A lesson for KS1 exploring the meaning behind the Easter Sunday story. Lesson includes a video that explains the key events of the story, as told in the Bible. The pupil activity is differentiated three ways.

A lesson for KS1 on the story of Good Friday in which pupils work in groups to dramatise the story, then use this to retell what happened in ‘storyboard’ form. Lesson includes a video recounting the key events of the story. The pupil activity is differentiated three ways.

A lesson for Y3/4 focussing on the skill of historical interpretation. This lesson provides primary and secondary sources (in picture format) that pupils interpret to decide why the Roman army was such a successful fighting force and why they enjoyed such success against the Celts when they invaded Britain. The resources comprise a powerpoint, a sheet with information on the sources (it is suggested you enlarge this to A3), images of the sources to cut and stick (if desired) and the worksheets themselves, differentiated 2 ways.

A lesson on mapwork for Y3/4 in which pupils locate and name the major rivers of the UK and some of the major towns and cities that lie along their courses. 4 river/waterway maps are included but it is highly recommended you put out a class set of good quality atlases with detailed mapping of the UK in them. Pupils will need to use their skills of comparing features across different maps in order to label the major UK rivers and answer the questions below. The activity is differentiated three ways.

A lesson for lower KS2 on poetic metaphor and personification, using poetry about water as the context. The powerpoint introduces the idea via the concept of similes (so pupils should understand similes before teaching this content). The differences and similarities between metaphor and personification are then explained. The lesson then gets pupils to discuss ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ examples of metaphors and uses this to draw out ‘success criteria’ (guidelines) for writing good metaphors. The main activities are then differentiated 3 ways.

A complete lesson on reading inference for Y3/4 with a newspaper article on the invasion of Britain by the Anglo Saxons as the focus text. The powerpoint pre-teaches tricky vocab and outlines the strategy pupils should use. There is then an example question before the pupils answer the questions themselves. The questions are differentiated 3 ways but all are inference questions as this is the target skill.

A complete lesson on reading inference for Y3/4 with an information text on the dangers of Arctic oil drilling as the focus text. The powerpoint pre-teaches tricky vocab and outlines the strategy pupils should use. There is then an example question before the pupils answer the questions themselves. The questions are differentiated 3 ways but all are inference questions as this is the target skill.

A complete, standalone lesson for Y3/4 in which pupils design a ‘room-cleaning robot’ and then use this as the context for an explanation text on how the robot functions. This can be done as an assessed piece in one extended lesson or the content could be split into separate planning and writing days. The resources comprise: an example text (WAGOLL), wordbank, design template, planning (‘flowchart’) template, L.O page header slips and a step-by-step powerpoint.

A lesson for Y3/4 focussing on the skill of historical interpretation. This lesson provides primary and secondary sources (in picture format) that pupils interpret to explain the ways in which the Anglo Saxon invaders of the 6th century AD were different from the Roman-influenced Britons that they found living here. The resources comprise a powerpoint, a sheet with information on the sources (it is suggested you enlarge this to A3), images of the sources to cut and stick (if desired) and the worksheets themselves, differentiated 2 ways.

Please see the first lesson in this series: www.tes.com/teaching-resource/y3-4-reading-inference-fiction-arctic-tale-set-in-canada-11917970 as this lesson is the follow-on. A complete lesson on reading inference for Y3/4 with the second part of an Arctic-themed adventure story as the focus text. The powerpoint pre-teaches new vocab and recaps the strategy pupils should use. There is then an example question before the pupils answer the questions themselves. The questions are differentiated 3 ways but all are inference questions as this is the target skill.

A complete lesson on reading inference for Y3/4 with an Arctic-themed adventure story as the focus text. The powerpoint introduces the characters, pre-teaches tricky vocab and outlines the strategy pupils should use. There is then an example question before the pupils answer the questions themselves. The questions are differentiated 3 ways but all are inference questions as this is the target skill. One you have done this lesson, please see ‘part 2’ for more: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-11917973

A lesson for Y5/6 that takes some of the themes of the final sections of The Journey , e.g refugees arriving in a new and strange country, and uses them as the inspiration for writing haikus. The lesson begins with a ‘diamond 9’ activity to get children discussing the feelings that a refugee finally stepping into safety might experience. There is then a brief recap on syllables using a fun paired game. Pupils are then introduced to haiku as a form and, through good and ‘not so good’ examples, draw out the success criteria themselves. For teachers less confident with spontaneous shared writing, there is a ‘crib sheet’ with key questions and ‘think out loud’ points. For the independent activity, pupils can select an image to write a haiku about and the help sheet has examples for each image which pupils can use to base theirs on if needed.

An assembly that I used during an assessment day for an deputy head position (I got the job!) This is a presentation with some embedded videos (links to YouTube - please check that they work with your school’s firewall/intranet before using) that starts with the famous ‘marshmallow test’ before exploring the life stories of three very different ‘geniuses’ (Einstein, Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs) and relating their successes and struggles to the growth mindset. Pupils are then confronted with three scenarios and asked to think what a person with a growth mindset would do and what a person with a fixed mindset would do in each of them.

A complete PSHE lesson lasting 30-45 mins for Y3/4 on the importance of oral hygeine. The slides explain how ‘Toothless Tom’ and ‘Peraly White Paul’ (resemblance to Joey Essex is purely incidental!) came to have teeth that look the way that they do. Pupils than work in pairs/groups to answer the differentiated questions on post-its that can be attached to the images.

A lesson explaining to pupils the significance of the Palm Sunday story and challenging them to retell it in ‘storyboard’ form. Includes a video recounting the events of Palm Sunday as told in the Bible. The pupil activity is differentiated three ways.

A resource for Y1/2 on the story behind Lent and Shrove Tuesday. Features a video that explains the key beliefs and practices of Christians. The pupil activities are differentiated three ways (‘mild’, ‘spicy’ and ‘hot’)

A lesson for KS1 about what goes on and what can be found in a Mosque. Powerpoint contains a link to a video that gives a tour by Muslims of the East London Mosque in Shadwell. Three differentiated activities for pupils to choose between plus an extension and plenary mini quiz .