A FREE sampler of my Maths Starters resources. There are a number of cost effective options for purchasing these resources: - a bundle of 3 PowerPoints - a mega bundle of all 6 PowerPoints This is part of a set of top rated, “turbo-charged” (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question… “I’ve finished… what should I do now?”). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a “mathematical brain” (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James

There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project Lessons in the series: FREE introduction to Scratch. Moving a sprite through a maze. A question and answer type quiz. A game where students move a sight with the mouse to shoot ghosts. A Music Player with layers of menus. Simulates a toy bear with touch pads. Drawing shapes and repeating patterns. Alien spacecraft attack a base that must be defended. An Octopus must swim through walls of hungry sharks. Navigate through different worlds Bundle I-III Bundle IV-VI Bundle VII-IX Bundle I-IX ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. The World Wide Web, commonly known as the Web, is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators, which may be interlinked by hyperlinks, and are accessible over the Internet. (wikipedia definitions) This is part of a series of 45-60 minute lessons that will give students (and often, teachers) a much greater understanding of what the internet is, how it works and what the World Wide Web is (no, it is not the internet). Each lesson comprises: - a fully animated PowerPoint with explanatory slides - loads of embedded videos (can be extracted if required) - worksheets and self-evaluation files The lesson objectives are: 1. understand what the Internet is (this FREE resource) 2. understand how the Internet works and what the World Wide Web is In addition, there are a series of lessons that look at what a web page is, how HTML works, and creating a web page using HTML. ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback.

WRITTEN FOR THE NEWLY RELEASED SCRATCH 3 In my series of Scratch projects, students are encouraged to learn through doing - creating projects that encourage learning. In this NEW series of lessons for Scratch 3, I provide a more structured approach, looking in detail at Scratch programming tools. Each tool is explored through simple projects, and students then go on to further explore using guided project worksheets. What is Scratch v3 The following lessons will be published as a package shortly - please Follow Me to be kept up to date with their publication. Events and Triggers Controls Motion and the Stage Data Variables Operations - number Operations - text The Graphics editor The lessons comprise: a fully animated PowerPoint with explanatory slides, together with the project instructions a Word document with the PowerPoint project instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout for students to follow accompanying fully-working Scratch3 project files for students and teachers Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practising teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: scratch, computer, programming, coding, algorithm

This is a FREE background presentation to my series of Maths Starters resources. There are a number of cost effective options for purchasing these resources: - a single PowerPoint (there are 6 in the series) - a bundle of 3 PowerPoints - a mega bundle of 6 PowerPoints This is part of a set of top rated, "turbo-charged" (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question... "I've finished... what should I do now?"). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a "mathematical brain" (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: math, numeracy, numbers, arithmetic, starters, challenge, brain, stimulate, problem, mental, thinking, abstract

I’ve created and delivered a series of lessons for Junior students this year, and the response was overwhelming. Students loved learning about 3D graphics and went on to produce some amazing creations of their own. While I thought it might be too advanced, students as young as 8 have grasped and loved using it. 3D GRAPHICS REALLY IS A USEFUL SKILL FOR THE DIGITAL FUTURE. The lessons assume absolutely no knowledge and build up in a gradual way Lessons 1-2 (FREE) What is Blender The Blender interface Navigating the 3D view port Lessons 3-5 Transforming objects Creating, selecting and duplicating objects Project: create a snowman Lessons 6-9 Rendering, colours and lighting Editing objects Project: create a donut Lessons 10-13 3D Text Box modelling - extruding, loop cuts, insets, bevels Project: create a Treasure Chest Lessons 14-15 Animations using Timeframes Animations using Rigid Bodies Each lesson is delivered via an animated PowerPoint with an accompanying Workbook, and follows a similar format: A short video to inspire (embedded in the PowerPoint) Explanations about any new concepts and skills A demo of what will be covered (Blender demo files included) Working together trying out these new concepts and skills (Workbook and Blender exercise files are provided) Free exploration A project bringing it all together (a finished Blender file is provided) Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback.

This is a great brain challenge to fill 15 mins. Each slide shows a word or phrase written in reverse (rotated 180 degrees on the X axis). Children are asked to write the words correctly on their whiteboards. Barrie James

Lessons in this series so far (always more to follow): A series of lessons exploring Scratch 3 programming concepts. Scratch v3 Tutorials A FREE lesson explaining all about sprites, scripts, stages, etc… An introduction to Scratch A maze type project that adds multiple levels of complexity. Save the Penguin Students create a question and answer type quiz, adding a timer, scores and other enhancements. Design a Quiz Students create a game where they move a target with the mouse to shoot the ghosts. The time allowed and the speed and number of ghosts can be varied. Ghost Busting Students create a Music Player with layers of menus for different categories of music. Audio files can then be uploaded as the tracks for each category. Music Player Students create a simulation of a toy bear that responds to “touch pads”, speaks and talks. Interactive Toy Bear Students draw shapes and repeating patterns using the pen in Scratch. Drawing patterns and shapes Students create a space game with a scrolling backdrop (sprite) and alien spacecraft appearing from any edge attacking the base. Base Attack A game similar to Flappy Birds but moving an Octopus through a wall of hungry Sharks. Flappy Octopus Students must capture items in their journey through 2 worlds. Worlds Cost-effective Bundles: All NINE projects for the price of six Projects 1-3 Projects 4-6 Projects 7-9

This is a collection of miscellaneous literacy worksheets that I have created and use in class and that are suitable for home learning assignments. In alphabetical order: analogies apostrophes for possession and contraction capital letters and full stops commas for lists fronted adverbials homophones jumbled sentences personification plurals and possession relative pronouns sentence structure direct speech spelling - making plurals verbs - modal verbs verbs - perfect tenses Note that these may not be of the same high quality as my other published lessons on TES, but I am providing them free of charge in the hope that they may prove useful to fellow teachers in these uncertain times.

Having been a substitute teacher in over 200 different classes in countless schools, I have learned a thing or two over the years - really! The absolute most important is - establish your expectations right at the start. The day is then productive and enjoyable for both you and the children. I use this PowerPoint EVERY time I teach a class for the first time, or as a reminder if I am returning to a class after a period. It guides me and the class through the critical first 30 minutes of the day. Slides are accompanied with detailed Notes where appropriate to explain how the slide is best used. ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”. Before I publish, my lessons are tested in the classroom by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. Let me know if you have any questions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be).

There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project Lessons in the series: FREE introduction to Scratch. Moving a sprite through a maze. A question and answer type quiz. A game where students move a sight with the mouse to shoot ghosts. A Music Player with layers of menus. Simulates a toy bear with touch pads. Drawing shapes and repeating patterns. Alien spacecraft attack a base that must be defended. An Octopus must swim through walls of hungry sharks. Navigate through different worlds Bundle I-III Bundle IV-VI Bundle VII-IX Bundle I-IX ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

Machine Learning and AI are terms we all hear a lot about every day. They affect our lives profoundly and yet, we know so little about either. Producing this presentation in what I hope is an easy to understand form, was hugely challenging and immensely rewarding, and I hope it can benefit you and your students. We all need at least a basic understanding of what is happening in the world of AI. This lesson for absolute beginners looks at what is intelligence (easy start!!) what is machine learning how AI is related to machine learning the ethical concerns of bias The lesson comprises: a fully animated PowerPoint with explanatory slides inspiring embedded videos (if you need to extract, click here) Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practising teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback.

This is just a fun activity that should fill a spare 10 to 15 mins. Without talking, and with hands behind their backs, children must arrange themselves in order of height, shoe size, etc... A great way to explore and develop non verbal communication skills.

Below are links to all my Blender v2.79 resources: Lessons 1-2 (FREE) Blender 3D - (3-5) creating, selecting and transforming objects Blender 3D - (6-9) rendering, colours, lighting and editing objects Blender 3D - (10-13) 3D Text, modelling - extruding, loop cuts, insets, beveling Blender 3D - (14-15) animating using time frames and rigid bodies Blender-3D-3-15-BUNDLE-3964949">Blender 3D - (3-15) BUNDLE

FREE INTRODUCTION - this is the first of 10 lessons We all ask and expect our students to learn things, and this requires MEMORY. Memory IS learning. Without memory, there can be no learning. BUT - do we ever give our students an understanding of what memory is, and more importantly, strategies for improving their memory? “Learn your multiplication tables”… sure, but HOW? This series of 10 lessons is designed with this in mind. Session 1: Introduction to memory Session 2: Types of memory - short and long term memory Session 3: Strategies 1 - linking and stories Session 4: Strategies 2 - mnemonics Session 5: Strategies 3 - names and faces Session 6: Strategies 4 - lists Session 7: Strategies 5 - numbers Session 8: Strategies 6 - using routes and locations Session 9: Strategies 7 - misc. Session 10: Memory IS us - the consequences of losing memory Each session comprises: a fully animated, stimulating PowerPoint loads of embedded videos (can be extracted if required) Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practising teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: games, challenge, memory, strategies, brain, numbers, linking, mnemonic, neuron**

Doodling is FAR more important than we let on.... Most of us do it at some time or other. It helps us stay alert and focused. I encourage children to doodle in a "doodle pad" at various times (e.g. when listening to a story) and to share their doodle creations with the class if they choose to. Children just LOVE doing this, and it allows them a degree of self-expression rarely found in other subjects. Give it a try - you'll be amazed! Check on youtube for loads of inspiring examples.

Embedding videos in a PowerPoint presentation is a really useful feature, but if you are using an older computer to display the slideshow, or an external monitor, the video playback may flicker. The simplest solution to this is to save the video as an mp4 file, and then play back with whatever video player you normally use outside of PowerPoint.

A variety of exercises to give children practice at using prepositions. See Prepositions and Pronouns for a package on both Prepositions and Pronouns. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Search words: literacy, grammar, prepositions, pronouns, worksheets

Having been a substitute teacher in over 100 different classes in countless schools, I have learned a thing or two over the years - really! The absolute most important is - establish your expectations right at the start. The day is then productive and enjoyable for both you and the children. I use this PowerPoint EVERY time I teach a class for the FIRST time, or as a reminder if I am returning to a class after a period. It guides me and the class through the critical first 30 minutes of the day. Slides are accompanied with detailed Notes where appropriate to explain how the slide is best used. ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested". Before I publish, my lessons are tested in the classroom by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness.

These exercises challenge students to find better alternatives for the often over-used and unimaginative words: "very", "nice" and "said".