'Research findings and practical experience tell us about the importance of lesson starts. They are recognised as having significant and direct impact on the quality of the learning both within the starter itself and in the rest of the lesson'. (Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools. DfES p21).
Imagine you are 14 years old. You have just enjoyed a PE lesson and your head is full of the match you will play on Saturday. You are on your way to RE and right now you haven't a clue what went in your last lesson a week ago. Somehow your RE teacher has to grab your interest as soon as you enter the classroom; otherwise she will struggle to get your full attention for the next hour.
The starter activity is arguably the most important part of the lesson and replaces traditional lesson starts, both tedious to the pupil; taking the register aloud and handing out homework. A good starter:
- captures pupils' interest and curiosity
- prevents early disruption by engaging pupils as soon as they enter the classroom
- gets pupils involved from the outset
- links back to previous learning
- sets the scene for the lesson to come in terms of lesson objectives, challenge and pace
To achieve these ends, starters will only be successful if they are incorporated into lesson planning. The task must be accessible to all participants (individuals or groups), instructions and expectations must be clear.
Making a starter activity fit for purpose
I remember meeting a group of Year 8 pupils on their way to the lesson I was about to inspect. I asked them if they were looking forward to it and one of them replied 'Oh yes - you never know what's going to happen in RE'. This surprise element is important in snatching pupils' immediate interest and a wise teacher will have a large repertoire of starter activities, which can be adapted for purpose.
When planning the lesson starter be clear, in the context of the lesson, what you want to achieve; for example you may want to:
- find out what pupils already know and understand (e.g. at the beginning of a new topic or religion)
- find out what pupils can do (e.g. construct a convincing argument)
- find out about pupils' attitudes and beliefs (e.g. what do they think spirituality is?)
- build on what has been learned in previous lessons (e.g. groups could be split to share previous learning)
- introduce a new topic or idea.
Practical considerations
- Do not go over time - these activities are designed as a warm-up, not as the main part of the lesson. 5 minutes is the maximum time for a starter - pupils will become accustomed to timing devices, such as a giant egg timer or 'when the music stops'.
- Take account of the learning needs of the group
- Use a wide variety of activities to enhance the surprise element; talk to colleagues in other subject areas for ideas that can be adapted
Examples of Starter Activities
The wise RE teacher will build up a bank of resources over the years that can be used to create interesting starter activities. The following are examples - there are many more.
Games
- True or false (e.g. project on to the board statements about work covered in the previous lesson or alternatively use as a prediction activity in relation to what is coming up)
- What's the question? Project a number of key words or phrases (they may be people, events, statements of belief etc.) from recent lessons. Pupils have to create questions to which the words/phrases are answers.
- Pictionary. This can be played in twos or fours. One pupil draws a word or idea and the other(s) have to guess what it is.
- Blockbuster - the teacher pre-selects twelve (or more) letters and projects them. Pupils have five minutes to create as many words as they can. These may relate to recent learning or serve as clues to the forthcoming lesson.
Words and text
- Pupils find links between words (as a variant they create a sentence using all the words) e.g. Church of England, Roman Catholic, Methodist.
- Pupils have five minutes to write down a word connected to the current topic. Each word should begin with a different letter of the alphabet.
- Odd one out - teacher projects ten sets of four words. Pupils select the odd one out in each set e.g. Hajj, Muhammad, Lent, quibla.
- Fact or opinion - Project or hand out a newspaper article relating to the current topic. Pupils identify fact and opinion using highlighters, symbols etc..
- Project or hand out two or more arguments for or against a particular issue. Pupils rank them according to the strength of each argument.
Sounds
- Music associations. Play a piece of music (with or without video) - pupils list reasons for association with topic. (e.g. the Agnus Dei from Britten's War Requiem).
Pictures
- Odd one out - as above but using pictures
- Introduce a topic with pictures - pupils have to make connections between them e.g. pictures illustrating dangers to the environment.
- Name the topic - pupils have to work out what topic is coming up from picture clues e.g. pictures of the Pope, a judge, a policeman, a Qur'an could introduce authority.
- Compare and contrast - two or more pictures e.g. pupils identify features representing good and evil in the world today.
- Empathy - focus on a person in a picture and imagine e.g. what they are thinking, what has happened to them, what they need most in life etc..
- Postcards - keep collecting a wide range of postcards; they are very versatile. e.g. give each group a selection of picture cards and ask them to select the picture that best illustrates the idea of forgiveness, love, peace, conflict, fear etc..
Talk
- Hot seating
- Just a minute - one pupil starts to speak about a topic. At the first repetition, pause or mistake another takes over - and so on until the minute is up.
- An oral form of Pictionary - but pupils describe the object/idea rather than draw it.
Plenaries
'Plenaries provide an opportunity to draw together, summarise and direct learning, so that pupils focus on what is important, what they have learned, the progress they have made and their next steps. Plenaries can occur part-way through a lesson but should always feature at the end of a lesson. Debriefing is a very important part of a plenary as it encourages pupils to explore and extend their learning. It is where what has been learned is embedded.' (Ibid.)
Looking at my inspection notes I find that I frequently commented that the increasing move to pacey activity based lessons (to be commended) lead to fragmentation in learning where teachers did not allow time for a final plenary to draw together what has been learnt.
Just as the starter sets the scene for the lesson so the plenary assembles and reviews the multiple strands of learning that have developed in the lesson.
Making a plenary activity fit for purpose
Like the starter, the plenary must be planned in the context of the lesson and can fulfill several purposes. It can be used to:
- Review the lesson objectives and the extent to which they have been met
- Summarise what has been learnt e.g. by the individual through a range of activities or by different groups engaged in different tasks
- Consolidate learning over a whole unit or term
- Make links between the lesson and other experiences e.g. by comparing what has been learnt in the context of one religion with earlier learning about a different religion, or making comparisons with other subjects.
- Review the skills used in achieving the objectives and considering how they might be used in other contexts.
- Direct pupils to the next stage in their learning e.g. they have five minutes to make a list of questions arising from their learning
- Plan following lessons by diagnostic assessment of strengths and weaknesses in learning
Practical considerations
- A plenary can occur at any strategic point in a lesson; but a final plenary is essential
- The time allowed for a plenary will be more flexible than for a starter. For example, a plenary at the end of a unit of work may take up half the lesson time.
Examples of Plenary Activities
Too often insufficient time is allowed for the plenary thus removing an important opportunity for pupils to review their learning. The following activities take between 5 and 15 minutes. Some of them could be used as starters, which can be developed in the main part of the lesson.
Assessment tasks
- Pass the parcel. Pupils pass round a box containing slips of paper. On each slip is the beginning of a sentence. When the music stops the pupil with the box takes a slip and completes the sentence (limitation - may involve only a few pupils and can drag).
- Pupils draw an annotated diagram or picture to show what they have learnt.
- Each group has a set of cards each with a question relating to the lesson. Pupils put them into three piles, those they can answer (green), those they can partly answer (amber) and those they can't answer (red). If possible each group brings in someone from another group to help with a red or amber question.
- Each pupil writes a question emerging from the lesson. These are used at the beginning of the next lesson when they are given to other pupils to answer.
- Produce a set of cards with a question on one side and the answer to another question on the back. A pupil reads out his/her question and the pupil with the answer reads it out - then asks his/her own question and so on.
Reflection activities
- Washing line - works well with 'ideas' based lessons. Draw a washing line on the board and write the most extreme points of view at each end. Pupils draw their 'peg' in the place that best reflects their position. Can be done using a rope across the classroom/corridor if space allows - pupils then stand in position. What conclusions can they draw from the spread of opinion?
- Hot air balloon- this is very versatile so it is worth making a 2 dimensional model. If not draw a balloon on the board. 'Tie' to the balloon pupils' 6 or more most agreed reasons for or against a point of view. The balloon is too heavy so they have to agree which reasons to remove until only three are left and the balloon can take off. (Someone clever with IT might be able to program this?)
- Consequences. Take the two most extreme opinions given in class on an issue. Pupils think of three possible consequences of holding each view.
- Taking position. Pupils move to specific points in the room (no more than 4) to show their agreement with a point of view/conclusion. One pupil representing each viewpoint has one minute to re-state their view. Pupils may change position after each presentation.
Process activities
- Pupils select a card(s) with skill/process words and explain how this helped them to do the work e.g. working in a group; opportunities to discuss; putting things in order; prioritizing.
- Pupils draw up a set of rules for anyone attempting the same task/activity
Continuity activities
These are useful ways of keeping track of a topic or ordering material in a different format.
- Flow charts. Set up a flow chart for a topic e.g. abortion with empty boxes for reasons, evidence, argument, conclusion etc.. Pupils complete boxes at the end of each lesson.
- Systematic-thematic interface. If the work is largely thematic or issues based, keep a flow chart on the wall for each religion involved. Pupils record under each religion what they have learnt in a topic e.g. 'prayer' under Islam and Christianity separately. This provides a developing overview of each religion.
- Spider diagrams can be maintained and built upon to show the main ideas as a topic develops.
- Concept maps. At any point in a topic provide a list of words and ask pupils to join words with a connecting phrase.
Barbara Wintersgill - May 2007
