Issue 8 - November 2016

Welcome to Issue 8 of the Saint John Fisher Teaching and Learning Bulletin. I hope you all had a good half term! As well as the usual input from Suzanne, Ed, Abbee and myself, the focus departments in this half term‘s bulletin are French and Spanish - have a look at their teaching ideas. Thank you to MFL for your contribution. As we head into mock exam season Cath Collins has also provided some reminders about revision techniques. Hope you find everything useful! Thanks , Jo Dibben Go surfing:

http://www.dkfindout.com/uk/ is the website of DK books (they make the children’s fact books). The website is very useful if you want to direct pupils in Key Stage 3 to do some independent research. It also has a teacher section with lesson plans and resources. Well worth having a look around! (Thanks to Suzanne for pointing this website out!)

YouTube BBC Teach This is the BBC’s educational YouTube Channel. It’s packed full of clips and is divided into subject areas. The BBC seem to be adding new content for the new GCSEs so this is a site that is worth revisiting on a regular basis.

Although a lot of these ideas are about pupils using a foreign language, many of them would still be able to be used in lessons conducted in English. They might also be used with EAL students using English as a foreign language in your lessons. Also ,there’s nothing to stop you throwing a bit of French or Spanish into your lessons!

Dictionary Corner ….challenge students to find a whole class ‘word of the day’ in the dictionary as a starter. You could encourage them to find a noun / adjective / verb or a new topic-based word. To save time, you could provide one. Ask them to write the word in their books and reward them every time they use it in speaking. If focusing on written work, ask students to highlight the word each time they use it.

Synonym Searching Provide a word at the start of the lesson. Challenge students to use as many synonyms of this word as they can in the lesson. Good for encouraging them to use a ‘range of language’.

Scattergories Challenge students to come up with as many words as they can beginning with a certain letter. These could be topic-related or random to encourage students to use prior knowledge.

Word association Encourage students to think up as many words as possible related to the first word. This could be topic-based or designed to encourage students to draw on prior knowledge.

Murking furds in a wuddle See how many words you can make from a grid. Students could use a dictionary. You could create the grid to contain a certain words or words that will be the focus of the lesson. Extension: Students must use a certain letter. Diff: Make it easier by providing more letters in a larger grid. Give a prize for the most, longest or ‘best’ word.

What’s the question? Provide an answer in the target language. Students must guess what the question was. Answer: La révolte des paysans Differentiation! Clue … it happened in 1381

Anagrammer Place a long scrambled list of letters on the board. The challenge is to find as many words within the list as possible in the time allowed. To make it simpler you could hide words in the list. Letters can only be used once unless they appear more than once. E.g. j m i e l e d o r a s t f r i u t b o p a c

s l t c

a u e m

p i r b

Ten top tips for Revision for Pupils 1.

Study in a quiet place – away from your T.V, computer and phone!

2. Make a 'revision timetable' and always let your family know when you are revising. 3. Create summary notes and anything simple that helps your memory – as short notes, drawings and sayings are much easier to remember. 4. Get help. Ask friends and family to test you. Also, attend any teacher revision classes – as teachers will know better than anyone what will be in tests and exams! 5. Record yourself reading notes and occasionally listen to them instead of reading. 6. Take a 5 or 10 minute break every hour and do some stretching exercises, go for a short walk or make yourself a drink. 7. Allow yourself some fun-time each day to relax. 8. Eat well, drink water and get eight hours sleep each night to keep your body and mind healthy. 9. Don't panic if you feel a bit nervy. A certain amount of nervousness actually helps you perform to the best of your ability, producing a rush of adrenaline that helps you to feel alert and focused. 10. Think positive – if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

GOOD LUCK

We are looking to become a dyslexia friendly school. Here are some ideas about classroom practice. For more details there is a booklet on the L drive in the teaching and learning file called dyslexia handbook. Making my Classroom Dyslexia-Friendly: 10 Top Tips

1.

Celebrate strengths and success across a wide range of endeavours (deliberately and frequently); create opportunities for dyslexic pupils to succeed, using specific praise to help them build an accurate picture of their strengths.

2.

Have visual aids available for every lesson, or ask pupils to create some, as part of the lesson. Make good use of multi-sensory sources of information.

3.

Actively teach study/note taking skills e.g. key word notes, spider plans and encourage pupils to use them. Provide notes for a focus on meaning and annotation, rather than copying.

4.

Vary input and outcomes, such as through the use of small groups, discussion and audiotapes to maintain interest and provide memorable experiences!

5.

Avoid long lists of instructions given verbally and provide a clear lesson structure – use the board to provide information visually, where appropriate.

6.

Make sure that high frequency work lists and subject-specific key wordlists are available on each table for any writing task.

7.

Always have a ready supply of parallel reading books and other suitable reading material.

8.

Encourage alternative ways of recording: always have a range of materials available e.g. individual whiteboards (be aware of glare off the boards) and coloured pens; large sheets of paper and felt pens; writing frames.

9.

Label classroom resources clearly and keep clutter to a minimum, to create an orderly, structured yet attractive environment.

10. Do not draw attention to their difficulties; avoid: copying from the board; reciting times tables; reading aloud; undifferentiated spelling tests. And finally … always be prepared to explain a learning point again, in a different way, if the dyslexic pupil has not understood the first time.

Thinking Numerically Here are a number of ways in which numeracy could be included in your lessons. There are lots of ways you can adapt these ideas to suit your subject/students/lesson.

If you have any questions or need ideas for adapting these tasks, please speak to Miss Beeley.

1. Connect the Picture

Place several images on the board. Students have to attempt to connect the pictures together and compose their own meaning of what the lesson might be about. This gets the students discussing several mathematical topics and allows the students a chance to make their own connections. The pictures below are an example of fractions, decimals and percentages.

Comments students might make: 

You can use fraction pyramids and walls to find equivalent fractions. This in turn helps to convert fractions to percentages.

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Two halves are equal to one whole, this is the same as 100%.

2. Which one doesn’t belong? Present students with 4 pictures and ask them to argue which one doesn't belong. This can foster really rich, meaningful discussions, especially if you challenge students to come up with an argument why each item does not belong. Often, there may be many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong.

3. Line Ups

This can be used in a number of subjects where your students have to measure anything. For example, if they need to measure their heights for a given activity, or perhaps their heart rates in PE. Get the pupils to line up in ascending order and then ask the class to work out the range, median and mode of their heights, heart rates, hand spans, weights etc. In History, you could take this idea further to make a timeline out of students for a certain event, say World War I or II, hand out to them key events, or get them to create these themselves, and then get them to line up in ascending order. Then you could calculate time frames between certain events.

What is analysis? 

A reasoned response to a text or other media.

Features of analytical writing: 

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A statement of the issue, followed by a preview of the main points to be made, then looking at each point in turn and ending with a summary or conclusion. Takes into account the reader’s familiarity with the subject e.g., does not retell the plot of a novel. Uses evidence to support points made.

Subject Areas?

Generally in the THIRD PERSON; may use FIRST PERSON to give own views. Can use either PAST or PRESENT TENSE. The ACTIVE VOICE is more common, although the PASSIVE may be used.

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M.F.L.

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English

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technology

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history

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geography

CONNECTIVES of comparison e.g., whereas, though, while, unless, on the other hand, equally and to show use of evidence e.g., this shows that...  

Where will I find analytical writing?

Comparison texts Showing understanding of a topic studied e.g., “What were the reasons for the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire?”

What is an informative text? 

It describes the way things are.

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It tells the reader more about a given subject.

Features of informative writing: 

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It is clear, factual and impersonal. It may include diagrams, illustrations and tables to break up information, draw in reader and replace text. It is NON-CHRONOLOGICAL and written in the PRESENT TENSE.

It opens with a general statement; other relevant information is divided into categories. It may include an index, glossary, notes, reference, table of contents. It is THIRD PERSON GENERIC; the ACTIVE alternates with the PASSIVE VOICE. Sentences tend to be short and clear. CONNECTIVES emphasise sequence, cause, and effect and comparison.

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Questions are used to interest the reader.

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It makes use of subheadings.

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Vocabulary is precise and technical terms relate to the subject matter.

Subject Areas? 

English

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M.F.L.

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science

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history

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geography

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religious education

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Where will

Projects

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I find

Leaflets

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Textbooks

informative writing?

What is recount writing?  

Recounts re-tell past events. They aim to inform or entertain the reader.

Features of recount writing: 

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Recounts normally start by setting the scene, e.g. “what?”, “where?”, “when?”, “how?”. This is followed by a series of events, in the order that they happened (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER). These are important events, not irrelevant details.

The final paragraph should bring the reader back to the subject. This may be in the form of an evaluation. They are written in the PAST TENSE and the ACTIVE VOICE. They use CONNECTIVES related to time, e.g. after, then, next, meanwhile; to cause, e.g., because , since; to contrast, e.g. however, although, nonetheless.

Subject Areas? 

English

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geography

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history

They focus on specific people or events, not general topics. They use the FIRST PERSON (I, we) in autobiography and fiction; otherwise they use the THIRD PERSON. They use critical vocabulary appropriate to subject.

Where will

I find recount writing?

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Biographies

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Diaries

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“How I found…”

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“An account of my day at…”

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A day in the life of …”

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A newspaper report

What is report writing? 

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Reports are written to describe or classify the way things are or seem to be They organise and record information.

Features of report writing: 

The style of a report is determined by its purpose. Some may be closer to recounts.

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They usually start with a general opening, e.g. “The frog is an amphibian…”

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They move on to being more specific and technical and are likely to contain appropriate technical vocabulary. They describe qualities and functions, habits and behaviours, e.g. “Cats have retractile claws. This enables them to catch their prey and keep hold of it”. Subject Areas?

They are usually written in the PRESENT TENSE.

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English

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physical education

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They are NON-CHRONOLOGICAL.

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They focus on groups or general aspects.

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They use DESCRIPTIVE language that is FACTUAL and ACCURATE - not descriptive.

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They use ACTION VERBS e.g., rises, changes.

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They use a formal style involving the FIRST PERSON, e.g. I, we.

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Where will I find report writing?

They are often published for a specific audience

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Academic research

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Newspapers

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The school library