Ideas to spice up revision lessons (KS3)

[EdwiniasRevenge]

NQT so need to increase my bank of ideas. I will be doing about 3-5 revision lessons with each of my classes over the next 2 weeks in prep for end of year exams.

For yr9 (both low ability groups) I need to cover the whole of ks3 as they will be doing an old SATS paper. Yr7 &8 will predominantly be covering the material from this year.

I will be doing revision mats with them over the next couple of days but looking for ideas for thr next few lessons as that will easily bore them...

oh and my classroom control isn't great as I only started at Feb and have just had 3 weeks off with stress so needs to be engaging but "sit down, shut up" would be preferable to activities which require long explaianations or lots of moving around the room where I struggle to regain control.

Was it Science you were teaching?
I'm currently doing SATs revision with my Year 6 class. (We only started two weeks ago,...otherwise they'd be bored to tears by now.)

• I've made them do a treasure hunt, with questions hidden around the school. In the past, I have done this by creating QR codes and they went around with iPads scanning the code, which revealed the question. They could then use the iPad to help them get the answer. Depends on the content, though.
• We've gone through practice papers, but they were allowed to work with a partner. For every question they got right, they got to put a sticker on their score card. (Hard to believe, but the mere inclusion of stick-on stars made the whole thing amazing for them. So easily entertained...)
• I've used 'quiz-quiz-trade' for several years now and my classes have all liked this. You can adapt the information on the cards to match the content of your units. www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/quiz-quiz-trade
• For Maths and speed recall activities, I tend to use this: www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/inside-outside-circles Again, you can adapt the content to match your units. I use flashcards for that and make the partners correct and support each other. (Their flashcard has the question on the front and the correct answer on the back.)

For just "sit down, shut up"- activities, you might want to take a look here:

• magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/6-revision-stations.html?m=1
• sanders6thgrade.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/science-hands-on-activities.html?m=1

We've made these ones for SPaG, but I'm sure they can be adapted for other things:

• s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/69/bf/19/69bf190f7cb2597bcf8b0499dbffdbcf.jpg

Yes it is science. Thankyou so much.

I had forgotten about Quiz Quiz trade....I will look at the othet links too.

Give one, get one.

For key words, match the definition to key words, pictionary, taboo, er ally linking a number of key words together.

Anything that involves thick marker pens! If you cleaner is ok with it and it is last thing in the day write in the tables/window. If not buy the huge party style paper table cloths for them to write on. Anything involving whiteboards.

Revision races. In groups the students have a long exam questions to answer. The whole groups knows the question but the answer is at the other side of the room, each student with the baton (pen) gets to spend one minute adding to the answer in turn but they can dicuss their answers. Sorry just retread your post of sit down shut up.

Competitive teams with chocolate prizes. Quizzes. You can even get them in small teams to create 5 questions and answers and you have a ready made quiz. Writing the quiz and answers can be used as an activity in itself or as a last minute extension activity. Can be used with not seating. Pick on child expert to stand at the front and get the other students to ask them a question, if the other students think the person in the hot seat is correct they hold up a green card/yes or red card/no.

Quick on the draw on the draw using revision materials.

The classic poster but with a success criteria and peer assess.

If they are low ability try to avoid covering too much, too fast.

Are there any short video clips which are useful bbc bite size? What the video clip and then they draw around their hand and in each finger write down one fact they have learnt.

Mind movies. You slowly read out the information, read each paragraph twice and they take notes/ draw the info. They then used a ready prepared check list to see how lunch they have recorded. Without looking at info they then re-record the info eg paragraph or cartoon and go through the check list again.

I've been doing revision jenga with my Y9s. I ask a question, if they answer correctly they can remove a piece. Whoever makes it fall down has to do a forfeit. It's always very tense and they love it.
I've also used a magnetic dart board to do revision with my Y11s in two teams. If behaviour is an issue you could always deduct points for unruly begsviour/shouting out.
Also 4 chairs. Get 4 pupils to sit at the front. Other pupils select a pupil and ask them a question. If the person answers correctly they stay on the chair. If not, they swap with the questioner. Whoever is still on the chairs at the end of the allotted time gets a small prize/sticker etc.

Butts Up- good for any subject, any topic.
Teams of 4, number off 1,2,3,4
One pen and one mini whiteboard per team which lie untouched on their table.
On your IAWB have a question up.
Say 'butts up'!
all 4 in the team put their heads together to discuss the answer, then you call out a number and that numbered person on each team writes the answer. Points for fastest winning team for each question.
Easiest to have the answer on your next slide as it can get noisy!

Might be a bit lively for now, but to add to your bank - Chair Tests.

Everyone puts their chair in a long line (they could sit on the floor with one chair at an end). You ask the person at one end a question and if they get it right they stay put. Move along the line asking one question at a time. When someone gets it wrong they move to the start of the line, everyone who was below them shifts up one seat, and then the question passes to the next person. It has the advantage that you can differentiate on the spot - you could even get a confident child to be the question master and you could sit at the far end. The aim is to 'unseat' the person at the end of the line.

Cahoot quizzes are good, as is socrative, depends on your it resources though.