Home Archived Resources of the week Back Resources of the week Each week, three subject teachers recommend a high-quality resource that they have tried and tested in their own classrooms 19th September 2014, 1:00am Tes Editorial Share Resources of the week https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/resources-week-24 Copy Link MathsThe maths of texting while drivingWhat is it? This resource addresses skills related to the tricky topic of speed, distance and time; it also conveys an incredibly important message about the dangers of texting while driving. In the main activity, students time themselves typing a text and then calculate how far a car would travel in that time. Chris Smith’s true-or-false starter activity is useful to illustrate the risks, and the eye-opening statistics and infographics he has included really bring the message home.How can it be used? Take the lesson further by asking pupils to represent the most shocking statistics in their own infographic, designed to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. This reinforces the theme of the lesson and demonstrates how powerful statistics can be when presented in an engaging and accessible way.Craig Barton is an advanced skills teacher at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton and a TES secondary maths adviser. Find him on Twitter at @TESMathsEnglishColour and soundWhat is it? Too often, sensory language is treated as a mere bolt-on to writing that has already been crafted. nadia.marken’s well-structured resource makes it clear from the outset that appealing to each of the five senses can have a powerful impact on the reader. The presentation format makes the work accessible to all, but the resource also features technical terms that are ideal for pushing higher-ability students.How can it be used? This simple PowerPoint can be incorporated into a variety of schemes of work. The fact that it progresses to analysing the use of sensory language makes it even more versatile. At the end of last term, I used it to bolster the creative-writing skills of my Year 9 class. And if your students can stomach hearing a few bars of Justin Timberlake’s My Love, you could even use it to liven up a lesson on GCSE reading papers.Jon Sellick is an English teacher and head of sixth form at Range High School in Formby, MerseysideScienceThermal decompositionWhat is it? This resource is aimed at key stage 3 students and covers the thermal decomposition of metal carbonates. Uploaded by clund, the PowerPoint displays clear learning objectives to be met in practical investigations. A well-scaffolded practical write-up sheet is included to allow students to record their results and conclusion and to evaluate how well the experiment went. An extension element will stretch able students.How can it be used? Characters from the film Despicable Me engage students with the topic. The presentation is already skilfully designed to allow pupils to meet the lesson objectives, but why not encourage your class to really get involved in the narrative of the resource. You could even throw in a clip from the movie to make the most of this highly accessible lesson.Aimee Mckeon is a science teacher at St Andrew’s CE High School and Sixth Form in Croydon, South LondonTo offer suggestions, please email helen.amass@tesglobal.com Want to keep reading for free? Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters. Register Log in Keep reading for just £1 per month You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get: Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content Exclusive subscriber-only stories Award-winning email newsletters Subscribe now Read more Weekly round-up: Capita loses Sats and GCSE fears Tes Editorial • 18th April 2024 Reception Baseline Assessment: what you need to know Gráinne Hallahan • 3rd April 2024 Weekly round-up: Teacher pay drop and school moves Tes Editorial • 28th March 2024 Weekly round-up: Teacher pay and staff shortages Tes Editorial • 21st March 2024 Recent Most read Most shared Put teachers at the heart of education reform Analysis 19 April 2024 MAT chiefs warning over ‘unaffordable’ teacher pay rise News 19 April 2024 The two sides of Geoff Barton News 19 April 2024 CfE: Secondaries ‘starting again’ as pupils lack ‘common knowledge base’ News 16 April 2024 Capita loses £180m Sats contract to Pearson News 16 April 2024 Larger MATs have ‘highest teacher turnover’ News 16 April 2024 DfE: No Progress 8 replacement for next two years News 18 April 2024 6 ways MATs can tackle SEND challenges News 18 April 2024 Suspensions up by three-quarters since pandemic News 18 April 2024
