Contextual Resources
Select learning level(s) and subject area(s) in the boxes below to find resources to suit. Then click on the title of a resource you are interested in to see full details of that resource, including file downloads, “more like this”, “see also” and comments from other users.
Literacy: Writing: text focus (composition), Functional English - writing
Context: Art Film Media Music TV
Level: E3, L1, L2
Resource type: Lesson plan, Worksheet or assignment, Writing frame
An engaging and interesting lesson plan and note taking worksheet for a session using short film trailers to develop email writing skills.
Learners watch and listen for the relevant information and discuss and negotiate, expressing their opinions and developing soft skills such as turn taking. They then use the information to write an email invitation, combining informative and persuasive / inviting language.
Numeracy: General numeracy / maths, Functional Maths - measures, shape, money, Functional Maths - number
Context: Catering Food Nutrition, Leisure Travel Tourism, Retail Hospitality Customer service
Level: E3, L1
Resource type: Worksheet or assignment
A Functional Maths activity based on a group of friends going out for a drink together. The main focus of the activity is on money and time calculations, but there are other elements included for variety.
Editor’s note
Fully mapped to Functional Maths and Adult Numeracy, with answer sheet.
Based on a text about a micro-brewery that also provides reading practice for E3 Functional Englsh.i
Literacy: General literacy / English, Writing: text focus (composition), Functional English - writing
Context: Business & Money management, Politics & News items
Level: E3, L1, L2
Resource type: Revision material, Worksheet or assignment, Writing prompts
A functional skills practice writing task for English at E3-L2. Learners write to the Bayfords, recent winners of the £148m Euro Millions jackpot, suggesting what they could spend the money on to help others (or themselves!).
Could be linked to maths: examining costs, interest, odds of winning etc.
Numeracy: Functional Maths - measures, shape, money, MSS1/L1.7, MSS1/L2.5
Context: Construction Carpentry Plumbing
Level: L1, L2
Resource type: Informative presentation
In the construction trades there is still a need for some students to understand the difference between Imperial and metric units of measure. This is a Powerpoint presentation to help with this. I have used it with E3 and L1 students.
Editor’s note
I have classified this as L1 and L2.
Literacy: Functional Skills English, General literacy / English
ICT: Finding and selecting information
Free tags: Olympics
Context: Sport
Level: E3, L1
Resource type: Cloze exercise, Investigation or project
A lovely unit of work from Australia. Designed to be used during and after the games.
Cloze exercise, web research, discussion and self-evaluation.
Numeracy: Functional Maths - measures, shape, money, MSS1/E1.1, MSS1/E2.1, MSS1/E2.2
Literacy: Functional English - speaking, listening & communication, SLc/E1.1, SLc/E1.4, SLc/E2.1, SLc/E2.3
Context: Catering Food Nutrition, Retail Hospitality Customer service
Resource type: Listening and/or speaking activity, Worksheet or assignment
Level: E1, E2
Choosing and purchasing food and drinks. General discussion of foods that can be bought in a cafe or other outlets.
Find the cheapest, most expensive, two the same price, etc.
E1 – match food pics to words
Adding up the total cost of their meal (whole pounds or Australian dollars only).
Plus a cafe order docket for a role play. Students can take turns in being a waiter or waitress and writing down orders and adding up the bill.
Literacy: Speaking & Listening
Numeracy: Functional Maths, General numeracy / maths, Functional Maths - measures, shape, money, Functional Maths - number
General: Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Free tags: Olympics
Context: Sport
Resource type: Discussion points, Ice breaker, Listening and/or speaking activity, Quiz, Worksheet or assignment
Level: L1
Page 1: 8 maths questions relating to olympic torch
Page 2: Picture quiz: who is carrying the torch?
Page 3: Picture quiz: famous UK landmarks.
Page 4: UK cities – anagrams
Page 5: Answers
- Quizzes on pages 2 and 3 make good ice breakers and can also be used for SL&C discussion prompts.
Literacy: Functional Skills English, General literacy / English
Numeracy: Functional Maths, General numeracy / maths
Free tags: Diamond Jubilee
Context: History
Level: E1, E2, E3
Resource type: Hands-on / practical activity, Lesson plan, Worksheet or assignment, Writing prompts
This carousel of Jubilee tasks was hurriedly put together for a group of 10 E1-E3 Functional Maths and English 16-19 year old learners who had just (very successfully!) finished all their Edexcel Functional Skills assessments.
After a year of hard work from my students, the emphasis was on celebration and fun. However, learning objectives included: measuring, counting, writing an email, spelling, 2D shapes, estimating, rounding and working with money.
Literacy: General literacy / English
Free tags: Diamond Jubilee
Context: History
Level: L1, L2
Resource type: Worksheet or assignment
This resource will assess homophones, verb-subject agreement, past tense and finding synonyms.
L1 and L2
Literacy: Functional Skills English, General literacy / English
Free tags: Diamond Jubilee
Context: History, Leisure Travel Tourism
Level: E3, L1, L2
Resource type: Investigation or project, Worksheet or assignment, Writing prompts
A whole session activity based on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I used it to build on some dictionary work we hade been doing in previous sessions as well as paragraph writing and report writing. We had also been talking about open and closed questions so I have used examples of each in this resource to see if learners spotted them (they did!)
We are based in the same building as the library so there is lots of information handily available about local events but I also had internet enabled laptops in the classroom.