Teaching Ideas

The Currency of the Bean

2014-03-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

100 Politicians are stranded on a desert island with a tin of beans. They all blame each other and discuss the possibilities for the future. They die rather quickly of thirst.

100 Economists are stranded on a desert island with a tin of beans. They develop a complex system of trade with Loans, Hedge funds, and Ponzi Schemes all based on the currency of the Bean (which they correctly predicted would increase in value as they became closer to death). They all die of starvation; 97 end their lives in insurmountable debt, three of them have enormous equity in the Bean

100 Christians are stranded on a desert island with a tin of beans. They pray for more beans. As they die of starvation, they realize the error of their ways and begin to worship the almighty Bean.

100 People of mixed religions are stranded on a desert island. They don't notice the tin of beans in the bloodshed.

100 Scientists are stranded on a desert island with a tin of beans. They break up into small groups and specialize in their own different areas, building shelter, gathering water, food and resources. They survive and develop a peaceful balanced society.

KS1 level 3 some practice questions

2014-02-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

download pdf here

Maths Key Stage 1, Level 2 Practice Questions

2014-02-01T03:05:00.002-08:00

I have added a new pdf with some practice questions for Key stage 1, level 2 Mathematics

Download here

KS1 maths sentences worksheet

2014-01-23T11:42:00.004-08:00

Hi,

This time the sums are asked in sentence form

Cartons of orange.pdf

New KS1 maths worksheet added

2014-01-21T09:59:00.002-08:00

Hi all,

I made this for my six year old daughter who needed some practice at working with money.

How many 20s/50s

Please see below for more worksheets like this

Who is Chris Hadfield?

2014-01-18T02:26:00.001-08:00

This week the teaching ideas will all have a space theme, and a great way to start is with a real spaceman - Chris Hadfield. You may have heard of him already, but if not please see some of the links below, I am sure you will agree he is a genuine inspiration. His deep-learning in a wide range of fields from mechanical engineering to shooting gave him the skills required to excel and become commander of the International Space Station education in 2010 for a total of five months in space.

You can here an interview with him at the naked scientist podcast where he fixes the toilet. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/astronomy/show/20140110/

His is also famous for his song Space Oddity on YouTube

I showed my daughter (age 6), she asked "is he actually in space?" and "is he dead?"

Anyway, enjoy...

Using we, were, where, we're, I'm, was

2014-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Two useful examples

I was lost in the middle of Wales. No one knew where I was. Next time I travel, I'm going to bring along a map.

We were lost in the middle of Wales. No one knew where we were. Next time we travel, we're going to bring along a map.

Why I think Fracking is a bad idea (now)

2014-01-14T02:22:00.001-08:00

1) As global resources are consumed and become more scarce, natural gas prices will increase. This will tend to make any future extraction more profitable than today.

2) In the future, improvements in technology may also decrease the cost of extraction (both financial and environmental)

3) Today's investment should be directed at reducing CO2 emissions (wind and solar)

The Keeling Curve

2014-01-12T15:47:00.003-08:00

A great educational tool for kids over about 8 years old is this site http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu

It shows the Keeling curve, an interactive record of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels going back 800,000 years. You can click along the bottom to select various time-spans to display. Select the one-year or two-year options and you will see the seasonal variations due to uptake and release by plant life. Full explanation here http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/why-are-seasonal-co2-fluctuations-strongest-in-northern-latitudes/

Select 1700-present for a very convincing and worrying graph!

The older data is extrapolated from ice cores, the most recent data is from live atmospheric observations.

Comment from Peter Fogarty

2012-02-23T15:25:00.003-08:00

Today I received this comment from Peter Fogarty, please take a look at his website http://www.free-guided-reading.com

Peter Fogarty has left a new comment on your post "New KS2 math worksheets":

I am an International school teacher working in a private school.

For many years I have wondered why there are so many free children's books online, but no free reading scheme. I decided it was time I fixed this. I have collected together around 2000 public domain children books and ordered them into both year groups and then also into monthly reading groups. The idea being a group of children can follow the scheme throughout the year.

The big idea is that children can read these books on a Kindle, e-book reader or ipad at home. I have made sure all the books I offer are both free and come originally from well respected publishers.

The website is called http://www.free-guided-reading.com

The colour scheme follows that of the rainbow.

Red - Year 1 books
Orange - Year 2 books
Yellow - Year 3 books
Green - Year 4 books
Blue - Year 5 books
Indigo - Year 6 books
Violet - Year 7 books

I am now really keen for everyone to use this site, to reignite a love to reading. Make reading more than just another phonics scheme (incidentally, the site also has a really great, free, complete phonics link too!).

Thank you for reading this.

Peter Fogarty

New KS2 math worksheets

2011-11-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

Just the beginning, but here are two simple number ordering worksheets to download.
Early KS2 work.

KS2-Number-Order.pdf
KS2-Number-Order-2.pdf

Scroll to the bottom for more free worksheets on this site

See below for Amazon products to help with KS2 maths.

The Greek alphabet worksheet

2011-11-06T02:18:00.001-08:00

Added a new worksheet on:

The Greek Alphabet

Simple Pumpkin Soup Recipe

2011-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
2 table spoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped or blended
1 pumpkin chopped into chunks (remove the skin, seeds and nasty stuff inside)
700ml vegetable or chicken stock
150 ml double cream

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan

Add the onions and pumpkin and gently cook for 12 mins, until soft.

Pour the stock into the pan,

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until the squash is very soft. Pour the cream into the pan, bring back to the boil.

blend the soup for a smooth consistency, otherwise the pumpkin will takes on an unpleasant texture

Season with salt and pepper.

Add thyme, garlic & parsley OR curry powder and garlic OR fried bacon OR a combination of these according to your preferences.

New KS2 English worksheet

2011-10-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

Just added

The_Journey_Home.pdf

For the connecting words:
Furthermore Therefore Although After Eventually, Because Meanwhile Since Until

New search features

2011-09-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have added two search boxes to the right. These are customised Google searches for USA and UK type primary worksheets. On the UK search, you should find worksheets and materials for Key Stages one, two and three from sites based in the UK. On the USA search, it will be more orientated towards kindergarten and first grade.

Let me know if you find these differences useful, leave a comment below.

New Key Stage 2 Science worksheet

2011-09-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

New Key Stage 2 Science worksheet (level 4)

Plotting-Line-Graphs.pdf

variables affecting plantgrowth.pdf

Christian Worksheets

2011-08-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

I don't have any of my own, but you can look at these links for other sites with free worksheets to download.

http://www.sundayschoolprintables.com/

http://www.request.org.uk/teachers/resources/pdf/pages.htm

http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/Worksheets.html

http://www.akidsheart.com/bible/bible.htm

http://www.coloring.ws/christian.htm
colouring pages

http://www.calvarywilliamsport.com/activity-pages.html

First Grade Reading Worksheets

2011-07-06T11:38:00.001-07:00

Please see above for free pdf downloads and leave a comment,

Thanks

1st Grade Math Worksheets

2011-06-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

In response to questions about USA style 1st grade and 2nd grade worksheets, can I suggest you take a look at the KS1 and KS2 worksheets above, for example.

New KS2 worksheet - Fractions and Decimals

2011-06-05T03:59:00.000-07:00

Top end of KS1, easy end of KS2.

fractions_and_decimals.pdf

KS2 Sats papers - Maths English and Science.

2011-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Go to http://www.emaths.co.uk/KS2SAT.htm has numerous example KS2 papers to practice from years 2003-2010, all free and easy to download.

Or use the search boxes above to find more.

Growth Mindset or Fixed Mindset

2011-04-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently it is best to praise effort, and not natural talent. See this recent article from the BBC.

Where does excellence come from? For a long time, it was thought the answer to this hinged, to a large degree, on genetic inheritance. Or, to put it another way, it is all about talent

It turns out that this is mistaken. Dozens of studies have found that top performers - whether in maths, music or whatever - learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of attainment - hour after hour, they improve at almost identical rates.

The difference is simply that high achievers practise for more hours.

…consider a youngster who believes excellence is all about talent - labelled the "fixed mindset". Why would she bother to work hard?

If, on the other hand, she really believes that effort trumps talent - labelled the "growth mindset" - she will persevere. She will not see failure as an indictment, but as an opportunity to adapt and grow. And, if she is right, she will eventually excel...

Think how often you hear children saying "I just lack the brain for numbers"

...So, how do we orient our children to the growth mindset? ....we should praise effort, never talent; that we should teach kids to see challenges as learning opportunities rather than threats; and that we should emphasise how abilities can be transformed.

Full story at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13128701

Kindergarten Worksheets

2011-04-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

The KS1 worksheets above are probably suitable for kindergarten.

Please leave a comment if not.

I just added a new worksheet "Story Plan". This can be used for any books you already have. There should be an obvious problem encountered by the main character, which is then solved.

New worksheet on Ancient Greece

2011-02-27T02:02:00.000-08:00

Just added this
Use the internet to answer the questions and draw the map

For the truth.

2010-12-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

Wikileaks is now here
http://213.251.145.96/

because www.wikileaks.org has been taken down.