Activities

The Returned (French: Les Revenants)

A good return on ‘The Returned’

I like using a variety of completely authentic materials in the classroom to show learners that the language they are acquiring is also used in the real world! One of my sources is film trailers – or bandes-annonces. They have the advantage of being short and snappy so the viewing… Read More

Causes and effects of World War 1

Suitable for: Year 3 to Year 6 Learning Focus: To empathise with people’s feelings over the cause and effects of the Great War To be able to compare and contrast source material to form a personal opinion This year our TV screens, newspapers and more will be filled with stories… Read More

Coucou, j’ai pris le pain!

I believe it is important to get pupils interested in grammar and make sure they understand what they are doing when they put words together. Learners are therefore more likely to produce correct language with a higher level of accuracy. It is more motivating and speeds up foreign language learning. Read More

Alex’s Chinese Challenge – Getting started

Meet hyperpolyglot Alex Rawlings, winner of the 2011 Collins Livemocha search for the Most Multilingual Student in Britain  Alex’s  language skills were assessed by  eleven native-speaking judges who all confirmed his  proficiency in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Greek, Catalan, Dutch, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Russian (and English!). Don’t believe us? Then… Read More

Primary Maths – Scott of the Antarctic

In planning his epic and ultimately tragic journey, Robert Falcon Scott needed careful navigational skills and these involved map reading, measuring distance and using bearings. He would also have needed to be acutely aware of weather conditions. This series of activities allows the children to practise some of the skills… Read More

Secondary Psychology- Friday Afternoon Activity: Dragon’s Den

A format of lesson I’ve found particularly useful for a Friday afternoon lesson is Dragon’s Den. It will depend on your groups, but by picking the right dragons you can watch the students spend an hour of engaging debate and analysis. They also learn to produce counter arguments, something that… Read More

Pass it on – a literary analysis activity for groups

Trying to find new ways to get my students to (a). Analyse texts and (b). Work together is a constant struggle. But then I remembered the ‘Pass it on’ game. This game usually involves drawing a picture- one person draws a head, passes it on, the next draws the body… Read More

Chemistry: Superstuffs – calcium carbonate

Is calcium carbonate really a superstuff? We meet it in chemistry lessons as a white powder that fizzes in acids giving off carbon dioxide. It doesn’t seem special and yet it is closely involved with the evolution of life, the changing Earth and the history of mankind. Calcium compounds in… Read More