Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Critical writing forms an argument based on analyzing and evaluating evidence from multiple sources. It is normally used in essay writing for humanities subjects like History, English, and Geography, but it can also be found in non-fiction books.

Critical writing can also refer to pieces written to be critical about – or give an opinion on – something, normally in the form of a review. This could be a book, a film, a piece of music, or even a meal at a restaurant.

Critical writing also links into vital reading, where readers analyze a piece of writing critically by asking questions about what they’re reading, and critical thinking, which is the analysis of facts, to form a judgment.

What is a review?

A review is a critical appraisal of a piece of art, an object, or a service, typically in the form of a piece of writing. An easy introduction to a critical essay is by writing reviews, as everyone has opinions on what things they like, don’t like, and why. Reviews can also help the writer to develop an argument by having a theory and backing it up with evidence. While this evidence could be a subjective opinion, reviews are still useful for new writers to justify their beliefs with reasons behind them.

Reviews are seen all around us in modern society and are found in films, books, restaurants, and even customer reviews of products on a website. People who write movie reviews are also known as film critics, and people who write about restaurants are called food critics. However, while the world ‘critic’ is in their job title, critics will just as often praise something as they will criticize it.

What’s the difference between descriptive and critical writing?

While they are similar, descriptive writing sets the background for an argument and lays out evidence without telling the reader how it relates to your point. On the other hand, a critical essay develops the proof into a moment to support your argument.

Here’s an example of descriptive writing:

“Henry VIII had to marry three times before he got a male heir. His first wife was Catherine of Aragon, his second was Anne Boleyn, and his third was Jane Seymour.”

And here’s what it looks like as critical writing:

“Henry VIII broke off from the church in Rome to divorce Catherine of Aragon and beheaded Anne Boleyn when she was accused of adultery – both of whom failed to deliver a male heir. This suggests he was willing to stop at nothing to get the male heir he desired. Instead, he soon married Jane Seymour, who gave birth to his first son, Edward, and only remarried after that because Jane Seymour died in childbirth.”

The writer takes the facts used in descriptive writing and puts them together to support an argument, whereas a descriptive essay sets the scene but doesn’t use the evidence to make a point.

What is Literary Criticism?

Literary criticism is a form of critical writing that analyses, evaluates, interprets, and compares pieces of literature. Writers of literary criticism delve deep into prose and poetry to analyze its themes, messages, and the author’s aims.

Literary criticism normally takes the form of an essay or a book. Many literary classics, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, have many pieces of literary criticism written about them.

Meteorology

Weather Science for Children

The official name for the science of weather is meteorology. It’s the job of meteorologists to study weather patterns and forecast (predict) weather and possible extreme weather.

Weather is all around us. It’s the condition of the atmosphere. Weather affects all aspects of life, from clouds, rain, and snow to wind, thunder, and sunshine, so understanding the science behind it is important. Weather also includes pressure in the air, temperature, and humidity.

Weather affects all parts of daily life. Therefore, we must be able to track weather patterns and predict what weather we will experience and when. For example, poor weather conditions can lead to crop damage and flooding.

Children will learn about the weather and the science behind it in geography. Throughout KS1 and KS2, children will develop an understanding of what weather is, the different types of weather, what impact the weather, the seasons, and extreme weather events.

What Are the Types of Weather?

To understand the science of weather and how it’s caused, you’ll need to understand the different types of weather. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere. So, the weather describes what is happening to the air. This includes temperature, pressure, movement, and what the air carries, which impacts the weather we experience.

The main types of weather conditions are:

• Sun
• Rain
• Cloud
• Wind
• Snow

Weather science, or meteorology, explains how and why we experience each weather condition. And this all starts with the air.

What is the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere. Climate is the average weather conditions of a location over a long period. This means different places on Earth have different climates.

Here’s a helpful distinction:

• Weather = ‘Today has been wet and cloudy.’
• Climate = ‘England has cold, wet winters’

What Causes Weather and Climate?

Weather is caused by the heat of the Sun, the movement of air, and the resulting conditions of the lower layer of the atmosphere, where all weather occurs. The Sun’s heat warms up the air in the atmosphere, this warm air rises, and cold air comes in underneath to replace it. This air movement is known as wind and causes different weather. Moisture in the air is also a cause of varying temperatures. As heat from the sun causes water vapor to rise, this eventually causes clouds to form. The different conditions within clouds can lead to rain, snow, or fog.

Clouds

What is a cloud? A cloud is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals in the sky. Clouds only appear to us as white or grey because they reflect the sunlight.

How do clouds form? This is all to do with evaporation and condensation:

1. Warm air begins to rise upwards. The atmosphere contains water vapor evaporated from the rivers, seas, lakes, and oceans.
2. As this warm air rises, it begins to cool. Cool air is unable to hold as much water vapor as warm air.
3. So, water vapor condenses onto tiny dust particles, called condensation nuclei, in the air forming a cloud droplet.
4. These cloud droplets are tiny and can stay afloat on air currents. Billions of cloud droplets together form a cloud.

Clouds are central to the science behind weather. Because of clouds and their droplets, we have precipitation (rain).

The three main types of clouds are:

• Cirrus: these clouds are formed high in the sky and are made of ice crystals.
• Stratus: this featureless cloud appears as a layer of fog.
• Cumulus: these fluffy clouds are the most common and appear on sunny days, but can also develop into thunderclouds.

Ten clouds are combined with cirrus, stratus, and cumulus. Other types of clouds include:

• Cirrocumulus
• Cirrostratus
• Altocumulus
• Stratocumulus
• Cumulonimbus
• Altostratus
• Nimbostratus

Precipitation

Rain

When clouds become too dense with water droplets, this causes precipitation. Precipitation is water falling from the shadows, which can fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Precipitation is a part of the Water Cycle. But, again, the science behind this type of weather is all about evaporation and condensation. As the sun heats the ground, it causes water to evaporate and form water vapor. This warm air rises and cools, condensing into clouds. As cloud droplets get larger and heavier, they fall as rain. This type of rainfall is known as convectional rainfall.

Other types of rain are all formed when air is forced to rise over a hill or mountains (relief rainfall) and based on the temperature of the air (frontal rain).

Snow

Why does it snow? When the temperatures are low enough, ice crystals in clouds join together to form snowflakes. As they join together, they become heavier, eventually falling to the ground. Sleet is a mix of rain and snow. It occurs when falling snow melts and refreezes before falling to the ground.

Hail

Hail is caused when raindrops are carried upwards by strong thunderstorms. In cold areas, the water freezes to form ice balls, and every time it’s exposed to more water, the ice balls expand, becoming larger and heavier.

Wind

The wind is the flow of gases; on Earth, the wind is the movement of air. This movement is caused by air pressure in air masses, and the wind is caused when different air temperatures meet. Cool air is heavier than warm air, so there is higher pressure in cool air. And hot air creates an area of lower pressure as the air can rise. So when two areas with low and high pressure meet, the air will move from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area, creating wind.

In areas of high pressure, we experience sunny, dry conditions. And in areas of low pressure, we experience stormy, wet conditions.

Due to its constant movement based on temperature, the wind often causes a change in weather. In areas of high pressure, the wind blows lightly, and the air moves downwards; this stops clouds from forming. However, the air rises in low-pressure regions, and clouds form with precipitation. As a result, the weather in low-pressure areas is often wet, cloudy, and windy.

The wind is important to weather science as it plays the main role in whether we experience clear, sunny days or cloudy, wet days.

How Do Thunderstorms Form?

On a warm, sunny day, the Earth’s surface is heated by the sun. The air above the surface is therefore heated too. This warm air is lighter and less dense than the cooler air so it will rise. This warm air then heats the upper levels of the atmosphere. The meeting of hot and cool air creates unstable air, essential to forming a thunderstorm. Rain, or hail, then fall. As the air cools, it pushes the rain around, causing a strong wind. It’s this erratic movement that causes thunder and lightning.

Lightning is natural electricity. It’s created as pieces of ice within the clouds are moved around aggressively. As these pieces of ice collide, static electricity is produced. This builds up and eventually releases in the form of lightning. Thunder is lightning’s noise as it is removed from the cloud.

Extreme Weather

Including blizzards, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, extreme weather differs from the regular weather pattern. Extreme weather includes:

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Drought
• Flooding
• Blizzard
• Dust storm
• Hail
• Ice storm

What causes extreme weather? The science behind severe weather is all about the rate of evaporation, the temperature of the air, and its pressure. An increased amount of warmer air causes extreme weather. This increases evaporation and results in our atmosphere containing more water vapor. These are all the key components for severe weather to occur.

Climate Change and Global Warming

As weather and climate are so closely linked, climate change is increasing the occurrence of extreme weather events. This is because global warming is causing our oceans to grow warmer, evaporating more quickly and causing greater amounts of atmospheric moisture. This results in unstable conditions, which, as we know by now, are the ideal conditions for extreme weather.

This is just one reason why weather science is so important: it can allow us to make changes in our daily lives that will enable us to reduce the risks of climate change.

Measuring the Weather

Meteorologists use different weather instruments to measure and record the weather. These instruments are typically located in weather stations placed around the country. Weather instruments are also found in the sea, on planes, and within satellites.

Here’s a list of weather instruments:

• Six’s Thermometer: This special thermometer measures the maximum and minimum air temperature over 24 hours.
• Stevenson Screen: These shelters contain thermometers. This is because temperature needs to be measured in the shade, and the thermometer is protected and raised off the ground.
• Rain Gauge: This measures the amount of precipitation that has fallen in 24 hours.
• Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder: A glass sphere that concentrates the Sun’s rays on a strip of card, burning a small hole. This enables us to measure the amount of sunshine during the day as the Sun moves; the rays are pointed at a different section of the card. The length of burnt areas can be added up.
• Wind Vane: This shows the wind’s direction.
• Barometer: This measures air pressure.
• Anemometer: An anemometer measures wind speed in miles or km per hour.

A call and response is a series of two parts typically played or sung by different musicians. The second part is heard as a comment about or an answer to what the first has sung. This mimics or makes fun of how people talk back and forth with each other. Call and response use the simple musical form of a verse and then a chorus used in many cultures or traditions. These songs are typically energetic and fun to listen to.

Are there different types of Call and Response music?

Yes, there are! There are two main types of call-and-response patterns in music: leader/chorus call-and-response and question/answer call-and-response. The two are mostly similar, but they have a few key differences.

In Leader/chorus call and response music, the single leader performs the ‘call’ or starting phrase, which is a complete statement, and the chorus responds to this together. The call and response don’t need to be vocal – leader/chorus call and answers can have a vocal ‘call’ and an instrumental response, or both parts can be instrumental. Here’s an example of a Leader/Chorus call and-response song from ‘Mannish Boy’ by an American blues musician called Muddy Waters:

CALL: Waters’ vocal: “Now when I was a young boy.”
RESPONSE: (Harmonica/rhythm section riff)
CALL: Waters: “At the age of 5.”
RESPONSE: (Harmonica/rhythm section riff)

Question/answer call and response music are a bit more balanced between the two parts of the phrase. First, part of the band or a group will sing or play a musical question – a musical question isn’t always a literal question but an unfinished phrase of music. However, vocal question/answer call and response phrases are often literal questions and answers. The other half of the band will then play the other half of the question, ‘answering’ the musical question and producing a complete phrase. This makes a very quick, snappy pace in the music. Here’s an example of how it might work:

CALL: Who’s got trouble?
RESPONSE: We’ve got trouble!
CALL: How much trouble?
RESPONSE: Too much trouble!

How has Call and Response music been used around the world?

Call and response is a device used in music from all over the world, partially due to the African diaspora, which carried musical traditions from West African cultures worldwide. However, it appears in various musical traditions because it’s a simple concept. Here are some of them:

African and African-American music

Over the generations, call and response patterns from old African music became integral to newer music made by enslaved people and later their free descendants in the USA. It’s especially obvious in gospel and blues music, but call and response have bled into many modern genres, including hip-hop and rock and roll!

Call-and-response originated in Sub-Saharan African cultures, which used the musical form to denote democratic participation in public gatherings like religious rituals, civic meetings, funerals, and weddings.

Enslaved Africans brought this tradition to the Americas in the work songs heard all over plantations in the Deep South. They didn’t have any physical reminders of their old cultures, so their stories and songs were of particular importance to them, and because much of the work done by enslaved people was done in large groups, in fields and mines, work songs were very common. Call and response patterns are especially common in songs like this because they tend to be heavily rhythmic – the rhythm beats help people keep moving at the same pace for hours on end, even through back-breaking labor. It hugely impacted the development of African-American music, from the soul, gospel, and blues to rhythm and blues, funk, and more contemporary examples like hip hop. Edwin Hawkins Singers’ gospel standard “Oh, Happy Day” (1968) is a great example of call-and-response being used to reach the listeners directly and lift their spirits.

Cuban and Latin Music

Call-and-response is known as “coro-pregón” and is found in many Latin musical styles, including salsa, rumba, cha-cha-chá, and timba. In Latin music, call-and-response songs are predominantly defined by an interaction between the vocalist and the coro (chorus). It happens when the singer begins to improvise solo, without the coro, known as pregón. For its response, the coro typically has a fixed melody and lyrics.

Western Folk Music

In Western folk music, call-and-response found a home in the work songs of sailors, laborers, and the army.

Take the simple sea shanty, which helped keep workers and laborers entertained for long months at sea. Call-and-response was used in these songs to inject a fighting spirit, be it to inspire men to complete a certain task at sea (raising the mast, for example) or to alleviate boredom and motivate sailors to keep their minds on the tasks at hand.

The tradition filtered down to the armed services through a military “cadence call”: a call-and-response work song sung while running or marching, whose job is to instill teamwork, boost morale, and help troops fight fatigue. A great example is a popular song used in army practice training called “My Granny,” which goes like this:

Call: “When my granny was 91.”
Response: “She did PT just for fun.”

Call: “When my granny was 92.”
Response: “She did PT better than you.”

Call: “When my granny was 93.”
Response: “She did PT better than me.”

Classical music
Call and response patterns also appear in Western classical music, although it’s given the fancier name of ‘antiphony.’. Antiphony is created by having different choirs and groups of instruments play with the call-and-response structure, and it can make a real sense of scale and awe with larger orchestras.

Reciprocal reading is a structured method of guided reading where children are gradually taught to take on group roles to explore and find meaning in texts. The common reading emphasizes teamwork and supports independent comprehension skills.

Example Roles In The Reciprocal Reading

Reciprocal reading is used with reading comprehension exercises. Each student is assigned a different role in the group and performs set tasks. Take a look at some example roles and the part they might play in a common reading task:

• The Leader decides who will do what. They are in charge! The Leader introduces the text and must ensure everyone is joining in and following.
• The Predictor asks all the readers to make predictions about the text based on information they already know. What do you think will happen? What will happen next? What will this character do now?
• The Clarifier helps the group identify confusing words, sentences, and ideas. They help the group to understand the text. It can be useful to ask each reader to highlight confusing words, sentences, or passages for discussion as soon as the reading is over.
• The Summariser helps the group to identify the most important ideas in the text and what the text is mainly about. Finally, they provide a summary of the text.
• The Questioner asks questions about the text. Guided Reading Questions Blooms Taxonomy could help establish which questions to ask to encourage higher-order thinking.
• The Illustrator draws or illustrates what they have read about in a picture, diagram, or cartoon.
• Passage Master looks for what they think is the most interesting passage in the story and justifies their selection to the group.
• Feelings Finder finds words or parts of the story which show or describe feelings or emotions.
• Word Finder picks out new or interesting words used by the author and can give their definition.
• Link Maker links between this story and other stories or real-life events.

The children work together, play their different roles, and in the end, they gain a more thorough understanding of the reading text while also gaining valuable teamwork skills.

Are you thinking of some fun and exciting activities you could try with your class as you approach the end of the school year? Do you want to celebrate your children’s achievements so they can feel proud of their incredible work throughout the year? If so, we’ve got some lovely End of School Year Celebration Ideas to help you end the school year with a bang!

Whether you want to keep it educational or have some extra fun as a reward for your children, we’ve got you covered with these great activities for every end-of-year occasion. They’re simple to do with your class, and they’ll get your children involved in the fun.

Write summer bucket lists

What plans do your children have over the summer holidays? Is there an activity they hope they get to do before returning to school? Help them plan their ideal summer activities by writing a summer bucket list. This could be a list of their plans or a wishlist of all the activities they’d love to do someday.

Why not make this activity extra creative by decorating these bucket lists too? Your children might like to draw a little picture for each exercise so they can imagine them even better. If you need a helping hand to start this activity, you might like to try using this Summer Bucket List Template.

Make a memory bag or a time capsule

After an amazing school year with your class, they’ll want to remember they’re wonderful times. A memory bag can be an effective way to store some of these memories to look back on. Each of your children can choose one item that reminds them of the good times they’ve had over the year, then place it in the bag. Once the bag is full, you can choose what you do with it; you could go through all the items as a class and reminisce or store them away like a diary entry.

Take this activity one step further by making a time capsule. Please put all the gathered artifacts into a box, seal them, and bury them outside. Mark the spot so that in the years to come, future generations will dig it up and see what your class was like in the past.

Hold an end-of-year awards ceremony

Recognize each of your children for their fantastic achievements by holding an exciting awards ceremony. You can make this activity as funny or serious as you like by awarding your class members certificates for their excellent work or fun ‘most likely certificates. This activity is ideal for getting the whole class involved and encouraging them to communicate with each other as much as possible. It’s also great for them to start considering the future and what goals they’d like to achieve, having finished this school year.

Design a scrapbook

Scrapbooks are familiar favorites when it comes to storing lots of lovely memories. It’s a brilliant opportunity for a creative session with your class, too, so you’ll easily be able to keep them engaged. There are several ways you could design your scrapbook, but you might like to try dedicating a page to each of your children. They can create their page however they want, including photos, drawings, messages, etc. When they’re done, compile the pages together, then make a group page at the front of the scrapbook.

You could also use this scrapbook to reflect on everything your children have learned over the last year, including material from each topic you’ve covered. Finally, your class can read through the book and refresh their memory of all the new knowledge they’ve gained.

Write a top 10 list of memories

For this activity, you might ask your children to work in small groups to rank their favorite memories of the year into the top 10. Then, merge the smaller groups into bigger groups, so they can compare memories and see how many they have in common. Finally, reconvene as a whole class to discuss some of the memories your children have come up with. That way, you can determine which memories your style cherishes the most from the school year.

Try using this School Memories Worksheet to get the ball rolling with your children’s reminiscing of the school year. It’s a handy template that will get your children thinking about what they’ve learned and enjoyed.

Have a quiz on the year’s topics

Looking for a fun way to recap all the topics you’ve been looking at with your class over the past year? A quiz could be the perfect way to jog your children’s memories and test how well they’ve retained what they learned. Split your class into teams of 3 or 4, then display your quiz on a PowerPoint to make the activity more visually engaging. Once the quiz is done, your children can mark each other’s answers to find the winner. To make this activity even more exciting, you could give out some fabulous prizes to the quiz winners to reward them for remembering everything you’ve taught them.

Make end-of-year cards

Cards are always a winner when it comes to celebrating. Whether your children want to make cards for each other, summer cards for their family, or thank you cards for you, this activity is incredibly versatile and is bound to appeal to your class. Plus, it’s a chance for your children to express their creativity by designing their cards in whatever way they want.

While your children are getting on with their card designs, why not make your lovely cards for each of them to wish them well for the future? These fabulous End of Year Digital Template Cards are perfect for giving out to your class to wish them luck and congratulate them on their achievements.

Do a scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt is an exciting activity that’s a little different from regular classroom activities. It gets your children moving around and working together while having fun. Put your children in small teams, then give them a list of items to find in the classroom. These items could be anything you like, but you could make them specific things that relate to the topics you’ve been looking at throughout the year.

Need a little inspiration for your scavenger hunt? Check out this Scavenger Hunt Worksheet for a handy checklist of items that you can find in the classroom.

Organize some outdoor party games

What better way to celebrate the coming summer than with some exciting outdoor party games? If the weather goes in your favor, it could be the perfect opportunity to get your class outside the classroom for a change of scenery. You could try classic outdoor games, such as musical statues, rounders, duck, duck, and goose. It can often be tricky to keep your children focused towards the end of term before the summer break, so exciting physical activities can often be the solution for keeping the whole class engaged.

Hold a mini-graduation ceremony

Help your little learners feel proud of everything they’ve achieved in the last school year by holding a graduation ceremony that recognizes their hard work. You can make the ceremony as grand or as informal as you like. Why not make some little scroll certificates that your children can take home too? The graduation ceremony could also be a handy photo opportunity, so your children can take home a souvenir that captures their wonderful time this school year.

Magnetism is an invisible force or field that causes objects to attract or repel one another. The motion of electrons or electric charges causes the force of magnetism. Everything in our universe is made up of atoms. Each atom includes electrons, which are particles that carry electric charges. Electrons spin around the atom’s center called the nucleus.

Most materials are not magnetic because the same number of electrons spin in one direction as in the other, so their magnetism is canceled. However, most electrons spin in the same direction in magnetic materials, such as metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel. These materials are not magnets but will become magnetized when an existing magnet comes close to it, i.e., it enters the magnet’s magnetic field. A magnetic field is an area around a magnet with a magnetic force.

Types of magnets

Permanent magnets

Permanent magnets are always magnetic. They produce a consistent magnetic field due to their internal structure. An example of a permanent magnet is the magnet in your fridge door. It is always magnetic, so the door closes every time you push it closed.

Temporary magnets

Temporary magnets only become magnetic when they are close to a permanent magnet and lose their magnetism when not near the permanent magnet. Examples of temporary magnets include paperclips and nails, which can be picked up with a strong interest.

If you place a piece of iron next to a magnet and rub it along it, the atoms in the iron will line up so that the iron becomes a magnet. All the atoms lining up in the same direction cause a force to be produced, creating a magnetic field.

Another type of temporary magnet is called an electromagnet. An electromagnet is created when a material is magnetized due to an electric current. For example, a magnetic field is produced when electricity runs through a coil of wire. This electric field disappears when the electric current is turned off. An electromagnet is normally made of a piece of iron with a coil of wire around it. They can have different strengths of magnetism and are commonly used in everyday items like doorbells and motors.

All magnets have north and south poles. As a result, the same poles repel each other, and opposite poles attract.

• North – North = repel
• South-South = repel
• North – South = attract
• South – North = attract

Examples of magnetic and non-magnetic materials

Non-magnetic

• Cloth
• Paper
• Plastic
• Gold
• Silver
• Copper
• Wood
• Glass

Magnetic

• Iron
• Cobalt
• Nickel
• Stainless steel
• Rare earth metals e.g. samarium, dysprosium and neodymium.
• The Earth!

Our planet Earth is a magnet because there are electric currents in the molten iron core. This hot liquid iron is constantly moving, creating a magnetic field. So the Earth is like a very big, weak magnet with a north and south pole. It is why compasses point north! The compass needle is a magnetized metal that aligns with the Earth’s magnetic field.

The term ‘Stanine’ is short for ‘STAndard NINE’ and relates to scaling test scores along a nine-point scale.

Stanines are useful as they can convert any test score into a simple, single-digit score by assigning a number to a group member relative to the rest of the group members.

However, while other systems for doing this, like z-scores and t-scores, can include decimals such as 4.5 or 6.18, Stanines are always positive whole numbers from 0 to 9.

What makes Stanines useful?

Stanines offer a way to distill more complex information into a simple score that can be immediately understood.

In the Stanine system, the fifth class is the average and takes the middle 20% of the scoring range. Each bottom and top 4% of the scoring range falls into the first and ninth classes, respectively.

In this way, teachers aren’t directly presented with assessment scores, which can be confusing. For example, if an exam paper is differentiated, the different papers may contain other numbers of questions. At first, glance, is scoring 67 out of 100 better than scoring 53 out of 80?

In this way, Stanines work to eliminate potential errors by taking the marks from across the class into account and grading the job based on how students performed in the context of their group.

It can also help make the scoring system fairer. For example, if a student scores 70% of the marks in a school where the average is 40%, this is arguably more impressive than scoring 80% in a school where the standard is 80%.

Stanines can therefore be used to grade students in terms of how they perform in the context of their peers rather than necessarily through an objective set of grading criteria.

Where is the Stanine system used?

The Stanine system crops up in various contexts in different assessment forms worldwide. A few of these contexts are:

• The South Korean high school system uses Stanines to calculate its students’ grades.
• The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) uses the Stanine grading system to rank the intelligence of its soldiers as determined by standardized tests.
• The New Zealand Council for Educational Research uses Stanines.
• The University of Alberta, located in the Canadian province of the same name, used the Stanine system until 2003. It’s used a 4-point scale, in contrast to the 9-point Stanine system, ever since.
• The Educational Records Bureau reports test scores as Stanines and percentiles in the USA.

What are some alternatives to the Stanine system?

There are a few potential alternatives to the Stanine system to express how children have performed in assessments. Some of these are:

• Percentile scores. Performance can be expressed in terms of the percentage of their classmates this student outperformed. For example, if a student scored in the 71st percentile, it would mean that they had fared better than 71% of the other children who had taken the test.
• Grade-equivalent scores. These scores express a student’s performance in terms of the academic demands of a year they’d be able to meet. So, for example, if a student were in Year 3 and received a Year 1-level grade on a test, that would indicate that they had the academic abilities of a Year 1 student in the subject in question.

What is peer assessment in education?

Peer assessment, or peer evaluation, is a method of assessing children’s work where students look at a partner’s work and evaluate it.

A clear success criterion must be established for peer assessment to work so the child reviewing it can understand if it meets the requirements.

How to do peer assessment:

When a child assesses their peer’s work, they must give honest and helpful comments and feedback. The purpose of peer assessment is to help students understand their work and how they can improve through giving and receiving feedback.

• Each comment they write should be detailed and specific
• They should focus on the quality of what has been written rather than commenting on the handwriting and spelling

An example of a child starting a peer evaluation is to give their partner a comment about something they did well, ‘What I liked about your work was…’

They should also give their partner a comment about something they could improve. For example, ‘Your work would be even better if…’

What is the purpose of peer evaluation?

The benefits of peer learning and assessment:

Using peer evaluation in education has several benefits, including:

• As children will be taking on the role of the assessor during peer assessment, they will develop new, valuable skills, such as evaluation and critical thinking, through analyzing and commenting on their peer’s work. Allowing them to see their work and the work of others through a different lens is one of the main purposes of peer assessment.
• Peer evaluation helps empower children because the process of peer evaluation involves taking responsibility for their learning, as well as helping classmates.
• Children can learn effectively through peer evaluation because they are refreshed on course content by marking their peer’s work. In addition, it can be a helpful way to motivate children with their work.
• Peer assessment in education often involves a discussion aspect. Children will identify examples of what their peers did well on and areas they may be able to improve on next time and then will discuss this with the person whose work they have marked. It is a great way to help young children become more confident in their social and communication skills. In addition, it will help prepare them for later years of education when group work and peer assessment feature more frequently.
• Through assessing other classmates’ work, children will begin to apply what they are learning to their work and become more aware of evaluating their learning in the future.
• By taking on the assessor role, children can understand how the marking process works and how teachers assess their work.

The drawbacks of peer evaluation and learning:

Although there are many advantages to this method of assessment, peer evaluation and learning do have some drawbacks, such as:

• Young learners may be overly positive rather than offering constructive criticism when assessing their classmates’ work. However, teachers can help encourage children to provide each other constructive criticism using positive prompts even better. Children must also understand that constructive criticism will ultimately have a positive impact, as it will help their peers in future learning tasks. It is a good idea to introduce children to a growth mindset – a mindset that focuses on developing your abilities through effort and learning from any mistakes – to further help with this.
• If students are not given clear guidance or success criteria, their comments on other students’ work may be too vague or unhelpful.

Hyphens are a form of punctuation mark. They can be used to join words or parts of words. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with other types of dashes.

They look like this ‘-.’

They can be utilized for a range of purposes. For example:

• Hyphen punctuation marks can be used to join words or parts of words. However, it’s not interchangeable with other kinds of dashes.
• You can also use a hyphen in a compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying. Not sure what this means? No worries. A compound modifier comprises two words that function like one adjective. When you link words with the hyphen, you make it obvious to readers that the terms work as a unit of meaning.

How do you use a hyphen example?

Look at these example sentences demonstrating how to use hyphens in sentences.

• It’s recommended you don’t knock down any load-bearing walls when renovating.
• Fast-acting medication can be helpful when one has a headache.
• There are some beautiful-looking plants in the garden.
• She was star-struck to meet her idol.
• We’re looking for a pet-friendly hotel.

How to Use Hyphen Punctuation Marks in Writing

Hyphens are most commonly used to join two or more words together.

For example, they can create compound adjectives that combine two nouns into a single idea.

State-of-the-art

1. Hyphens forming original compound verbs

Hyphens can create original compound verbs, typically to humorous effect.

The skateboarder face-planted his entire career

The clown custard-pied his way through life

2. Hyphens can be used to describe the age of things

Hyphens are used to tell the age of people or objects

The couple had a three-year-old-child

The man ate a three-year-old sandwich

Hyphens are used unless the age is written in the plural form

The child is three years old

3. Hyphens used to reduce ambiguity

If you are worried that readers will become confused by descriptions, hyphens can be used to avoid this.

Springfield has little-town charm.

This sentence implies that Springfield has the charm of a little town.

Without it, the reader may think that the town has little charm, which is the opposite of the writer’s intention.

4. Hyphens used to write numbers

Hyphens can also be used to describe the time frame of an event, such as one that lasts from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

The meeting will take place on Monday from 3:30-4:30

Hyphens should also be used to separate all numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.

What is the difference between hyphens and dashes? Hyphen Punctuation Vs. Dashes

Hyphen punctuation marks are often confused with dashes, so you might need to teach students how to sport the difference in how hyphen punctuation marks are used differently from dashes. For example, a hyphen punctuation joins two or more words, while a life separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look similar, but their usage differs. Also, hyphen punctuation marks are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

Hyphens are shorter than dashes; link two words so the word or phrase makes sense. On the other hand, dashes separate information and are parenthesis, like brackets.

Six interesting facts about the Dalai Lama

Here are six interesting facts about the Dalai Lama you can share with your pupils:

1. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet.
2. He has a wide variety of hobbies. Some of his favorites include meditating, gardening, and repairing watches.
3. There have been fourteen Dalai Lamas since the 14th Century.
4. For most of the existence of the Dalai Lama, they were the political leaders of Tibet as well.
5. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the longest incarnation to hold the position.
6. The Dalai Lama has been an inspirational figure for people across the world.

What is some Dalai Lama quotes?

• “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.”
• “Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.”
• “Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
• “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion”.
• “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

Who is the Dalai Lama?

This Dalai Lama Biography in English looks at some key parts of His Holiness’s life. It’s a useful overview for kids and adults alike. So firstly, who is the Dalai Lama?

The Dalai Lama is the title given to the highest spiritual leader chosen by the Tibetan People. Known simply as ‘His Holiness, The Dalai Lama is a figurehead of Tibetan Buddhism.

In some cases, the role of the Dalai Lama is similar to the Pope or a King or Queen. Some successive people have taken the position of Dalai Lama. The role was first created in 1391, more than 600 years ago. Those given the title of Dalai Lama are believed to be incarnations of a spiritual being called Avalokiteśvara. It means that while there have different physical embodiments of the Dalai Lama, it is believed by Tibetan Buddhists that they are essentially versions of the same deity. Below you’ll find a handy Dalai Lama biography in English and useful tips for teaching this topic.

Who was the first Dalai Lama?

The first Dalai Lama was Gendün Drubpa, who lived from 1391 to 1474. He was born into humble origins in the Tsang region of Tibet. He was known to have a very kind and gentle nature. He became a monk and founded the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which became the main residence for future Dalai Lamas. Despite becoming frailer as he got older, he continued to travel and teach positive messages to people around Tibet. One time he returned and announced to the other monks that he would die soon. After that, he did one final meditation, where he passed away.

Because of Gendün Drubpa’s actions throughout his life, he was recognized as a god of compassion. And since his death, 13 Dalai Lamas have continued his mission.

What does ‘Dalai Lama’ Mean?

‘Dalai’ comes from the Mongolian word ‘ocean,’ while the word ‘Lama’ is similar to the Sanskrit work ‘guru.’ So together, Dalai Lama means ‘ocean wisdom’ – a teacher with knowledge as deep as the ocean.

How is the Dalai Lama found?

The way the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama is found is fascinating! Tibetan Buddhists believe in ‘Phowa’ – this is how someone’s mind is transferred to somebody else at their time of death. From this perspective, someone’s knowledge and personality don’t disappear, even though the physical body changes.

The result is that Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama’s spirit continues through another person. It is fascinating because it doesn’t mean that the next Dalai Lama is decided through biological lineages, like with a King or Queen. They are also not elected, like political leaders.

As soon as the Dalai Lama dies, Tibetan monks look to find the child that has taken on their consciousness. However, it may take a long time. This child is seen in a variety of ways. First, the most experienced monks may receive visions to find out where the next Dalai Lama is found. It is a tradition for monks to meditate in Lhamo La-Tso, a large lake in the center of Tibet. If the previous Dalai Lama were cremated, the monks would observe the direction of the smoke to see where the reincarnation may be. Otherwise, monks may receive a message in their dreams that will help inform them about who the next person shall be.

Generally, the child they believe to be the next Dalai Lama displays a remarkable intellectual and spiritual ability beyond their age. Once this person is found, they are subjected to lots of tests by the monks to ensure it is the right person. A lot of these tests are kept secret. However, one known test is to present a variety of items to the child and see which belongs to the previous Dalai Lama. Once correctly found, the child is given intense religious training and education to help them relearn what they knew in their last incarnation.

The Dalai Lama was found in Tibet and made for the previous incarnations. However, the current Dalai Lama has suggested that the next image could be found somewhere else and be female.

The role of the Dalai Lama

Who is the Dalai Lama? The Dalai Lama is a very influential person. He has been very inspirational in his message of compassion and kindness. It is particularly important for the Tibetan people but has also spread worldwide recently. According to his website, the Dalai Lama is responsible for the “cultivation of warm-heartedness and human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and self-discipline.”

Not only this, but the Dalai Lama is also traditionally the political leader of Tibet. It means he would represent the country in foreign matters and control the government. It would be similar to a prime minister or president in many cases.

Through his position, the Dalai Lama promotes the principles of Tibetan Buddhism and advocates preserving the Tibetan language and culture. The current Dalai Lama is the first incarnation to have traveled outside Tibet, and his warm nature and beliefs have helped bring many supporters to his faith. He has written many books and continues to travel the world, speaking to many people.

What are the principles of Tibetan Buddhism?

If you want to know who the Dalai Lama is, it is important to learn more about his religion! Buddhism began to exist in Tibet in the 9th century. It was an extremely significant part of their life – and it is believed that one in six Tibetan men were monks at its peak.

Buddhism is a very rich and varied religion. There are different practices and denominations from country to country. Tibetan Buddhism is known for its ‘shamanism’ – a belief that those who devoutly practice it can interact with the spirit world. It can occur through sightings, dreams, and visions, among others. In addition, there is a strong belief in

As with other strands of Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism follows a certain amount of traditions and values. These include performing yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.

The 14th Dalai Lama Biography

Since 1940, the Dalai Lama has been Tenzin Gyatso. He was born into a small farming family. It took four years for the Tibetan monks to find him. Many things influenced their search to find him: a notable one was that the head of the 13th Dalai Lama turned from southeast to northeast. It was seen to show the direction of where he would be found. One monk saw a vision of a monastery with a turquoise roof and a little house nearby. Eventually, they found the location of that house, and this was where he was found.

Since 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India after being forced to leave Tibet. While this was very unfortunate to him and his people, it has allowed him to promote Tibetan culture and beliefs worldwide.

While he is a religious leader, he is also very influential in philosophy, science, and diplomacy. His beliefs and actions have displayed a way of living a happy life; practices, such as meditation and mindfulness, have been shown to have great psychological benefits; and his advocation of non-violence has been well regarded.

With these efforts, the Dalai Lama has repeatedly been seen as one of the world’s most popular religious and political leaders.

Due to his non-violent measures to protect the people of Tibet, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

What are the five beliefs of the Dalai Lama?

While learning about whom the Dalai Lama is, it would be great to teach your class five of his beliefs:

1. Harmony
2. Tolerance
3. Happiness
4. Self-discipline
5. Forgiveness

These are certainly valuable beliefs to have in life and the classroom!

Five Fun Facts About the Dalai Lama

Share these amazing facts about the Dalai Lama with your pupils:

1. Did you know that the 14th Dalai Lama has also released an album? ‘Inner World’ was released in July 2020, on His Holiness’s 85th birthday, and consists of prayers, instrumental music, and music for meditation.
2. He has many hobbies that make him more personable than you might expect. These include gardening and watchmaking.
3. The current Dalai Lama is very interested in science and how it can work with religion. It includes a fascination with ecology and the preservation of the planet.
4. He also believes that if he hadn’t become a monk, he would have become an engineer. It comes from his early love of machinery. As a teenager, he fixed a film projector alone, with no additional help!
5. There may not be another Dalai Lama. The current focus of this role is based on democratic governments and working together, which is why the Dalai Lama has retired from his political position. In the future, there may not be a need for a figurehead like this.