Using the 'Hoverbike' animation in Literacy

The 'Hoverbike is a cracking, short, animated film which can be found on http://www.pocketmovies.net/download/hoverbike

I have used it in most of the classes I have taught and it has never failed to engage the children. I have used it to inspire writing in lots of different genres, for example:

1. Writing a recount of the alien's day.
2. Writing a letter of complaint about the Hoverbike.
3. Writing a set of instructions about how to use the Hoverbike.
4. Writing an advert for the Hoverbike.
5. Writing a narrative about what happens after the film ends.
6. Writing a non-chronological report about the Hoverbike.

Pretty much any type of writing could be based around this short film.

Using The FIFA 2014 World Cup Website in Maths and Beyond

As the World Cup begins in June, I have been thinking about how I could use this in my classroom as a way of engaging the children in their maths.

The FIFA 2014 World Cup website (http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/)  has a wealth of information that can be used for Maths Lessons.

Data Handling :

1. Use the ticketing price tables to interpret information.

ndividual Match Ticket Prices

General International Public

MATCH	CAT 1	CAT 2	CAT 3	DISABLED ACCESS TICKETS
Opening Match (No 1)	$495	$330	$220	$220
Group Matches (No 2 to 48)	$175	$135	$90	$90
Round of 16 (No 49 to 56)	$220	$165	$110	$110
Quarter - Finals (No 57 to 60)	$330	$220	$165	$165
Semi - Finals (No 61 & 62)	$660	$440	$275	$275
3rd / 4th Place Match (No 63)	$330	$220	$165	$165
The Final No 64	$990	$660	$440	$440

2. Create bar charts of the stadium capacities and write questions for others to answer.

3. Work in pairs  - one child predicts results which leads to the other child completing group table information.

4. Time problems involving the dates and times of matches.



Once the tournament has started:

1. Goal difference calculations.

2. At end of group stages, predict all the possibilities for the two teams that could contest the final.

3. Top Trump cards for teams/players.


There are lots of other possibilities for activities in other areas of the curriculum. These might include:

1. Making fact files about the destinations (could be done on Explain Everything app)
2. Writing 'holiday' brochure persuading people to visit the World Cup.
3. Research into the design of kits/footballs.
4. Design and build a stadium (could be done on Minecraft)


I hope you find these ideas useful. Let me know if you use any, I'd like to know how they go.

Using 'Thinglink App' to present research

Today, my class were to carry out some research about the Yangtze River as our school has developed links with China. Previously, I had used other iPad apps to present research, such as Explain Everything and Book Creator.

As we had used these apps several time, I wanted to try something different. I cam across the Thinglink app on  mrparkinsonict.blogspot.co.uk/. I started to think about how I could use this to present the children's research in a unique way.

The children imported an image of the Yangtze River from Google images into the iPad camera roll. This was then imported into Thinglink. As the children found out more information about the river, they added tags to the image. The tags took the form of extra photos, text and videos the children made of themselves talking about the river.

The children were completely engaged for the whole of the activity and the results were very pleasing. See the photos below which show the work in progress.