In the news

Introduce current affairs into your lessons. Provide articles, videos or documentaries for pupils to read and discuss, or ask pupils to find these themselves. Then encourage pupils to pose their thoughts collectively to discuss and debate the issue further. Pupils can to upload their thoughts using padlet or pearltrees for the class to easily access. Click here for …

The big question debate

Encourage and facilitate open debates with pupils. This gets them thinking and encourages them to apply their knowledge and make links to the wider world. It can also encourage pupils to develop their reasoning skills, and equips them to better cope with unforeseen questions. Click here for some examples Big question debate

Passion projects

Whet pupils’ appetite for a topic or subject area by allowing them time and choice over independently studying an area of interest. It could be not something covered by the curriculum or specification, but something they care about or are interested in. Then let them teach the class! Click here for some ideas Passion projects

WOW starters

Create curiosity and awe for your subject areas at the beginning of lessons using WOW starters. Posing open and thought provoking questions to get pupils thinking or drawing links between topics. Wow starters

Case against

Provide pupils with a false or controversial statement. Then encourage them to make a case against you! This promotes deep thinking and additionally creates an opportunity for pupils to create challenging questions to quiz you about! case_against

Gradual reveal

An engaging way to introduce a lesson or topic by gradually revealing parts of a text to see if they can decipher the key learning. Assess whether their views change as more is revealed, it really encourages pupils to justify their responses. Gradual reveal

Stimulating Starters

Use sound, images, riddles or clues to engage children at the beginning of lessons to get their brains engaged with what they are about to be learning! Curiosity starters Curiosity starters_sound Curiosity starter_images to inspire  

Curious questions

Make the start of your lesson or form time exciting by posing thought provoking questions to the students to discuss and consider. Curiosity form ppt examples HED_questions