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My favourite resources on the TES resources site (Post 2 of 2)

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I recently promised to pass on details of some gems I had come across in the TES resource section while I was reviewing uploaded materials as part of their Web Panel.  These are some of the ones that stood out for me (and the reason they caught my attention).

Project to prepare pupils for new coursework

Originally designed for students taking OCR Gateway Science One but equally useful for other courses where science skills are important.   Students are prompted to plan an investigation about fitness and how to measure it using skills that will be involved in GCSE ISAs.   There are several parts to this resource including student planning sheet, peer assessment sheet, a terminology card sort and links to other TES resources.

The Effect of Processed Food on Health

A useful internet research task on processed food in which students are given a set of web links to use for their research.

Investigating Saliva

An activity in which students carry out research activities on saliva (amylase) activity.  Students work in groups to carry out their investigation on a single variable and then pool their results at the end in a similar way to how professional scientists carry out research and communicate their results.  Contains worksheets and supporting PowerPoint.

Elastic Bonds

I found the instructions for this topic confusing to a non-chemist like me, but I liked the concept.  Students use elastic bands and their fingers to model how bonds are formed between atoms – a good kinaesthetic activity.

Sorting exercise red cabbage indicators

A card sort for the method of extracting the dye from red cabbage and testing household chemicals.  Useful for SEN students and exemplifies an approach to working with SEN and EAL students.

Element bingo – now with 30 chemical elements.

This resource is an interactive bingo game to match the name of common chemical elements to their symbols (or vice versa).  Can be used on an interactive board or on individual computers since the resource is an excel spread sheet.

Atomic and electronic structure top trumps

Get your students to make and play top trumps with the first 20 elements from the periodic table.  Could be very useful for BTEC science and a good way to get students to present their research from the internet or a periodic table.

Taboo Revision Game – 9F Patterns of Reactivity

Revision game based around the Taboo game in which students have to describe a word to their partner without saying any of the words on their card.  Useful for developing communication and literacy skills (especially with the new Ofsted framework).

Beetroot Investigation

A PowerPoint driven activity in which students have to plan an investigation to find out if temperature affects how much dye you can extract from beetroot.  Guides students through the whole process with levelled outcomes too.  Useful if you want to strengthen coverage of your how science works skills in your schemes of work.

Photosynthesis Game

Starter activity for limiting factors (photosynthesis) in which students take cards from a pile which have a factor on that changes the rate of photosynthesis.  Students are then asked to categorise and summarise the limiting factors at the end of the activity.  A good engaging activity to get students working collaboratively and discussing the science as they work.

I’ve picked resources that show a different approach or that can easily be modified to suit another topic.  They are worth downloading and slotting into your existing schemes of work – I hope you find some of these useful.

My favourite resources on the TES resources site (Post 1 of 2)

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I recently promised to pass on details of some gems I had come across in the TES resource section while I was reviewing uploaded materials as part of their Web Panel.  These are some of the ones that stood out for me (and the reason they caught my attention).

Digestive system game for all abilities and EAL

This is a simple game that can be adapted to suit any topic or ability (could even be used with symbols if necessary).  Students have matching grids and both have words missing.  Students have to identify the missing word by asking their partner yes/no questions.  Potentially great for boosting literacy and communication skills.

Mendelian Genetics with the Simpsons

An excellent set of resources to tackle the difficult concept of inheritance.  The resources consist of a PowerPoint and worksheets which use the Simpsons characters instantly guaranteeing engagement from students.  The students complete ‘Punnett diamonds’ to demonstrate their understanding of the genetics involved on one of the differentiated worksheets supplied.

BTEC Applied Science Unit 13 Forensics

This resource takes the form of a PowerPoint with a forensics theme, focusing on a real crime from the news.  The PowerPoint leads us through the evidence the police collected and the reasoning behind the collection of evidence.  A great example of the application of science to everyday life and jobs.

Unit-less treasure hunt

A great resource from our own Alessio at the TES.  Clear instructions are provided in case my description doesn’t do the resource justice.  Students are taken on a treasure hunt in which the units are not given/ambiguous so that students learn the importance of units in scientific research.

blankety blank game

Perhaps more interesting to those of us who are old enough to remember watching this TV programme in its heyday, this resource is based around the TV game show if Blankety Blank.  The resource consists of a PowerPoint presentation and sound files from the popular quiz, and is a multiple choice quiz with a twist.  The powerpoints could be edited to change the topic or to make it suitable for students of differing ability.

Exchange in other organisms game

A card based activity in which students have to collect a set of facts relating to exchange in living organisms.  They do this by collecting a set of cards that relate to an organism (there are several cards for each organism) and extracting facts from the set to complete a worksheet.  This activity could be completed in groups of varying size or individually with only minor modification.

activity based on upd8 on MMR

This activity draws on printed material from the up8 site about the controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine and alleged links to autism.  Students carry out analysis of data using terms such as reliable to look at the issue of the MMR jab.  Useful to back up work on immunity or just the how science works (HSW) skills contained within it.

NIMBY – not in my back yard

A card sort activity for environment topics in which students have to match activities, effects and solutions.  This could be used in groups of varying size or individually depending on the group.  A useful resource for a topic lacking in commercial resources.

I’ve picked resources that show a different approach or that can easily be modified to suit another topic.  They are worth downloading and slotting into your existing schemes of work – I hope you find some of these useful.

Teaching science to SEN students – ideas and strategies from #ASEchat (on Twitter)

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Tonight the focus of #ASEchat was on teaching science to SEN students.  (If you want to know more about #ASEchat on Twitter read this).  The full text of tonight’s chat on Twitter can be found here (in my unofficial archive) or on the ASE site here.

The chat session started off discussing the P-levels and the new guidance that had been issued earlier the same day by the DFE.  It was felt that the levels for P7 and P8 were harder than those for level 1 which is supposed to be more challenging.  @Cleverfiend explained that this was because the P-levels were added to the national curriculum as an afterthought.

The topic moved onto strategies to use when teaching SEN or lower attaining students.  I’ve included the twitter ID of those who mentioned each strategy so you can get in touch if you want further details:

  • Pictorial or symbolised instructions for use for practical work (also good for EAL learners) – @ejw232 @cleverfiend
  • Repetition using different tasks @ejw232
  • Use of digital photography to create the method and turning them into a digital photostory @Mallrat_uk
  • Use of low literacy activities with not much writing. Collaborative poster work, wipe clean surfaces, pictures instead @90_maz
  • For low literacy levels, lots of emphasis on key words, lots of practical, short notes, diagrams @13loki
  • A reminder that you may go back to previous key stages or select parts of the curriculum for students who have SEN.  However @cleverfiend reminded chatters that there is already plenty of repetition in the national curriculum as it is!
  • Use of symbol software like communicate in print @90_maz (@cleverfiend reminded purchasers to check their stringent copyright terms first)
  • Repetition of key words by the class @anhalf
  • Relevance to everyday lives. An example given was making speakers from cupcake cases @asober
  • An interesting debate broke out about writing on walls and desks (using appropriate pens). @mallrat_uk and @cleverfiend were in favour.
  • Use of Velcro to display key words and allow repositioning on wall @cardiffscience
  • Voicethread as an assessment tool @asober
  • Scaffolding or using writing frames. They allow students to focus on the content rather than the structure @biolady99 @cleverfiend
  • Use of random name picking like The Hat to select random pairs @cleverfiend
  • Use of special software on iPad to create comic strips @mallrat_uk
  • Clear learning objectives, use of WALT and WILF @biolady99

Accreditation at 16 was varied across the schools discussed, ranging from GCSE (AQA B) through BTEC to Entry level.  It was felt that the new format of linear assessment for GCSE wouldn’t suit children with SEN.  The final word however must go to @anhalf who reminded us that “defined learning outcomes, well-pitched lessons are no different for sen than mainstream!”

Useful links:

What makes a resource worth sharing?

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I’ve spend the last few weeks downloading and reviewing materials from the TES resources section.  For those of you who haven’t come across it before, it is an online repository (free to access) for teachers to upload their own resources and share them with other teachers.  Other teachers can also leave feedback, allowing authors to refine and improve their work if they wish.

People who know me and visit my site know that I regularly upload and share resources and ideas from my own classroom, however looking through the TES resources gave me an insight into what might be happening across a range of other teachers’ classrooms.

First of all I was impressed by the altruism of the teachers who had chosen to share resources, with some teachers having  uploaded and categorised dozens of individual resources.  Most of the resources I saw (over 75%) of them were useful or better, and I found many examples that I thought were worth highlighting (and will form the basis of later blog posts).  However as I looked through the resources some nuggets of advice began to form in my head for those who want to share resources.

Explanation.  When looking at some resources it was not obvious how the resource could be used.  A lesson plan or even brief notes of explanation really help someone else see what the author had in mind when they created the resources.

Presentation.  Something as simple as changing font size and line spacing can change how a resource is received by students (and other teachers).  There isn’t really any excuse for a resource that uses half a side of tiny text and lots of empty white space.  Are there any royalty free clipart images you could include to make your worksheets look more appealing to low ability or low literacy students?

Differentiation.  Perhaps you differentiated your lesson or perhaps you changed the activity for a particular group.  Either an included lesson plan or a few lines of text about what you might like to change can make the world of difference to teachers looking to download.

Assessment. Unfortunately we live in a data driven education system.  While this might not be my preferred way of working, we have to play the game by the existing rules.  Adding levels to your learning objectives or outcomes (if you have them) can be a life saver for your time pressed or newly qualified colleagues.

Categorisation.  You created a resource for a specific group and topic.  Make sure when you upload your resources you chose the right categories for your material – that will help others find your resource and increase your audience.

Is it a time saver? It takes a couple of minutes to create a table and put in some headings.  Unless a table (for example a results sheet) is part of another activity, think carefully about if you need to upload it at all.  You don’t have to upload everything you create!

Consider the learning. Ultimately we want to see students learn and make progress.  Does an activity or resource allow a student to demonstrate this progress?  If it doesn’t should you be sharing it as good practice?

I’ve uploaded lots of resources to my own site, and allowed my resources to be uploaded to the TES site.  Perhaps in future I need to eat my own dog food and consider how I might improve the quality of my own resources or the accompanying description to make them more useful to my teaching colleagues.