http://outstandinglessons.wikispaces.

com/Starters+and+Plenaries Examples of starter activities

Noughts and crosses : An example of this can be found in the ATLAS materials published by Sheffield Hallam University,using planets as a theme. The basic rules are the same as for normal noughts and crosses;but the game is played by two teams,and a member of a team must answer a question before putting an O or an X in a space. Give me five things that are important about Round-the-room questions: Loop card game Word web : Compile a word web,which is a simple version of a concept map, sometimes called a spider diagram . Continuum: Establish an imaginary line across the front of the classroom. The two ends of the line represent totally opposed points of view. The teacher announces to the class,for example,When I stand here I think we should use nuclear energy ; the teacher then walks to the other end of the line and says, When I stand here I do not want us to use nuclear energy. Pupils are invited to stand on the continuum and to explain their reasons for the position they choose. Sequencing task : Give pupils the instructions for the day s practical activity cut up inside an envelope. The first task for pupils is to work in twos and threes to sort the instructions into a logical order. Show-me cards (or whiteboards): As the teacher asks a question,each pupil writes the answer on a card and then holds it against his or her chest so others cannot see. When asked to show me , pupils hold cards up for the teacher to see. Questions need to be prepared in advance and only a little thinking time offered before asking pupils to show me . Pace of delivery is important. Traffic lights: This is a variation of the show-me activity. Pupils have a red,an amber and a green card. The teacher asks a question and offers a possible answer. If pupils agree they hold up green,disagree red,are unsure amber. An alternative is to ask the question and then ask pupils to hold up green if they know

the answer,red if they do not know and amber if they are uncertain. The teacher then asks for responses and confirms the correct answer. Short captivating demonstration: This demonstration needs to have impact for example,the collapsing aluminium can. It can be followed by an open questionand-answer session during which pupils try to explain what they have seen. The lesson then progresses to investigate the phenomenon. Video clip: Show an exciting video clip after pupils have been asked to watch for specific points. A follow-up to this could be 10 questions based on the clip,which the pupils answer and mark immediately.(This can also be done with a clip from a CD-ROM viewed using a data projector.) Data :Interrogate some data or a graph to look for patterns.

Examples of plenary activities

Word splat: Pupils devise questions that can be answered by one of a dozen or so scientific words or terms on the board. The class is divided into two groups. One member of each group is invited to stand close to the board. The teacher chooses a pupil to ask their question. The pupil from the opposite team by the board must say the word and place their hand on it. A pupil who answers incorrectly chooses another member of their group to replace them at the board. Round-the-room questions: Loop card game Random round-the-room questions: A pupil chooses a number. The teacher counts around the room and asks the identified pupil a question. Freezeframeexercises: The class having discussed the life of a famous scientist,a pupil demonstrates a freeze frame of an episode in the scientist s life and the other pupils guess which episode it is. Imaginative ways to get pupils to ask each other questions: For example, pupils could make origami saltcellars.(Instructions are best provided face to face.) Snowball: Individual pupils write down what they have learnt from the day s lesson. They share this with a partner and then snowball to a four. Pupils are prepared to share one or two points with the whole class. Evidence for question: Pupils name evidence that they now have to answer a

question posed at the start of the day s lesson. Key words: Pupils make a glossary of the day s key words. Card match: Pupils sequence cards printed with,for example,instructions for testing a leaf for starch,and match each instruction with a separate card containing reasons for the procedure. Sequence sort: Pupils do only the first part of the card match as described above. Pupil reporters: The teacher gives a hint of this plenary activity at the start of the lesson: for example,the teacher tells two pupils that they will be asked at the end of the lesson to report on what was important about it other pupils will then say whether they agree or disagree and why. The teacher puts the questions to be asked in the plenary on the board at the start of the lesson. Stop the clock: Selected pupils present an aspect of their work to the class,but the teacher stops the clock at times to ask others in the class to reflect on features that reinforce the lesson objectives. Hot seat: A pupil sits in the hot seat as an expert or character and the rest of the class asks questions. Still frame: A group of four pupils creates a still frame to show a key idea from the lesson. Identify facts: Each pupil writes down three facts they have learned in the lesson, then shares these with a partner and adds any new ones to their list. Sentence summary: Each pupil writes a sentence that summarises the lesson, then shares it with a partner. Word dictionaries: Pupils write key words and definitions in a personal subject dictionary. Frames: Pupils use writing or talking frames designed for the plenary,such as What I found difficult or easy was or The most important part was or I need to improve on . Envoys: Pupils move as envoys from their group to the next to explain a key idea

or present some findings. Word cards: Pairs or small groups of pupils are provided with a set of word cards drawing on the key vocabulary used in the lesson a word on one card and its definition on another then use the cards to play Pelmanism (Pairs - pupils turn over two cards, if they match - word and dfinition - they keep the pair, if not turn back over and turn passes). Variation: group of pupils write their own cards and pass to another group to use. Discuss problems! Composition: Pupils compose two sentences that describe the main ideas of the lesson. Ideas across: Pupils identify three ways in which ideas in the lesson might be used in other subjects. Slide design: Each pupil designs one slide of a presentation,with a heading and three bullet points summarising an aspect of the lesson.