Sorting: Teacher Resources

Compare and contrast

A starter activity in which students are given two items and asked to consider the differences and similarities between them

Questions to ask

A starter task. Students are given a list of categories and asked to write down the questions they would like answered from today's lesson

Odd one out

Lesson starter. Students are shown a number of key terms. They have to decide which of the terms is the ‘odd one out’ and give a reason for their choice

Telephone

Starter task using the theme of the old childhood game, Telephone.

Double Puzzle

Starter. Students are presented with a list of scrambled keywords to unscramble, and are then asked to discover and unscramble a hidden keyword from their answers

Answers

Ten Questions

A lesson starter activity. 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'

Post-its

A fun kinaesthetic starter task where students work in teams to solve a puzzle.

Countdown

Starter task. Students are given a set of jumbled up words related to this topic. They have to unscramble each of the words within 30 seconds.

Recap

A task recapping this lesson, meant to be used as a starter in the following lesson.

Thirty Seconds

Lesson starter. Students are shown a number of terms for exactly 30 seconds. They need to memorise as many as possible. After 30 seconds, the terms are hidden and they need to write down as many terms as they can remember along with at least one fact about that term.

Create your own word search

Students are provided an online tool and asked to come up with a list of keywords related to the topic and create a wordsearch from them. They then are asked to solve one another’s work

Mini whiteboards

Starter activity. A great way of quickly assessing which key terms students remember from the previous lesson and where further teaching focus might need to be given

Memorise this

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

Create a Double Puzzle

Starter or plenary. Students are given instructions on how to use an online tool to create a word puzzle, and are told to print them out and solve each other?s creations.

Matching Pairs + answers

Students work in pairs to turn over two cards and matchup a keyword with a definition or example. Full instructions are given in the task sheet. Requires preparation prior to the lesson

Answers

Splat

Starter or plenary task. The class compete in pairs to match definitions to keywords.

Answers

Three Facts

A starter or plenary task in which students are asked to write down three facts that they can remember off the top of their heads about the topic.

What? Why? How?

Starter or plenary task. Students are asked three questions framed as ?What ?Why? and ?How

Post It Key Terms

Starter or plenary. A good activity to encourage teamwork. Students compete in groups to identify as many key terms as possible.

Turn It Down

Starter or plenary task. This follows the traditional game of writing a statement, folding or turning the paper down to hide what has been written and then passing it to the next student.

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

Give Me Ten

A starter or plenary task. Students work in pairs before joining up with another pair to expand their list.

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

Teacher Talkabout

Starter or plenary task. The class 'test' the teacher on their knowledge of key words related to this topic

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.

Haiku

Starter or plenary task. Students are asked to write a description in the form of a haiku poem for one of a handful of key terms.

Pick Me

This provides a differentiated starter or plenary activity. Students are given a question and work in groups to come up with an answer.

Once Upon A Time

Students are given a set of words related to this topic and asked to make up a story incorporating as many of the terms as possible.

Presentation Task

Students can take forever to set up a presentation often wasting valuable lesson time choosing their background colours and font styles. This resource provides students with a template for this topic with the aim on them spending time on the content rather than the 'pretty stuff'.

Speaking Stick

Plenary task. Students connect together facts learned from today's lesson

I Predict

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

Lesson Self Assessment

Students assess what they have achieved during this lesson and identify how they could improve.

Call My Bluff

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

Targets

Students think about how to integrate what they learned today in future.

Taboo

A plenary activity. This task follows 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.

Stand Up, Sit Down

A kinaesthetic plenary that gets students to think about the main terms related to this topic

Secret Word

Plenary. Students are given a keyword from today's lesson, and have to slip it into a discussion on a specified topic without their partner noticing.

Talk About

A plenary task. Students work in pairs with one student talking about the topic and the other monitoring how many of the displayed key words they mention.

Wordle task

Students write a set of notes about this topic and then use them as the basis to create a word cloud. Their work can be used to create a classroom display.

You are the teacher

Students work in small groups to prepare a lesson on this topic. They are provided with information and tips about the tasks they need to prepare.

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

Key terms

Students are asked to provide a definition and example for key terms related to this topic

Job Interview

Students take the roles of interviewer and candidate, to demonstrate knowledge of today's lesson

Helpline

A roleplay task in which students are tasked with helping one another learn about today's topic

Mind Map

Students are given the basic structure of a mind map for this topic. They are asked to recreate the structure on their own sheet of paper and add further detail to each of the branches.

100 Words

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

Pick a Straw

A plenary activity where students are chosen at random to answer questions

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.

Fifteen Words

A plenary activity where students come up with a list of keywords and compare it to each other's

Are They Right?

Plenary: Testing the class?s knowledge on the topic by asking them to judge whether a single student?s answers are right or wrong

Golden Envelopes

Plenary task. An engaging task that has an element of ?surprise?

Lesson Summary

This plenary provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the lesson and their learning and an AFL opportunity for the teacher.

Lucky Dip Questions

Starter or plenary task. 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.

New Words

A plenary task in which students have to identify three new words/terms that they learned during this lesson and then explain their meaning

Pyramid

A plenary activity. Students are asked to complete a self assessment sheet to indicate what they have learned during this lesson

Round Table

Students are asked to prepare three questions based on what they've learned today. The class quizzes each other, and the best questions are put up as learning points.

Text Me

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

Tweet It

A plenary activity. Students write a ?Tweet? message to sum up what they have learned during the lesson

Bid Up

A fun gameshow-like plenary asking teams of students to bet on how many key terms they remember.

Mastermind

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

Beat the Teacher

Students must come up with questions they think the teacher themselves can't answer

Teach Me About

Lesson plenary. 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.

Create a Wordsearch

Students are provided an online tool and asked to come up with a list of keywords related to the topic and create a wordsearch from them. They then are asked to solve one another?s work

One Word

A plenary task. Students have to sum up today's lesson in just one sentence. They must include a given word within that sentence.

Construct an Answer

Plenary task. Students work in groups to construct a sentence about today?s lesson