1. Dragon boat race Dragon Boat Race
At the end of a large topic or for revision. You need a set of question cut up individually (I often just cut up a whole exam paper or choose a selection of exam questions), one for each team. You should split the students into mixed ability teams and give each team a set of questions. Then give the students 5mins to look through the questions and decide in which order they want to answer them to gain the most marks in the given time (they shouldn't have time to answer them all so they have think carefully about the strategy they will use as a team). Students then return the questions to the teacher and each team are allowed either one or two questions at a time. When they have answered a question they can swap for the next question in their pile. They are not allowed to return to questions they have already handed back. The teacher or a student not in a group can then mark the question and record the score. The team with the highest score is the winner, not necessarily the team who has answered the most questions.

2. Focus circle Focus circle
This could be a starter or plenary for topics that have recently been covered or as a way of introducing new information that has not previously been covered. Students are shown the Focus Circle which has up to 4 topic areas (categories) inside. Around the focus circle are up to 18 words/ phrases which belong to the different categories. Students select one of the topic areas and decide which of the key words/ phrases belong inside the focus circle (words that are specifically related to that topic area).

3. Beat the teacher Beat the teacher
Beat the Teacher is a thinking skills activity which involves giving students a page of written text and/or calculations which contain a number of errors. Students then work individually or in pairs to try and ascertain where the mistakes are.

4. Any Question answered Any question answered
Pose the students a question (this works better where the students must search or brainstorm a solution) and tell the students they are racing the Any Question Answered team. Then text your question to They will text back a "well researched and educated answer" however, this does cost £1. The challenge is for the students to beat the phone. The students really enjoy the completive element to this!

5. Plenary pyramid Plenary pyramid
Display a pyramid on Word or PowerPoint on the interactive board and distribute some hard copies. Students have to build the pyramid by writing on their knowledge as below. The students start at the bottom and work up: 3 things they have learnt from today's lesson. 2 things they will remember (explaining how they will do this) 1 question they still have about the subject/topic of the lesson (these can be addressed next lesson or set for a homework research task).

6. Can you put the following images into pairs?
Starter:
Mixed Doubles
Can you put the following images into pairs?
You must have a reason why your chosen images go together
1. Warren Harding
2. Corruption
3. Al Capone
4. Red Scare
s immigration
6. Illegal Alcohol
7. Gang Violence
8. Woodrow Wilson
Mixed Doubles The teacher provides students with a selection of images, key words, people etc. and challenges student to put them into pairs. Students must be able to explain why they have chosen to pair certain items together. This is most effective if there are a variety of ways students can pair the items together so that you do not get the exact same answers. The pairings can then act as the basis for class discussion and to perhaps highlight links between themes to students. For an example and template download the PowerPoint here.

7. Suggestions:
1 and 8 Harding and Wilson were both Presidents
3 and 6 Capone bootlegged Illegal Alcohol
4 and 5 Red Scare was linked to immigrants bringing in radical ideas
2 and 7 Corruption meant little was done to stop gang violence
5 and 7 Immigrants were linked to the violent crimes
5 and 8 The Red Scare started when Wilson was in power
1 and 6 Harding was known to serve alcohol when it was illegal for others to buy it
2 and 3 Capone was known to have bribed judges, officials and police officers

8. 5-3-1
5-3-1
Choose 5 reasons/causes/advantages/disadvantages. E.g. five advantages of organic growth. The students must then narrow this down to the three most important and finally write a justification for one. To extend this activity you can then ask the students to move around the room until they find someone who agrees with their answer and justification.

9. Unbelievable truth The unbelievable truth
An activity based around the Radio 4 programme by David Mitchell. The tutor writes a short speech which is entirely false save 5 pieces of correct information. The students must identify the true statements. Variations of this could be to use all correct information with 5 false statements or if you are feeling brave record yourself as a podcast/video and play that to the students.