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Planning engaging sessions
for school contexts
Kate Garlick
[email protected]
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Most important:
Least important:
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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OBJECTIVES
List 2 or 3 skills the students will demonstrate in this session. Begin objectives with a verb.
Describe
"By the end of this session you should be able to...."
Analyse
Explain
Identify
Evaluate
ENGAGE
BUILD
A 'hook' to get students interested. The task should be selfexplanatory, quick, accessible and interesting.
 Which of these options would you choose? Which would you
avoid?
 Which five words are most/least like you?
 Would you rather...? (Give pairs of options to circle)
 Which person is the most....? The least....?
 What do you think about when you see this word? List all the
words that come into your head.
 Put these in order from best to worst (examples of personal
statements, reasons for going to university, degree subjects,
jobs)
 Finish these sentences to make them true for you...
 Colour code this list to show...
 What questions could you ask about this image?
(Who/what/when/why/where/how)
 Put these words into a venn diagram (then add your own)
 What personality traits could these images represent?
 Matching the term with its definition (if words are tricky, give
number of letters like this: _ _ _ _ )
 Crossword (create one online at www.puzzle-maker.com/CW)
 List five...
 Write a sentence/paragraph/poem/song containing these words
 Read this short description/look at this image. List five words you
could use to describe this person/place/situation
 Write a caption for this image
 Short cloze excercise
 What information would you need to know in order to answer this
question?
 Are you for or against this statement? List the reasons why.
 Label this pie chart with these labels
 Cardsort* - put these events in chronological order, put these
words into categories, rank/diamond rank these,
*I hate cardsorts, but you might not!
These tasks should link to, develop or build upon your
engage activity. You will probably have time for one or two.
 Now choose from this longer/more detailed list
 Add explanations or justifications to choices you've just made
 Use the words you've just chosen to write...
 As a group, look at your box/envelope of random images, objects
or pieces of paper and connect them to make a story
 Using this extra information/detail, add to your....
 Look at three of your choices. What qualities do you think these
people have?
 Draw and label the ideal....
 Improve the worst answer / add explanations / suggest
improvements or alternatives
 Swap with a partner and answer their questions
 Colour code your venn diagram to show.... then add explanations
 What extra images could we add to show...? Draw them.
 Draw a picture to represent each new word
 Here are five questions - read this text/look at this chart/watch
this film clip/listen to this short talk then answer them
 Write five open questions you could ask...
 Find and highlight examples of... and annotate them
 Label this text /image using this criteria
 Emerald 4 in your groups
 Take the opposite point of view and think of reasons which
someone might give if they disagreed with you
 Use the mind expander to think of additional points you could
add...
 Make X out of plasticine
 Use De Bono's thinking hats to explore...
 Budgeting task - here is your annual salary, now choose a
house, car, leisure activity, holiday etc. from this list
 List all the skills you'd need in order to...
 List all the ways you could develop skill X
PREPARE
A "rehearsal" for your demonstrate task
 A plan/outline for what to include
 If main task is a group task - assign roles / tasks to
members or organise teams
 Some practice sentences or words (either to complete or to make up)

Information selecting/gathering
 Choosing tasks (if you have given them a choice)
DEMONSTRATE
The main task - this should allow the students to demonstrate the skills outlined in your objectives. The first three parts of your
session should prepare them for this task. You will probably need to "scaffold" this task in some way, e.g. providing a proforma
 Blockbusters
 Write the first paragraph of your personal
 Create parallel future timelines showing
statement
what you would do if you do/don't go to
 Treasure hunt quiz - a variety of different
uni (i.e. what you'd earn at diff ages,
question types
 Create your own university timetable
what quals/jobs you'd get)
 Pictionary with keywords
 Write a letter of application for your ideal job

Top ten reasons to go to uni  Draw and label a map of a university
 Create your personal "get into uni" action
presented in whatever form you like
campus
plan/timeline

Weekly budget/life admin
 Create a poster/presentation/leaflet about
 Create poster to show what your life would be
schedule/cleaning rota for student digs
the differences between a job and a career
like with your ideal job (money, house, car,

Produce a board game
job
etc.)
 Script or perform a 30sec radio advert for...

Write a script for a good/bad uni
 Agony aunt: what advice would you give to
 Write an acrostic poem
interview
these
people?
 Write the diary entry for...

Using
card/paper/plasticine,
create....
 Create a decision tree/ flowchart
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Session title:_________________________________________________
OBJECTIVES
List 2 or 3 skills the students will demonstrate in this session. Begin objectives with a verb.
"By the end of this session you should be able to...."
ENGAGE
BUILD
A 'hook' to get students interested. The task
should be self-explanatory, quick, accessible
and interesting. N.B. students find themselves
the most interesting topic of all!
These tasks should link to, develop or build upon your engage activity.
You will probably have time for one or two.
PREPARE
A "rehearsal" for your demonstrate task
DEMONSTRATE
The main task - this should allow the students to demonstrate the skills outlined in your objectives. The first three parts of your
session should prepare them for this task. You will probably need to "scaffold" this task in some way, e.g. providing a proforma
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Session title: What is university life like?
OBJECTIVES
List 2 or 3 skills the students will demonstrate in this session. Begin objectives with a verb.
"By the end of this session you should be able to...."



Describe the typical week of a university student
Decide on my preferences for social activities and academic activities
Explain how my choices would equip me with useful skills for later life
ENGAGE
BUILD
A 'hook' to get students interested. The task
should be self-explanatory, quick, accessible
and interesting.
Give students a list of clubs and societies (in
large text: name of club. In small print
underneath: time/day of the week they meet just make this up and tell students to ignore
it for now).
These tasks should link to, develop or build upon your engage activity.
You will probably have time for one or two.
Ask: which of these clubs and societies would
you be mostly likely to join? Which would
you avoid?
Students could colour code, circle, diamond
rank or number their choices.
<TAKE FEEDBACK USING RANDOM
NUMBER GENERATOR OR NAME
STICKS>
Using their top three choices, students to draw a spider diagram
showing what skills they could develop by attending these
clubs/societies. (You could scaffold this task with a list of possible
skills).
Now, with students in groups, give each table five broad subject areas
they could study at degree level - each broad subject area on different
sheets of paper.
Ask students to choose the broad subject area that appeals to them
most.
Ask students to list what jobs they could link to this area. (Let them
have a go themselves, then partway through task, provide an unsorted
list of random graduate jobs and salaries as scaffolding).
Now show students the back of each sheet - it should list approx five
degree subjects that fall within that broad subject area. Underneath or
around each degree subject, it should list approx five possible module
titles.
Ask students: if you had to pick one degree subject, which would you
choose and why? Circle on your sheet.(mention combined honours).
Which job could this prepare you for?. Circle on your sheet. <TAKE
VERBAL FEEDBACK USING RNG>
PREPARE
A "rehearsal" for your demonstrate task
Tell students they are going to make a “timetable” for a typical week in uni. In groups, look at this unlabelled pie chart
showing different amounts of time students spend doing different activities. Label it using these labels. <TAKE
FEEDBACK> Here are the answers. Were you right? Are you surprised?
DEMONSTRATE
The main task - this should allow the students to demonstrate the skills outlined in your objectives. The first three parts of your
session should prepare them for this task. You will probably need to "scaffold" this task in some way, e.g. providing a proforma
Give students a timetable proforma to fill in. Tell them to fill lecture/seminar slots with the modules from their chosen
degree subject, and the clubs/societies list from the starter to decide what they'll do during free time.
Give an information pack to help students fill in the other boxes on their timetable if they wish to. (Info pack to contain
things like info/images on accommodation types, themed student nights, places to eat on campus).
Label your timetable with skills you'll develop by doing each of these activities.
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Planning an assembly
Main message of assembly:_________________________________________________
ENGAGE
A 'hook' to get students interested. Everyone in the room should be able to answer the question just by raising a
hand - there should be no explanations needed and no requirements to write anything down. Avoid "right
answers" - you are just asking them to express a preference or opinion.
1. Several images (or a bullet pointed list) on a single slide.
 Look at the screen. How many of these things can you name/have you done/have you experienced/do you care
about?
Hands up for one or more.... two or more..... three or more....
2. One image (or image plus text) per slide.
 Some things will appear on the screen. Hands up if you like/have heard of/agree with/would consider them.
(Then scroll through the powerpoint)
3. Two images (or two statements) on a single slide
 Which (person/place/thing) is the most/least X? Hands up for option A, hands up for option B
 Which of these two things is the most important to you? Hands up for option A, hands up for option B
 Would you rather A, or B? Hands up for option A, hands up for option B
BUILD
That's it for audience participation. You are now going to tell them some interesting things that build on or link to
your engage activity.

Vary your TONE and VOLUME - you need light and shade to keep them interested

Use SUSPENSE - pause before moving to the next slide to build some anticipation (and do you know
what the answer was........it was this!)

ACKNOWLEDGE what you think they might be thinking "I know some people are sitting thinking, "well,
this doesn't apply to me..." or the limitations/drawbacks of what you're suggesting "Some people are
worried about cost, and you're absolutely right to think about that. There's no denying university is
expensive. However..."

Make sure your slides are INTERESTING to look at. Avoid text overload and make judicious use of
images.

Your assembly is not your powerpoint - your assembly is your "performance".

Use a short YouTube video..... if there's a very good one and you have a very good reason for doing so!
CONCLUDING MESSAGE
Your assembly should have been building to this one, takeaway message for students. Hammer it home


So what I'm trying to say is....
"And THAT is my assembly about <topic>"................PAUSE..............."Thank you very much".
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Planning an assembly
Main message of assembly:_________________________________________________
ENGAGE
A 'hook' to get students interested. Everyone in the room should be able to answer the question just by raising a
hand - there should be no explanations needed and no requirements to write anything down. Avoid "right
answers" - you are just asking them to express a preference or opinion.
BUILD
That's it for audience participation. You are now going to tell them some interesting things that build on or link to
your engage activity.
CONCLUDING MESSAGE
Your assembly should have been building to this one, takeaway message for students. Hammer it home
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016
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Top tips for engaging sessions
1)
Use an “engage” task before your objectives
2)
Make it all about them
3)
Pace
4)
Step back, they should do the “doing”
5)
Tasks should be accessible
6)
Use scaffolding to support
7)
Mini tasks should prepare them for your main
demonstrate task
8)
Evaluate to improve
Planning engaging sessions for school contexts © K. Garlick 2016