving all students and getting them to identify a large number of facts about the current topic

(subscription only)

task

What if ...

Starter or plenary activity.
Students work in pairs to discuss a number of 'what if ....' questions

(subscription only)

What's your opinion?

Starter and plenary task

Students are given a statement about this topic and asked to discuss their opinion in pairs. At the end of the lesson they can reassess whether their original opinion has changed

(subscription only)

Word association

A starter or plenary task.

Students are asked to write down all of the words they associate with this topic. They then work with a partner to categorise them.

(subscription only)

task

Taboo

This starter or plenary follows the theme of the traditional Taboo game. Students work in teams with one student from each team having their back to the board. A word is displayed on the board and teams take it in turns to describe the word to the student without actually mentioning the word itself.

(subscription only)

ppt

4-4-2

A plenary activity where students are asked to summarise the lesson and pick out the main key words related to the topic.

(subscription only)

task

Call my bluff

A plenary activity based on the popular game show, ‘Call My Bluff’

(subscription only)

ppt

Mastermind

A plenary activity which is loosely based on the game show 'Mastermind'

(subscription only)

Corkboard

A great plenary idea both for AFL and for getting feedback from every student

(subscription only)

task

I predict

This task acts as the plenary from one lesson and the starter for the next lesson.

(subscription only)

task

Text me

A plenary activity where students are asked to write a text message to explain what they have learned during the lesson

(subscription only)

task

Tweet it

A plenary activity

Students write a ‘Tweet’ message to sum up what they have learned during the lesson

(subscription only)

task

Theory Notes Task (1)

Students read the theory notes on the mini website and then answer the questions on the task sheet.

(subscription only)

task

Theory Notes Task (2)

Students read the theory notes on the mini website and then answer the questions on the task sheet.

(subscription only)

task

Mnemonic

Students often find it hard to remember long lists of items. A mnemonic is a rhyme or acronym that they can create to help them recall such a list.

(subscription only)

task

Anagrams

Students are given a clue and an anagram. They need to solve the anagram to find the answer to the clue.

(subscription only)

task

answers

Create your own crossword

Students are given step by step instructions about creating their own crossword which they can then give to fellow students to solve

(subscription only)

task

Exam style question

Students are given a set of questions which are similar to those they might expect to see in their written examination.

A good opportunity to give students practice on question answering technique.

(subscription only)

task

answers

In the style of ...

A fantastic kinaesthetic activity which is bound to produce some amusing results whilst at the same time reinforcing the main concepts of this topic.

(subscription only)

task

Matching pairs

Students work in pairs to turn over two cards and matchup a keyword with an example.

Full instructions are given in the task sheet. Requires preparation prior to the lesson

(subscription only)

task

answers

Mind Map

Students are given the basic structure of a mind map for this topic. They are asked to complete the mind map by adding extra branches.

Mind maps are a useful tool to use as a revision aid.

(subscription only)

task

Crossword Clues

Students are given a completed crossword and asked to write the clues.  This task is an excellent way to help students really understand the meaning of each term.
Differentiation is achieved through the complexity of the clues written.

Students can swap clues and provide feedback on their clarity.

(subscription only)

task

Construct an answer

Students are given an exam style question to answer. They are also given a set of key words to incorporate into their answer.

(subscription only)

Sequence the steps

Students are given a cut up list of stages in the process. They work in pairs to assemble them into the correct order.

(subscription only)

100 words

Students have exactly 100 words to summarise the key points about this topic

(subscription only)