Exciting Starters and Plenaries

Starter        

Recipe: Lets cook a new dish (lesson)

I used a very exciting starter Recipe in my maths lesson for teaching Measuring Distances. To check clarity of student’s prior knowledge about different measurements and their units I found this starter activity the most appropriate one.

I set an atmosphere for the starter by addressing my students as chefs. Then I introduced the activity saying that they have to write all the ingredients (units of measurements) on their mini whiteboards. Then I asked them to differentiate them according to the recipe of dish (specific measurement) they can make. They efficiently sorted out all the units as Weight, Length and Volume. Then I asked them to think of the utensils (tools/ scales) they can use to prepare this recipe. They named scales for all the measuring weight, length and volume.

It built up a smooth an enjoyable beginning for the whole lesson. All the students were very attentive and excited to participate.

On asking how they liked cooking a satisfying lesson they all gave very positive feedback.

Direct Questioning From the Chefs (students)

Showing student's work

Sorting out Ingredients (units of measurements)

Measuring objects as development activity

Plenary

Pictionary: Let the pictures say what you understood

I used Pictionary for one of the PSCHEE lessons on Dreams and Aspirations. Students were asked to draw pictures of what they aspire to become in future. The pictures students drew were self-explanatory. All the students took part in it with great interest and presented their work in front of the class.

One of the students' displaying her pictionary

Excited about her aspiration drawn on paper