Engaging Attention
Maria Bateson
This case study contains four examples using a range of materials to create an engaging introduction
to topics in science. All make use of digital technologies and some require access to the internet.
Brainpop
Introduction
Brainpop is a commercially available website containing animated content designed to
motivate and inspire children to learn. Some of the resources are available free but to access
the full library of resources a subscription must be paid.
Resources are short (2-3 minute) animated films starring Tim and his robot friend Moby. Each
film covers the key points of a certain topic. Although the product is designed by and for the
American market the resources cover almost every topic for key stage 3, as well as others that
work well for GCSE. Some of the videos may also help cover the Sc1 topics.
Where to get it http://www.brainpop.com/
How to use it
Two approaches –
a) Play a film on a loop as the students are arriving to the classroom. They are immediately
transfixed by the film, and settle down to watch. The lesson will then build on the ideas
they have seen in the film.
b) Play a film at the start of a poster lesson, this helps focus the students on the key things
they should include on their poster. Where topics are particularly difficult it can be helpful
to set questions to answer whilst they watch the film.
What the students think
General feedback from students is
that they really enjoy Brainpops and
often ask if they can choose
another one to watch at the end of
the lesson. At the end of term,
students want to spend an entire
lesson watching Brainpops. They
say “it’s a good break to the lesson
and normally it also explains it really
simply as well.”
PowerPoint Games
Introduction
Presentation software similar to Microsoft’s PowerPoint can be very useful in focussing
attention of the group on a common theme. Engaging the whole group in an interactive quiz
can be a stimulating way to create interest in or cover revision of a topic in science. The use of
such software in this way will require a data projector (an interactive whiteboard with projector
can add further interactivity but is not essential). A selection of games made in PowerPoint that
bring a competitive element to questioning. The games include Millionaire, Celebrity Squares,
Blockbusters, Wheel of Fortune, Weakest Link and Noughts and Crosses.
Where to get it
How to use it
Most of the games are content free and so you can create your own set of questions around
the chosen theme or topic. Games such as Celebrity Squares and Noughts and Crosses can
be effectively used as plenary activities. If around nine questions are used they can be
completed in a short period of time and can be a good summary to the lesson. Other games
such as Millionaire can be used as main activities it can be used as a fun way of gauging
knowledge at the start of a new topic. With this particular game students are given four cards
(A, B, C and D), as each question appears students choose the right answer and hold up the
relevant card. This approach can also be used in revision lessons. Care needs to be taken to
ensure that the whole class are engaged and it is important to keep up the pace of the activity
as this simulates the television game and keeps an element of excitement. Experience has
shown that students enjoy this approach and give it their full attention, entering into the spirit of
the game.
What the students think
The students get really involved in
these games and quite competitive.
In their eyes, they are playing a
game, rather than consolidating their
learning.
Internet
Introduction
The internet can be a wealth of information and a rich resource for topics in science, However,
finding the suitable resources and making them available to students can be quite a challenge.
This sub-section covers three main uses of the internet: Youtube; the BBC website and webbased games.
a) Youtube
Where to get it http://uk.youtube.com/
How to use it
Youtube is a library of video clips usually created by amateurs so the quality of the images can
be variable. Youtube videos can cover a range of uses for example, to show experiments that
can no longer be conducted in schools for safety reasons. Natural phenomenon captured by
amateur video can be very useful to illustrate the scale and impact of such things as
earthquakes, floods and high winds. Some teachers are now encouraging students to make
their own films of practical experiments to share on Youtube. In the later cases care needs to
be taken in the suitability of the videos captured and made publically available. Some schools
have policies which will closely scrutinise or limit the publication of videos created in school as
I find the students are more interested in them shown through Youtube than a school video
version
What the students think
“It’s a media which teenagers tend
to use quite often, so it’s easy to
relate to.” Students particularly like
to see other students doing an
experiment and students enjoy the
challenge of creating a film of an
experiment or practical activity.
b) BBC website
Introduction:
BBC news website can be very useful when there’s been a key science story in the news. One
approach is to show the story as students come into the lab and then continue a discussion
throughout the lesson. If there is a good quality picture with the story an alternative use is to
simply show the picture and get the students to create a caption for it. The group then decides
which is the best caption and then discusses the real story. Following this type of activity,
many students will bring in interesting news clippings that can also be discussed as a group in
future lessons.
Where to get it http://www.bbc.co.uk/news
c) Web based games
Introduction
The internet provides a range of games which are free to use. Students find these enjoyable to
use and can create a fun element to learning challenging topics in science. Games available
can cover a range of levels and topics. Access to the internet will be required and some
teachers have asked students to complete the games for homework.
Where to get it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf
How to use it
This is a more high-tech version of the ruler dropping reaction test. The aim is to prevent the
sheep from escaping by firing a tranquiliser dart at them when they move. A player is given 5
attempts and at the end of the game a rating for your speed of reaction is given. The game
provides information on the time taken for each dart and also the average time. This
performance data can be collected and used in graphing exercises for the whole class.
What the students think
“It provides a visual aid to our learning
which really helps us to focus and
understand. It also makes the whole
class join in and adds to the team spirit
of the group because everyone
supports each other.”
Animations and Adverts/ film trailers
Animations
These are easily downloaded from the internet and provide a clear visual display of what
otherwise would be a difficult to understand topic. There are a huge variety of animations
available from simple 30 second animations to interactive explanations of whole topics. These
are accessed via the internet through the use of a search engine. Searching for the clips can
be time consuming but a helpful tip is to enter the keyword followed by “.swf”
Adverts and film trailers
You can also download these from the internet. These can be used as a starter to the lesson
and will focus the students thinking about the topic e.g. the Orange mobile phone advert about
the New York Blackout as a starter for the energy topic, the Honda advert to stimulate thinking
about moments.
What the students think
They like the adverts
as they are familiar,
which gives students
a base to start from
with their learning.
Some students have
asked me if they can
save the animations
to their own memory
stick so that they can
look at them at
home!