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
6th March 2015, 12:00am
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Resources of the week

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/resources-week-5

Maths

Hyperbola Island

What is it? These eight mini investigations from Maths Tiger are set on the mysterious Hyperbola Island and cover a wide variety of key mathematical topics including factors and multiples; the properties of shapes; equations; area and perimeter; and simultaneous equations. Many of the investigations are open-ended, allowing students to tackle them in any way they like.

How can it be used? My Year 8 class absolutely loved this. I got them into pairs and ran the activity like a relay, where they had to present the correct answer to the first investigation before they could start the second. I challenged one group who finished early to create a ninth investigation - and out came the compasses and angle measurers for a nightmare loci task.

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

Nature poets

What is it? This resource by lolsson works equally well as a set of separate worksheets or a booklet. The activities are beautifully presented and consist of poems by Wordsworth, Rossetti, Blake and Keats, informative background notes and activities on poetic devices. The tone is pupil-friendly but the material does not lack rigour.

How can it be used? What sets this resource apart is the thoughtful way in which the tasks have been combined. In a sense, your lesson is planned for you because you can follow the resource’s format and take your cues from its activities. I tend to pause for class readings of the poems and revision of poetic devices. I’ve used this resource successfully with a top set Year 9 class, but it can easily be adapted for key stage 4. I intend to use it next term with my Year 11 English literature class. It would also double up nicely as a take-away revision resource.

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

Science

The menstrual cycle

What is it? This resource, created by Gerwyn Bish, is aimed at key stage 4 students who are studying hormones and the menstrual cycle. Although this can be a tricky topic to teach (cue embarrassed faces and boys looking bewildered), the user has skilfully designed the resource to be both informative and engaging, presenting it in the style of the board game Snakes and Ladders.

How can it be used? The game format lends itself well to students working in pairs. Each day of the menstrual cycle is represented by a square and the winner is the first to complete the full cycle. My Year 11 class thoroughly enjoyed playing.

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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Resources of the week

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/resources-week-5

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