World oceans day, 8 June

1. Under the sea

Dive into the deep blue sea and explore the ocean floor with a selection of poems. Work on a performance or create an underwater-themed wall display.

2. Who lives in the oceans?

How many creatures live in the sea? Which ones could sting you? What is the bottom of the sea called? Children find out in this visually striking PowerPoint lesson.

3. Finding Nemo toolkit

Introduce students to marine life in a lesson inspired by the animated film Finding Nemo. Have fun with these cross-curricular flash cards that introduce each character.

4. Raindrop Bill

Teach children about the water cycle by tracing the journey of a raindrop called Bill, starting with a cloud, moving on to a stream, then to a river and finally to evaporation.

5. Widgit Symbols

Find out how the ocean generates oxygen, and helps to clean our water and regulate our climate, in a lesson that uses Widgit Symbols to support young children and those with special needs.

6. Dinner at the reef

What does it take to support a predator at the top of a food chain? Try this engaging “Dinner at the reef” activity, in which each player aims to catch two of their chosen prey, from a shark hunting fish to small fish feeding on algae and plankton.

7. Sharks and rays

Sharks and rays are both classed as fish. What features do they have in common? Teach students about biological classification in this visual and informative activity.

8. Water world

A series of lessons explores threats to water quality, environmental pollution and what the future holds for the sustainable management of the world’s water supply.

9. Microorganisms

Jump aboard an Arctic Ocean research vessel with this video from Teachers TV. Watch as scientists collect samples of microorganisms from the ocean floor and explain how they document a new species.

10. Water play

Develop children’s mathematical and creative skills and enhance their knowledge of the world in these water activities set to songs, from Five Little Ducks to Who Sank the Boat?

Find these lesson plans at bit.lyWorldOceanDay13

Healthy eating week, 3-7 june

1. ‘Eatwell’ plate

How much of what we eat should come from each food group? Use the “eatwell” plate and a guide to nutrition to explore “balanced” meals.

2. Flash cards

Help children to remember the names of foods in this fun flash-card activity. Ideal for teamwork.

3. Food types

Learn about healthy eating - including fruit kebabs and sandwiches - with these recipes and activities.

4. Recipe delight

These recipes explain how to prepare hummus, pepper and grated carrot pockets, spicy bean burgers and prawn noodle soup. Hold a cookery class in school or send children into the family kitchen for a homework project.

5. Food route game

Why do we need calcium? How is bread made? Where should fresh ham or butter be stored? Children find out with this board game.

6. Why eat healthily?

Help students to understand the importance of healthy eating by setting them the task of designing a board game or a leaflet. Ask them to present their creations to the rest of the class and evaluate each other’s work.

7. Top trumps

How many calories are in a fast-food burger? How much iron is in a plate of scrambled egg? Students learn about nutrition in this top- trumps activity.

8. Licence to cook

Encourage students to think about ingredients, weighing, measuring and precise quantities with this illustrated guide to making a Dutch apple cake. Then, depending on the outcome, send them to the staffroom with the cake.

9. Health and the body

Explore the difference between physical health and appearance, and why we are all different shapes and sizes, in this video-based lesson.

10. Quiz

Put students in teams, introduce an element of competition (prizes optional) and remind them of the main ingredients of a balanced diet in this healthy eating quiz.

Find these plans at bit.lyHealthy EatingLessons

Assemblies

1. Eco-friendly travelling l Explore ways to protect the environment in everyday life and when travelling, in an assembly from National Schools Partnership. bit.lyEcoFriendly Travelling

2. What makes me special?

- Ask students what they think when they hear the word “special”, then read them the story of the mouse who forgot that she had a special gift. bit.lyGoodtobeme

3. Good manners

- Being polite costs nothing: explore etiquette in tlgodrey’s PowerPoint assembly. bit.lyGoodmanners

4. Different cultures l Learn about different cultures and traditions in an assembly from Darren Ayling. bit.lyDifferentCultures

5. A global village l If the world were condensed into one room, what would it look like? Step inside with C Gutierrez’s assembly. bit.lyAGlobalVillage

Special needs resources

1. Double the fun

Have fun with multiplication in an illustrated, dinosaur-themed activity from TES Special Educational Needs. Children count the dinosaurs and then add them together.

bit.lyDouble UpDinosaurs

2. The life of a Senco

Find out about life as a special educational needs coordinator and learn how to develop an inclusive approach with a video from Teachers TV.

bit.lyLifeofa SENCO

3. Raising self-esteem

How can you improve the self-confidence of students with special needs? This guide from Matt Grant shows teachers how to identify, respond to and track learners’ self-esteem.

bit.lyRaising SelfEsteem.