50 Templates To Improve Teaching and Learning

50 templates for improving teaching and learning
Author Nigel Fisher
Author dedication Thanks to Jakki
Design and editorial Peter Langley
ISBN 9780955703003
The publishers grant permission for multiple copies of any material from this book to be made
within the place of purchase for use solely within that institution.
British Library in Publication Data

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
Connect Publications Ltd.

Cooksbridge House
Cooksbridge
Lewes BN8 4SR
01273 401714
www.connectpublications.co.uk
Introduction
Most recent developments in educational theory and recommendations for best practice are based
on what is often referred to as a constructivist view of learning: the idea that learners construct
meanings by processing information, sorting it and looking for connections.
Many teachers would like to incorporate ideas associated with this approach into their lessons,
ideas such as brain-compatible learning, accelerated learning, and formative assessment, but
where to start? There are lots of good books containing lots of interesting theory, evidence and
ideas (and the bibliography refers to many of these), but how do you begin to apply these
concepts?
Our intention is to bridge the gap between ideas and application. For example, if you want to see
how your current work matches up to best practice, use the checklists for reflective teachers. If you
want to improve the effectiveness of group work, use the group work resources. And so on.
Each resource is preceded by a brief rationale which refers to the relevant theory or concepts on
which it is based. This is followed by a simple explanation or suggestion of how to use the resource
and, where appropriate, a completed example for illustration.
How to use these resources

We have created what we hope are accessible, useable, changeable documents: documents
which have a clear purpose for teachers and which can be easily adapted to suit individual, subject
and institutional contexts.
We have tried to make these resources as user-friendly as possible. They have been created using
some of the most common fonts in Microsoft Word and formatted in a way that most teachers will
find easy to alter.
We imagine that in many institutions the digital copy will be loaded onto the staff area of the Virtual
Learning Environment or Intranet so that everyone who wants to can access the files. In some
institutions the preference will be for photocopying the resources and using them as they are.
However you use them, we hope they prove to be effective.
© Connect Publications 2007

Contents
Section 1: Getting to know students
Introduction 1-2
1. Ice breaker 3-4
2. Interests and experiences 5-6
3. Ready to learn? 7-8
4. Learning styles 9-10
5. Study skills audit 11-12
6. Existing knowledge 13-14
Section 2: Setting the scene for learning

Introduction 15-16
7. The big picture 17-18
8. Ground rules 19-20
9. Personal learning plan 21-22
10. Organising myself 23-24
11. Homework record 25-26
12. Student/teacher contract 27-28
Section 3: Managing student presentations

Introduction 29-30
13. Planning a presentation 31-32
14. Notes from a presentation 33-34
15. Checklist for presentations 35-36
16. Assessing a presentation 37-38
Section 4: Effective group work

Introduction 39-40
17. Rules for discussion 41-42
18. Review of discussion 43-44
19. Group task management 45-46
20. Allocation of group roles 47-48
21. Group work feedback 49-50
22. Group work evaluation 51-52
23. Snowballing 53-54
Section 5: Graphic organisers

Introduction 55-56
24. Spider diagram 57-58
25. Venn diagram 59-60
26. Bubble quotes 61-62
27. Caterpillar diagram 63-64

28. Advantages and disadvantages 65-66
29. Flow chart 67-68
30. Timeline 69-70
31. Brain drops 71-72
Section 6: Feedback and self-assessment

Introduction 73-74
32. Assessment feedback 75-76
33. Self-assessment 77-78
34. Topic review 79-80
35. Exam review 81-82
36. Assessment profile 83-84
Section 7: Essays and longer pieces of writing

Introduction 85-86
37. Decoding the question 87-88
38. Essay brainstorm 89-90
39. Essay planning 91-92
40. Writing better paragraphs 93-94
Section 8: Revision
Introduction 95-96
41. Revision timetable 97-98
42. Effective revision 99-100
43. Memory aids 101-102
44. Exam checklist 103-104
Section 9: Checklists for reflective teachers

Introduction 105-106
45. Am I presenting new material effectively? 107-108
46. Am I providing good feedback? 109-110
47. Do my questions encourage higher-order thinking? 111-112
48. How good are my written resources? 113-114
49. Is my classroom a good learning environment? 115-116
50. Am I setting effective homework? 117-118

50 templates for improving teaching and learning 1. Getting to know students
Introduction
Getting to know students
All students are different. The best teaching takes account of relevant differences to meet the
individual learning needs of students.
The aim of this section is to enable teachers to learn more about their students, including their
interests, aptitudes, experiences, prior learning, learning preferences, personal circumstances, and
levels of motivation.
© Connect Publications 2007 1

Section 1
Getting to know students
1. Ice breaker 3-4
2. Interests and experiences 5-6
3. Ready to learn? 7-8
4. Learning styles 9-10
5. Study skills audit 11-12
6. Existing knowledge 13-14

Ice breaker: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Ice breakers are activities which encourage students to get to know each other
and to feel relaxed and confident in the classroom. These can be fun activities
designed to mix students up and get them talking. Fogarty (2002) uses what she
calls ‘people searches’ to reinforce the intended learning at the same time as
getting students to learn more about each other. This involves asking questions
that are relevant to the subject, but not in an obvious way, or in a way which
resembles a test or quiz.
How to use The teacher could use the categories provided or decide on their own questions.
Students are given copies and mix with each other to find the answers. A
suitable time limit needs to be set. Students write the names of the relevant
people on the sheet. Bear in mind that there may be a question which does not
apply to anyone in the class.
Example
This example shows that you can adapt this activity to act as an introduction to a subject or topic.
Has a French name Has been to France Likes quiche lorraine
Marie Nicky
Has eaten a baguette Has been to Eurodisney Knows the name of a French
footballer
Jack Toby
Knows about a famous French Has seen Les Miserables Can say hello and goodbye in
artist French
Gareth Ellen
Can count to ten in French Knows the colours of the Knows a famous French
French flag cartoon character
Michael Karen
Is wearing an item of clothing Has a French friend or family Likes to eat crepes
made in France
Rhianna
Knows what currency is used Can name a country that Knows the name of a French
in France borders France clothing company
Sajid
Knows the capital of France Has eaten a croissant Has been to a French market
Tom Sally Craig

Ice breaker
Find one or more members of the class for each category in the table. Write their name(s) in the
spaces provided.
Time limit .........................................
Has lived in another country Hates chocolate Is in a band
Can yodel Has visited Eurodisney Likes dancing
Can ride a bike with no hands Can speak three languages Plays football for a team
Has a younger sister Plays the guitar Is an aunt or uncle
Has a first name with more Is a vegetarian Has visited Australia

than eight letters
Is interested in politics Has a teddy bear Can juggle
Is left handed Can wiggle their ears Likes vegetables
Likes Thai food Has a pet reptile Can remember a dream
Can swim ten lengths Has eaten snails Smiles a lot
Has the letter z in their name Can touch their nose with their Has performed in front of a
tongue large crowd

Interests and experiences: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Just like teachers, students have a life outside the classroom. Many are engaged
in activities and hobbies about which they are passionate and which can take up
significant amounts of their time. Similarly, students bring a wide variety of
experiences to the classroom, some enriching their education and some not.
Teachers need to be aware of their students’ interests and experiences in order
to offer appropriate combinations of support and challenge.
How to use Teachers can use the form to capture information about students. The results
could be used to inform the choice of topics or contexts for learning, to select
students for group work or teams - matching students with similar or
complementary interests - or to take advantage of the individual expertise of
certain students. There is limited space for students to write so it may be worth
adjusting the form to A3 size or to two A4 sides.

Interests and experiences

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Of all the people who have ever lived, who

would you most like to meet, and why?
If you could do any job in the world, which

would you choose?
What is your favourite subject in school?

Why?
What is your least favourite subject in

school? Why?
In which subject do you work the hardest?

Why?
What are your favourite sports or games, if

any?
Are you a member of any clubs, groups or

societies? If so, which ones?
In a quiz, what would you choose as your

‘specialist subject‘?
How much do you like using a computer for

learning?
In your opinion, what makes a good

teacher?
What would you say is your greatest

achievement in life so far?
If the next lesson could be about any topic

you wanted, what topic would you choose?
Do you have any career ideas at the

moment? If so, what?
What is the most interesting place you’ve

ever been to? Why was it so interesting?
What do you do in your spare time?
What would you say is the most interesting

thing about you?
Is there anything else about you that you

think your teacher should know?

Ready to learn? Teachers’ notes

Rationale Professor Carole Dweck (1999) has developed a highly influential theory of
student motivation based on the ideas of attribution theory. She asks how we
attribute success or failure. Dweck categorises students into three types:
1. Fixed IQ theorists
Just over 40% of students believe that success is determined by ‘ability’, which is
fixed (and therefore not much can be done about it).
2. Untapped potential theorists
A further 40% of students believe that success is due to learning which requires
effort and practice.
3. The remaining 20% are undecided.
These differences become most pronounced when students are facing a difficulty
or challenge, at which point the ‘untapped potential theorists’ perform much
better than the others (Petty, 2006).
The aim of this questionnaire is to enable the teacher to find out students’ state
of readiness for learning. It takes account of the individual circumstances of the
student, their views about learning and their level of motivation.
Questions 11 and 13 are based on Dweck’s questionnaire. If these questions are

given low scores it is a good indication that the student is a ‘fixed IQ theorist’ and
is therefore likely to consider giving up when significant difficulties or challenges
are encountered. Changing their minds about the nature of intelligence and
learning may have significant effects on their achievement.
Hughes (2001) describes three keys to effective learning: an appropriate physical

and emotional state (including self-confidence and self-esteem), appropriate
learning styles, and structures (such as lessons) which are suitable for learning.
How to use The template can be used at the start of a course or programme of study to find
out about students’ readiness for learning, attitudes to study, physical and
emotional state and obstacles to study (such as home environment). The teacher
could then use the results as a focus for discussion to make some important
points (for example, the educational value of drinking fresh water and the
benefits of eating breakfast before school or college). The questionnaire may
also raise issues which will need to be discussed sensitively such as how to
manage homework when there is no suitable space or time at home.
In the top half of the table, the lower scores are the ideal. In the bottom half,
the higher scores.

Ready to learn?
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Tick the box that is closest to your view.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly
agree disagree
1. Eating breakfast improves learning
2. Drinking fresh water improves

learning
3. I have a good reason for studying this
subject
4. I enjoy learning
5. I believe I can succeed if I study
6. All of my teachers are friendly to me
7. I feel relaxed but alert in lessons
8. My family wants me to do well in

education
9. I feel safe in school/college
10. I have a suitable space at home for

doing homework
My score for questions 1-10 ......................
11. Intelligence is fixed and you can’t

change it
12. Sometimes I feel I need fresh air
during lessons
13. You can learn new things but can’t
change your ability
14. I feel stressed and nervous in
lessons
15. There are some subjects I’ll never be
good at
16. I don’t have time to do homework out
of school
My score for questions 11-16 ....................
Feedback/notes/comments

Learning styles: Teachers’ notes

Rationale It is now commonplace for students to be told that they have a preference for a
particular learning style and should make use of this to maximise their learning.
However, recent reviews of the evidence (for example, Coffield et al., 2004) have
found little evidence for all but a handful of these theories. This lack of evidence
includes perhaps the best-known typology of recent years: the visual, auditory or
kinaesthetic learner.
However, this does not mean that all such ideas should be rejected. Coffield et
al. found that a student’s learning style is adaptable to context and is partly
learned and modifiable. Therefore everyone benefits from using a wide variety of
styles (sometimes referred to as ‘whole brain learning’) and students should be
shown how to use the full range of learning styles so they can become more
effective learners.
Petty (2006) suggests that there are two well-supported models of learning
styles. Herrmann’s (1996) whole brain model (left brain/right brain) divides
preferred styles of learning into theorist or organiser (both left brain) or innovator
or humanitarian (both right brain), with each person preferring two of these but
capable of using them all. Allinson and Hayes’ (1988) intuitive/analytical model
holds that each learner has a preference for either intuition (making judgements
based on feeling and the global perspective - right brain) or analysis (making
judgements based on reasoning and the detailed view - left brain).
Teachers need to use a range of activities which suit the different learning styles
suggested by these models, and students should be helped to develop their skills
in the areas in which they are initially less comfortable.
Finding out students’ preferred approaches to learning remains a valuable

exercise.
How to use Use the questionnaire to find out students’ preferred approaches to learning. It is
based on Herrmann’s left brain/right brain model. The outcomes could be used
as the basis for a discussion of the benefits of developing a wider range of
learning techniques.
The results could be used by teachers to assess the balance of their teaching. If
the teaching is biased in a particular direction it could explain why some students
are not progressing as well as might be expected.
Interpreting the sheet

Herrmann’s model:
A: characteristic of theorists (left brain)
B: characteristic of innovators (right brain)
C: characteristic of organisers (left brain)
D: characteristic of humanitarians (right brain)
Most people favour A and C (theorist-organisers) or B and D (innovator-

humanitarians). About one third of people favour A and B (theorist-innovators) or
C and D (organiser-humanitarians). Few people favour A and D (theorist-
humanitarians) or B and C (innovator-organisers).

Learning styles
Tick any 14 boxes which describe how you like to learn or what kinds of learning activities you find
most useful.
Section A Section B
Tick Tick
Learning facts Exploring new ideas
Applying logic Relying on intuition or

guesswork
Forming theories Constructing my own ideas
Lectures Experimentation
Building cases/arguments Going wherever my ideas take

me
Studying data Speculating on the future
Studying financial and technical information Creating displays
Section C Section D
Organising information Listening and sharing ideas
Putting information into sequence Moving and feeling
Discussing case studies Getting involved
Evaluating and testing theories Experiencing things
Practising skills Learning by music
Planning Group discussions
Using textbooks Role play
Summary/comments
Is there anything else we ought to know about how you learn best?

Study skills audit: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Enabling students to reflect on their approaches to learning is crucial in their
development as independent learners. Effective self-evaluation generates pride
in success, and modification and improvement become a natural part of the
learning process.
How to use The study skills audit asks students to assess their abilities in generic study
skills. Using the Word files on the CD-ROM, teachers can insert extra lines to
add subject specific skills if these are relevant, or they can change the list of
study skills.
The student assesses their own performance, chooses one of the skills for
improvement and devises a plan on how to achieve this. It is important that such
targets and actions are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
Time-specific) – otherwise they may prove ineffective. Students (and teachers)
may benefit from some guidance on the setting of SMART targets.
Example
Here are examples of how the boxes on the audit might be used.
Action: What will I do to meet my target?
Work through some of the practice exercises in my booklet

Work through the examples on the Maths website
Attend homework club next Tuesday to go through my answers with a teacher
Evidence: How will I know that I have met my target?
I will understand percentages better

I will get a better mark in my next test
Teacher comment/feedback
This looks like a sound strategy for improvement. If at any point you feel like you are getting
stuck, let me know and we can go through it again together.
I think you have underrated your understanding of percentages.

Study skills audit

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Rate yourself at the following study skills. Tick the scores that you think apply to you.
Poor Excellent
1 2 3 4 5
Listening to teachers and
presentations
Working out problems
Revising for tests and exams
Making my own notes
Long pieces of writing such as

essays
Organising my time
Concentrating in lessons
Discussing ideas
Presenting to others
Doing my own research
Doing homework
Using computers
Choose one of these skills to improve............................................................................
By when? ......................................................................................................................
Action: What will I do to meet my target?
Evidence: How will I know that I have met my target?
Teacher comment/feedback

Existing knowledge
Rationale Students bring knowledge with them when they enter the classroom. Some may
be entirely new to the material. Others may have covered the subject or topic
before or they may have an interest which they pursue outside formal education.
Teachers need to be aware of this pre-existing knowledge in order to offer
appropriate levels of challenge and support.
How to use Teachers can use the form to capture information about students. The teacher
can input the relevant topics, subjects, or sections of the specification onto the
form and students can score themselves against each part.
Interpretation of the results may require some care, as students are making their
own assessment and may under- or over-estimate their knowledge.
This form could be used for a whole course or for part of a course.
The results can be used to inform the choice of topics or contexts for learning
and/or to select students for group work or teams: students can be matched with
those who have similar or complementary levels of prior knowledge. The
information can also help teachers take advantage of the individual expertise of
certain students.
Example
Subject or topic Astronomy
Have you studied this subject before? Yes
If yes, please give details I think I’ve done bits in Science GCSE
Rate your knowledge of the following topics (tick the relevant column)
1 2 3 4 5
Know Know a Not sure Know Know
Topic/issue nothing little quite a lots
lot
The origins of the universe 
The solar system 
The speed of light 
Telescopes 
Space exploration 
Satellites 
The history of astronomy 
Space in the media and film 
Comments or questions
I know a lot about space in the media because I watch a lot of science fiction films.
I know something about space exploration and the solar system because I watched the news
about the Mars explorer space mission.

Existing knowledge
Name .....................................................................................................................................
Subject or topic .......................................................................................................................
Have you studied this subject before?.....................................................................................
If yes, please give details ........................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
Rate your knowledge of the following topics (tick the relevant column)
1 2 3 4 5
Know Know a Not sure Know Know
Topic/issue nothing little quite a lots
lot
Comments or questions

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 2: Setting the scene for learning
Introduction
Setting the scene for learning
This section is concerned with the creation of an ethos and set of expectations that will allow the
maximum amount of learning to take place. The aim is to ensure that all students are aware of
what they are doing and why, what is expected of them in terms of behaviour, attitudes and
approaches, and to make clear the responsibilities of students and teachers.
Being explicit about expectations and involving students in defining ground rules promote trust and
cooperation. It results in classrooms which are more easily managed and more effective places for
learning. Students benefit when they are helped to plan their work and to prepare effectively for
lessons and homework. Helping them to see the ‘big picture’ also enables them to learn more
effectively.

Section 2
Setting the scene for learning
7. The big picture 17-18
8. Ground rules 19-20
9. Personal learning plan 21-22
10. Organising myself 23-24
11. Homework record 25-26
12. Student/teacher contract 27-28

The big picture: Teachers’ notes

Rationale According to Smith (1996), helping students to see the ‘big picture’ is an
essential part of what he calls the Accelerated Learning Cycle. It allows students
to connect with the overall learning experience before starting to engage with the
detail. Knowing ‘the big picture’ enables students to access and understand the
links between separate learning experiences (Smith, Lovatt and Wise, 2003).
How to use The form could be completed in advance and given out to students, although it is
likely to have more impact if students fill it in themselves as a learning activity.
For example, students could be given separate elements to research and
feedback to the rest of the group, with the aim of creating a definitive version.
Example
Subject
Geology
Title of activity/unit
Volcanoes
Length of teaching
All lessons in block E
Four weeks
Content
Types of volcano
Causes of volcanoes
Hazards caused by volcanoes
Predicting eruptions
Volcanoes and landscapes
Human uses of volcanoes
Activities
Individual research using books, CD-ROM, internet to answer questions on
worksheet
Group project about one chosen volcano
One test
Links
Closely linked topics include:
Plate tectonics
Earthquakes
Climatic hazards
Assessment
The group project will be peer-assessed
The timed essay will be graded using the exam board mark scheme
Important to remember
The presentation for the group project will be in the fifth lesson (21st May)
The test will be in the final lesson (23rd May)
Watch BBC2 programme at 8.30 pm on 17th May about volcanoes
Other
The worksheet and the list of recommended resources are on the school
intranet under ‘geology/volcanoes’

The big picture

Name ..............................................................................................................................................
Subject
Title of activity/unit
Length of teaching
Content
Activities
Links
Assessment
Important to remember
Other

Ground rules: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Cooperation between and within groups of learners and teachers is essential for
effective learning. Cooperation depends on trust and trust promotes cooperation.
An agreed set of ground rules (sometimes referred to as a ‘full value contract’)
helps to promote trust and cooperation (Clarke, 2005) and makes classroom
management easier.
How to use Students should be encouraged to discuss and agree on a set of classroom rules
or behaviours that will facilitate a positive learning environment. One approach
would be as follows:
1. Divide the class into small groups.

2. Give each group a sheet with a particular heading to discuss (e.g. noise levels,
behaviour to each other, safety).
3. Students decide what they think would be good rules and write them on the
sheet.
4. Groups then circulate to the next sheet, adding to or commenting on the
suggestions on the sheet.
Once all groups have seen every sheet, the ideas can be discussed and agreed
(the teacher is likely to have an editing role here, although it is important that the
rules reflect student opinion and use their own words).
A final version can be made into a poster and displayed prominently. It is

important that the agreed rules are enforced from the outset (Muijs and Reynolds
2005).
Example
We discussed what was important to help us learn effectively.
These are the rules we agreed:
We should arrive on time

We should always bring a pen, pencil and textbook
We should be friendly to each other
We should complete our work on time and do it as well as we can
We should listen to each other
We should accept that other people may have a different point of view
We should not shout
We should not swear
We should turn off our mobile phones and put them away
We should listen to our teacher and other members of staff and do what they ask
We should not do anything dangerous or anything which might hurt someone (including
ourselves)
When we are all listening to the teacher we should put up our hand if we want to say
something
We should obey the school IT rules if we use the computers
We should try and enjoy our lessons!

Ground rules
Name .....................................................................................................................................
We discussed what was important to help us learn effectively.
These are the rules we agreed.
Class/group
Date

Personal learning plan: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Providing explicit instructions to students helps them understand exactly what is
expected of them. It can help them to plan their work, prepare effectively for
lessons, achieve their desired learning outcomes and incorporate their personal
targets. It is particularly helpful for those students who find it difficult to organise
themselves, often the case for students with conditions such as dyslexia or
mental health difficulties (Holloway, 2004, 2006). It is part of the process of
providing the ‘big picture’, one of the key stages in what is sometimes known as
the Accelerated Learning Cycle (Smith, 1996).
How to use The form can be used at the start of a course, module or activity. There are
opportunities for differentiation by task and outcome in that each student could
be given a different task or be allowed to choose from a range of options such as
what to learn, what to use, and what to produce.
Example
Name Emma Rudd Subject English
Aims
This plan is to help me learn the following:
Who was William Wordsworth and where did he live?
What kinds of things did he write?
To find a piece of writing by Wordsworth that I like or dislike
To explain what I like or dislike about it
Deadline
I will complete this work by:
Friday 30th November
Organisation of work
I will be working (tick):
On my own
Resources
I will be using:
My anthology of poems
An encyclopaedia from the library
Any other resources I can find
Work
I have to produce:
250 words of my own writing
A copy of a piece of Wordsworth’s work I like or dislike (can be a photocopy)
Assessment
I will be assessed by:
Mark out of 20
Other things to remember

I can discuss this with my teacher if I have problems
I need to improve my spelling

Personal learning plan

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject.............................................................................................................................................
Aims
This plan is to help me learn the following:
Deadline
I will complete this work by:
Organisation of work
I will be working (tick):
On my own
With a partner
In a group
In a combination of these ways
Resources
I will be using:
Work
I have to produce:
Assessment
I will be assessed by:
Other things to remember

Organising myself: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Providing explicit instructions to students encourages them to see what is
expected of them. It can help them to plan their work, prepare effectively for
lessons, achieve their desired learning outcomes and incorporate their personal
targets. It is particularly helpful for those students who find it difficult to organise
themselves, often the case for students with conditions such as dyslexia or
mental health difficulties (Holloway, 2004, 2006). It is part of the process of
providing the ‘big picture’, one of the key stages in what is sometimes known as
the Accelerated Learning Cycle (Smith, 1996).
How to use This form is best use at the start of a course, module or activity, especially where
it is possible to predict a pattern of requirements such as the dates homework is
due to be collected. Some of the information can be provided directly by the
teacher, but it may be helpful to get students to discuss some of the sections
before confirming (e.g. ‘What equipment do I think I will need for these lessons?’)
Example
Subject
Biology
Teacher
Mr James
Days/times of lessons
Mondays 9.15-10.30
Thursdays 10.45-12.00
What do I need to remember?
Safety rules in the lab
Classroom rules on the poster
Equipment
Always needed
Pen, pencil, ruler, calculator
Biology textbook
Sometimes needed
Lab coat
Safety goggles
Mr James will tell me when I need these. I get them from the lab technician in room 42 and I
return them at the end of the lesson
Homework
Set every Thursday
Collected every Monday
Instructions are always on the noticeboard outside room 42
Other
I can see Mr James at 12.10 on Fridays in Room 40 if I want to
discuss my homework

Organising myself
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject
Teacher
Days/times of lessons
What do I need to remember?
Equipment
Always needed
Sometimes needed
Homework
Other

Homework record: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Providing a structured set of instructions for homework helps students to
understand the task and be confident about what is required. This avoids the
situation in which homework is set in a rush at the end of a lesson and the finer
points of the instructions (and support available) risk being lost.
How to use Teachers can fill in the instructions or students can fill them in themselves on the
basis of what they are told or what is agreed. There is an opportunity for teachers
to comment on students’ understanding of the task before it is completed.
Alternatively, the feedback box could be used (or modified) for the purpose of
providing feedback on the completed activity.
Example
Homework activity
Ponds case study
Deadline
Hand in 19th December
Required outcomes
A folder containing:
250 words to answer the following question: ‘Describe and explain the
food web of a typical English pond’
My own diagram of a pond food web
Photographs from our visit to Bailey’s pond labelled to show

plants and animal species
Resources available or needed

Photos are available to download from the VLE
Ecology textbooks pages 65-79 discuss ponds
Personal target
I want to improve my written descriptions compared to my last case
study
Notes/comments
If I want to I can use IT for the writing and for labelling the photos
I should show the draft to Mrs Brown on the 12 December for her
comments
Evaluation/assessment/feedback
You have a good understanding of the task. I look forward to seeing the
draft!

Homework record
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject.............................................................................................................................................
Homework activity
Deadline
Required outcomes
Resources available or needed
Personal target
Notes/comments
Evaluation/assessment/feedback

Student/teacher contract: Teachers’ notes

Rationale A student/teacher contract is a way of setting out formally the responsibilities and
expectations of students and teachers. It is helpful to the teacher because it
makes it clear that learning and teaching are shared activities which, to be most
effective, need both parties to collaborate. It is useful to students because it is
explicit about what is required of them and reassures them that they can expect
certain things in return.
Learning contracts can be seen as part of the promotion of trust and cooperation
in the classroom.
How to use Student/teacher contracts need to be used at the outset of a course. They can be
used in conjunction with discussions on ground rules for classroom behaviour,
although they are not usually open to negotiation.
These types of contracts are most likely to be effective when there is an

institutional framework which supports their use and where their contents
dovetail with the systems and procedures for pastoral support and guidance.
They should be tailored to the individual requirements of subjects where
appropriate.
Both the student and the teacher should be given a copy of the completed
contract.
For students with special educational needs or disabilities, the learning contract
can be used to specify any additional support to which the student is entitled.

Student/teacher contract
Student
Name of student..........................................................................................................
Course/subject ............................................................................................................
As a student following this course I agree to:
• Attend all lessons (have no unauthorised absences)
• Arrive on time
• Bring all the equipment and resources needed for each class
• Submit all work on time
• Listen to the views of others with respect
• Avoid using language or behaviour which may cause offence to others
• Take responsibility for catching up any work missed during authorised absences
• Work within the ground rules agreed by the class
Signed ............................................................... Date ........................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher
Name of teacher .........................................................................................................
As the teacher of this course I agree to:
• Teach appropriate content
• Help you develop relevant skills
• Prepare you for assessment
• Set work regularly
• Mark and return written work within a reasonable period
• Give constructive advice on how to improve your work
• Help you towards meeting your targets for this subject
Signed ............................................................... Date ........................................

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 3: Managing student presentations
Introduction
Managing student presentations
Student presentations are used increasingly by teachers. They are a form of ‘peer-explaining’, one
of the teaching strategies with large positive effects on learning according to Marzano (1998). They
also lend themselves to peer-assessment which also has a major impact on learning (Hattie et al.,
1996).
For these benefits to accrue, presentations need to be well-structured and well-managed. This
section provides resources intended to improve the planning of presentations, the provision of
resources for audiences, and the method of peer-assessing presentations.

Section 3
Managing student presentations
13. Planning a presentation 31-32
14. Notes from a presentation 33-34
15. Checklist for presentations 35-36
16. Assessing a presentation 37-38

Planning a presentation: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Clarity regarding goals and expectations about student presentations is important
as many students get understandably anxious about what they see as
‘performing’ in front of their peers. Of course, the more presentations are a
routine part of learning, the less of a problem this will become.
Petty (2006) advocates presentations as part of the phase in which students

apply their newly acquired knowledge before reviewing it. With regard to
audience, Petty (2006) notes that presentations work best when students present
to their peers, but not to their close friends or their own group.
How to use This form should be used when the task is being set. It enables the students to
record all the necessary details before preparing their presentation.
The details could be set by the teacher or negotiated with the group.
Example
Group name Blue team
Group members Sam, Amina, Robert, Me
Topic The life of a famous composer
Guidelines Should be no longer than 5 minutes

Everyone in the group must speak
Format Use Powerpoint including images
Equipment needed Computer

Projector
Screen
Setting Room 25
Audience Half of Mr Rogers group (year 9 )
Preparation schedule Draft must be completed by 15 May

Comments back from teacher by 18 May
Final version ready for 21 May
How presentation will be judged

Will be assessed on the quality of the content (45%), style of
presentation (25%) and ability to deal with questions (30%).
Further details are on the intranet
Comments/notes/queries
Can we use music?

Planning a presentation
Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................
Group name
Group members
Topic
Guidelines
Format
Equipment needed
Setting
Audience
Preparation schedule
How presentation will be judged
Comments/notes/queries

Notes from a presentation: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Presentations can be effective learning strategies, especially for the presenters.
For the audience to gain maximum benefit it is often useful to provide resources
to use during the presentation (such as notes to annotate) or to take away at the
end. Otherwise, students may place a low value on being the audience for their
peers.
How to use This form is for students to use for making notes on a presentation if the
presenter has not produced their own materials.
Example
Presentation title
The life of Mozart
Presenter(s)
Sam, Amina, Robert
Key points of presentation/discussion
Mozart – lived 1756-91
Born in Austria
Probably the most famous and influential composer of the Classical era.
Composed more than 600 works
Famous operas include Figaro and Don Giovanni
Cause of death is not known for certain – but conspiracy theories

suggest he may have been poisoned
His life has been turned into the film ‘Amadeus’
Conclusions reached
Probably the most popular and famous composer ever
Died young (35) – could have produced even more brilliant work if he had
lived longer
Evaluation/assessment/feedback/further questions
What were the main influences on his music?
Teacher feedback

Notes from a presentation

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Presentation title
Presenter(s)
Conclusions reached
Teacher feedback

Checklist for presentations: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Self-assessment can have a significant positive impact on learning (Hattie et al.
1996) – see also Section 6. This checklist focuses on some of the criteria that
make an effective presentation. The focus is on the quality of the presentation as
an activity rather than on the content. A separate checklist would be required for
the content.
How to use Students should use this checklist during the preparation phase of a
presentation. Completing it should help them assess the effectiveness of their
preparation, provide an indication of their strengths and weaknesses as
presenters and identify issues that require particular attention.

Checklist for presentations

Name .................................................................................................................................................
Here is a list of 20 good points about presentations. Indicate how confident you feel about making
a presentation by ticking the relevant box.
20 good points about presentations Confident Unsure Not
 ? confident

Before the presentation
Following any guidelines and advice provided
Planning an introduction to gain the audience’s attention and give an

overview of the presentation
Planning a conclusion to summarise the content of the presentation
Making sure each point flows from the one before
Learning all or most of the presentation
Preparing small cue cards as a reminder of key points
Thinking about the layout of the room
Preparing notes for the audience
Preparing visual aids to enhance the presentation
Checking that any equipment is set up and working before the

presentation
Practising the presentation in advance
During the presentation

Appearing confident
Maintaining eye contact with the audience
Smiling regularly through the presentation
Speaking clearly and not rushing the presentation
Speaking loudly enough for all the audience to hear
Emphasising key points
Using suitable language for the topic and audience
Encouraging questions and participation from the audience
Being able to answer questions from the audience
Key things to improve

Assessing a presentation: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Self- and peer-assessment can have a positive impact on learning (Hattie et al.
1996) – see also section 6. This template asks students to self- or peer-assess a
presentation.
How to use The assessment form allows the student to assess their own presentation or that
of a peer or peers. The emphasis should be on positive comments and
suggestions for improvement. As with all peer-assessment, some advance
training on how to do this constructively may be required. The section on ‘Details
of presentation’ might be used to note down the names of presenters, the title of
the presentation and/or other practical details.

Assessing a presentation
Name .................................................................................................................................................
Details of presentation .......................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
Score the presentation using the following scale:

5 Excellent
4 Very good
3 Good
2 Satisfactory
1 Unsatisfactory
Score Positive comments Ways to improve

Verbal
communication skills
Clear voice, audible,
suitability of language and
vocabulary
Non-verbal
communication skills
Eye contact, body
language, confidence,
smiles
Suitability for the

audience
Not too hard or easy,
interesting
Evidence of
preparation and
knowledge
Ability to answer
questions, well organised,
Quality of resources
Notes provided, room
layout, slides, music and
so on
Content of
presentation
Useful, interesting,
accurate

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 4: Effective group work
Introduction
Effective group work
Group work is already a common feature of many classrooms. Whether in the form of pair or larger
groupings it can be a highly effective way of working and learning, taking advantage of the
combined strengths of the different members of a team. However, if managed ineffectively, little
learning may take place. Teachers need to be particularly aware of the make-up of groups and
should get students used to working with a variety of others.
This section provides resources to improve the effectiveness of group work. They include
templates for establishing rules or agreed ways of working, setting clear expectations about tasks,
roles and outcomes, and being clear about how group work will be assessed and evaluated.

Section 4
Effective group work
17. Rules for discussion 41-42
18. Review of discussion 43-44
19. Group task management 45-46
20. Allocation of group roles 47-48
21. Group work feedback 49-50
22. Group work evaluation 51-52
23. Snowballing 53-54

Rules for discussion: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Cooperation between and within groups of learners and teachers is essential for
effective learning. Cooperation depends on trust and trust promotes cooperation.
An agreed set of rules for group work and discussion helps to promote trust and
cooperation It also makes classroom management easier (Clarke, 2005).
See also the ground rules template on pages 19-20.
How to use Students should be encouraged to discuss and agree a set of rules or
behaviours which will facilitate effective working in pairs or groups. One way to
do this would be as follows:
• Divide the class into small groups.

• Give each group a sheet with a particular heading to discuss (e.g. noise levels,
behaviour towards each other, safety).
• Students write on the sheet what they think would be good rules.
• Groups then circulate to the next sheet, adding to or commenting on the
suggestions on the sheet.
• Once all groups have seen every sheet, the ideas can be discussed and
agreed (the teacher will probably need to take an editing role here, although it
is important that the rules reflect student opinion and are written in their own
words).
• The final version should be made into a poster and displayed prominently.
• The agreed rules need to be enforced from the outset (Muijs and Reynolds,
2005).
It may be necessary for teachers to demonstrate what it means to discuss in a

‘fair’ way (for example, one person speaks and the others listen without
interrupting). The teacher should also be aware that establishing pairs and
groups requires some thought and planning to avoid problems which are
sometimes caused by issues such as gender and friendship (for further ideas on
this see Clarke, 2005).
Example
We discussed what was necessary to make sure our discussions are useful and fair.
Only one person should speak at a time

We should pay attention when we are listening
We should look at the person who is talking
We should not interrupt unless we are invited to
We should never shout
We should never deliberately offend other people
We should remember that it’s OK to have a different point of view
We should remember it’s OK to change your mind
Everyone should have the chance to say their piece
Class/group
Date

Rules for discussion

We discussed what was necessary to make sure our discussions are useful and fair.
Class/group
Date

Review of discussion: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Discussions are effective learning strategies that allow students to express,
share and develop ideas. For the maximum benefit it may be necessary for
students to make some notes as a record of the discussion and the key points
that emerge.
How to use This form is for students to use to make notes on a discussion. If appropriate, the
form could be divided into sections for points in favour and points against or to
represent different standpoints which emerge.
Example
Discussion title
Is the Premiership the best football league in the world?
Key points of discussion
It’s not easy to agree on what we mean by the ‘best’
Some people think the style of football is the most entertaining – does this make it best?
It attracts many of the world’s best footballers – does this make it best?
If it were, the best English teams would win the Champions League and the Super Cup more
often than they do
The Premiership is the most popular football league for TV viewers overseas
Conclusions
It might be the most famous league, but the lack of success of England in international
competitions suggests it is not the best in terms of the standard of football
If it is not the best, which league is? We could not agree on this. Most people thought it
would be Italy or Spain.
Teacher feedback
A good summary. During the discussion people were using lots of relevant statistics which
they had researched. You could have noted some of these down during the discussion. Look at
John’s example on the door for ideas.

Review of discussion
Name .................................................................................................................................................
Subject...............................................................................................................................................
Discussion title
Key points of discussion
Conclusions
Teacher feedback

Group task management: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Providing explicit instructions to students helps them to see what is expected of
them. It can help them to plan their work and prepare effectively for lessons. It is
particularly helpful for those students who find it difficult to organise themselves.
This is often the case for students with conditions such as dyslexia or mental
health difficulties (Holloway, 2004, 2006). It is part of the process of providing the
‘big picture’, one of the key stages in what is sometimes called the Accelerated
Learning Cycle (Smith, 1996).
How to use The form could be used at the start of an assignment. In order to use it effectively
there needs to be some discussion within each group as to who does what and
how – the teacher may need to provide guidance, the extent of which will depend
on the level of independent learning skills within the class.
Example
Title of task
What is this activity called?
The Space Race - research task
Purpose/aim
What are we trying to learn?
Knowledge: What were the main features of the ‘space race’?
Evaluation: Did the benefits outweigh the costs?
Output
What have we got to produce or do?
A five-minute presentation using Powerpoint and a set of notes for my own file
Time frame
How long have we got? What is the deadline?
Two weeks to prepare for the presentation in the lesson on 14 March
Roles
Who is doing what in the group?
Me: researching the beginning of space race in 1940s/50s, including costs
Steve: space race in 1960s – to the moon, including costs
Frankie: benefits of space race in general
All of us: preparing the presentation next week
Method
How are we going to do it?
First two lessons: research on our own, third lesson: discuss/share ideas, fourth lesson:
prepare
Resources
What can we use to help us?
Textbooks in library, computers in room 52 during lessons, NASA CD-ROM, video on the
moon landings
Support
What help is available?
Mr Hutchings during lessons
Library staff can advise on resources
Examples of last years work on intranet
Assessment
How will this work be judged?
The presentation will be assessed by peer-assessment using the standard criteria.
Mr Hutchings will also check that I have a full set of notes
The assessment is for internal use only (not part of the final grade)

Group task management

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject.............................................................................................................................................
Title of task
What is this activity called?
Purpose/aim
What are we trying to learn?
Output
What have we got to produce or do?
Time frame
How long have we got? What is the deadline?
Roles
Who is doing what in the group?
Method
How are we going to do it?
Resources
What can we use to help us?
Support
What help is available?
Assessment
How will this work be judged?
Other information

Allocation of group roles: Teachers’ notes

Rationale In group work the allocation of roles implies that each individual is an important
part of the group and helps create a feeling of accountability. This promotes a
sense of worth and belonging which is one of the important benefits of
cooperative learning. Assigning roles provides explicit expectations and can add
to the sense of order in the group work (Fogarty, 2002).
It is important to note that in most group situations the allocated role is not the
only contribution that the student makes - they are expected to contribute to the
general work of the group in addition to their allocated role.
How to use It is unlikely that all of the roles identified here will be relevant for any one task so
teachers need to be selective about the most appropriate roles for a particular
activity. In many cases it will be sensible to allocate more than one role to
individual students.
The allocation of roles may be decided by the teacher or left to the group
members (if the teacher is confident that this will lead to appropriate outcomes).
In the first instance the teacher can write the names on the form in advance of
the lesson.

Allocation of group roles

Role Explanation Name
Task leader Responsible for planning the task and

allocating responsibilities.
Timekeeper Makes sure the group are always aware of

meeting deadlines and spend a sensible
amount of time on each task.
Secretary Notes key points of discussions and any
decisions reached.
Summariser Identifies key points and summarises

discussions.
Includer Makes sure everyone in the group has

contributed.
Chairperson Leads discussions and debates, makes sure

everyone has the chance to put their views
across.
Promoter Puts forward one view. Does not have to
agree with the view personally.
Opponent Argues against a view. Does not have to

disagree with it personally.
Devil’s advocate Questions the views that other group

members take for granted. Deliberately
argumentative.
Questioner Takes the lead in asking questions to group
members or to other groups.
Presenter Takes the lead in presenting the group’s work

to others.
Researcher Finds, collects and reports back information.
Statistician Responsible for numerical and statistical

tasks.
IT technician Takes the lead in using IT applications such

as Powerpoint.
Technician Responsible for collecting and managing IT

equipment such as computers and data
projectors.

Group work feedback: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Effective teaching methods are those that set challenging goals and provide
students with feedback which helps them progress towards those goals. Well-
managed group work is one such method.
This form enables students to reflect on, and make a record of their learning after
a group activity. The teacher can then monitor the learning and provide
appropriate feedback.
How to use The purpose of this form is for students to collect information from a discussion
or group activity - either from their own group or from a presentation by another
group. This is especially useful in situations where there would otherwise be no
physical product or notes from the activity.
There is space for teacher feedback at the bottom of the sheet which might be
used to correct any misconceptions or to suggest where the student could go
next with this topic.
Example
Activity/task/topic What makes a baby into a toddler?
Group/student name(s) Mina, Laura, Ellen
They are called toddlers because of the way they are learning to walk (toddle)
They are starting to talk – they often start with words like ‘mama’ or ‘dada’
Toddlers often get common illnesses like chicken pox
Toddlers are starting to develop personalities and learn behaviours
Conclusions reached
There is no exact definition of a toddler

If a baby is able to start walking they could be called a toddler
What age range are toddlers normally?
Teacher feedback
You have picked up some of the main characteristics of toddlers. You are right to ask for
clarification of the age range – you’ll find a good answer on page 27 of the resources – make
sure you add it to your notes above.

Group work feedback

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Activity/task/topic .............................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
Group/student name(s)
Conclusions reached
Teacher feedback

Group work evaluation: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Students need to be encouraged to reflect on their ability to work with others to
complete a task. They need to use this reflection to identify areas for
improvement and appropriate strategies to facilitate these improvements.
How to use The purpose of this form is for students to evaluate group activity after it has
been completed. There is space for teacher feedback at the bottom of the sheet
which could be used to give the teacher’s view of the process. This is often
helpful as a way of pointing out to students some of the less tangible benefits of
the process or to remind them of their achievements along the way (which the
student may have forgotten about).

Group work evaluation

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Group/student names ......................................................................................................................
Task.................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
Assess how effective you were at these group skills by circling the relevant score.
Neither
Totally Quite Quite Totally
successful nor
unsuccessful unsuccessful successful successful
unsuccessful
My contributions
Supporting
1 2 3 4 5
others
Taking turns
1 2 3 4 5
Offering a
1 2 3 4 5
different view
Keeping on
1 2 3 4 5
task
Listening to
1 2 3 4 5
others
Respecting
1 2 3 4 5
other views
The group as a whole
Time
1 2 3 4 5
management
Fulfilling our
1 2 3 4 5
roles
Organisation
1 2 3 4 5
Completion of
1 2 3 4 5
the task
What we
1 2 3 4 5
produced
Comment on what could be improved next time and how
Teacher feedback

Snowballing: Teachers’ notes

Rationale ‘Snowballing is a way of collecting information from a brainstorm, thought
experiment or round, ensuring full participation and more student discussion’
(Petty, 2006). It can be used in many situations including the presentation of new
ideas, checking current understanding and the teaching of learning and thinking
skills.
Petty (2005) advocates snowballing as one of 28 methods of ‘teaching without

talking’. He advocates the use of these techniques to make students more active
in the initial presentation of new ideas or themes. He quotes studies by Hattie et
al. (1996) which suggest that the most effective teaching methods are those
which set challenging goals and provide students with feedback relating to their
progress towards those goals. Snowballing is a cooperative learning method
which enables this to happen.
How to use • Students are given appropriate resources or stimulus and relevant questions
which they are seeking to answer.
• Stage 1: At first they work on their own, recording their answers.
• Stage 2: Next they work in pairs, sharing their answers. They then discuss and
agree a common answer (which may be different from or based on the
answers they have already).
• Stage 3: Students then join with another pair to form groups of four, for the
same purpose, again agreeing on a common answer which is likely to include
points from both of the previous ‘best’ answers.
• And so on if appropriate.
• The students are then provided with a model answer or mark scheme and
asked to use this to assess or score their final ‘best answer’.
The form is for students to use at each stage of the process.
Example
Topic or question
What is a system? Use an example in your answer.
Stage 1: My answer
A system is a way of doing things - a method or a set of things linked together. You could
have a system for playing football (like 4-4-2), or a system like an ecosystem.
Stage 2: Pair answer

The word system is often used to mean a way of doing things or a set of things linked
together. However, in science, a system is a structure with inputs, outputs, and processes.
For example, an ecosystem has inputs, outputs and processes.
Stage 3: Group answer

The word system is often used to mean a way of doing things or a set of things linked
together. However, in science a system is a structure with inputs, outputs, and processes. For
example, an ecosystem such as a rainforest has inputs (such as sunlight and rain), outputs
(such as heat) and processes (such as photosynthesis). Systems can be closed (where the only
input and output is energy) or open (with other inputs and outputs). An ecosystem is an
example of an open system.

Snowballing
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Topic or question
Stage 1: My answer
Stage 2: Pair answer
Stage 3: Group answer
Comments/feedback/ideas/improvements

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 5: Graphic organisers
Introduction
Graphic organisers
‘Graphic organiser’ is a term applied to various diagram-based learning resources such as flow
charts and spider diagrams. Some of these have been around for a long time and some are more
recent. They are becoming increasingly popular as a tool favoured by those approaches which are
sometimes labelled as ‘brain-based learning’, ‘accelerated learning’ or ‘super-learning’.
Fogarty (2002) describes graphic organisers as a means of ensuring that thinking takes place in
the ‘brain compatible classroom’. Graphic organisers usually require students to transform
information rather than simply reproduce it in the same form in which they received it. They
therefore offer a degree of intellectual challenge and may make it easier to assess the extent to
which the material has been grasped (Hughes, 2001).Their visual nature makes them highly suited
to the needs of visual learners.
Graphic organisers promote active learning which links to constructivist theories: learners construct
meanings by processing information, sorting it and looking for connections and patterns. There is
strong evidence to suggest that visual representations help students to see these connections and
patterns (Ausubel, 1978).

Section 5
Graphic organisers
24. Spider diagram 57-58
25. Venn diagram 59-60
26. Bubble quotes 61-62
27. Caterpillar diagram 63-64
28. Advantages and disadvantages 65-66
29. Flow chart 67-68
30. Timeline 69-70
31. Brain drops 71-72

Spider diagram: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Spider diagrams are useful for generating initial ideas about a topic or revising
what has been taught. They begin with a central idea and then visually break that
idea down into a number of categories.
A further development of the spider diagram is the mind map (Buzan, 1991). This
uses extra ‘legs’ to create new connections.
How to use Students begin with a word, idea or concept which they write in the centre of the
circle. The diagram can then progress in a number of ways. For example,
students could break the topic down into a number of categories which become
the ‘legs’. Alternatively the spider diagram can be used as part of the process of
generating initial ideas about a topic. Students can write at the ends of the
spider’s legs any words, ideas or phrases which they associate with the central
idea or concept. These can then be discussed and used to produce a summary
of the idea or concept.
There is no need to stick to any particular number of ‘legs’ - fewer or extra can be
used as necessary.
The CD contains text boxes in each of the ‘legs’.
Example
Cars Oil/fuel
Traffic Public/
Transport
jams private
Pollution Train

Spider diagram
Name ...............................................................................................................................................

Venn diagram: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Venn diagrams are useful for activities that involve comparisons of similarities
and differences.
Similarities are placed in the overlapping sections and differences in the non-
overlapping parts. More than two shapes can be used if more complex
comparisons are to be made.
How to use The template here could be blown up to A3 size. When using the CD, text boxes
can be placed in the shapes as appropriate.
Example
Compare rugby union and soccer
Oval ball
Mostly middle
class
15 players
Played in only a
few countries
Originated in Professional
England sport
Referee
11 players
Can’t touch ball in
play with hands
Round ball
Played
everywhere

Venn diagram
Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................
Title..................................................................................................................................................

Bubble quotes: Teachers’ notes

Rationale ‘Bubble quote’ diagrams help students understand that there are a range of
viewpoints on issues. This is an essential step if they are to develop skills of
analysis and evaluation.
Students are provided with an issue and have to identify the viewpoints that
different individuals or organisations may adopt towards it. Each viewpoint is
represented visually by a speech bubble and students write within the speech
bubble.
How to use These bubble quote graphic organisers are useful as a starting point for
discussions or role plays and/or can be used as a method of brainstorming
material to be used in a longer piece of writing. Students can be provided with
the different interests or may identify them independently. Teachers could also
write sentence starters within the speech bubbles for all or some students.
If you are using the CD-ROM version, each bubble contains a text box.
Example
Environment Industrialist
Campaigner Our economy
Can kill uses huge
thousands if amounts of
accident occurs - energy. There is
too risky no alternative
Nuclear
power
Local resident Taxpayer

I’d rather have It’s very
1000 wind expensive and
turbines than a must be paid for
nuclear power by the people
station who use it

Bubble quotes
Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................

Caterpillar diagram: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Caterpillar diagrams are used to develop and expand on ideas, often moving
from the individual case to the big picture. They can describe processes and
show how ideas can be linked in a hierarchy or system.
How to use Students can be given the big idea and/or the starting point and try to work out
the intervening stages.
If using the CD-ROM, text boxes are provided within the shapes.
Example
Cloud: rain
falls from
Rivers
clouds and
creates
streams
Sea
Evaporation
Cloud to rain
Water circulates
from air to land
to sea to air: the
hydrological
cycle

Caterpillar diagram
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Title..................................................................................................................................................

Advantages and disadvantages: Teachers’ notes

Rationale This graphic organiser develops evaluation skills.
The diagram is useful because it requires students to consider views which may
be opposed to their own. It also helps reinforce the idea that conclusions should
be reached after consideration of more than one side of an argument. It may also
be helpful as a visual cue, in that the evaluation is likely to come down on the
side with the most (and best) points in its favour.
How to use Students are given an idea, concept or argument to evaluate. This could occur at
the start of teaching as part of initial idea generation or at the end as a summary
of evidence and final evaluation.
Students identify advantages and disadvantages (or points for and points
against) before reaching an overall conclusion or evaluation.
Teachers could give out partially completed forms to give students some initial
ideas or blank forms if the students are capable of generating their own ideas on
both sides. Alternatively the teacher might decide to provide partially completed
forms for some students and not for others in order to differentiate the activity.
In order to help weigh up the strength of arguments, students can rank their lists
(number them in order of importance) or give each point a score and add them
up to see which side ‘wins’.
Example
View/idea
Junk food should be banned from school dinners
Advantages/points in favour Disadvantages/points against

 There are healthier alternatives  School kids like junk food
 Children need to learn to eat healthy  School dinners are horrible
food
 Schools have a responsibility for their  Pupils will just go to the chip shop instead
pupils
 Junk food can cause bad behaviour  You need to educate parents about food
first
 Junk food makes kids fat and unhealthy  It will be more expensive and some
families can’t afford it
Evaluation
Overall I think junk food should be banned but the alternatives will have to be very good

Advantages and disadvantages

Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................
View/idea
Advantages /points in favour Disadvantages/points against

 
 
 
 
 
 
Evaluation
Which is the strongest position? Where does the balance of the evidence lead?

Flow chart: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Flow charts can be used in various ways to illustrate inter-connections and
processes such as a sequence of events, a set of procedures, or a sequence to
be followed. In their simplest form they are linear: A is followed by B, then by C
and so on. They can also become very complex, with multiple links between the
different elements or feedback loops (where links are made to an earlier stage of
the process) and so on. In the more advanced forms of flow chart it is common
for different shapes to represent different things, for example a triangle might
represent a process, whereas a square might represent a decision.
How to use In the early stages of using flow charts students can be given an idea, concept or
argument to illustrate as a series of separate but linked steps. Teachers could
give out partially completed charts and ask students to fill in the gaps.
Alternatively, they could give out the required content for students to sort into the
right order. As they get more familiar with flow charts, students can start to
devise their own sequences.
If the CD is being used, the flow chart contains text boxes in between the arrows
and stages can be added or removed using the diagram toolbar which should
become visible on the right-hand vertical toolbar when the user clicks inside the
flow chart.
Example
Making a phone call
Speak! Decide
who to call
Wait for Find

phone to number
be picked and codes
up
Dial the Listen

number for dial
tone

Flow chart
Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................
Title..................................................................................................................................................

Timeline: Teachers’ notes

Rationale In its simplest form a timeline is a straight line representing a period of time.
Dates may or may not be provided and students write the details of a particular
event alongside (or linked to) the relevant date. The result is a sequence of
events presented in a visual form.
How to use A variety of approaches can be taken when it comes to the information to include
on the timeline: Students could be given the information to sort into sequence;
they could be given a source and asked to find the information to sort from within
the source; or they could be set a more open-ended research task where the end
product is a timeline. The scale could be provided or left for the student to add to
the timeline as appropriate.
Example
Some important dates in English history
Events Date Events
End of Roman rule in Britain 410
Vikings conquer northern England 850
927 Athelston crowned first king of all

England
Battle of Hastings 1066
1215 Magna Carta
Black Death 1348
Civil War 1644
1707 Act of Union with Scotland
Start of First World War 1914
1939 Start of Second World War

Timeline
Name(s) ...........................................................................................................................................
Title..................................................................................................................................................
Events Date Events

Brain drops: Teachers’ notes

Rationale ‘Brain drops’ diagrams (Fogarty, 2002) stimulate thinking about the different
elements that make up a whole. This might be advantages, disadvantages,
reasons or factors that need to be considered.
How to use Brain drop diagrams can be used to generate initial thinking or to revise a topic
after it has been taught. The teacher would normally provide the title or main
heading in the umbrella to provide the initial stimulus. Students can then fill in the
raindrops and the final definition in the umbrella through brainstorming or group
discussion. For those using the CD-ROM, there are text boxes in each raindrop
and in the umbrella.
Example
Human Ageism Racism

Prejudice
rights
Equal pay Sexism Disability

rights
Equality of opportunity
The idea that all people
should have the same
chances in life

Brain drops
Name ...............................................................................................................................................

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 6: Feedback and self-assessment
Introduction
Feedback and self-assessment
Feedback occurs at all stages of the learning process, either formally or informally. It includes
comments and responses from the teacher to the student, between students, and the student’s
own self-reflection. Unfortunately, common practice in classrooms is often not best practice where
feedback is concerned, as it often concentrates on grades or marks rather than identifying
improvements.
Evidence suggests that ‘formative’ feedback, where the emphasis is on finding ways to improve,
has some of the greatest positive effects on learners, and the greatest effects are on the weakest
learners (Black and William, 1998). Best practice is based on the idea that we should find out what
students already know, correct any misconceptions, and then build on this. Students should
understand the goals well enough to be able to give themselves ongoing feedback (Petty, 2006).
Pages 109-110 include further guidance on improving formative feedback.

Section 6
Feedback and self-assessment
32. Assessment feedback 75-76
33. Self-assessment 77-78
34. Topic review 79-80
35. Exam review 81-82
36. Assessment profile 83-84

Assessment feedback: Teachers’ notes

Rationale The purpose of this form is to help teachers give effective feedback when
students have completed a piece of work for assessment. It allows the teacher to
provide explicit advice on errors or omissions in order to improve students’
constructs and to provide positive and specific encouragement where
appropriate. It incorporates the student’s own feedback which should allow an
insight into how well they understand their own position.
The form emphasises finding ways to improve rather than grading work, one of
the hallmarks of good formative assessment (Petty 2006).
How to use This form is designed to provide feedback on assessed work. The question (or
title) and the criteria for assessment need to be added in advance so that the
student knows what is being assessed and how.
The student can fill in the self-evaluation boxes before the work is submitted. The
teacher then fills in their evaluation and comment before returning the sheet to
the student. The student can then identify a small number of targets for the next
piece of work.
Example
Question/task
To what extent can water be used sustainably?
Target(s) from previous work
My target was to improve my structure – I have done this

Assessment criteria Self-evaluation Teacher evaluation
How your work will be judged How you thought How the teacher thought you did
you did
How well have you obeyed the command words? Very well I agree – you have discussed both sides
To what extent do you show understanding of the Very well Quite well, but you needed to define
key words? ‘sustainably’ more clearly
To what extent have you addressed all the issues Very well Quite well – you could have said more
posed by the question? about the global scale
How well do your paragraphs relate to the question? Very well I agree
How well developed is your case study knowledge? A bit sketchy. I You could have used the following case
was not sure which studies:
case studies Aral Sea, Water Aid projects in Africa
applied
To what extent do you use other evidence, examples I used lots of data I disagree – you have not used any
and illustrations to support the points made? and evidence dates or numbers/sizes in your answer
Teacher comment
This was good overall. You have improved the structure.

The main areas for improvement are the use of case studies and factual material/evidence to support your
arguments.
You also need to mention the global scale (patterns of water resources and consumption for the world as a whole)
Targets: What I will do to improve my work next time?
I aim to improve my case studies and factual content

Assessment feedback
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Question/task
Target(s) from previous work
Assessment criteria Self-evaluation Teacher evaluation

How your work will be judged How you thought you did How the teacher thought you did
Teacher comment:
Targets: What I will do to improve my work next time?

Self-assessment: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Feedback can be provided at all stages of the learning process. This includes
feedback to and from the student and teacher, between students (peer-feedback)
and the student’s own feedback to him/herself.
Evidence suggests that formative feedback has some of the most positive effects
on learners. The greatest effect is on the weakest learners (Black and William,
1998).
This self-assessment sheet is an example of the student’s own feedback to

themselves. It covers a wide range of skills and abilities, not just subject
knowledge.
How to use The form should be used during a course or module. For each area the student
is required to rate themselves and provide comments, and at the end to suggest
actions towards reaching their goals. The teacher can review the form and
provide further formative assessment in discussion or through written comments.

Self-assessment
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject.............................................................................................................................................
Rate your progress using the following scale:

1 - Unsatisfactory 2 - Satisfactory 3 - Very good 4 - Excellent
Knowledge and understanding

How well have I learned and understood the material covered?
Rating Comment
Analysis
How good am I at working out what questions mean? How well can I apply theory and concepts to different parts of the
course?
Rating Comment
Evaluation
How well do I weigh up strengths and weaknesses or different points of view before reaching a conclusion?
Rating Comment
Personal organisation, attitude and behaviour

Do I always have the right equipment? Is homework done on time? Am I punctual to lessons? Do I always pay attention?
Is my work always completed?
Rating Comment
Involvement and initiative

How confident am I at contributing to discussions or suggesting ideas? How often do I take the initiative and find extra
help or extra material when appropriate?
Rating Comment
Standard of work
How satisfied am I with my progress and attainment so far?
Rating Comment
Actions
Taking all the above into account, what do I need to do to achieve my goals in this subject?
Action

Topic review: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Reviewing learning should be a continuing and regular process. At the end of
teaching a topic, teachers need to ensure that students have an understanding of
the structure of what they have learned. If they do, then material is likely to go
into permanent memory (Petty, 2006). This form assists that process by asking
students to summarise the key points of a topic.
Well-structured note making at the end of a topic has positive effects on learning
according to Marzano et al. (2001). These notes are also useful when it comes to
revision.
How to use At the end of a topic students fill in the form to summarise the key learning
points. This might be supported through a group or class discussion.
There is an opportunity for teachers to add formative assessment comments.
Example
Topic Shanty towns
Key ideas and concepts

Shanty towns are ‘marginal’ or informal settlements
They are irregular, low-cost dwellings, usually on land belonging to third parties
Most often located on the edge of cities
Shanty towns are mostly found in developing nations, with an unequal distribution of wealth
Some shanty towns have populations approaching that of a city
Summary of main points

Dwellings are often assembled from pieces of plywood, corrugated metal, sheets of plastic,
and any other material that will provide cover
Shanty towns usually have high rates of crime, suicide, and disease
On the other hand, they may also be places of hope, with a sense of a counter-culture
In 2004, it was estimated that 19% of Rio's population lived within favelas
Rocinha, Pavãozinho, Parada de Lucas, Cidade de Deus, Maré and Turano are some of the most
famous of Rio's favelas
In general, shanty towns become more developed and established over time, and buildings
become improved as people invest in them
Sources of information
Guardian article 13 May 2006
Module booklet pages 13-21
Other
I need to learn the Rio case study for exams
Feedback
A good summary. Use page 18 of the module booklet to add a few more relevant facts and
figures about the Rio shanty towns.

Topic review
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Topic................................................................................................................................................
Key ideas and concepts
Summary of main points
Sources of information
Other
Feedback

Exam review: Teachers’ notes

Rationale The purpose of this form is to encourage students to reflect on their exam
preparation and technique as well as their actual answers. The mark or grade is
not the main focus here. Students need to reflect on and respond to the
formative comments made by the marker. Therefore it is important that any
comments made by the marker should wherever possible follow the guidelines
for effective formative assessment outlined on pages 109-110.
How to use Students should complete the form when their papers (and comments) are
returned. The purpose of the student scoring themselves on preparation and
technique is to provide a simple summary of their strengths and weaknesses in
these areas. The completed sheet can be retained by the teacher or student and
used as a focus for discussion about improvements or as part of a process of
target setting.

Exam review
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Subject.............................................................................................................................................
1. Preparation
How much revision/preparation did I do?
What methods did I use to I revise?
Did I revise all of the necessary topics?
Did I find all of topics equally hard?
Did I ask for help from anyone?
Overall, my score for preparation should be (circle figure)

1 2 3 4 5
Very poor Poor Satisfactory Good Very good
Review and action

What could I do better next time?
2. Answers
Question Topic Mark and comment My comment
3. Exam technique
How well did I use my time in the exam?
How well did I understand what the questions wanted?
How well did I understand the key words in the questions?
How could I have improved my answers?
Overall, my score for exam technique should be (circle figure)

1 2 3 4 5
Very poor Poor Satisfactory Good Very good
Review and action

What could I do better next time?

Assessment profile: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Formative feedback provides the ideas and guidance that students need to
improve their work and supports them as autonomous learners who are
responsible for their own learning.
This sheet enables students to record and reflect on the comments and advice
which they have received over the course of a topic or module. Note that they
are not required to record the mark or grade although of course this could be
added by editing the form. However, evidence suggests that instructive
comments are more effective in raising performance than marks and grades
(Black and William, 1998).
How to use Students can complete the form each time work is returned or on completion of
the topic/module. The column headed Marker’s comments refers to the
comments made by the teacher on the original piece of work. Only a summary of
the key points is required here. This focuses the student on the nature of the
teacher’s comments and helps them identify patterns in their work.
Example
Task Topic/issue Marker’s comments My comments

e.g. essay, presentation
1 Short exam Stalin’s rise to Need to be more I need to use more

question (2004) power specific and precise dates and names in
my answers
2 Short exam Stalin and the A good answer with I need to take more
question (2006) Politburo lots of relevant notice of the ratio
content - but of marks to minutes
unbalanced. Need to
manage time better
3 Essay question Stalin and Hitler Structure of I need to improve

(2003) answer is good – but the balance
ran out of time. between planning
Time management my answer and
appears to be main writing it so that I
issue do not run out of
time

Assessment profile
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Topic................................................................................................................................................
Task Topic/issue Marker’s comments My comments

e.g. essay, presentation
1
Comment on your effort and achievement on this topic
Which areas of your work do you need to improve?

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 7: Essays and longer pieces of writing
Introduction
Essays and longer pieces of writing
There are many ways to break up the stages involved in the complex process of writing an essay
or longer piece of text. The ‘perfect’ essay style is also open to a degree of interpretation.
However, it helps students if the teacher points out the various stages involved and suggests a
format and process for getting from the question to a well-structured answer.
This section is different from other sections in the book in that each of the pages can follow on from
the previous one, although they can also be used separately.
There are five steps on the road to a sound essay:

1. Decoding the question
2. Brainstorming ideas
3. Sorting ideas into a plan
4. Writing
5. Reviewing and amending
Many students only get as far as numbers 2 and 4.
The following forms aim to give students a structure to follow using these stages:
• Decoding the question
• Brainstorming ideas and sorting into a plan
• Writing, reviewing and amending
For more information to help students write well-structured paragraphs see the Writing better
paragraphs template.

Section 7
Essays and longer pieces of writing
37. Decoding the question 87-88
38. Essay brainstorm 89-90
39. Essay planning 91-92
40. Writing better paragraphs 93-94

Decoding the question: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Many of the common errors made by students in tests and exams occur not
because of lack of knowledge or skills but because they are not clear about the
nature of the task that has been set. This is particularly the case with essays and
longer pieces of writing where the instructions are often quite open and general.
Working out the exact demands of a question by taking each part of it in turn and
focusing on its exact wording is thus an important initial stage in constructing a
successful answer.
How to use Students can complete this form when an essay has been set. They may need
guidance on the exact meaning of command and key words and rewording the
question is by no means a simple task. It may help to complete the form in pairs
or groups so ideas can be shared.
Example
Title or question
‘All citizens of the UK should have equal rights.’ To what extent do some individuals and
groups in the UK experience inequality and discrimination?
Command words are the instruction words that tell you what to do e.g. outline, describe, discuss,
identify, assess.
In this question the command words are: To what extent …
This means I should: Judge how much of something is occurring
Key words are the words in the question that tell you what your answer should include. They are
often technical words used in the subject.
In this question the key words are: Citizens, equal rights, inequality, discrimination
I will use the following definitions of key words.

These definitions could be used in your answer, especially in the introduction
Citizens People who are members of a country
Equal rights Everyone in a country has the same freedoms and protections
Inequality People having different amounts of things such as money
Discrimination People being treated unfairly
Look at your answers above and use them to rewrite the question in your own words
Most people agree that everyone in the UK should have the same freedoms and protection
but are some individuals and groups actually treated unfairly, leading to them having less?

Decoding the question

Decoding means working out exactly what a question is about and how it should be answered.
This is the essential first step in producing a successful answer.
Title or question
Command words are the instruction words that tell you what to do e.g. outline, describe, discuss,
identify, assess.
In this question the command words are:
........................................................................................................................................................
This means I should:
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
Key words are the words in the question that tell you what your answer should include. They are
often technical words used in the subject.
In this question the key words are: ..................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
I will use the following definitions of key words:

These definitions could be used in your answer, especially in the introduction
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
Look at your answers above and use them to rewrite the question in your own words.
Feedback

Essay brainstorm: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Getting started on an essay or long piece of writing can prove a barrier for many
students. This form helps stimulate thinking by asking students to identify the
sorts of features that might be included in their answer and then to derive the
substantive content from these.
How to use Some of the features may require further explanation. Also, only some will be
relevant to a particular title. Once the students have a list of material they may
need support in selecting which is most relevant. This process might be helped
by pair or group work, for example in the form of ‘snowballing’ (see pages 53-4).
Example
Title or question
To what extent would you agree that London is the world’s greatest city?
Below is a list of features that might be included in an essay. However, not all of them will be
relevant to every essay. Circle the features that you think should be included in this essay. As you
circle the features think about them in more detail. What exactly would you include?
Diagrams Case studies Examples Conclusion Theories
Calculations Names of places Introduction Answer to the Arguments in

or people question favour
Experiments Arguments Description Summaries Evaluation

against
Definitions Equations Paragraphs Analysis My opinion
Now brainstorm the content that might go into the essay, that is all the things you have covered in
the subject that could be relevant. Use the items circled to give you hints.
Definitely relevant Possibly relevant
What does greatest mean? Description of other cities –

New York? Paris?
Tourism and popularity
Geography of London
Cultural influence
Economic importance
Problems of London – pollution, poverty?

Essay brainstorm
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Title or question
Below is a list of features that might be included in an essay. However, not all of them will be
relevant to every essay.
Circle the features that you think should be included in this essay. As you circle the features think
about them in more detail. What exactly would you include?
Diagrams Case studies Examples Conclusion Theories
Names of places Answer to the Arguments in

Calculations Introduction
or people question favour
Arguments
Experiments Description Summaries Evaluation
against
Definitions Equations Paragraphs Analysis My opinion
Now brainstorm the content that might go into the essay, that is all the things you have covered in
the subject that could be relevant. Use the items circled to give you hints.
Definitely relevant Possibly relevant
Feedback

Essay planning: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Many longer pieces of writing are hampered by lack of planning. Students simply
write points down as they come to mind. This approach will certainly limit the
marks they can achieve. To gain high marks essays need to be coherent and
well organised. This template divides the process of essay planning into three
parts: introduction, main themes and conclusion and advises students about the
sorts of material that might be included in each part.
How to use The form assumes that initial brainstorming has already taken place so students
already have an idea of the overall content of the essay. They may need support
in understanding and identifying terms like key themes and key debates.
Students could hand in this form as a cover sheet when they submit the essay.
Example
Title or question
Essays should start with an introduction. Typically this will explain the key terms and debates that
the essay will cover. Identify key terms and debates in the box below.
Introduction
Greatest – what exactly does this mean? Size? History? Culture? Wealth? Popularity?
Mixture?
Debates – the arguments that it is the greatest and the arguments that it isn’t – its problems
and the claims of other cities
Now try to identify between three and six main themes of the essay.
Main themes
The claims of other cities to be the greatest
Arguments that it is the greatest city
Arguments that it isn’t
Next, put these themes in the order you think most suitable for this title.
1. Arguments that it is the greatest city
2. Arguments that it isn’t
3. The claims of other cities to be the greatest
Each of these themes may take up one paragraph of the essay.
Essays usually end with a conclusion which sums up the main arguments and answers the
question set. Looking back at the question, place your overall answer to it in the box below.
Conclusion: answer to question/title

It is a great city in many ways but so are others such as Paris and New York and Peking. It is
impossible to say which is actually ‘greatest’ and pointless really

Essay planning
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Title or question
Essays should start with an introduction. Typically this will explain the key terms and debates that
the essay will cover. Identify key terms and debates in the box below.
Introduction
Now try to identify between three and six main themes of the essay.
Main themes
Next, put these themes in the order you think most suitable for this title.
1. .....................................................................................................................................................
2. .....................................................................................................................................................
3. .....................................................................................................................................................
4. .....................................................................................................................................................
5. .....................................................................................................................................................
6. .....................................................................................................................................................
Each of these themes may take up one paragraph of the essay.
Essays usually end with a conclusion which sums up the main arguments and answers the
question set. Looking back at the question, place your overall answer to it in the box below.
Conclusion: answer to question/title
Feedback

Writing better paragraphs: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Some students experience difficulties in constructing well-structured paragraphs.
This form assumes that paragraphs should start with a statement of their theme,
develop the theme, then provide evidence and examples before linking to the
next paragraph. This form ignores any evaluative element which teachers may
need to add if that skill is required by the title. Teachers may want to adapt the
form to suit their own subject and ideas about paragraphing.
How to use The activity should end with students writing their paragraph in full. Although best
completed individually it would be useful for students to compare and evaluate
each other’s paragraphs.
Example
Title or question
Decide on the theme of the paragraph you are going to write and its link to the question.
Theme of paragraph
In this paragraph I will be quoting evidence which suggests that London could be regarded as
one of the world’s greatest cities (if not the greatest). It is part of the argument in favour
of the statement in the question.
The first sentence of a paragraph usually states its overall theme
First sentence
It can be argued that London is one of the world’s great cities.
Then it goes on to develop the main point by including one or two further sentences of explanation.
The paragraph will then need some evidence
What evidence will you put in this paragraph?
Evidence
e.g. case studies, examples, figures
I will mention its popularity with tourists, its economic strength, its historical importance,
and some of its key features.
The last sentence of the paragraph can link it to the next
Last sentence
Despite its historical significance, importance to the global economy and worldwide fame,
other cities can also make a claim to be the world’s greatest.

Writing better paragraphs

Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Title or question
Decide on the theme of the paragraph you are going to write and its link to the question.
Theme of paragraph and link to question
The first sentence of a paragraph usually states its overall theme
First sentence
Then it goes on to develop the main point by including one or two further sentences of explanation.
The paragraph will then need some evidence. What evidence will you put in this paragraph?
Evidence
e.g. case studies, examples, figures
The last sentence of the paragraph can link it to the next.
Last sentence
Now you can write out the whole paragraph.

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 8: Revision
Introduction
Revision
Revision is an area which many students find daunting and difficult so they will benefit from clear
instructions on what constitutes effective revision. Recent research has shed light on some of the
links between brain activity and recall. This includes types of activities, the duration of activities, the
level of motivation and the physical/mental state of the student.
Students may need to be directed towards (or taught how to use) the activities which are most
likely to help them recall what they have learned, and should be made aware of the factors that
influence the effectiveness of their revision. It is also important to remember that learning is making
sense of things, not just remembering (Petty, 2006).
Smith (1998) suggests some key points in relation to revision:

• Repetition/rote learning (using categorical or semantic memory) can be effective for
remembering material but needs regular rehearsal, and the context of the learning may not be
well-remembered.
• Linking memory with other senses or movement (procedural memory) can be more effective,
but may be difficult to achieve in some classrooms or for some conceptual subjects.
• Memory which is associated with locations and circumstances (contextual memory) is often
most effective – but is difficult to achieve and is poor for recalling details unless connected with
other memory systems.
• Some evidence suggests that the most effective length of time for chunks of revision is
‘chronological age plus one or two’ (in minutes) up to a maximum of 25 minutes before taking a
break.
• Preview of information and review of information are essential stages.
• Use the SCOTS CLAN MAPS model to aid recall. This is the idea that the best revision
techniques are: Sensory/Colourful and visual/ Outrageous/Thematic or topical/Sequenced;
Chunked/Located/Associated/Numbered/Mnemonics/Alliteration, rhythm,
rhyme/Personalised/Shared.
• Students should be encouraged to consider the importance of MOSS
(Motivation/Outcome/Strategies/State) in effective revision and recall.

Section 8
Revision
41. Revision timetable 97-98
42. Effective revision 99-100
43. Memory aids 101-102
44. Exam checklist 103-104

Revision timetable: Teachers’ notes

Rationale Revision is a daunting prospect for most students. They will need support in
finding ways of making the process manageable and achievable. Creating a
revision plan or timetable will help them focus on the time available and the task
ahead. However, it can be a complex process, requiring students to match the
amount of time needed to the amount of time available. They will need to
anticipate their commitments over several weeks and break down the material to
be revised into manageable sections.
Some students will want to create a detailed plan whilst others will want to keep it
quite basic. Either approach is acceptable but it is not advisable to avoid a
strategy altogether.
On the first attempt many students may be unrealistic about both the time
available and the time required.
How to use Students should be asked to fill in the relevant sections realistically. They should
be reminded that this is for their own use - they are not trying to impress their
teacher with unrealistic amounts of time set aside for revision.
The aim is to come up with a weekly plan of two-hour slots for revision. They
should keep it relatively simple - there is no point spending hours creating a
highly detailed revision schedule when things are likely to change. This helps to
avoid the situation where a student spends more time writing and changing their
schedule than actually revising.
Reassure students that even if they don’t stick to the plan completely it will still
be useful in providing guidelines to help structure their revision.

Revision timetable
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
Step 1: Weekly planner

Think about when you have free time each day (be realistic!). Place a tick in any of the time slots
where a clear two hours are available for revision. If your weeks vary you may need to fill in one of
these tables for each week.
Day Early morning Late morning Early Late afternoon Evening

afternoon
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Step 2: Total hours available before first exam

How many slots have you highlighted for revision?
How many weeks until your first exam?
Number of slots x 2 x number of weeks = total number of hours for revision
Step 3: Dividing your time between subjects

Divide the total number of hours available between your subjects
Subject Number of hours
Step 4: Is this enough time?

Think of all the topics you need to consider for each subject. If you are not satisfied that you have
enough time to revise them all, go back to Step 1 and find some more time for revision. You can
then repeat Steps 2 to 4.
If you are satisfied that you do have enough time, go back to your weekly planner and decide
which subject to revise when. Write your plan down somewhere (like a diary) where you will see it
and make use of it.
Step 5: Keep it under review

Make use of the above sequence to keep your revision under review. If some things are faster or
slower than expected you can update your plan. Similarly, if other events or activities crop up, you
will need to put them into your weekly plan and adjust the revision times.

Effective revision: Teachers’ notes

Rationale This sheet brings together some of the evidence about what works for revision
and recall. The checklist is based on the ideas of SCOTS CLAN MAPS and
MOSS (Smith, 1998) outlined on page 95.
How to use Students should be asked to reflect on the methods they use for revision and
indicate which they do or do not use. Some of the ideas and their benefits may
need to be discussed or explained. It may be useful for a whole group discussion
to take place before students are asked to comment on what they might do
differently.
Students need to be aware that different methods of revision are likely to be

more or less effective depending on their preferred learning styles.

Effective revision
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
This is a list of activities that are known to be effective ways to revise and recall information. Tick
the ones you normally use. Consider using some of the others.
Turning text into pictures or pictures into text
Using different coloured paper or highlighters
Putting material into strange or outrageous contexts
Creating spider diagrams and mind maps
Making revision cards
Learning material in different places
Making numbered lists
Making up rhymes
Learning with or teaching other people
Recording yourself and listening back to it
Place a tick or cross as appropriate for each of the following questions. The more ticks, the more
effective your revision is likely to be.
Am I always clear about why I am learning things?
Do I give myself rewards during revision?
Am I aware of how the information I am learning fits into the course as a whole?
Do I ever visualise myself achieving the outcome I want?
Do I have a suitable space and environment for revising?
Do I eat and drink sensibly during the revision period?
Do I have the resources I need for revision?
Do I have a method of testing myself?
Do I revise material more than once?
Am I free from interference when I want to revise?
Do I have enough breaks during revision?
Overall, how useful do I find my strategies for revision and is there anything I can do to improve?

Memory aids: Teachers’ notes

Rationale A range of memory aids exist to make recall easier. They work because they are
memorable due to their novelty. They can be outrageous, thematic or topical,
sequenced, alliterative, rhythmic, rhyming, or personalised. One well-known aid
is mnemonics. These use the first letters of a sequence of key words to
associate with the first letters of each word of a memorable phrase or sentence.
It needs to be borne in mind that recalling content is only one part of the revision
process - students also need to learn the necessary skills and techniques.
How to use The sheet is a simple introduction to the creation of memory aids. It could be
used with individual students or with students working in pairs or groups.
Teachers can go though the examples then give students something which has
to be learned and ask them to devise their own memory aids.
If teachers want to show the effectiveness of these approaches they could set up
a small experiment. All the members of a group are given the same information
to learn for a short recall test but only half the group are given training in memory
aids which they then apply to the information. The test results may reveal a
difference between the two groups.

Memory aids
Memory aids are devices or tricks for remembering facts or sequences. They work best if you
make them up yourself, if they are funny or outrageous or if they link to something else you know.
They do not have to be words - you can draw a picture if it helps.
Example 1: Memory aid

How can I remember which wire goes where in a plug?
The bLue wire goes to the Left and bRown wire goes to the Right
Example 2: Mnemonic
A mnemonic is a method of recalling a sequence of key words by associating the first letters of the
sequence with the first letters of each word of a memorable phrase or sentence.
How can I remember the order of the colours in a rainbow?
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
Richard of York gave battle in vain
Now try your own
Item to be remembered
Memory aid

Exam checklist: Teachers’ notes

Rationale It seems that the importance of examinations keeps growing. For most students
sound exam technique is a prerequisite for success.
Students need to be well prepared for exams and to be aware of good practice
once they are in the examination room.
How to use The checklist includes twenty pieces of good advice for students taking an
examination.
To involve students actively in the checklist, they could generate their own list of
exam tips through discussion in pairs or groups or through snowballing (see
pages 53-4). They could then compare it to the list here.

Exam checklist
Name ...............................................................................................................................................
The table below contains a list of ‘top tips’ for exam success. Which ones apply to you? See if you
are able to place a tick by each of these statements.

Before the exam
Put enough time aside for revision
Plan a good revision timetable and review it regularly
Revise in ways that you know suit the way you learn
Know the format of the paper
Know how questions will be worded
Know how long should be spent on each question
Make sure you know the meaning of key examiners’ instructions such as ‘Discuss’ and
‘Evaluate’
Check the regulations about what you can and cannot bring to the exam
Take some water with you to drink during the exam
Arrive in good time for the exam
In the exam
Read the instructions on the paper carefully before starting
Read each question carefully before starting your answer
Answer the questions set, not the ones you want
Allocate time to each question according to the marks available
Don’t write the question out, just its number
Plan longer answers on the answer paper - cross your rough plan out at the end
Use technical terms from the subject wherever appropriate
Try to write as accurately as possible – use sentences, paragraphs and punctuation
Don’t panic – if you get stuck, take some deep breaths and go back to the question
Keep an eye on the time
Read through answers for mistakes
After the exam

Avoid too much discussion about the exam – there is nothing you can do!

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 9: Checklists for reflective teachers
Introduction
Checklists for reflective teachers
The aim of this section is to provide starting points for teachers who want to review and improve
their teaching. The checklists focus on different aspects of teaching: presentation of new material,
quality of feedback, questioning techniques, quality of written resources, classroom environment
and effectiveness of homework.
They can be used by any teacher on their own initiative or could form the basis of a peer-
observation or discussion of current practice.

Section 9
Checklists for reflective teachers
45. Am I presenting new material effectively? 107-108
46. Am I providing good feedback? 109-110
47. Do my questions encourage higher-order 111-112

thinking?
48. How good are my written resources? 113-114
49. Is my classroom a good learning 115-116

environment?
50. Am I setting effective homework? 117-118

Am I presenting new material effectively?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale Teaching can be thought of in three-stages: present, apply and review. In many
classrooms the presentation phase involves the teacher doing lots of work and
the students being very passive. However, it is possible to include challenging
goals and relevant feedback for students as part of this presentation stage, with
the result that teaching and learning are both enhanced. Petty (2006) suggests
that there are three approaches to this:
1. Using conventional teaching methods more effectively. He advocates the

following sequence: check prior learning, set goals relevant to the learning of
new material, explain the new material, moving from what is known to what is
unknown (to include dialogue and checking of understanding), then check that
goals have been achieved.
2. Teaching by asking (instead of teaching by telling).
3. Teaching without talking using resources that explain the topic.
How to use The checklist can be used to help identify areas that teachers might develop in
the future and to reassure teachers that they are presenting new material in ways
that are likely to maximise learning.
It could be used as part of a process of self- or peer-assessment of lessons or

parts of lessons.

Am I presenting new material effectively?

Answer the following questions with reference to the way in which you introduce and present new
material to students
When presenting new material do I:  ? 

Provide ground rules for activities?
Check on prior learning?
Make sure introductory resources are at a suitable reading level?
Set students goals at the outset?
Check that these goals have been achieved?
Move from what is known to the unknown?
Provide opportunities for dialogue?
Actively involve students?
Check understanding?
Provide supportive feedback?
Consider organisation of the room?
Consider allocating different roles to students?
Use activities that involve reasoning as well as reproduction?
Emphasise the key points?
Comments/ideas

Am I providing good feedback?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale The most effective feedback is formative in nature - that is it provides the ideas
and guidance which students need to improve their work and supports them as
autonomous learners who are responsible for their own progress. Formative
assessment plays a crucial role in learning (Hattie et al. 1996).
The best examples of formative assessment take account of:
• Different intelligences and learning styles (see pages 9-10).

• The benefits of rewarding effort as well as achievement.
• The amount of learning that has occurred rather than the performance.
• The need to motivate in order to promote self-esteem and learning.
• The fact that formative assessment should be only part of an overall teaching
and learning policy (Clarke, 2005).
The templates provided in the section on Feedback (see pages 73-84) will
provide support for teachers keen to develop their approach to formative
assessment.
How to use The checklist allows teachers to reflect on their use of formative assessment. It
should assist in the identification of areas to develop as well as providing
reassurance about existing approaches to providing feedback.

Am I providing good feedback?

 ? 
Purpose of feedback
Am I clear about what I am assessing?
Do I provide feedback on the process of learning as well as the product?
Do I provide feedback on the development of study skills?
Student involvement
Do I make students aware of the criteria for assessment?
Do I allow thinking time when questioning?
Do I ask open as well as closed questions?
Do I create a supportive atmosphere where students are confident to make

mistakes and take risks?
Do I provide feedback on progress during lessons?
Do students have the opportunity to improve their work?
Peer- and self-assessment

Do I help students learn how to self-assess?
Do I help students learn how to peer-assess?
Do I provide templates for use when self- and peer-assessing?
Type of feedback
Am I conscious of my non-verbal feedback?
Do I avoid grading every piece of work?
Is my feedback specific about how to make improvements?
Is my feedback specific about successes?
Do I make clear links between my feedback and learning objectives?
Do I avoid empty praise?
Institutional context
Is my use of assessment monitored and reviewed by myself and colleagues?
Is my marking supported by and in line with an overall feedback policy?
Comments/ideas

Do my questions encourage higher-order

thinking?
Teachers’ notes
Rationale For most students, talking about the subject is an essential element of effective
learning. This means that the use and development of vocabulary is a powerful
tool for empowering students. As language develops, so does the ability to
understand and undertake more complex tasks. Smith (1998) suggests that
students move through a hierarchy of learning which can be characterised as
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and synthesis. At
each stage of the hierarchy the language used and the level of thinking required
becomes more complex. To support the upper levels of this hierarchy, teachers
need to use questions which are of a higher order than those used lower down
the hierarchy.
How to use The checklist can be completed by the teacher alone or in discussion (perhaps
after a lesson observation). Think of the different questions asked, either as
spoken questions or in the form of tasks or instructions.
All the questions on the checklist are higher-order questions, so the more ticks,
the more often higher-order questions are being asked.
Some questions in the checklist are taken from Heacox (2002).

Do my questions encourage higher-order

thinking?
Do I use the following kinds of questions?  ? 
Clarification questions
What is meant by ........................................................................................ ?
What are the big ideas in ............................................................................ ?
How does................................relate to....................................................... ?
What is the main problem with .................................................................... ?
Can you explain .......................................................................................... ?
Checking assumptions
What assumptions are being made?
Describe some viewpoints on this
Is this always the case?
In what ways might these arguments be biased?
To what extent can we rely on this information?
Providing reasons and evidence
What evidence is there for........................................................................... ?
Why do you agree/disagree?
How could we find out?
How much support is there for .................................................................... ?
How strong is the evidence for .................................................................... ?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments?
Viewpoints
Why do some people think .......................................................................... ?
What evidence do people use to argue that ................................................ ?
Give a counterargument to the idea that .......................................................
Explain the opposite view to your own opinion
What would you do if ..................................................................... and why?
What would ........................................................... do in the circumstances?
Implications and consequences
What might have happened if...................................................................... ?
What would have been the consequences of .............................................. ?
Were there alternatives to ........................................................................... ?
How could this outcome have been changed?
What difference would it have made if......................................................... ?
Predictions
What is likely to happen if ........................................................................... ?
What are the possible outcomes of ............................................................. ?
Evaluate the evidence to predict

How good are my written resources?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale The focus for this checklist is on written resources such as worksheets, reading
materials, presentations and documents. It is a checklist for many aspects of
good practice on differentiation, learning styles, readability, student motivation
and the provision of positive formative feedback.
How to use The checklist could be used as part of a teacher’s self-reflection or could be the
focus for peer-observation or review by a colleague. Areas which are not ticked
probably need to be addressed by a change of approach and/or a change of
policy. Further useful information on resources can be found in Holloway, 2004.

How good are my written resources?

 ? 
Content
Do my written resources:
Contain appropriate material for the specification or curriculum?
Contain material at a reading level appropriate for the group?
Contain clear and concise instructions?
Contain a variety of activities to suit the range of learning styles?
Include guidance on the time management of tasks?
Use active verbs and sentences?
Use concise Plain English?
Avoid upper-case text where possible?
Make the intended learning outcome clear?
Build in instructions and support?
Provide key points and summaries?
Present information in manageable ‘chunks’?
Make the sequence of knowledge and activity clear?
Define key terms in a glossary?
Link to material on display such as lists of key words?
Allow for formative feedback?
Address health and safety issues where appropriate?
Presentation
Do my written resources:
Number pages and paragraphs for easy reference?
Use a sans serif font of 12 points or larger?
Minimise the use of italics?
Emphasise key terms?
Avoid hand-written text?
Contain interesting images to support text?
for Powerpoint use a sans serif font of at least 30 points?
for Powerpoint include no more than six bullet points per page?
Access
Are my resources:
Accessible before the lesson?
Accessible outside the classroom?
Available in fonts of different sizes?
Available on different coloured paper?
Comments/ideas

Is my classroom a good learning environment?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale The classroom is where most teaching and learning takes place. To be a good
learning environment for all students, a classroom should reflect the ideas and
principles of effective teaching and learning.
The checklist here is based on the ideas of Smith et al. (2003), Clarke (2005)
and Ginnis (2002). The main focus is the physical environment of the classroom
rather than the teaching and learning interactions which are dealt with throughout
the rest of this book.
How to use Areas which are not answered positively may need consideration. This may
require some expenditure or institutional change although many of the features
on the list are free or relatively inexpensive to implement. Any questions
answered with a question mark should be followed by an attempt to find out –
this may involve setting up a focus group or discussion with students.

Is my classroom a good learning environment?

Layout  ? 
Do all students have a clear view of the teacher and board/screen?
Do students and staff have enough space?
Is the layout flexible and easily changed for different activities?
Environment
Is air quality good?
Is the temperature appropriate?
Is the lighting appropriate?
Is the décor suitable?
Is the room free of inappropriate external noise?
Is noise absorption within the room good e.g. is it carpeted?
Are issues of health and safety addressed properly?
Equipment and resources

Is there equipment for using music to aid learning?
Does the room contain appropriate equipment and resources to meet the
needs of all students?
Styles of learning
Does the room facilitate all styles of learning?
Does the room show evidence of student initiative and autonomy?
Relationships
Does the room show ground rules agreed by students?
Is the room used to give students the ‘big picture’ of their learning?
Is there evidence that students are assisted with organisation and time
management?
Is the classroom a place where it is possible for students to engage in
independent learning?
Display
Are there lively and relevant displays?
Do displays reflect student work?
Is display used to challenge students?
Do displays promote equality of opportunity?
Do displays reinforce positive behaviours and messages?

Am I setting effective homework?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale Homework is such a widespread feature of the education system that it is almost
taken for granted. However, research shows that homework is not always
effective at enhancing learning so its use needs to be regularly reviewed. Muijs
and Reynolds (2005) provide an accessible summary of the evidence on the
effectiveness of homework and this is reflected in the checklist.
Evidence suggests that homework is less effective for younger students. In the
lower primary level, homework may be completely ineffective and in upper
primary should probably never exceed 20 minutes per day. The effectiveness of
homework improves at secondary level but even in the upper years should
probably not exceed 90 minutes per day.
How to use The checklist contains a list of questions about those aspects of homework that
are thought to be most strongly linked to effectiveness. Teachers should reflect
on their use of homework and answer the questions to identify areas of good
practice and areas for improvement.

Am I setting effective homework?

 ? 
Purpose
Am I always clear about the purpose of the homework?
Do I avoid setting homework as punishment?
Homework and curriculum

Is homework integrated into the lesson and/or topic?
Does homework reinforce the main curriculum ideas?
Level and type of task

Is the homework appropriate to the age and maturity of the students?
Is homework challenging but achievable?
Is homework suitably differentiated?
Organisation
Are students encouraged to use a homework planner to organise their work?
Are students encouraged to indicate the time spent on the homework?
Are there consequences for students who do not attempt the homework?
Is homework in line with any institution-wide approach/policy?
Is support for homework available outside lessons?
The environment for homework

Can I be sure that students have an adequate home environment for
homework?
Is homework often linked to everyday life and student experience?
Do I provide opportunities for parental feedback?
Quality of feedback
Is feedback provided swiftly?
Is feedback formative?
Comments/ideas

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Bibliography
Bibliography
Allinson, C.W. and Hayes, J. (1988) The Learning Styles Questionnaire: an alternative to Kolb's
inventory? Journal of Management Studies, 25, pp. 269-281
Ausubel, D. P., Novak, J. and Hanesian, H. (1968) Education Psychology: A cognitive view. New
York: Holt Rhinehart and Winston
Black, P. and William, D. (1998) Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. London: Kings College School of Education
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B. and William, D. (2003) Assessment for Learning:
Putting it into practice. Buckingham: Open University Press
Buzan, T. (1991) The Mind Map Book. New York: Penguin
Clarke, S. (2005) Formative Assessment in the Secondary Classroom. London: Hodder Murray
Coffield, F. J., Moseley, D. V., Hall, E. and Ecclestone, K. (2004) Should we be using learning
styles? What research has to say to practice. London: Learning and Skills Research
Centre/University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Dweck, C. (1999) Self-Theories: Their role in motivation, personality and development. Psychology
Press: Philadelphia
Fogarty, R. (2002) Brain Compatible Classrooms (2nd Edition). Illinois: Skylight Professional
Development
Ginnis, P. (2002) The Teacher’s Toolkit. Carmarthen: Crown House Publishing
Hattie, J., Biggs, J. and Purdie, N. (1996) Effects of learning skills interventions on student
learning: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 66.2: 99-136
Hattie, J. (2004) Factors that Influence Children’s Learning: Results from a study involving 500
meta-analyses. Presentation at ESRC Seminar Series: Knowledge and Skills for Learning to
Learn, Newcastle UK, 08/07/2004
Heacox, D. (2002) Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis: Free Spirit
Publishing
Herrmann, N. (1996) The Whole Brain Business Book. New York McGraw-Hill
Holloway, J. (2004) Hidden Disabilities: The Teaching Kit. Lewes: Connect Publications
Holloway, J. (2006) Mental Health Issues: The Teaching Kit. Lewes: Connect Publications
Hughes, M. (2001) Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap. Stafford: Network Educational Press
Marzano, R., Pickering, D. and Pollock, J. (2001) Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria,
Virginia: ASCD
Muijs, D. and Reynolds, D. (2005) Effective Teaching: Evidence and Practice. London: Sage
Petty, G. (2005) Teaching Today: A practical guide, 3rd edition. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes
Petty, G. (2006) Evidence Based Teaching. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes
Smith, A. (1996) Accelerated Learning in the Classroom. Stafford: Network Educational Press
Smith, A. (1998) Accelerated Learning in Practice. Stafford: Network Educational; Press
Smith, A., Lovatt, M. and Wise, D. (2003) Accelerated Learning: A User’s Guide. Stafford: Network
Educational Press

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50 templates for improving teaching and learning

Author Nigel Fisher

Author dedication Thanks to Jakki

Design and editorial Peter Langley

British Library in Publication Data

Connect Publications Ltd.

How to use these resources

However you use them, we hope they prove to be effective.

© Connect Publications 2007

Section 2: Setting the scene for learning

Section 3: Managing student presentations

Section 4: Effective group work

Section 5: Graphic organisers

© Connect Publications 2007

Section 6: Feedback and self-assessment

Section 7: Essays and longer pieces of writing

Section 9: Checklists for reflective teachers

© Connect Publications 2007

© Connect Publications 2007 1

1. Ice breaker 3-4

2. Interests and experiences 5-6

3. Ready to learn? 7-8

4. Learning styles 9-10

5. Study skills audit 11-12

6. Existing knowledge 13-14

© Connect Publications 2007 2

Ice breaker: Teachers’ notes

Has a French name Has been to France Likes quiche lorraine

Tom Sally Craig

© Connect Publications 2007 3

Time limit .........................................

Has lived in another country Hates chocolate Is in a band

Can yodel Has visited Eurodisney Likes dancing

Has a younger sister Plays the guitar Is an aunt or uncle

Has a first name with more Is a vegetarian Has visited Australia

Is interested in politics Has a teddy bear Can juggle

Is left handed Can wiggle their ears Likes vegetables

Likes Thai food Has a pet reptile Can remember a dream

Can swim ten lengths Has eaten snails Smiles a lot

© Connect Publications 2007 4

Interests and experiences: Teachers’ notes

© Connect Publications 2007 5

Interests and experiences

Of all the people who have ever lived, who

If you could do any job in the world, which

What is your favourite subject in school?

What is your least favourite subject in

In which subject do you work the hardest?

What are your favourite sports or games, if

Are you a member of any clubs, groups or

In a quiz, what would you choose as your

How much do you like using a computer for

In your opinion, what makes a good

What would you say is your greatest

If the next lesson could be about any topic

Do you have any career ideas at the

What is the most interesting place you’ve

What do you do in your spare time?

What would you say is the most interesting

Is there anything else about you that you

© Connect Publications 2007 6

Ready to learn? Teachers’ notes