Lessons I Love (and the kids love too)
If you'd like to see a dramatisation of these lessons, visit the Creative Education website to learn more about my DVD, The Positive Lesson, which includes lots of advice about creating memorable and imaginative lessons.
Scroll down to find descriptions of:
Flour Babies: I adore this activity, which is based on the book of the same name by Anne Fine. I've done it with a few different classes, with a variety of reactions. It works well when you're looking at themes such as teenage pregnancy or responsibility. If you don't fancy (or want to risk) flour, you can also do it with eggs (raw) or those realistic crying baby dolls they sell these days (although to my thinking that takes some of the fun out of it). Here's how it works:
In the first school where I did this activity, we had great fun doing a variety of drama activities with our babies. The week was a great success and the students got loads out of it. In the second (less challenging) school where I tried it, the activity ended with the flour baby massacre. Sometimes when you take risks, things go slightly awry!
The Can of Dog Food: This lesson seems to provoke the most controversy out of any I've ever suggested. To clarify, the teacher (not me) began his Design & Technology lesson by eating from a (rigged) can of dog food. This was at a school where you just HAD to grab the children's attention, or you were totally stuffed. The can had actually been cleaned out and refilled with a mix of mars bars and jelly, which when mashed together look surprisingly convincing. The lesson itself was about packaging, and in particular looking at a few important points: (1) How do we ensure that packaging is tamper proof? (2) Should you always believe what you read on a label? and (3) How are you affected by the marketing of a product? Of course the initial response from the children was "urrggghhh, what are you doing sir!!???" but eventually they did quiet down because they were so curious to see what was actually going on. And after that lesson - oh the buzz that was created in the corridors of the school. Yes, it's the 'edge of madness' style of teaching, but what a way to get yourself a reputation for doing interesting lessons!
Scene of the Crime: This lesson has always been really successful for me, even in the most 'difficult' of schools. In fact I originally came up with the idea when I was teaching in a school where you really had to get the students' attention, or you were stuffed. It was originally a Drama lesson, looking at the Crime Genre, but it could easily be adapted for other subjects. If you're working with young children, the class toy could get 'kidnapped'. Here's how it works. You will need to:
When the class arrives, meet them at the door and tell them "there's been a murder" (or kidnap, theft, etc.) Invite them into the room, gathering in front of the crime scene tape. Explain to them that the police are really busy today, so they've been asked to act as police detectives, and you're looking for a 'Chief of Police' to lead the investigation. Choose a volunteer and ask this student to put on the gloves. He or she should now hold up the various pieces of evidence to the class and get them talking about what they might mean.
From this point, the lesson can go in various directions. You could:
Scroll down to find descriptions of:
- Flour Babies
- The Can of Dog Food
- The Scene of the Crime
Flour Babies: I adore this activity, which is based on the book of the same name by Anne Fine. I've done it with a few different classes, with a variety of reactions. It works well when you're looking at themes such as teenage pregnancy or responsibility. If you don't fancy (or want to risk) flour, you can also do it with eggs (raw) or those realistic crying baby dolls they sell these days (although to my thinking that takes some of the fun out of it). Here's how it works:
- Explain to the students that they are going to be looking after 'babies' for the next day/week (depending on the age of the children).
- (Warn the other staff in advance, especially if you're working in a secondary school!)
- Tell the children that they must take their babies with them everywhere they go - to lessons, and home as well.
- If they need to go out in the evening, they have to arrange a babysitter.
- You might also ask the students to keep a diary. They can draw faces on their babies if they wish, and dress them up in clothes.
- Hand out the bags of flour.
In the first school where I did this activity, we had great fun doing a variety of drama activities with our babies. The week was a great success and the students got loads out of it. In the second (less challenging) school where I tried it, the activity ended with the flour baby massacre. Sometimes when you take risks, things go slightly awry!
The Can of Dog Food: This lesson seems to provoke the most controversy out of any I've ever suggested. To clarify, the teacher (not me) began his Design & Technology lesson by eating from a (rigged) can of dog food. This was at a school where you just HAD to grab the children's attention, or you were totally stuffed. The can had actually been cleaned out and refilled with a mix of mars bars and jelly, which when mashed together look surprisingly convincing. The lesson itself was about packaging, and in particular looking at a few important points: (1) How do we ensure that packaging is tamper proof? (2) Should you always believe what you read on a label? and (3) How are you affected by the marketing of a product? Of course the initial response from the children was "urrggghhh, what are you doing sir!!???" but eventually they did quiet down because they were so curious to see what was actually going on. And after that lesson - oh the buzz that was created in the corridors of the school. Yes, it's the 'edge of madness' style of teaching, but what a way to get yourself a reputation for doing interesting lessons!
Scene of the Crime: This lesson has always been really successful for me, even in the most 'difficult' of schools. In fact I originally came up with the idea when I was teaching in a school where you really had to get the students' attention, or you were stuffed. It was originally a Drama lesson, looking at the Crime Genre, but it could easily be adapted for other subjects. If you're working with young children, the class toy could get 'kidnapped'. Here's how it works. You will need to:
- Set up a 'crime scene' in a corner of your classroom or in another open space.
- Add various props - I often set up a game of cards, with drinks, money, etc.
- Add some 'clues' - amongst other things, I use a mobile phone number hidden in a match box and a chair that has been tipped over.
- Make sure there's some stuff for the students to 'discover' - for instance I hide some playing cards under the tipped over chair.
- For added authenticity, use real crime scene tape and a 'body'. This could be a willing teaching assistant or you could simply chalk or tape an outline on the floor. For the ultimate 'coup de thêatre', see if you can persuade your head teacher to participate.
- Get hold of some of those gloves that you use at the garage when you're filling your car with petrol - I simply hang onto the used ones when I'm done filling my car.
When the class arrives, meet them at the door and tell them "there's been a murder" (or kidnap, theft, etc.) Invite them into the room, gathering in front of the crime scene tape. Explain to them that the police are really busy today, so they've been asked to act as police detectives, and you're looking for a 'Chief of Police' to lead the investigation. Choose a volunteer and ask this student to put on the gloves. He or she should now hold up the various pieces of evidence to the class and get them talking about what they might mean.
From this point, the lesson can go in various directions. You could:
- Get the students to do a reconstruction of the crime, in the style of the TV programme 'Crimewatch'.
- Do some forensic analysis of the scene with the class.
- Fill in a 'Crime Scene Report' - make a form for the children or get them to produce one of their own.
- Interview some suspects, tape recording what is said and using the authentic 'you have the right to remain silent' introduction. You can find both the US and the UK versions here.
- Build up to a full scale court room scene, with the students taking the parts of judges, barristers, witnesses, victims, criminals.