Resources of the week

Three subject teachers recommend a high-quality resource, available on the TES website, that they have tried and tested in their own classrooms
20th February 2015, 12:00am

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Resources of the week

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/resources-week-8

Maths

Differentiated maths challenges

What is it? Each of these 10 sets of mathematical challenges is based on a specific topic. All the big ones are included - angles, percentages, sequences, you name it. The challenges act as a prompt for discussion and to consolidate or extend students’ knowledge of the topic.

How can it be used? While the challenges could easily be used as starters or plenaries, I think there is potential to dedicate a whole lesson to them. For example, at the end of a teaching unit, print out several of these challenges, get the students into groups of four and give them five minutes to crack each one before they move on to the next. Then have a discussion about which they found the most challenging. As a finale, ask groups to design their own challenge. A lovely way to end a topic.

Find it here: bit.lyChallengeMaths

Craig Barton is an advanced skills teacher at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton and a TES secondary maths adviser. Find him on Twitter at @TESMaths

English

Newspaper blackout poetry

What is it? This PowerPoint perfectly models an effective poetry-writing exercise. As the resource introduction explains: “Newspaper blackout poetry is taking a newspaper article and creating a poem by deleting text. It is what you choose to leave behind that is important.” The only equipment pupils will need to create their own blackout poem are marker pens and newspapers or magazines. The activity is suitable for key stage 2 upwards.

How can it be used? Clearly this exercise offers a multitude of possibilities. Pupils can use it to explore their creative sides and it also works well as an intervention strategy for a class that is struggling to appreciate the beauty of poetry. It provides a good introduction to a poetry topic because it gives you a reference point when discussing word choice later on.

Find it here: bit.lyPoetryBlackout

Jon Sellick is an English teacher and head of sixth form at Range High School in Formby, Merseyside

Science

Metal reactivity dominoes

What is it? This week’s science resource, created by bogstandardcomp, is a card-matching domino game that is ideal for revising the key words associated with metals and their reactivity. It consists of four pages of definitions, with each key word representing a domino. The aim is for students to connect all the descriptions within a specified time period.

How can it be used? This popular resource can be used as a revision aid at the end of a topic or as a literacy activity to test students’ understanding. It worked wonders with my Year 8 class, who thoroughly enjoyed connecting the dominoes and competing to be the first group to finish.

Find it here: bit.lyMetalDominoes

Aimee Mckeon is head of key stage 3 science at Shirley High School in Croydon, South London

To offer suggestions, please email helen.amass@tesglobal.com

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