Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Geography

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Geography are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Topic Lesson Plan
Investigating our local area Where is it in relation to other places?
Weather around the world Plan a holiday in a cold place. Locate on a map, how will you get there, what is it like, what will you take with you, what activities could you do that you couldn't do in a hot place (skiing etc.) Children to then design a tourist leaflet for that place, or invitation to a family member to come with them.
How can we improve the area we can see from our window? Draw/label what the view from your window (in school?) will be like in the future.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Year 5 and Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for History

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 5 and 6 History are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Topic Lesson Plan
What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain? Key influence on children's lives in Victorian times was Dr Barnardo. He raised over £3m to establish a network of Homes to rescue children from the streets, more than 60,000 in his time. Gave them care and life skills training. Homes has not existed before. Empathise with a child on the streets (orphaned, excluded from home because of poverty/disability) and write to Dr Barnardo thanking him and telling him what differences it has made to your life. Children lived in Homes with other children, and also went to live in Homes with families, like the foster care we see today. What legacy has Barnardo left for modern Britain?
How did life change in our locality in Victorian times? Depends on your locality! If there's a major railway, then probably easiest to use that – how did the railway affect the wealth of the locality (trade.)
How has life in Britain changed since 1948? Write extract from a diary of your mother/grandmother as a child, include pastimes and reference to music, then write your own typical diary entry for a night.
Who were the ancient Greeks? Find information in a resource book on the Greek gods. Read aloud to children information on different gods, their symbols and their responsibilities in the world. Children to create a new Greek god specifically for modern day, draw and describe.
How do we use ancient Greek ideas today? Look at Greek language origins, prefixes and suffixes geo-, -ology, photo-, phon-, tech-, and -phobia and their meanings.
How can we find out about the Indus Valley civilisation? Children may be studying other non-European societies such as Aztecs. Ideograms: symbol in picture-writing representing idea of thing; any symbol universally recognised like emoticons they may use on MSN Messenger. Indus Valley people had an ideogram of a . Draw simple designs on board and ask children to vote for what they think it could represent. Look here: http://www.bl.uk/cgi-bin/ideogram1.cgi for ideas based on Chinese characters.
What were the effects of Tudor exploration? Effects are positive and negative (tobacco, racism, war, potatoes, maize, more accurate maps.) Children could write a poem: Life Without Potatoes!
What can we learn about recent history from studying the life of a famous person? John Lennon/Lady Diana what can we learn about music/the media/promotions/fashion/public sympathies from the lives of these people?

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 3 and Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for History

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 3 and 4 History are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Topic Lesson Plan
Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Roman case study. Find a description of Boudicca in more than one book. Read to children and note similarities/differences (question why they might contradict each other) and then children to draw Boudicca and write a paragraph on what sort of person she might be… write it from two different points of view if more able, a centurions and a Celt being invaded.
Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? An Anglo-Saxon case study. Present an artefact (photo/muddy a pot during lunchtime) and ask children to write questions that they would ask the owner. The artefact was found in the grave at Sutton Hoo, so it may tell us a lot about the Anglo-Saxons. If there were an AS in the room, what would they ask about the artefact, that would help them to understand further what life was like then. Most important here is historical enquiry, what 'could' we find out from these objects, make a list of questions. You can hot seat at the end pretending you're an AS and tell the children about your life if you're comfortable with the topic.
Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Viking case study. Explain that most religions state an obligation to help the poor and destitute. In Anglo-Saxon times, there lived monks, in monasteries. People gave treasures to the monks, and the monks stored food for the poor. Why would monasteries be a good place for Vikings to raid? Children to draw a cartoon strip of Vikings raiding a monasteries (monks do not fight back) including showing their 'loot'.
Why did Henry VIII marry six times? Write an extract from Henry VIII's diary. He spent his days hunting, going to church, having huge meals with umpteen courses, listening to and performing music. Ask them then to write an extract from the diary of one of his servant's children (who would also be working in the palace!)
What were the differences between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times? Explore reasons why some people were rich and others were poor in Tudor times, compare with why people are rich and poor today. Look at attitudes to rich and poor then and now. There were almshouses then, but laws against begging etc., the poor were punished.
What was it like for children in the Second World War? Write a letter from a parent to an evacuated child, describing the Blitz, or write a letter to a parent from an evacuated child, describing the countryside (Goodnight Mr Tom etc., if there's a copy in the classroom)
What can we find out about ancient Egypt from what has survived? Egyptians believe in life after death, and buried their people with objects that could help them in the next life, and would also show what their social standing was in this life – they are almost like time capsules of a persons life at one point in time. Draw/write about what you would put in a time capsule for your life/David Beckham's life (for example!) Be sensitive, some children may be coming to terms with a recent death.
What was it like to live here in the past? Write open-ended questions that you would ask an elderly resident about life in your locality in the past. Go back further and write questions for people who have since died (Victorians etc.) How do these questions differ and why?

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for Science

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 6 Science are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Topic Lesson Plan
Interdependence and adaptation Food chains: always starts with the producer, a plant, and keep the consumers in the same habitat. Ask which are prey/predator. Draw/label 3 food chains.
Micro-organisms Mouldy food: what is mould? Micro-organisms which are too small to be seen individually. Table different methods that are used in supermarkets/in the home to preserve food. How do we store food to help prevent decay/these micro-organisms growing?
Micro-organisms Produce a hygiene rules poster for the school canteen staff, after discussion about hygiene in the kitchen.
More about dissolving Present children with a table of results (fictitious but sensible) of length of time taken for clothes to dry on the washing line at different times of the day/year. Ask children first of all to predict and explain predictions, and then they are to present results on a graph. (This isn't obviously about dissolving, but within this unit they must plan fair test, repeat observations and evaluate, representing data on graphs and interpreting!) Show different items of clothes, and ask children to reason why socks though smaller than T-shirts, took longer to dry whatever the time. (Materials.)
Reversible and irreversible changes Give children a list of materials which can be mixed with water. Children to classify in a table those that can't be separated, those they would filter and those they would separate by evaporation. Centrifugal force introduction for more able?
Forces in action Make a spinner, two paper strips 10cm x 2cm, joined with 1 paperclip and time the fall (from a decent height!) Ask children to predict whether it will fall more quickly/slowly with different lengths of wings. Work through whole experiment, fair test, results, graph, conclusion.
Forces in action Make a spinner, two paper strips 10cm x 2cm, joined with 1 paperclip and time the fall (from a decent height!) Ask children to predict whether it will fall more quickly/slowly with different numbers of paperclips (weight). Work through whole experiment, results, graph, conclusion.
How we see things How light travels. Design a system by which you could see round corners, secret agent!
Changing circuits Draw a number of circuits on the board for the children to say if they will/will not work, and explain. Visit blogz circuits and work through activities, if you have access to a computer with Flash.
Enquiry in environmental and technological contexts Post SATs stuff for Year 6! Ask the children to create a scientific question, give them examples, that they then can plan how to answer. Plan the whole experiment, time scales, equipment needed, predictions. Focus on making sure it is a fair test and how to make absolutely certain that their investigations will actually answer their question, rather than a spin-off idea. Example lines of enquiry: how to make my light come on when I enter my house? (Pressure switches in circuits) Does the level of exposure to sunlight through the year affect the autumnal colour of a leaf? These questions will not be answered in your lesson! They are planning units, making children think about all factors and differentials in an investigation.

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 5 Emergency Lesson Plans for Science

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 5 Science are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Topic Lesson Plan
Keeping healthy Design a poster which shows children alternatives to unhealthy snacks, and which promotes exercise too.
Life cycles Seed dispersal, what properties does a seed need to have to be dispersed by wind/animal/water/explosion?
Gases around us Evaporation: why do people hang their clothes on the line on a sunny day? Hang them on the radiator, put them in the tumble dryer? What has happened to the water? Where did it go? Explore children's ideas and help annotate drawings.
Changing state Reversible changes: what can we melt/freeze to make a solid/liquid/gas change state, but then let the temperature return to normal and the s/l/g will revert too? Water/wax… what can we not do this with? Eggs/clay (fired in kiln)
Earth, sun and moon The Moon orbits the Earth, but it also revolves around the Earth. As it is orbiting as well as revolving, we always see the same side of the moon, we never see the 'far side'. What different shapes of moon have you seen? What causes it to appear to change shape?
Changing sounds Recorders out! Explain that sounds are made air vibrating and the space that the air vibrates in is very important. Ask children to experiment with recorders how to change the pitch of the sound, and how that relates to the space in which the air can vibrate. Give one recorder per group of four/five!

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for Science

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 4 Science are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Lesson Plans for Year 4 Science

Topic Lesson Plan
Moving and growing Work on how important it is to warm up muscles before exercise. Explain how muscles help us to move, then demonstrate a cold muscle (blue-tac, when cold it tears) and a warmed-up muscle using an elastic band. Children write up with illustrations in their books. Do some simple warm-up exercises with them in class.
Habitats Hazardous Habitats: Imagine animals in the wrong habitat, how long could they stay there for without doing serious damage to themselves/others in the environment? Elephant in a pond, human in the desert, fish in the jungle.
Keeping warm Survey of items in your house which help to keep things warm, keep things cool. Differences in your summer clothes and your winter clothes, look at head gear and what difference there is in the use of a cap and a wooly hat.
Solids, liquids and how they can be separated Adding solids to water: imagine! Give children a list of solids in a table and they have to decide whether or not the solid will sink/dissolve/be easy to extract/change and of it's properties. E.g. custard powder, gravy granules (look at temperature of water, keep it a fair test!), soap (look at time in a fair test too), a stone, a coin, a tea bag, tea leaves (look at effect on the water with all.)
Friction Using friction: investigate ways in which we need to control the level of friction so that it is useful, think of tread on tyres, on shoes, playground slides, goal keeper's gloves, shoe laces, ice-skating.
Circuits and conductors Where do we find electricity in the classroom? How are we insulated from it? What materials are used and why? What if the material was changed? Do you know what would happen if we used wool instead? There's a very useful activity on BBC Science Clips (google it!)

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Science

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Science are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

 

Topic Lesson Plan
Teeth and eating Look at what different animals eat and predict what type of teeth they have (incisors for cutting into meat, molars for grinding plants.)
Helping plants grow well Which foods come from plants? Look at ones which aren't obvious, such as cereal/grains.
Characteristics of materials Give children a list of materials and explore their properties. Ask them to choose an object, i.e. ruler, and write (perhaps a table?) what it is made from, and how fit for purpose it would be made from different materials you have looked at.
Rocks and soils Using rocks, can they spot where rock has been used in their school? Stone steps etc. can they think why rock isn't used in other places (refer to previous topic on characteristics of materials), and suggest other ways in which rock could be used (liken to The Flintstones, if it's still on TV!) Rock for a bed? Wheels?
Magnets and springs Give all children an elastic band and after they have investigated its properties, ask them to think of 5 different ways in which it could be used. Explain/show what a spring is and look at their five uses, question whether or not a spring would be more appropriate.
Light and shadows Investigate light (from OHP/IWB?) and it's effect on different materials. Density of shadows formed through cloth, paper, wood etc. Light acting upon materials, does it change the colour? Look carefully! Paint (arghh!) a spectrum of colours seen on one object with varying amounts/qualities of light shone on it.

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

 

Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 6 Numeracy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Block A – Counting, partitioning and calculating

  • Addition and subtraction of decimals (use money – they relate well to it usually!)
  • Ordering, partitioning and rounding decimals. Find decimals by first dividing numbers on a calculator by non-factors.
  • Positive and negative numbers, thermometer, temperature around the world/around the year.
  • Using a calculator (got any?) take them through your day, shop for clothes, shop for meals, tell them your budget to start with, get them to warn you when you're getting close, and can you afford the pair of shoes in the next shop?
  • Logical shape patterns, draw e.g. circle, triangle, square, circle on the board, and get them to predict next three symbols, then do more complex ones, start with triangle (3 edges) and go up 1 edge each time, double the number of corners each time, then colour code them, do shape and colour different pattern to challenge (circle, triangle, square, but red, red, blue, green, so it takes a while for the pattern to be seen properly as they may associate the colour with the shape to start with.

Block B – Securing number facts, understanding shape

  • Revise multiples and factors. Introduce prime numbers and prime factors. Look at tests of divisibility for 10, 100, 1000, 2, 3, 5, see if the children can work out 6 and 9 from this knowledge, and try 4.
  • How would the children work out * and / of decimals mentally? Look at know facts from tables, and apply.., give lots of exercise on applying known facts i.e. 5.6 / 8 = 0.7
  • Look at patterns within shapes… internal angles, external angles, can they find patterns? Helps with Logo!
  • Give the children dice, and in pairs ask to throw 2 fifty times and keep a tally of sum of two faces. Ask first to write a prediction of which number will be the mode and what the average number will be. Stop after 20 or so throws and ask them to check if their predictions are on the right tracks. Present graph and explanation of results, as if Science test, how was it a fair test, was your prediction right, equipment needed, conclusion etc.
  • Naming 2-D quadrilaterals: rhombus, parallelogram, trapezium and kite/delta. Look at irregular polygons and name those too.

Block C – Handling data and measures

  • Probability: Children to make up predictions, it will rain tomorrow, England will win the World Cup, a dodo will be found wandering on the beach down the road, and place them on a scale of probability… use language first, never, unlikely, even chance, l
  • Mode (most common) median (the one in the middle if they're all lined up in order), range and mean (another word for average) of number of hours spent in front of TV/book a week, put onto a pie chart.
  • Children have 1p, 2p and 5p pieces, can they make all the numbers up to 20p with them? Present as an experiment, question, prediction, equipment, results, conclusion.
  • Conversion of metric units, 1.23km to m to cm, l to ml, g to mg etc.
  • Give children a table of data, results from a science experiment, perhaps height of sunflowers grown in different conditions. Children to present an appropriate graph of results, then answer questions on it… include misleading data, i.e. sunflower with no water grown to 2.3m, and ask what this might be (23cm, or mix up with another children sunflower etc.)

Block D – Calculating, measuring and understanding shape

  • Mental and written methods of HTU * TU, estimate and check very important, and can use a calculator for checking, but not estimating!
  • Imperial measurement, conversions to and from metric.
  • Drawing angles accurately. Draw some on board, not to scale, but roughly right shape, give children 2 lengths plus corresponding angle to draw to scale and accurately in their books.
  • Angle sums of triangles, explore with scalene too, angles around the outside. Total of internal and external angles around a point. Look at angles where one line cuts through another (# shape for example), including relationships, parallel lines etc.
  • Rotational symmetry, describing and drawing, start with regular polygons, hexagon etc., and move onto challenging them to draw a pattern with given rotational symmetry.

Block E – Securing number facts, relationships and calculating

  • Seduko! Honestly, I've seen it done for a whole hour with Year 6! Ok, try magic number squares instead. A 3 x 3 square, where each number 1 – 9 can only be used once, and all rows must add up to the same number, what number should they all add up to? Can you start with the 9 in different places? What do the corners add up to? Do the diagonals meet the objective? Can you use different numbers i.e. consecutive multiples of 3 to add to something else? Try all same with 4 x 4 square. Most importantly, children must work logically, predict, present findings and come to a conclusion/find a rule.
  • Fractions frenzy, revise with them whatever you do to the top, you do to the bottom, for finding equivalent fractions, or divide by the denominator and multiply by the numerator for finding fractions of numbers/quantities and give them loads of word problems. Some children, especially girls (I'll reference that one day, I'm not being funny!) like to do pages and pages of systematic work, and see lots of ticks at the end of it!
  • Ditto above with percentages.
  • Simplifying fractions… find lowest denominator, or lowest common denominator, or lowest common multiple of sets of fractions, so that you can put them in order, place fractions along a number line, use a calculator to find e.g. 5/8 as a decimal so you can place it on a number line.
  • Proportion problems: maps to scale, find real distances, give a recipe that make 12 cakes and ask for ingredients working out which makes 16 instead.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Year 5 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 5 Numeracy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Block A – Counting, partitioning and calculating

  • Using a calculator if you can find them/enough. Mental methods of adding 9, 19, 11, 31. Written methods of adding/subtracting decimals (use calculator to check only, or estimate mentally, use calculator, then check using written methods.)
  • Ordering, partitioning and rounding decimals. Find decimals by first dividing numbers on a calculator by non-factors.
  • Story board, one-two-step problems involving measures (Noah's Ark? weights of food needed, distance travelled in a day etc.)
  • Look at 11 x and 12 x table, notice any patterns, past 100 too?
  • Written methods (grid/Napier's bones? Russian?) of HTU x U, U.t x U and/or HUTE / U.

Block B – Securing number facts, understanding shape

  • Addition and subtraction of decimals (use money – they relate well to it usually!)
  • Mental recall of sums/differences/double and halves (of decimals too)
  • Look at common multiples of various factors. Translate to LCM in fractions if able, 1/3 and 1/4 can be converted to 4/12 and 3/12, show physically cake/bar of chocolate cutting on board.
  • Sort a set of data using a Venn Diagram, and/or a Carroll Diagram, be careful not to confuse the two.
  • Using a calculator to check sums you have written on board (write ten on board, using brackets? and get about half wrong!) Children to estimate first.

Block C – Handling data and measures

  • Probability: Children to make up predictions, it will rain tomorrow, England will win the World Cup, a dodo will be found wandering on the beach down the road, and place them on a scale of probability… use language first, never, unlikely, even chance, likely, certain, but then divide numerically, 0% chance – 100% chance.
  • Find the mode: most often! Collect data from classroom, can be words (favourite author, science topic) to start, but then onto figures (month 1-12 in which born, house number etc.) Represent in frequency table, pictogram, bar/line graph and find the mode.
  • Give children a set of data, hidden in story perhaps, or include irrelevant information at least, and ask them to interpret/organise into chart/table form, ready to answer your questions (the difference, the range, total, how many more if, etc.) then ask them to create two questions to ask rest of class.
  • Estimating length of objects around the classroom, or go and collect a few different leaves, and estimate their lengths (place in length order first). Measure in cm.
  • Give set of measurements (relate to children's lives) and ask to convert to another unit of measure, i.e. shoe 18.9cm, to mm, can of Coke 330ml, to l.

Block D – Calculating, measuring and understanding shape

  • 24-hour clock: introduce, show how to convert, then convert meaningful times to the children (waking, start of school, etc.)
  • Give children a number sentence, in which you have included brackets, show how they must calculate the brackets first, set out clearly, and ask them to work through more examples.
  • Parallel and perpendicular: investigate/draw/classify shapes according to these newly learnt terms.
  • Have you got protractors? Estimating, measuring and drawing given angles.
  • Angles on a straight line… cut the line with a perpendicular on, then investigate lines cutting it at different angles (will have 4 angles, 2 pairs.)
  • Coordinates: draw a map (theme park? treasure island? perfect school?) on the board, label the lines, not the spaces, slowly introduce coordinates in the spaces (2.5, 3) or (25, 30).
  • Pattern in translation: cut a square, cut a piece out of it, and place it on the parallel side, translate shape. Children to create their own.
  • Pattern in reflection: mirrors? Use hypothetical line of symmetry, reflect below, can they also reflect their simple shape to left and to right?
  • Areas and/or perimeters of regular/irregular polygons, start with quadrilaterals, move onto two rectangles making an L shape.

Block E – Securing number facts, relationships and calculating

  • Written/mental methods of up to HTU / U and TU.t * U
  • Number machine: firstly give input and operation (6 goes in, machine *2, children to answer 12 is the output) change operation, then give input, and output, children to work through all 4 operations finding possible functions. Explain to children concept of scales on maps, draw simple representation on board, children use function machine idea to generate actual distances on your scaled map.
  • Equivalent fractions, fractions of cake/pizza/egg boxes that are equivalent, look at patterns in equivalent fractions 'number line' and relation to times tables i.e. 1/2, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8. This has been done earlier in KS1, so quickly move onto non-unit fractions, 3/4 = 6/8 etc.
  • Percentages: first introduction to percentages maybe, so look at meaning (% is out of 100, recognise division line in symbol %) 100% as whole, 50% as half, 25% and 75%. Look at how to find simple percentages of shapes to begin with, then numbers/quantities if they've got it, esp. % mentioned above, and moving onto 10%, then multiply by 4 to find 40% etc.
  • Investigate connections between fractions and percentages, 1/2 of 360 = 50% of 360, etc. You write fraction question, they write equivalent percentage question etc. Then challenge them to work them out.
  • 1 and 2 step word problems including decimals (use money, they relate well to it!)

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 4 Numeracy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Block A – Counting, partitioning and calculating

  • Mentally add/subtract pairs of 2 digit numbers, investigate methods used as a table/class. Teach a written method on adding/subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers, £.p included. Give word problems to which they can then apply this method.
  • Invite children to call out numbers between 11 and 99/999 (4 digit numbers) and write on the board. Firstly get the children to read them out loud to a partner, then cover them up, you read them, and ask the children to write them in digits/letters, reveal the numbers and ask the children to order them, carry on partitioning them or rounding them, or repeat above activities with different sets of numbers.
  • Go through story of temperature through your day, (in winter!) introducing children to positive and negative numbers on a number line (thermometer), children to calculate rise and fall in temperature and write as number sentence.
  • Give children one and two-step word problems involving measures based on a recipe, you don't want to make one batch of scones, you want to make 1 and a half, or three batches etc., ask children to explain orally, then on paper, how they worked it out. Always estimate and check.
  • Work on multiplication tables to 10 * 10, work on 2-digit doubles and multiplying by 10 and 100. Children to demonstrate their written methods on the board for you, and then use these to answer questions in books. Also do division, discussing remainders in context of the question.

Block B – Securing number facts, understanding shape

  • Using a calculator if you can find them/enough. Sums and differences of multiples of 10, 100, 1000. Emphasis on estimating and checking mentally/on paper, and reading calculator carefully (many children miss the decimal point, give questions to highlight this!)
  • Draw a simple graph on the board, temperature in classroom through 24 hours perhaps, and ask children to solve 1 and 2-step word problems from it. Go through with them carefully how to first select important information, then choose an operation, estimate, work it out, then check it.
  • Properties of shapes: draw polygons on board, give a label: a, b, c, etc., and children must classify according to a set of criteria that they drew up with you (guide them to number of edges, number of lines of symmetry, number of vertices, parallel lines and right angles.)
  • Give children a number investigation, i.e. Gnome has a red, yellow and blue hat, red, yellow and blue jumper, and a red, yellow and blue pair of trousers. How many different combinations of clothes has he got? Can they estimate first?
  • Visualising 3-D shapes: draw a structure on the board using a given number of cubes such as multi-link, and children have to make the shape, and draw it in their books from front, bird's eye, below etc. Draw another shape using more cubes.

Block C – Handling data and measures

  • Comparing scales, draw timeline of school day, their life, and known historical periods. Look at impact of scales, try to add school day times to historical period scale.
  • Gather data using tally chart on number of siblings members of class have/number of hours spent watching TV/doing homework a night etc., and ask children to present not only as tally chart, but as a table/pictogram/bar chart.
  • Give children random facts relating to their current humanities topic (make sure they know they are fictitious and for the purpose of the lesson only) for example, how many legionnaires each centurion (give them names!) sent home with a cold in December 956AD or how many servants Henry VIII took with him on each of his different holidays, or how many climbers have scaled certain mountains) and ask them to organise the facts to present them as a table or graph. Present questions based on data, how many more did, how many in total, how many would there have been if…
  • Got access to the ICT suite? Whole class comfortable with collating data on the one board? Use Excel or equivalent to record data findings (see above.)
  • Sizing up your classroom: table with columns such as object, estimated length, estimated width, actual length, actual width, difference in estimated and actual for more able. Measure in cm and convert to mm.

Block D – Calculating, measuring and understanding shape

  • Addition and subtraction of 2-digit numbers mentally, warm-up, then written methods of 2- and 3-digit numbers, using measures and quantities i.e. £.p
  • Reading numbers from partly numbered scales… draw up on board and ask children to fill in the blanks on the first few, then give pointers for them to record the reading on the rest.
  • 1- and 2-step word problems involving 12-hour clock time intervals, am and pm.
  • Areas and/or perimeters of rectangles: draw them on the board, then do a table, rectangle A, length 20, width 4 etc.
  • Compass points, very kinesthetic lesson! Children to draw compass in their book and label, but not until you have labelled together points in the classroom (is there one painted on the playground?)
  • Learn the terms horizontal and vertical. Relate to real life, horizon, children to lie/stand themselves/their pencils/other object, as their peers instruct. Move onto describing positions on a grid, desert island, where is the shipwreck?
  • Consolidate written method of * or / the children have learnt, TU by U, look at remainders in context of question given.

Block E – Securing number facts, relationships and calculating

  • Equivalent fractions, fractions of cake/pizza/egg boxes that are equivalent, look at patterns in equivalent fractions 'number line' and relation to times tables i.e. 1/2, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8.
  • Mixed numbers: adding and subtracting them (with same denominator) after introducing.
  • Fractions of shapes/quantities: flags/stars/rectangles/circles (pizza/cake) or quantities: five children, £10, 1/5 of £10 to see how much they can have each to spend at the cinema. Worded problems.
  • Money problems, 2-step: Given £10 to spend, would like to buy 3 x £2.75 books, what change do you have?
  • Ratio and proportion: Word problems, to be written as organised number sequences etc. by children: if for every blue marble Joe had, Shirley had 2 green ones, how many green ones does Shirley have if Joe has 8 blue ones? Increase numbers, children to find a rule, how to work it out.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index