Investigation or project
Literacy: Ww/E2.1, Ww/E3.1, Ww/L1.1, Ww/L2.1
General: Dyslexia support
Level: E2, E3, L1, L2
Resource type: Discussion points, Handout or guide, Hands-on / practical activity, Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
This was designed to be used with a group of dyslexic learners but would be applicable for any learners with spelling difficulties.
I have used this by separating the group into small groups or pairs and then giving each group a different strategy to try with one of the words from the word list (two are provided – one for E2-E3, one for L1-2) or a word of their own that they want to spell.
The learners get 10 minutes with each strategy and then need to evaluate the strategy.
Literacy: Functional Skills English, General literacy / English
ICT: Finding and selecting information, Developing, presenting and communicating information
General: Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Context: Sport
Resource type: Discussion points, ICT task sheet, Investigation or project, Listening and/or speaking activity, Worksheet or assignment
Level: E3, L1, L2
Learners must choose the next manager of the England football team. Using the task sheet to guide them, they must research, collate and present information for five candidates and then make the final choice.
There is scope for plenty of lively discussion around the choices made and also about what the manager’s job entails.
A Power Point presentation is included as an example, but can also be printed out to use in some of the additional activities described.
Numeracy: Functional Maths, MSS1/E3.1, MSS1/L1.1, N1/L1.2, N1/L2.1
Context: Business & Money management
Level: E3, L1, L2
Resource type: Discussion points, Game, Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
An activity to explore money management and negative numbers. Be prepared to signpost students if need be.
The activity starts with discussing who is most likely to get into debt and then by recognising that anyone can if they don’t have good money skills.
Then students use *place value dice (hundreds, tens and units) to fill in their budget sheets. If you don’t have such dice you could prepare the sheets by writing in amounts to differentiate for each student.
Numeracy: Functional Maths
Literacy: Functional English - reading
ICT: Finding and selecting information
General: Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Free tags: Diamond Jubilee
Context: Art Film Media Music TV, Leisure Travel Tourism
Resource type: Investigation or project
Level: E3, L1
A topical investigation that can be used as a group or individual task. Learners imagine they have won tickets in the ballot and must plan their trip to Buckingham Palace.
Ideal for E3-L1 Functional maths, English and ICT but could be easily adapted for higher or lower levels.
Numeracy: General numeracy / maths, Functional Maths - measures, shape, money
Context: Catering Food Nutrition, Voluntary & Charity
Level: L1, L2
Resource type: Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
Inspired by Judith White’s autumn apple cake resource (ratios, converting measures, formulae, etc.) this series of open ended tasks focuses on the importance of showing working out and explaining/justifying their conclusions. It also helps students get used to the idea that some maths questions do not have just one “correct” answer.
The theme is baking several cakes for a charity event and making a profit.
You will need Judith’s original recipe (see below) to complete some of the tasks.
Numeracy: Functional Maths - data handling, HD1/E2.4, HD1/E3.3, HD1/E3.4
Context: Catering Food Nutrition
Level: E2, E3, L1
Resource type: Hands-on / practical activity, Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
A Functional Maths and numeracy task sheet written for a mixed group of entry level learners to collect, represent and analyse data on favourite biscuits. The topic is introduced with a news article about Britain’s favourite biscuits. Learners must create a tally chart/frequency table, a pictogram and a bar chart. Pre-drawn grids and squared paper is included.
I used this task with a mixed group of learners with a range of learning difficulties, in an FE college setting.
Literacy: General literacy / English, Functional English - reading, Functional English - writing
ICT: Finding and selecting information
ESOL: General ESOL
Context: Leisure Travel Tourism
Resource type: Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
Level: L1
A short project for L1 Functional Skills or ESOL, wherein students research aspects of a foreign holiday destination and produce a piece of persuasive advertising based upon findings.
Numeracy: General numeracy / maths, Functional Maths - measures, shape, money
Context: Construction Carpentry Plumbing, Gardening & Horticulture, Painting Decorating & DIY
Level: L1, L2
Resource type: Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
A Functional Maths resource using area, multiplication, division and money. I have used Wickes catalogues with my students as they are small and easy to use, but combining the task with internet research to find the best price would be a really good way of doing this lesson.
Fully mapped to L1-2 Functional Maths criteria.
Numeracy: Functional Maths - measures, shape, money, MSS1/L1.11, MSS1/L1.8, MSS1/L1.9, N1/L1.10, MSS1/L1.6, MSS1/L2.5
Context: Construction Carpentry Plumbing, Painting Decorating & DIY
Level: L1, L2
Resource type: Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment
A scaffolded investigation created for my Level 1 numeracy group but ideal for, and fully mapped to, L1-2 Functional maths.
Part 1 involves reading a description of a room and drawing simple scale diagrams (a grid is provided) before pricing up a carpet from a discount company.
Part 2 is more complex: calculate the length of skirting board, wallpaper, paint, dado rail and door framing required.
Numeracy: Functional Maths, General numeracy / maths, Money
Free tags: Family learning, Christmas
Context: Catering Food Nutrition, Health, Social care, Early years
Level: E3, L1
Resource type: Investigation or project
I adapted this from Helen Lloyd’s Planning a school party (see below). I used her idea to develop a task that my students could manage on their own while I was doing a first aid course. This version includes an extra task about providing a Santa and gifts, and I also included some simple fraction questions.
I used Helen’s supermarket list for prices of party food etc.
