Teaching inferential reading

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Simple comprehension of a text isn’t enough. To be high-level readers, children need to be able to infer meaning that goes beyond what the text explicitly tells them. But how can we teach them to do this?

In this blog post, you'll find an outline for a session on inferential reading for use with Key Stages 2 and 3. There's also a free worksheet for you to download from our website and a number of suggested starter activities. 

But first, what is inferential reading, and why is it so important?

An essential reading skill
Inferences are the conclusions we draw based on what we already know and judgements we make based on given information. When reading inferentially, students use the information the text provides, combined with prior knowledge, to make assumptions about meanings which are not directly stated.

In a blog post on inferential reading for P@WS, Leanne Hegarty says: 'Inference can be as simple as associating the pronoun "he" with a previously mentioned male person. Or, it can be as complex as understanding a subtle implicit message, conveyed through the choice of particular vocabulary by the writer and drawing on the reader’s own background knowledge.'

The ability to make inferences is important for reading comprehension, but also more widely when analysing and critiquing texts. Inferential reading is vital to understanding the aims of a writer and the impact of their work on its audience, which, in turn, are crucial to the study of literature – at GSCE and beyond.

How to teach inferential reading
So we've established the importance of inferential reading – but how do we teach it?

It's best to start early, in Key Stages 2 and 3. A session on inferential reading with pupils of that age group might progress as follows:

1. Introduce the notion of making inferences from text. You can do this through an example text or poem (such this one here); a brief, sentence level activity (such as ‘Cucumber Cues’ or ‘Simple Sentences’ – see 'Activities to introduce inferential reading' below); or a discussion on the inferences students make in everyday life.

2. Hand out the text or section of the text you will be working on. Give each student the activity sheet ‘Reading and discussing texts together’ - download this for free here (download begins straight away).

Before reading the text:
3. Encourage students to discuss their prior knowledge about the topic. They will need to think about their experiences, background knowledge, what they have heard and seen, and other books they have read, then record their ideas in box 1 on the worksheet.

4. Students make predictions about what they might learn from the text or what might happen in the text, filling these in box 2.

5. Students record any questions they have about the text in box 3.

Reading the text:
6. Ask students to read the passage as a whole without interruption.

After reading the text:
7. Have students review their written predictions about the text.

8. Ask students whether they needed to modify their ideas in light of the text, and how the new information changed or reshaped their prior knowledge. They write this down in box 4.

9. Students complete the activity with a summary of the text in box 5, filling in the most important facts from the text in chronological order.

Activities to introduce inferential reading

There are many fun and simple games and activities to introduce the concept of inferential reading. You can find a whole list of them in this article by Dale Pennell. One example of his is the game ‘Cucumber cues’. This is how you play it:

1. Write a list of sentences on the board. Replace one word in every sentence with the word ‘cucumber’. Examples include:

• I like to eat peanut cucumber.
• A dog has four cucumbers.
• I clean my cucumber with a toothbrush.

2. Students work individually or in pairs to write out the sentences, changing cucumber to a word that makes better sense.

3. Students share their responses with the class and identify words that gave them clues to the word they substituted. Ask students to relate the clue word to their background experiences and explain how this background information helped them find an appropriate substitute word.

An alternative to this activity is ‘Simple sentences’. Give students a list of sentences to practise making inferences. Each sentence should contain two facts, which, when combined with prior knowledge and context, can give the students further information about the characters or situation in the sentence. Examples include:

• Sue blew out the candles and opened her presents.
• John went running out into the street without looking.
• We bought tickets and some popcorn.

Roy van den Brink-Budgen explores ways teachers can develop the critical skill of inferential reading and the research behind it in our upcoming issue of Creative Teaching and Learning. Watch this space for more information!

Science fiction to science fact: Today's children will see invisibility cloaks, time travel and more

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Scientists say Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility will
be available in real life by 2030!

British children believe many popular elements of science fiction may become science fact before the century is out – and it seems top scientists agree!

The Big Bang Fair UK compared results from a panel of top British scientists and a study of 11 to 16-year-olds, and found that both groups think invisibility cloaks (similar to the cloak used by Harry Potter) will be available before the end of the 21st century, with scientists setting the date for 2030 – just 15 years from now. 

Teleportation will come next, the panel of scientists claimed, becoming a regular feature of life by 2080. The polled children were just two years out on average, predicting that this would happen within 63 years.

Time travel was the one area where the youth panel got ahead of themselves. While children think that time travel will be possible by 2078, scientists believe it may take a little longer. 2100 was the date they set.

Paul Jackson, CEO of Engineering UK, said: "The amazing and seemingly impossible things young people see in films and television are acting as a stimulant for them to think about what they could be capable of doing in the future. Almost a fifth (19 per cent) of young people said they dream of becoming a lightsaber developer, and 22 per cent want to be a teleporting instructor. More than a quarter (27 per cent) even said they would consider a career as a time travel engineer, so we will need to think carefully about how we could provide useful careers advice for that 27 per cent!"

He added: "Although adults may be constrained by what we believe to be possible, the imagination and creativity of schoolchildren knows no bounds. This is so encouraging to hear, because ultimately it will be the younger generation who make these sci-fi dreams a reality – and it’s crucially important to spark their interest now to supply the next cohort of scientists and engineers that Britain desperately needs to continue this research."

The Big Bang Fair is the UK’s largest single celebration of science and engineering for young people. It will take place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 11-14 March 2015.

The trip that will change your life

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Do you find yourself complaining about the photocopier jamming again? Or perhaps the appalling coffee in the staff room? Or the gridlock on the way into school?

We know that every school from the UK to Uganda has its problems and we would never belittle them. But we would like to invite you on a trip of a lifetime - a ten-day adventure to the rural primary schools Build Africa supports in Uganda.

It's a trip that will "touch the roots of your soul":

“As I scanned each classroom, the cramped, dingy conditions left me in a state of shock. Eighty six children, sardined onto wooden benches lined the room, and my mind began flashing up images of our spacious, vibrant classrooms with resources lining the perimeter of the walls. It was then that something happened that touched the roots of my soul.” Cara, a teacher (after visiting a Build Africa supported school in Uganda in 2014)

What's on offer

Build Africa’s ten-day trip to the rural primary schools it supports in Uganda will open your eyes and heart and change your life in all sorts of ways. And you will be able to make a huge difference to the Ugandan pupils and teachers you meet. Using your experience, knowledge and skills as a qualified teacher in the UK, you will inspire and be inspired by the attitude of pupils, staff and parents at Ugandan schools who operate with woefully inadequate resources but enormous enthusiasm.

Uganda in Africa - Click to enlarge
(Image: japanafricanet.com)

“I have seen parents taking real pride in their local school, particularly when they have come together to form their own schools, because their children would have had to walk over 15km to the nearest alternative. Fifty parents came to meet us to talk to us about their school. I would certainly like that kind of parental support at my UK school.”

There are so many benefits for you and the Ugandan schools you will visit. It’s a cliché, but it really is a win-win situation. You will be part of a group of like-minded, qualified UK teachers who will be there to share and enhance your experience. And our exceptional Build Africa Uganda team will accompany you throughout your trip and help you make the most of every opportunity to learn about this very different culture.

Making a difference

It is one thing to read about exposed and dilapidated classrooms crammed to the rafters with up to 150 pupils at a time, classrooms with no computers and not enough desks or text books, but it is a very different thing to experience it first-hand. It is something that will really hit home when you witness it for yourself, we can guarantee you that.

“As I stood in the shell of a brick-built classroom with the children sitting on the dirty floor, perched upon stones or having to stand at the back in order to see the handwritten lesson held up on the wall by a small piece of masking tape, I truly appreciated how incredibly lucky we are within our schools at home and just how much we take for granted.”

People often chat about ‘making a difference’ but never actually do anything about it. Well this is your chance to do more than just imagine what it would be like. It is an amazing opportunity to exchange ideas on teaching methods, to experience a completely different culture and witness the daily raft of challenges that Build Africa’s Ugandan schools face. Perhaps you will become an advocate for our work as a result. We certainly hope so.

A unique insight into another life

“At lunch time, the children whose parents have contributed towards it will eat a meal of maize and beans, but the majority of pupils in the school will forage amongst the mango trees for fruit and, failing success, go without food all day.”

You will be getting a unique insight into a very different world, but you will be surprised to find that in spite of all the obvious differences between the two countries (particularly in terms of resources), there are also many challenges in common. The long hours and heavy workload may be depressingly familiar, but that does mean that you will be able to share your experiences of these problems with the Ugandan teachers - like-minded professionals who are deal with the same day-to-day issues as you.

You will have helped improve the lives of schoolchildren in a desperately poor part of the world and that experience cannot fail to enrich you too. When you return home to your centrally-heated classroom with its internet access and a mere 30 pupils, you’ll probably still have gripes about your life as a teacher. Of course you will – you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t. But having witnessed first-hand the challenges in our Ugandan schools, hopefully your perspective will have changed and the little things won’t grate quite so much.

Your help would be enormously appreciated and one thing you are guaranteed of is a warm welcome:

“The headteacher was incredibly welcoming and clearly very proud of her school and the education that her team were providing. The children giggled as we shared photos with them. There is a massive culture of music and we were subject to many beautiful welcome songs.”

Where do I sign up?!

The Build Africa Uganda Trip is self-funded, but by raising your own funds for the trip you not only help us to continue our vital programmes within Ugandan schools, but also those who sponsor you or help you raise funds for the trip will hear about and have an emotional investment in both your trip and our work.

Details of this once-in-a-lifetime trip are available on the Build Africa website, but if you have any further queries whatsoever, please contact the trip organiser, Deirdre Bruce-Brand on 01892 519619 or email deirdre@build-africa.org.uk and she will be happy to talk through any questions.

So what was it that touched the very roots of Cara’s soul – our teacher quoted right at the start of this article? We’ll let her finish the story: 

“In spite of all the deprivation, the deeply upsetting lack of resources and the 86 pupils crushed together in the shell of the classroom, the man teaching the class transmitted his love of learning to the children through his voice, facial expressions and hand gestures. Every child was engaged and then without warning, on a signal from their teacher, they turned to me and sang the most moving song of welcome. In the sea of little faces turned up towards me, I could see the light of hope in their eyes, but also something else, the fear … the fear of hunger … of a life of constant struggle, and I was moved to tears. I knew, I for one, would never be the same again and I was so glad I overcame my fears and came on the trip.”

So if you have a spirit of adventure… if you would want to escape the same old, same old… if you are ready for a profoundly rewarding experience that will change your life and the lives of those you meet, then please don’t hesitate. Get in touch with us and together we will get you started on the trip of your lifetime.

That staff room coffee will never taste the same again!

All images © Build Africa unless otherwise stated

Continents apart: Training new teachers in the UK and Africa

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Merv Lebor and Dr Paula Green used to work together teaching English as a second language in centres in inner city Leeds in the mid-1980s. Both now work as teacher educators – Merv still in Leeds, Paula in Malawi and South Africa. Here they discuss preparing teacher trainees for working in literacy classes in these two very different contexts.

Image: university.which.co.uk

Merv: So Paula, how do you prepare trainees in South Africa for entering the classroom for the first time? Are they quite nervous about being alone with the students?

Paula: My experience over 20 years in South Africa has been almost totally in in-service teacher training and support. The attitudes have obviously been diverse and broad-ranging but I would say that on the whole, teachers have been keen to learn strategies for teaching early grade literacy. It is often the least experienced teachers who are allocated to the lower classes, yet teaching children to read is complex and more difficult than teaching young people who have already grasped the skill. Does this have any resonance for you in your context?

Merv: My work is also in-service, mostly in West Yorkshire, helping trainees get their PGCE or Cert Ed while they are teaching older students literacy or other subjects. Trainees are working in a wide range of institutions, but we are finding that one of the greatest barriers to learning is the attitude of students. Our trainees often have to cope with disruption, distractions from mobile phones or just a lack of engagement in the subject. What are the main barriers to learning for your teachers?

Paula: In my experience, class sizes can range from 30 to 80 in South Africa, and in Malawi where I work at present, because of the success of strategies to get children into schools, they are regularly in excess of 100 students. So one of the main barriers is of course class size, but also where classes are this large, there are often no or few resources, with children seated to learn on the floor. 

Cell phones, ha-ha! Though having said that, cell phone ownership is widespread in both rural and urban areas here, and SMS messaging is increasingly being seen as a means of reaching teachers in remote areas for follow-up development and support. The only stumbling block is the cost of calls.

Merv: Our disruptive students are sometimes just disengaged from the learning process... it is not to do with numbers. I have observed classes of just eight students with a teacher and support worker in the room where considerable disruption was taking place, including ripping up of fellow student’s work, shouting out, some physical tussles, occasional violence and a general refusal to carry out tasks. Students were sitting in a small, windowless computer room with a table in the middle. They were supposedly doing literacy skills, but a couple had mobile phones and were engaged in calling friends… Needless to say, the session was later thoroughly dissected in the training class and the trainee had to be re-observed. 

But how do you prepare trainees for going into sessions? 

Image: learningspace.wayoafrica.com

Paula: The training takes the form of workshops, lasting two to five days at a time. The training that seems to be most successful in terms of translating into changed classroom practice focuses on a specific methodology in which teachers are trained. If the training is good, it involves group work and many opportunities for micro-teaching, both with participants role-playing as learners and sometimes with real learners. 

There is debate about the fact that this type of lock-step training fails to address knowledge development with regard to underpinning theories of literacy pedagogy. However, I have found that where training is more theoretical or not tied to a specific methodology, teachers are less able to apply what they have learnt in a general context. 

Merv: What is ‘lock-step’?

Paula: A ‘lock-step’ methodology is one which is controlled by the teacher, with responses from the learners. The feature of lock-step occurs not only in the classroom methodology, but also in the teacher training. We give teachers five days full-time training on how to implement the methodology – the training focuses more on implementing the methodology than on the underpinning theories. 

The most traditional teaching situation associated with a teacher-controlled session is ‘lock-step’, with all the students doing teacher-directed work, mostly at the same pace, engaged with the same activity.

Merv: But what about student-centred learning? How do we know whether students have internalised anything?

Image: www.unesco.org

Paula: When I first went out to South Africa in 1993 and first encountered this ‘lock-step’ type of training, I was not impressed, and found it very limiting. However, over the years, and now with a more nuanced understanding of the context, I realise that a highly scaffolded approach is appropriate for the context. Confident teachers can interpret and adapt a methodology, while less confident and competent teachers are given clear and definite guidelines as to how to implement what and when. 

When this 'recipe' approach is followed and teachers see improved learner performance, they then become more confident and ultimately able to deviate from or adapt the 'recipe'.

The context which you describe is almost 180 degrees different from the one in my experience. It’s interesting to note that both are described by the same term, ‘teacher development’. One feature though I think is probably the same in both instances is that there are challenges. And that to surmount these challenges the teacher needs the commitment to, and also I think love of, the young people they are working with. Would you agree?

Merv: The content of our training for in-service teachers is a focus on theories and practice of learning – which includes Humanist, Constructivist and Behaviourist approaches – then we tend to look at legislation, inclusivity, assessment and analysis of individual learners. Trainees also write a series of essays on curriculum and professional practice, keep reflective journals, undergo observations, lead actual lessons and attend a specialist conference. 

The students come to us one day a week for two years where the central concern is supporting them in their current teaching role and discussing how theory relates to what is happening in their classes. We often explore what is going on in their classes in terms of difficulties and challenges and how can these be met. Quite often, we look at case studies of what has happened to individual teachers during that week and then the class acts like a support/focus group trying to help resolve that trainee's difficulties.

I find this is a brilliant way of creating a supportive, non-competitive environment in the class, but can also operate as a safe place where trainees can work through problematic aspects of their role under supervision, but also role-play difficult situations until the trainee feels confident enough to go back into the situation and re-face a difficult or challenging class.

‘Love’ of the students or young people we are dealing with usually doesn't particularly come up in an overt way because we are very aware of emotional boundaries. However, feelings of empathy, warmth or trying to enter imaginatively into the world of the trainees and their students is critical – commitment is crucial. 

But how do your trainees cope with knowing individual students in classes of 100 pupils? It would be really useful if you could describe what happens in these classes where there are so many students. How does the teacher check that there is learning going on?

Image: www.africaclassroomconnection.org

Paula: Firstly, these are very young learners, and so they are crowded into a fairly small classroom, which means that the teacher's eye can quite easily be cast over the whole class, seated as they are either on the floor, or jammed three or four to a desk. 

The teachers are unsung heroes indeed, because most of them do manage to maintain a modicum of order in the lesson and in most cases, most learners remain mostly engaged. Of course, in a class of this size, there are always some learners who are either not following because they don't understand or because they are bored, or possibly hungry. 

Most of the teaching is lock-step, following a particular literacy methodology. The lesson is pretty much teacher-directed, with a great deal of chorusing and whole class echo reading, where the teacher reads a phrase then the learners read the same sentence.

Merv: We no longer use chorusing here. Even primary school classes involve teacher instruction, but then young people work through reading or workbooks and often research projects themselves individually on computers. There is also often circle time or facilitated discussion, depending on the age or level of students for expressing themselves.

Paula: By way of contrast, I see the value of prescribed programmes highly centred on lock-step methodology. This is because teaching learners to read is complex. It requires an understanding of reading pedagogy, an ability to reflect and evaluate the impact of one’s teaching, and to make adjustments accordingly. It also helps to have a variety of resources and a lot of reading material for learners to practise with. 

In South Africa, even now, the teaching of the early grades is often seen as less important than upper grades, and so these classes are usually assigned to the least experienced students, or are even seen as a demotion by teachers who prefer to teach in the upper grades. So, in this context, the provision of a highly scaffolded programme that provides the script for the teacher and all the necessary resources makes a lot of sense. Weaker teachers benefit from following the scripting, and more competent teachers can use the scaffolding and amend or add as they think is helpful. 

The other benefit of the scripted approaches I have worked with, is that they are effective, and this raises teachers' interest and motivation, when they can see the positive impact of their efforts. 

Merv: Obviously, there is a completely different cultural and economic context between where you work and our assumptions of individuality and questioning that is supposed to underpin education in the UK. But how do competent teachers deal with students who can't keep up or are struggling? Here, theoretically we have support assistants or where resources available, extra classes. 

Image: read-teacherzone.blogspot.com

Paula: Competent teachers will have assessed learners and placed them in pace groups. (I don't like to use the term 'ability groups' as it is too much of a label for learners so young and new to school, i.e. a slower learner can easily become a faster-paced one and vice versa). He/she is then able to provide attention at least at the level of each group. This can take place on a daily basis if the class is of up to 50 learners in number, but for a larger group, the work has to be largely whole-class work and then differentiated group work only on one of the five daily lessons in the week.

Merv: Is there any sense that some students can be stretched? 

Paula: Certainly. The above method of grouping learners can ensure that all learners are stretched to their own capabilities. Even a less competent teacher who does not manage this, admittedly difficult in large classes, can stretch the brighter learners, possibly at the expense of the average and weaker ones, by focusing more attention, and pacing the lesson at the level of the brighter learners.

Merv: What do teachers do about students who are not concentrating or are disturbing other students? 

Paula: This very much depends on the level of competence of individual teachers regarding classroom management. I have seen some who are amazing at retaining involvement of all learners with quiet competence and others who shout a lot and still struggle to maintain order. At this stage, children really cannot concentrate for more than about ten minutes at a time, so able teachers vary the activity and intersperse activities with action rhymes and songs, which the children love.

Merv: Do teachers ever question students individually? 

Paula: Yes – those we have trained in more learner-centred methodologies are aware of the importance of asking challenging questions and getting learners to respond as individuals. Teachers who are more wedded to traditional transmission methods appear to ask questions but they may just be getting rote responses from the learners.

Merv: How do teachers know whether students have learnt what they are supposed to learn?

Image: ubelong.org

Paula: Teachers have different means of observing and assessing progress. There has been a lot of emphasis on formalising assessment in most of the countries in Africa that I have worked in, and a great deal of emphasis on methods of continuous assessment in the lower grades, which is supposed to be the prime means of assessing progress. That said, I think that a lot is still down to teachers' gut feeling, or professional judgement – which, if the teacher is experienced and able, is a valid albeit informal means of evaluating learner progress. 

In South Africa, the emphasis on assessment has taken the form of introducing Annual National Assessments (ANAs) of all learners in all grades. This has generated much focus on preparing learners for the types of tests they undergo in the ANAs and many teachers give their learners ANA-type tests. 

Merv: We have been through much similar written assessment via Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) at various stages, but now only aged 11 and then GCSEs later… In Africa, is this a written assessment or is it carried out orally?

Paula: The ANA is a written test only. There is also wide interest and implementation of an oral reading fluency test in many African countries. There are a range of versions of one-to-one tests but it generally involves letter sound knowledge, decoding skills, fluency and comprehension. 

Merv: You keep mentioning competent and non-competent teachers – what is the difference in this context from your point of view?

Paula: Gosh, that is a difficult question, though I realise I have been using these terms quite a lot. I would say that the indicators of a competent teacher of early grade reading are as follows: prepares well for sessions, displays effective classroom management skills, understands the underpinning theories of what has to be taught/learned, has teaching/learning objectives, uses appropriate teaching and learning materials, is a reflective practitioner (that is able to assess learning and adjust teaching accordingly) but most important, the teacher must have a love of teaching and the learners.

Merv: Yes, that sounds pretty comprehensive… I would probably add excellent subject knowledge, which the teacher can effectively communicate to learners so that they are engaged, can enjoy or explore their learning and if necessary, produce required tasks or assessment.

Anyhow, this has been a fascinating discussion of differences between systems and cultures. Many, many thanks. Good to speak to you again after all this time!

Operation Playground - Free resources to stimulate active learning

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Have your pupils create their own outdoor playground games with this series of free lesson plans from Canopies UK, all designed to encourage active learning and creative thinking skills. Then enter your children's best game into Canopies UK's national competition and stand to win a bespoke outdoor canopy for your school worth up to £10,000!

Research has shown that children respond better in the classroom when they are able to enjoy short bursts of exercise or take part in lessons that encourage active learning.

Active learning allows kids to think for themselves, work individually or in teams, engaging and challenging them to think about different situations enriching their learning. It can come in many varied ways, from collaborative activities to setting them tasks to do. It could even be just as simple as taking them away from the normal environment of the classroom and getting them moving around. This can provide many benefits for them, such as building key everyday skills like communication and teamwork, as well as helping to reinforce key messages or learning aims.

In an effort to encourage more active learning to be incorporated into lessons at a Key Stage 2 level, Darwen-based Canopies UK has launched an exciting new initiative - Operation Playground.

What is Operation Playground?

Operation Playground looks to combine both exercising with learning through five different activities, as well as spending more time outside, all within the realms of the national curriculum.

The project sees kids working together to come up with their own outdoor playground game, either based on a game that is played already, or one that is completely new. The only rules are that games must be:

• safe to play
• inclusive to all pupils
• able to be played outdoors.

Youngsters often have vivid imaginations and so the concept allows them to put that to good use by thinking about how they can not only create games but how they can improve games they play already.

To facilitate this, five lesson plans with associated activities have been written for teachers or PE co-ordinators to use. All lesson plans have been tied to key subject areas and objectives that children are expected to learn as part of the curriculum this year. This not only balances the fun element in the classroom but also ensures that there is a clear, educational reason for taking part.

What are the benefits?

The initiative aims to deliver an accessible class project that gets pupils active and outside. From Physical Education to ICT, Operation Playground can be used in numerous different ways to increase knowledge and build many every day skills that are now fundamental growing up.

Communication is a major factor in the initiative not only verbally but also from a written perspective. Pupils not only contribute significantly in responding to questions asked by teachers but also by talking to their peers, valuing the contributions of each other. 

The lessons ask children to input throughout to build and develop their ideas in a positive manner. It tests their ability to listen carefully to instructions, as well as think about how instructions can be improved.

It is tailored to deliver a fun and enjoyable lesson that lets the pupils do the work and makes decisions themselves.

They are then expected to use their ideas to play the games and think about them further. By playing games, it encourages students to take part in physical activity, while also making them think about how they can incorporate movement and actions.

Schools who have already participated in the project, along with those currently in the process of creating their entry ahead of the closing date of 28th November, have expressed how enjoyable the activity was and currently is for their pupils.

Extra perks

Image: Canopies UK

Aside from the classroom benefit, each school that takes part and submits their best game entry created by the children will receive a certificate for their classroom for taking part. This will hopefully provide a sense of pride for those pupils whose game has been selected as the winning entry.

On top of this, those submissions will then be judged by a panel to win an outdoor play canopy for their school worth £10,000, which includes design, installation and manufacturing from Canopies UK. 

With this being an initiative the whole school can participate in, it can not only help to develop a friendly competitiveness within classes as they look to get the best entry. But it can also lead to healthy rivalry between schools as each one looks to be officially named the best game created.

This all sounds fun – how do I take part?

Schools wanting to take part can visit the Operation Playground page at the following link: www.canopiesuk.co.uk/education/playground/.

On this page, teachers can download the full teaching pack, which contains all the lesson plans and activities, as well as going into more detail on how to complete the entry.

There is also a map where you can see the schools in your local area that have already downloaded the pack and are taking part in the initiative.

Terms and conditions for entry are included in the teaching pack and the closing date for entries is the 28th November up to and including 11:59pm. 

For more information or to register to join (and download those free lesson plans!), visit: www.canopiesuk.co.uk/education/playground/.

Shot at dawn - A free activity for Remembrance Day

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Image: Tinelot Wittermans

Many schools will be doing something special this year for Remembrance day - are you? This free activity is designed to honour the men who fought and died for our country, while also engaging students in a deep moral, historical and political debate.

In 2006, the British Defence Secretary, Des Browne, pardoned the soldiers who were executed for cowardice during World War I. The service of these men is now free to be honoured on Remembrance Day along with the many others who died during the fighting.

There are arguments for and against pardoning these men, and the complex and thorny issues surrounding the topic provide a useful opportunity for students to develop their debating skills and to practice writing to persuade/argue.

In this free activity, students use the text provided and their own research to write an argument either for or against pardoning the men who were executed for cowardice during WW1. The activity could also function as a letter-writing exercise, a class debate or a philosophical enquiry using the included text as a stimulus.

Older pupils may well be the same age as some of the executed soldiers, who, at only 15 or 16, lied about their age to join the army. This, along with wide-spread media focus on Remembrance Day, will make for a relevant and thought-provoking discussion.

You can download the activity resource pack for free here. It includes instructions for implementation and also the stimulus text.

This free activity is taken from our cross-curricular project plan, The Great War. You can purchase the rest of this project for £36.

Activities include:

• Plotting the path to war, examining each country's motives for joining in detail
• Identifying the purpose of propaganda and creating a propaganda poster
• Writing a poem about a gas attack in the trenches
• Investigating the impact of the armistice on Germany and the rest of Europe

...And much more!

See here for a full description of the project and its included activities and resources.

The forces of fun! New workshop teaches kids the physics behind park attractions

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Teachers and their children were blown away by Professor Blast’s Learning Lab at a sneak peek of Paultons Park’s unique schools' science experience.

From swings to cogs, weights to wheels, elevation to electricity, they had the chance to get hands on with the science that makes the park run – before going out onto the rides to feel the force of physics in practice.

And they became techies for the day, bringing their own mini ride to life by the power of computer programming.

The industry professionals, heads of science and ICT, headteachers and their families from across Dorset and Hampshire were welcomed to the family attraction in Romsey over the weekend of September 6 and 7 to experience its new interactive workshops.

Professor Blast’s Learning Lab uses the physics behind the park’s attractions to bring science vividly to life for children and is exclusively available for schools and uniformed groups, such as Brownies and Cubs.

With the quirky professor and his research assistant, Peter Petri, overseeing the lab, kids love the exciting mix of UV lighting, bubbling test-tubes, smoke and special effects.

Paultons Park Education Officer, Andy Chapman, said: “It was so much fun for the teachers to see their own children buzzing with excitement when they were doing the activities – and now they can’t wait to come back with their pupils.

“We’re really proud to see Professor Blast’s Learning Lab in action and we’re looking forward to welcoming school groups. 

“What makes it such an exciting ‘edu-tainment’ experience is that children can learn all about the science behind our rides before going into the park to experience them in practice.” 

With the capacity to host 35 children and their leaders, Professor Blast’s hands-on Science Explorer workshop explores forces and energy transfers, allowing children to investigate the dynamics of the park’s attractions.

And the Ride Programming – Control IT workshop offers a new understanding of how rides are technically programmed. The workshop is designed to develop IT skills and provides children the chance to programme their very own motorised Sky Swinger.

Professor Blast's Learning Lab mainly targets key stage 1 and 2. It will be used as a base for a number of school trips and educational workshops, where children will be able to book the interactive lab for a session as part of their school visit.

About Paultons Park
Paultons Park has more than 60 theme park rides and attractions – including the world’s only Peppa Pig World – but education is an important part of its remit, which has earned the park a Learning Outside the Classroom quality badge.

The Park has this year been voted in the top five UK school trips destinations, alongside the National History Museum and Edinburgh Zoo, as voted for by the readers and subscribers of UKedchat magazine.

The amazing mix of rides, birds and animals provides plenty of stimuli for learning on a range of subjects with an experienced education team on hand to guide learners through a full day of curriculum-based workshops. 

A day at Paultons Park
10am: School groups arrive, parking in the large-free car park. Tickets are issued and students head into the park.

10:15am: Head into the park, under the supervision of accompanying teachers. Experience the rides, or visit the many species of birds and animals. Staff can download the free resources from the Paultons Park website to support learning, or use the time for recreational purposes.

11.00am: Attend a pre-booked workshop in Professor Blast’s Learning Lab. Let the education team lead a hands-on exploratory session in its fully-themed lab. All of the interactives are based on rides in the park, allowing clear scientific links to be made between the workstations and the rides. Worksheets are provided to further focus the learning.

12:00pm: Visit the penguins for an informative and fun talk on the Park’s collection of Humboldt penguins.

12:30pm: Lunch in one of its numerous undercover picnic areas.

1:30pm: Continue to explore the park, under the supervision of accompanying teachers. Experience the rides, or visit the many species of birds and animals. Staff can download the free resources from the Paultons Park website to support learning, or use the time for recreational purposes. Alternatively, book another workshop in Professor Blast’s Learning Lab.

Other workshops and presentations
The new Learning Lab activities complement existing schools workshops. In the Feel the Force workshop, children can tour the park to explore the forces acting on their bodies and how they affect the rides. 

For older students, Paultons run a range of presentations looking at different aspects of the business. Marketing covers the main techniques Paultons Park uses to attract customers, and who they market to. Students can also learn about customer service at the park, covering information about its customers, how Paultons meets their needs, measures their satisfaction and communicates with them.

And the Paultons Business Programme includes information on the history of Paultons, its mission statement and core values, management structure, stakeholders, functional areas and responsibilities, customer information, how it communicates with its guests and the marketing mix.

“With all the excitement of a theme park all around them, children love learning how we work – and, of course, they get to enjoy the rides as well,” said Andy Chapman.

“We’re passionate about education, which is why we don’t just offer exciting workshops and experiences for children, but also run inspirational teaching events, giving teachers creative ideas to ignite their pupils’ imaginations.”

Teachers are encouraged to book a pre-visit in advance of a trip, where Andy will give them a tour, answer all of their questions and show them the Learning Lab.

For more information, visit www.paultonspark.co.uk.  If you are a teacher or education blogger and would like to preview Professor Blast's Learning Lab at Paultons Park - please email education@paultons.co.uk. 

Press enquiries to:
Lisa Barry, Liz Lean PR, Tel: 01202 701828, E: lisab@lizleanpr.co.uk

Adding rigour to project-based learning

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Giving constructive critiques is a significant way to ensure PBL projects are academically rigorous - but what is a critique, and how can you teach students to give one? Find out here.

Of the 8 essential elements of project-based learning, it’s 'reflection and review' that really adds rigour to the process. Students need plenty of structured opportunities throughout the project to give and receive feedback about the quality of their work-in-progress in order to make their final product the best it can be.

'Reflection and review' is really made up of two parts – multiple drafting and constructive critiques. Both components are inextricably interlinked. The student creates a draft, the teacher and peers provide a critique; the student then uses that constructive criticism to redraft, and the process continues over and over...

How many drafts your students complete depends on your time-frame. It’s important you schedule enough time when designing your project. At Matthew Moss High School, teachers timetable eight weeks for the cycle of drafting, critique and redrafting of their family tree project, and the result is some pretty spectacular work, as you can see…

Top, middle, bottom © Matthew Moss High School

Personalising assessment through multiple drafts

The Innovation Unit points out how valuable multiple drafting is for personalising assessment, "because they provide you with the means to assess, not only a student’s final product, but also the extent to which they have improved their work since the first draft."

Part of the assessment of the students’ final product should be how well they've used the feedback you and their peers have given to improve and refine it. This is especially beneficial for students with special educational needs and for students whose first language is not English. It’s also a valuable experience for the most able students, who might be less likely to accept criticism and may view it as a failure on their part. They need to see that accepting critiques is part of the process of improving themselves, and part of having a growth mindset.

Teaching students to give critiques

According to Monash University, a critique is not about being negative or derogatory, instead it's "a way of approaching other peoples' ideas - to question, to evaluate, to consider the accuracy and validity of ideas and information."

Image: primas.mathshell.org.uk

It’s a useful learning experience for students to critique each other’s work, rather than just handing it in to the teacher. It’s a good idea to schedule regular ‘critiquing sessions’, which will give pupils the chance to share their work and give feedback to others in a safe environment.

This will require students to be taught how to give a critique. Luckily, that’s not as intimidating as it sounds. The Innovation Unit and PBL expert Ron Berger give these three simple rules:

1. Be kind – Realise that sharing work for critiques puts people in a vulnerable position. It’s easy to get carried away critiquing others’ work, but try and balance out criticisms with positives.
2. Be specific – Describing something as ‘good’ doesn't cut it. Don’t be vague; pick out exactly what is good and why.
3. Be helpful – A critique has to be more than saying what is strong or weak about a piece; it has to include how to go about improving the work.

One Edutopia blogger provides this worksheet which asks students to organise their critique comments according to each of these three rules. Definitely worth using, especially with beginners.

Modelling critiques

A good way to introduce critiquing is to critique a model piece of work as a class. That way, students will know the kinds of questions to ask themselves about a piece of work and the level of specificity they should be aiming for. 

Image: Frank Baron (The Guardian)

Help your class to understand what critiquing means by breaking it down into these simple two questions:

• What is the product's purpose?
• How well does it meet that purpose?

Other important questions to ask include:

• What stands out about this piece?
• What strengths do you see?
• What suggestions would you offer for the next draft?

When evaluating a model piece of work, pick one relevant to the project you’re undertaking that demonstrates the standard you are expecting pupils to meet with their own products. If you don’t have any past students’ work, use a real-life product or piece. Even the professionals’ work can be improved!

Types of peer-assessment sessions

The Innovation Unit’s guide to PBL includes a list of four peer critique activities:

Gallery walk
Students display their drafts around the classroom. The class are then free to wander around the ‘gallery’ for around 20 minutes or so, making notes on post-its and sticking them to the drafts with positive points and suggestions for improvement. Probably better for more advanced critiquers, as students are pretty much left to their own devices here.

Dilemma protocol
Put students in groups of four. As them to share their draft and tell the others one thing they’re struggling with - their 'dilemma'. The rest of the group then discusses possible solutions. The important part of this approach is that the sharer stays silent for 6-7 minutes as the others converse, taking notes but not participating. After the time is up, the sharer rejoins the conversation to talk over suggestions they liked the sound of, taking the opportunity to ask for any clarification. This process is repeated until all group members have had the chance to pose a dilemma.

Workshop-style critique
Put students in groups of three and give them a list of questions about the product in hand. Students then take turns presenting their product to their group and discuss the questions as a way of improving their product. Each presentation plus feedback should last around 10-15 minutes.

Pair critique
Students work in pairs and spend 15-20 minutes really digging into a product and evaluating the work. The PBL guide suggests this type of critique session as a final critique before the product is turned in for final assessment.

Image: oer.educ.cam.ac.uk

For PBL newbies, as the Innovation Unit says, "it’s probably tempting to regard multiple draft [and] peer critique, as ‘advanced’ project methods – stuff to move on to once you’ve got the basics right... But these are the basics." Reflection and review is such a vital part of PBL. In fact, the process of multiple drafting and critiquing makes up a significant portion of that period between the entry event and the final presentation.

But it’s not the only important component of project-based learning. Picking the perfect final product is something you need to do right at the start of a project. You won’t be able to plan anything else until you know what your students are working towards. 

The next article in our PBL series will focus on choosing the best final product for your project and organising that all-important exhibition at the end. Watch this space!

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Just discovered our blog? Catch up on our project-based learning series here:

• The 8 essential elements of project-based learning - What makes a good PBL project? There are 8 components. Find out what they are here.
• Top 4 project-based learning websites - Four of what we think are the best websites to turn to for PBL advice and resources.
• A crash course in writing good driving questions - Everything you need to know about choosing the best possible driving question for your project.
• How to plan for project-based learning - Information on designing your PBL unit and also on the logistics of running a 'big' project.
• Building support for project-based learning - How to get your headteacher, colleagues and pupils' parents on board with PBL.
• Launch your PBL unit with a bang! - A range of ideas for a memorable and exciting PBL entry event.