Starter Activities - Linkedin Discussion Group Volume 1

Here is the first volume of starter activities from the linkedin discussion group. All of them real belters.....

Post it Note Starters

This suggestion came from Vanessa McGowan

'I am a huge fan of post it note starters...so for example if teaching location the students write as many ideas for location factors as they can on post-it's then stick them on the board to make a huge mind map. Can add a competitive dimension too...which group can come up with the most (use different coloured post it's for each group)...makes sure everyone is involved and warms up the brain!'

Geoff also added that there are a range of post it notes available from Amazon in the shape of directional arrows which could also be utilised in the classroom and maybe on mini whiteboards for getting students to think about and plot relationships. £5 for 225 of them. Bargain.

Mini whiteboards

This suggestion came from Bob Hindle

'Mini whiteboards lend themsleves to a range of tasks in economics- recapping a key diagram from last lesson or some quick short answer q's. "5 new terms from last lesson"- the ones students don't mention are generally those you need to review again'

I'm a big, big fan of mini whiteboards and used correctly they are an amazing strategy to enhance teaching and learning

The Mallet of Panic!

This suggestion came from Martin Young

'This starter goes along the same lines as the game played by legendary children's tv presenter and "a list" celebrity timmy mallet. All you need to play is a rolled up newspaper/a toy mallet, 6 chairs and 6 victims. Line up in a row facing the rest of the class 6 chairs. Acquire 6 willing students who want to play. Get them to sit on the chairs. The rules are that as a teacher you will set a topic (usually one from a previous lesson), students then have to say a key word from that topic without hesitating or repeating what has already been said. If they hesitate or repeat then you tap them on their head with your mallet (rolled up paper or toy mallet) and they are out and return to sit back in the class. Students answer sequentially until there are two students left to decide the champion. Topics include marketing key terms, famous economists, examples of goods/ services producing positive or negative externalities. Sometimes before playing the economics/ business version I may have a silly topic such as species of British wildlife, just to wake the class up. Students love it, and it makes for a really good start to the lessons!!'

Simon Says and Ping-Pong

This suggestion came from Richard Young

'where there is the need to bury into deep memory definitions of key terms such as the economic problem, or inflation use permutations of Simon Says for example saying let's define the economic problem and then pointing with a smile at a random student who says, how, and the next student to, next student, allocate, and so on. hesitation and deviation are frowned upon.
a variation is definition ping-pong, with the 1st student serves with how, their partner replies with, to, 1st student then says allocate, and so on. you can even play a match, but I do not recommend going to 21 definitions'

Some amazing ideas there with many, many more to follow.....

Keep an eye out for Volume 2............