Placemats

They are not just for dining

Are you ready for a new tool to help you set the table for higher achievement with
your pupils?
A placemat set on each pupils desk top is just what you need. N0, not the kind your
mother or grandmother used to ensure the table would not be affected by the meal,
but a guide for study, a note taking tools, a place to practice skills, or a place to show
knowledge of content.

Activity

: Lets create your own Placemat

Teaching aids

: i-think tool pamphlet

(circle map),
Pictures of fruits,
Magazines, newspapers
Colour pencils, markers
Glue
Scissors

Laminating film

Procedure:

1) Presentation stage:

1) Teacher engages pupils in a discussion about the different types of fruits they like to eat at home.
2) Teacher asks pupils to complete the teaching and learning tool which is i-think tool
(Circle map).
3) Teacher guides pupils to describe the taste, textures, and smells of the fruits.

Rationale:
a) Enhance pupils understanding and memorizing
b) Aid pupils thinking process.
c) Engaging learners; pupils learn more when the stimulus is visual.

2) Practice stage:
1) Teacher invites pupils to talk about their mealtime routine, including how the meal is served, family members they enjoy meals with, and
how they help with mealtime and cleanup
2) Teacher tells pupils they are going to do a placemat today.
3) Teacher shows teachers placemat to pupils.
4) Pupils set out glue and pictures of fruits.
5) Teacher explains to pupils they will apply the pictures to the oak-tag to make their own place mats.

Rationale:
a) Place mat helps pupils to generate ideas and see the possibilities associated with the topic as the map grows.
b) Encouraging pupils to organize essential concepts and ideas.
c) Encouraging pupils to make decisions.(what they want to paste on their place mat)

3) Production stage:
1) Extend differentiation:
Enrichment :
Have pupils who need more of a challenge complete the Place mat. Their placemat will consist of the different types of fruits and
their characteristics.
Encourage them to help a friend who needs guidance.
Support:
Pair struggling pupils with pupils who have a good understanding of the concepts. Their placemat consist of the picture of fruits
and the name of the fruits chosen. (labeling)
2) Teacher laminates their placemats.
3) As they work, teacher goes around the class and facilitate if necessary.
4) Teacher creates the mealtime ritual to pass out the pupils place mat.
5) Before meal, teacher asks pupils to hold up each place mat.

Rationale:
a) Analytical, critical, planning and creative thinking skills are developed. To create the Place mat, the pupils has to identify the
relationships between items, examine the meanings attached to them, and prioritise the information and decide where each item
should be placed on the Place mat.
b) Pupils are more likely to become strategic learners.

Wishing to get more feedback from our pupils?

I created an area on a wall in my classroom I call the Parking Lot
Its a place where pupils can park their ideas, concerns, or questions
about every lesson.
Rationale:
To measure what concepts I need to reteach or just simply as a means
to get ideas for class.