Resources: Secondary
From OER in Education
Pick your resource by topic:
- [[Topics/Algebra|Algebra]]
- [[Topics/Algebra|Algebra]]
- [[Topics/Area|Area]]
- [[Topics/Perimeter|Perimeter]]
- [[Topics/Polygons|Polygons]]
- [[Topics/Area|Area]]
- [[Topics/Assessment|Assessment]]
- [[Topics/Astronomy|Astronomy]]
- [[Topics/Geology|Geology]]
- [[Topics/Solar system|Solar system]]
- [[Topics/History|History]]
- [[Topics/Astronomy|Astronomy]]
- [[Topics/Biodiversity|Biodiversity]]
- [[Topics/Blogs|Blogs]]
- [[Topics/Blogs|Blogs]]
- [[Topics/E-skills|E-skills]]
- [[Topics/Copyright|Copyright]]
- [[Topics/CPD|CPD]]
- [[Topics/Ethics|Ethics]]
- [[Topics/Cloning|Cloning]]
- [[Topics/Genetics|Genetics]]
- [[Topics/Consecutive Sums|Consecutive Sums]]
- [[Topics/Contemporary issues|Contemporary issues]]
- [[Topics/E-skills|E-skills]]
- [[Topics/E-safety|E-safety]]
- [[Topics/Sharing practice|Sharing practice]]
- [[Topics/Curriculum development|Curriculum development]]
- [[Topics/Virtual Learning Environment|Virtual Learning Environment]]
- [[Topics/E-skills|E-skills]]
- [[Topics/Decimals|Decimals]]
- [[Topics/Discussion|Discussion]]
- [[Topics/Wikis|Wikis]]
- [[Topics/ICT|ICT]]
- [[Topics/ICT|ICT]]
- [[Topics/Multimedia|Multimedia]]
- [[Topics/Populations|Populations]]
- [[Topics/Ecology|Ecology]]
- [[Topics/Study skills|Study skills]]
- [[Topics/Effective Learning|Effective Learning]]
- [[Topics/Environment|Environment]]
- [[Topics/Fertility treatments|Fertility treatments]]
- [[Topics/Human reproduction|Human reproduction]]
- [[Topics/Explaining|Explaining]]
- [[Topics/Games|Games]]
- [[Topics/Genetics|Genetics]]
- [[Topics/Global education|Global education]]
- [[Topics/Graph transformations|Graph transformations]]
- [[Topics/Group talk|Group talk]]
- [[Topics/Group work|Group work]]
- [[Topics/Handling Data|Handling Data]]
- [[Topics/ICT|ICT]]
- [[Topics/Inclusion|Inclusion]]
- [[Topics/Investigation|Investigation]]
- [[Topics/Maps|Maps]]
- [[Topics/Materials|Materials]]
- [[Topics/Mean mode median|Mean mode median]]
- [[Topics/Measuring|Measuring]]
- [[Topics/Study skills|Study skills]]
- [[Topics/Modelling|Modelling]]
- [[Topics/Models|Models]]
- [[Topics/Multimedia|Multimedia]]
- [[Topics/Museums|Museums]]
- [[Topics/Prisms|Prisms]]
- [[Topics/Probability|Probability]]
- [[Topics/Questioning|Questioning]]
- [[Topics/Scientific literacy|Scientific literacy]]
- [[Topics/Science citizenship|Science citizenship]]
- [[Topics/Reading skills|Reading skills]]
- [[Topics/Reading skills|Reading skills]]
- [[Topics/Rearranging formulae|Rearranging formulae]]
- [[Topics/Sampling|Sampling]]
- [[Topics/Science|Science]]
- [[Topics/Sequences|Sequences]]
- [[Topics/Shape|Shape]]
- [[Topics/Simultaneous Equations|Simultaneous Equations]]
- [[Topics/Standard Index Form|Standard Index Form]]
- [[Topics/Statistics|Statistics]]
- [[Topics/Symmetry|Symmetry]]
- [[Topics/Using images|Using images]]
- [[Topics/Visualisation|Visualisation]]
- [[Topics/Wikis|Wikis]]
- [[Topics/Writing|Writing]]
- [[Topics/Writing|Writing]]
Relevant resources
| Algebra | What's Possible? | |
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Many numbers can be expressed as the difference of two perfect squares. What do you notice about the numbers you CANNOT make? This lesson idea is about exploring and noticing structure(ta).
The collection of NRICH activities are designed to develop students capacity to work as a mathematician. Exploring, questioning, working systematically, visualising, conjecturing, explaining, generalising, justifying, proving are all at the heart of mathematical thinking. This particular resource has been adapted from an original NRICH resource. NRICH promotes the learning of mathematics through problem solving. NRICH provides engaging problems, linked to the curriculum, with support for teachers in the classroom. Working on these problems will introduce students to key mathematical process skills. They offer students an opportunity to learn by exploring, noticing structure and discussing their insights, which in turn can lead to conjecturing, explaining, generalising, convincing and proof. The Teachers’ Notes provided focus on the pedagogical implications of teaching a curriculum that aims to provoke mathematical thinking. They assume that teachers will aim to do for students only what they cannot yet do for themselves. As a teacher, consider how this particular lesson idea can provoke mathematical thinking. How can you support students' exploration? How can you support conjecturing, explaining, generalising, convincing and proof?. | |
| Area | Circles, frustums and cylinders revision | |
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Measure the volumes of objects This resource offer students the opportunity to engage in active learning(ta) - measuring and calculating using large size cylinders and frustums. This lesson brings great opportunity for small group "dialogic teaching(ta)". Open-ended and closed questioning(ta) of students can be used to draw on their existing knowledge and extend their understanding. The teacher provides a practical commentary below.
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| Assessment | Changing KS3 Questions for Engaging Assessment | |
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A large set of questions grouped by topic, paper, and national curriculum level Test questions are often seen as uninteresting and useful only to assess pupils summatively. This resource however allows questioning(ta) to be used to support pupils’ revision, creativity and higher order(ta) problem-solving in class. The tasks could be conducted via whole class(ta) discussion(ta) or assessment(ta), perhaps using mini-whiteboards(tool), or in small group work(ta) situations.
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| Assessment | Diagnostic Questions in Maths Teaching | |
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Using questions to probe what pupils do, and do not, understand These questions provide a useful starting point from which to think about the use of diagnostic questions(ta) for assessment(ta) for learning and whole class(ta) dialogic teaching(ta). They may be useful for teachers in their own right as sample questions, or to think about the best way to deliver feedback, use ICT tools effectively, and support learners through assessment. In this context the questions should be considered with a critical eye. Teachers might like to think about:
Teachers might take this as an opportunity to engage in sharing practice(ta) to think about how to use such questions in the classroom - perhaps using mini-whiteboards(tool) or ICT tools - and outside of them, perhaps using quiz(tool) or voting(tool) software. | |
| Assessment | Assessment for Learning | |
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Research shows that good practice in assessment for learning can bring about significant gains in pupil attainment Assessment for learning has been defined as the process of interpreting evidence to decide where learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. When assessment(ta) for learning is well established in a classroom, pupils are actively involved in their learning; able to judge the success of their work and to take responsibility for their own progress.
For some shorter more focused documents drawn from this DfES document see Giving Oral Feedback, Giving Written Feedback, Sharing Learning Objectives and Outcomes. | |
| Assessment | Using Assessment to Raise Achievement in Maths | |
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Learning goals; self & peer assessment; effecting questioning; marking and case studies This resource explores approaches to assessment(ta) in maths, including the sharing of learning objectives(ta), group work(ta), whole class(ta) assessment, questioning(ta) and more. Four case studies serve as useful discussion prompts to share practice(ta). This .doc version of the QCA's 'Using assessment(ta) to Raise Achievement in Maths' allows schools to select parts of the document that are most relevant to them.
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| Astronomy | Celestial Wanderers | |
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Why would we fly to another planet to study its rocks? Drawing on a rich range of sources, this presentation allows the teacher to introduce planetary geology(topic), something not normally studied until degree level. It uses the narrative(ta) of the Voyager Probes journey to illustrate the vastness of the solar system(topic) and also the challenges of designing a spacecraft to travel that far. It ends with a discussion of the history(topic) of Mars, and how the differences between it and the Earth resulted in Mars loosing its water and atmosphere whereas we have kept ours.
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| Astronomy | Alien Life | |
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Are we alone? This last of six presentations to recruit students for A level physics, is more light-hearted and simpler than the two previous resources. It considers the arguments around whether or not humanity is alone and includes an initial look at the bizarre nature of many of the claims of alien encounters - including a fictional one for good measure - before moving onto the more serious side of alien hunting. It concludes with a probabilistic argument based on the Fermi paradox.
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| Astronomy | It's full of stars | |
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Using a telescope and considering how those early astronomers may have worked Astronomy(topic) has been practiced for centuries and doesn't require expensive equipment! This first session aims to train the whole class(ta) to use a telescope and, hopefully, to provide an opportunity to engage in some active learning(ta). The lesson includes some naked-eye observations and describes how modern technology helps scientists know where to look. You can explore the scientific method(ta) and language(ta) at this point, using targeted questioning(ta)/differentiation(ta). Students may be able to engage in an inquiry(ta)-based project around this work, perhaps for homework(ta).
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| Astronomy | Astronomy Master Class | |
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An overview of of six astronomy-related lessons resources (SC019 to SC0024) The Astronomy Master Class was developed to inspire the next generation of scientists and in particular physicists. Although this course of 6 lessons is framed mostly around the science of astronomy, it draws on many themes from physics and aims to show how they all can link together. Additionally, it is structured so that it deliberately does not cut across material in most standard GCSE science courses and does not aim to answer every question. A deliberate part of the design was to visit each topic area only briefly and leave students hungry for more.
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| Astronomy | Recreating the Big Bang | |
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An introduction to the creation of the Universe. This presentation offers a tour of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and explains why it is worth spending money on one experiment. It then delves into particle physics, looking at sub-atomic particles to offer analogies for what these particles are. The session focuses on whole class(ta) dialogue(ta) and higher order(ta) thinking skills as well as exploring scientific language(ta). This 4th session and the 5th are together the most theoretically complex and they present challenges to young peoples world views. As such they are led as much by their questions(ta) as by the presentation.
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| Biodiversity | Using Science to Support Biodiversity | |
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A virtual field trip to study biodiversity. This is an investigation(ta) in a virtual field trip to Dartmoor National Park. It involves research, designing a scientific investigation and analysing the results.
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| Blogs | Getting a buzz out of blogging | |
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| CPD | Questioning - Bloom's Taxonomy | |
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Developing questioning through Bloom's taxonomy This resource discusses questioning(ta) and Bloom's taxonomy - which, at the higher levels, can be linked to higher order(ta) thinking skills and reasoning(ta).
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| CPD | Structuring Learning | |
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Thinking about sequencing and planning for high quality pedagogy The resource includes relevant information regarding lesson and curriculum planning(ta) for high quality pedagogy.
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| CPD | Encouraging Pupils to Ask Effective Questions | |
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Getting pupils to do the questioning This resource describes some methods to encourage pupils themselves to engage in effective questioning(ta) - an active learning(ta) approach which may be useful in whole class(ta) or group work(ta) discussion(ta).
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| CPD | Questioning Techniques | |
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How do I question? Thinking about questioning techniques in the classroom This resource explores some alternative strategies to direct questioning(ta) including some advice and activities for supporting teachers in classroom practice.
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| CPD | Guide to the DfES Resource | |
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Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools: Leadership guide This resource provides a general overview of the DfES Pedagogy resources (see related resources/below).
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| CPD | Planning for Inclusion | |
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Planning for inclusion in your classroom This resource discusses planning(ta) for inclusion(ta), in particular as related to active learning(ta), group talk(ta) and more generally interactive pedagogy.
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| CPD | Sharing Learning Objectives and Outcomes | |
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What will they achieve - outcomes, objectives, and their importance This resource highlights the link between learning objectives(ta) and assessment(ta) for learning, and explores ways to engage in planning(ta) for, and write good learning objectives - which identify the learning to take place, as opposed to just the activity with which the pupils will engage.
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| CPD | Choosing and Selecting Groups | |
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What group am I in? Thinking about choosing and selecting groups This resource discusses various options for choosing groupings for group work(ta) activities, and their benefits and limitations.
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| CPD | Subject Specific Vocabulary | |
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What's that word? Thinking about the language used in your subject This resource highlights the importance of subject-specific vocabulary(ta) and its consideration in teaching as well as offering some practical tips for encouraging its effective use, and remembering in classroom contexts.
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| CPD | Teaching for Metacognition | |
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Thinking about Thinking, in the classroom context This resource describes some strategies to engage metacognitive reasoning(ta) - thinking about thinking, for example, asking pupils to think about their own learning techniques. It includes activities to assist teachers in planning(ta) for their own teaching.
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| CPD | Using Drama Activities in your Teaching | |
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A lesson by any other name...Using Drama across the curriculum to enhance teaching This resource highlights some strategies to use drama(ta) activities in the teaching of other subjects. Drama(ta) can provide a useful cross curricula(i) way to prompt active learning(ta) and subsequent discussion(ta) and group talk(ta).
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| CPD | Using Thinking Skills | |
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What do you think? Exploring thinking skills for the classroom This resource highlights higher order(ta) reasoning(ta) skills and activities to prompt their use in classroom contexts.
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| CPD | Teaching Models | |
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Concrete preparation – Action – Metacognition – Bridging - Mediation This resource offers advice on planning(ta) for interactive pedagogy. Three sub-sections have been drawn from it (see related DfE resources).
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| CPD | Common Pitfalls in Questioning | |
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Exploring problematic questions and ways to avoid them Questioning(ta) is a key classroom practice, and skill, and can sometimes fall into the trap of focusing on lower levels, as opposed to higher order(ta) reasoning(ta) and discussion(ta) skills. This resource covers some reasons why this - and other pitfalls - occur, with some practical advice for ensuring high quality questioning in your classroom.
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| CPD | Giving Written Feedback | |
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Effective methods for written feedback This resource discusses written feedback in the context of assessment(ta) and giving clear learning objectives(ta) from any feedback given. While such feedback is often on homework(ta), the resource is intended more broadly than that.
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| CPD | Developing Good Explanations | |
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Say that again? Developing good explanations for classroom teaching This resource explores some characteristics of good explanations (including linking to questioning(ta)), explaining these thoroughly and linking them to pupils' ability to engage in active learning(ta)
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| CPD | Establishing Purpose for Writing | |
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Why do we have to write it down? Thinking about why we write... This resource highlights some key types of text, and asks teachers to think about the key texts and language(ta) in their own subjects, and how tasks can be well designed to illicit purposeful writing in their classroom practice. Teachers should consider learning objectives(ta) for purposeful writing.
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| CPD | Group Work - Group Size | |
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What size group are we in today? Thinking about group size This resource discusses group work(ta) sizes, and the practical benefits and limitations of various group sizes - from individual work to whole class(ta) work.
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| CPD | Giving Oral Feedback | |
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Developing good practice in giving oral feedback This resource discusses giving oral feedback, particularly in the context of assessment(ta), which could include whole class(ta) discussion(ta) or group talk(ta), as well as questioning(ta) contexts.
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| CPD | Group Work - Maintaining Momentum | |
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Keep going! Maintaining momentum in group work activities This resource discusses some practical classroom management(ta) strategies for maintaining momentum in group work(ta) activities.
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| Consecutive Sums | Using Prime and Square Numbers - How Old Am I? | |
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Last year I was square, but this year I am in my prime. How old am I? This short activity offers opportunity for pupils to engage in mathematical thinking(ta) and higher order(ta) problem solving/reasoning(ta). They should be able to make links between different areas of mathematics and explore their ideas in whole class(ta) discussion(ta) and questioning(ta).
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| Contemporary issues | Teaching the Science of Contemporary Issues | |
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Find lesson inspiration aplenty from news clips and stories. This longer (32 page) resource provides useful guidance, examples, and CPD activities for exploring contemporary issues in science, particularly to stimulate effective group talk(ta) and discussion(ta), and provoke pupil's interest in science.
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| Discussion | The Environment for Group Talk in Science | |
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"Ask questions rather than provide answers: ‘What’s the strength of his or her point?’ ‘How you could check that out?’ " This resource contains a set of activities and examples to discuss and work through based around maintaining group talk(ta) in whole class(ta) and group work(ta) settings, including setting up Ground Rules, and creating appropriate environments (physical and 'class rule' based) for argumentation(ta) and discussion(ta)
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| Discussion | Discussion in Science Teaching | |
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Equip yourself to run a discussion in class This resource is aimed at developing student teachers’ skills in working with discussion(ta). It can be presented to them as a hand-out to accompany an activity or read as reference material. See it online at BEEP website. Although it uses a science context, the real focus of the resource is managing and organising discussion-based activities. It provides guidance on:
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| Effective Learning | Developing Effective Learning | |
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A unit exploring 'effective learning' in the classroom This document takes a longer look at effective learning, study skills(topic), and the attributes of effective learners.
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| Environment | Our Living Environment | |
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Wise up on ecology This study module, an online booklet, deals with the particular ways of thinking about and studying of the environment. It is a useful homework(ta) resource to encourage pupils to engage with key scientific vocabulary(ta) and use their knowledge of the scientific method(ta) to engage with inquiry(ta) learning.
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| Ethics | Cloning | |
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Cloning - Potential and Issues The topic of the ethics(topic) of modern biology needs to draw on a wider range of sources than a printed book may provide. This resource uses a web tutorial interspersed with external links to news and comment. Rather than leave the students to explore too many interests, a worksheet with questions enables the teacher to focus the students on a subset of the material. You can adapt this to your particular need, for example, if you wanted students to have a discussion(ta)in small groups. You might also consider using a blog, chat room or other ICT tools to record the questioning(ta) and reasoning(ta) around this topic. The lesson-planning proforma (or draft lesson plan) includes a list of objectives that shows the scope of the material.
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| Ethics | Ethical issues in human reproduction | |
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Why does reproduction raises so many ethical issues? When does life begin? This lesson outline stimulates A-level students to engage in discussion(ta), develop their reasoning(ta) skills and increase their awareness of the bioethical(topic) issues involved in human reproduction.
Background texts and open-ended questioning(ta) about human reproduction, contraception and IVF are provided as the stimulus. Small group discussion about these topics, writing on post-it notes, and reading case studies aim to get students reasoning(ta) to justify their opinions, and to compare and evaluate competing views. Finally, whole class(ta) discussion synthesises the emerging ideas and encourages students to consider changing their positions or adding additional issues to a recording table. | |
| Ethics | Designer Babies | |
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When does life actually begin? By using an informative web tutorial, this resource aims to stimulate discussion(ta) on the ethics(topic) of modern biology. A worksheet asks students where they stand and reassures them that their response might be kept private. You might also consider using a blog, chat room or other ICT tool to record the questioning(ta) and reasoning(ta) around this topic. A teaching section offers guidance on 'teaching argument' using 'Toulmin’s model of argument' and 'The IDEAS project'.
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| Explaining | Explaining | |
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How's that work? Thinking about explanation This is a longer DfES resource discussing explanation, from which the shorter and more focused resources Developing Good Explanations, Purposes of Explanations are drawn.
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| Games | Introduction to games | |
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| Genetics | Human Genome Project: from Sequencing to Sharing Genomic Information | |
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Discuss and share economic, political and ethical issues. This resource provides guidance on how to use whole class(ta) discussion(ta) and/or small group work(ta) to engage students with the science and the economic, political, ethical(topic), legal and social issues of a scientific project such as the HGP. Its focus is on the scientific method(ta); language(ta) and the nature of scientific inquiry(ta).
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| Genetics | How DNA is sequenced: the stages | |
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The complexity and scale of genome sequencing Students match diagrams of the stages of DNA sequencing with a list of text descriptions of the process. The lesson can involve students discussing in pairs / group work(ta), followed by a teacher or student-led plenary. Students would share ideas, come to a consensus and check the ‘whole class(ta) response’ with their version. The teacher's questioning(ta) can focus on scientific method(ta) and use of scientific language(ta). The lesson idea provides opportunities for the effective use of assessment(ta).
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| Global education | A global dimension to science education in schools | |
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Science and technology beyond the Western world This study unit is aimed at teachers who would like to give a more global feeling to their teaching. It shows how to source articles with an emphasis on science and technology beyond the Western world and how to incorporate them into teaching the curriculum.
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| Group talk | Organising Group Talk in Science | |
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The group in which students are expected to work has a huge bearing on their willingness to speak openly. Can we better manage group talk? This resource contains activities and examples relating to group talk(ta) in science lessons in whole class(ta) and group work(ta) settings.
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| Group work | Active Engagement | |
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| Group work | Group Work | |
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A unit exploring Group Work in context This resource is a longer document on group work(ta) from which a number of other more focused resources have been drawn (including Group Work - Choosing and Selecting Groups, Group Work - Group Size, Group Work - Maintaining Momentum).
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