1. Karen Latto www.karenlatto.com
Linking Knowledge From Practical Exploration To Approaches For GCSE (9-1) Exam Questions
Karen Latto

2. Preparing for the exam What is revision?
The study of work you have done, in order to prepare for an exam

3. Revision strategies
Prof John Dunlovsky, a psychologist conducted research into the effectiveness of the most popular and most commonly used revision strategies.
Classify the revision strategies under the following headings
High impact
Medium impact
Low impact

4. Revision strategies High impact Medium impact Low impact
Practice testing - Self-testing to check knowledge - especially using flash cards
Elaborative interrogation - being able to explain a point or fact
Summarising - writing summaries of texts as they are read
Distributed practice - spreading out study over time
Self-explanation - how a problem was solved
Highlighting/underlining
Interleaved practice - switching between different kinds of problems
Keyword mnemonics - choosing a word to associate with information
Imagery - forming mental pictures while reading or listening
Re-reading

5. Preparing for the exam
There are 3 key areas that students need to know in preparation for the exam:
Content
Commands
Process

6. Exam process This is everything about how to do the exam. Timing
Answer booklets
Question options
Question order

7. Commands
Command words are the words in the question which tell the students what to do.
These also determine how difficult a question is.
Command words are based on Blooms Taxonomy.

8. Commands
Whilst learning preferences (VAK) has been debunked there is merit in completing tasks in different ways.
Choose a selection of command words which may appear in the GCSE (9-1) exam paper.
Write a definition for each
Create a freeze frame showing the definition
Turn the freeze frame into a hand gesture
Draw an icon to represent the hand gesture

9. Content GCSE drama students must know and understand the following:
Characteristics of performance text(s) and dramatic work(s), including:
Genre
Structure
Character
form and style
Language
Stage directions

10. Content GCSE drama students must know and understand the following:
How meaning is interpreted and communicated through:
performance conventions
use of performance space and spatial relationships on stage
relationships between performers and audience
the design of: set (including props), costume, lighting and sound
actor’s vocal and physical interpretation of character

11. Content GCSE drama students must know and understand the following:
Social, historical and cultural contexts including the theatrical conventions of the period in which the performance texts were created
The drama and theatre terminology used by theatre makers and how to use it appropriately
The role of theatre makers in contemporary professional practice, including:
performer
director
designer

12. Revision strategies High impact Medium impact
Practice testing - Self-testing to check knowledge - especially using flash cards
Elaborative interrogation - being able to explain a point or fact
Distributed practice - spreading out study over time
Self-explanation - how a problem was solved
Interleaved practice - switching between different kinds of problems

13. Kagan Learning
Kagan Structures are scientifically research based as well as backed by classroom evidence. Among the many positive findings of this field or research are improved academic achievement, improved ethnic and race relations, improved social skills and social relations, and increased liking for self, others, and school. The Kagan Structures have proven themselves effective teaching and learning tools for cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, character education, language learning, and emotional intelligence. 

14. Kagan Learning
The basic premise behind the work is that students learn better when they work collaboratively
It is very likely that you are using some Kagan activities in your teaching.

18. Teacher’s toolkit activities
This book is good to individual ideas and is similar to kagan structures but are less formalised into a learning system
My two favourites for revision are:
Word Ping-pong
Aeroplanes and snowballs

19. Game mechanics
Game mechanics utilises Interleaved practice – students have to go between playing the game and recalling learning.
Students can adapt popular games or they can create their own games