MATHS

Introduction to Tarsia

Jigsaw and domino puzzle software made easy

Tarsia is a piece of freely available software which allows teachers to create a wide range of jigsaws, domino and follow-me activities very easily. The advantages of this software mean:

you can easily create a wide range of activities, including jigsaws of various shapes and sizes, dominoes, matching rectangular cards and follow- me cards.

the teacher does not need to spend time cutting up the jigsaw as the software automatically jumbles up the pieces of the puzzle in the “output” section, thus allowing the teacher simply to print out a copy and hand it to students to cut out and assemble.

Craig Barton has written plenty of helpful advice for teachers who want to download Tarsia software - a very easy process - and handy tips on how to get to grips with it. He has also created some excellent resources to showcase the benefit for both teachers and pupils.

www.tes.co.uktarsia-introduction

HISTORY

Projects to bring the past to life

Medicine, crime and protest, the American West and Germany 1919-45

This collection of resources has been compiled by TES history adviser Daniel Hartley and is suitable for teachers delivering the GCSE Schools History Project syllabus.

The collection includes a wide range of resources to inspire teachers and lots of ideas and activities to keep pupils engaged.

There are resources for controlled assessment, as well as on topics such as medicine through time, crime and protest, the American West, Germany 1919-45, and much more.

www.tes.co.ukschools-history

Ofsted revamp

Ofsted has revamped its website to make it quicker and easier to find information. Users of the site will need to register and resubscribe. Ofsted is asking for feedback about the new site. See: www.ofsted.gov.uk

More Churchill

An exhibition about life during wartime at the Churchill War Rooms has been extended until 2013. http:cwr.iwm.org.uk

Money and Morals

The Money and Morals programme provides resources that aim to prepare students for work and are designed to teach honesty and social and financial responsibility. There are five complete courses and 100 ready- made lessons. www.moneyandmorals.org

ENGLISH

Of Mice and Men

Comprehensive guide to Steinbeck’s classic tale

This comprehensive resource based on John Steinbeck’s classic novella will complement every English teacher’s toolkit. It is prepared with the GCSE English literature exam in mind, but also includes activities that can be used for controlled-assessment tasks.

There are reading, writing and speaking and listening activities that offer plenty of opportunities for students to undertake individual, pair and group work. Many tasks encourage students to engage with the text in exciting and dynamic ways, while others take a more formal approach.

There is a balance of teacher-led and student-led tasks and suggestions for differentiating activities. As well as worksheets, the collection contains “keeping track” resources that can be used throughout the unit and as a revision tool at the end.

The breadth of activities encourages a variety of approaches to the text, aiding students’ understanding through a thorough analysis of the context, themes, characters and literary techniques.

www.tes.co.ukofmiceandmen