Random Lesson Planner

This page should give you a random starter, main and plenary idea for a lesson. Most of the activities require minimal preparation, and whilst the examples I give are usually science related, the majority can be used in all subjects.
  • Starter: Taboo

    This requires a bit of prep, but it shouldn’t take long. Taboo belongs in the family of games that includes Pictionary and Charades – where the class has to guess what a student is trying to get across. With Taboo … Continue reading

  • Main: Concept Map

    A concept map is a set of linked keywords, as shown in the example below (which is a concept map about concept maps), with the subject in the middle. I usually do concept maps in three stages. For the first … Continue reading

  • Plenary: The Hotseat

    A simple plenary with no preparation required. Give students a few minutes to think up questions based on what they have learned – they can write these down if they like (otherwise they’re liable to forget them). Then get one … Continue reading

To get a new set of ideas just refresh the page, or you can browse through all the starters, mains and plenaries individually. I'd be very grateful for more activity suggestions - if you have an idea you'd like to share please email it to random@mrgravell.com and I'll put it in the database.