Lesson idea 8.
4
Progression of ideas, self-confidence
and revision checklists
Type of Activity Revision, group work, self-reflection
Level Any
Timing 30 min
To provide an opportunity for students to consider progressive levels of
Aim conceptual difficulty within a topic so that they can reflect on the nature of
learning in science and produce a personalised revision checklist.
A list of statements/concepts/definitions/ideas for a whole topic is needed.
Preparation These could be the lines from the specification, although sometimes
rewritten, more ‘student-friendly’ versions are recommended.
Statements/concepts/definitions/ideas as mentioned above printed on to
Resources cards, as well as several blank cards. Optional self-evaluation sheet and
partially filled in revision checklist sheet.
This activity is designed to act as a revision activity but also to get students to engage with the
progression of conceptual ideas in a topic, to consider how these all fit together and reflect on how
confident they are that they know these. Students will also consider how many topics in science contain
content that is hierarchical and builds on prior knowledge. They can often think for a whole topic that
they either ‘get it’ or not, and the hope is that when they see that learning is more complex and nuanced
than that, it will allow them to reflect upon their own learning more effectively.
While not comprehensive, examples of the types and range of statements/concepts/definitions/ideas that
you might use for a group studying basic DC circuit behaviour are shown here:
Potential difference/current/resistance is measured in … (three cards)
Potential difference/current/resistance is a measure of … (three cards)
A series/parallel circuit looks like this … (two or more cards that may include multiple circuit
diagram examples)
For a resistor of fixed resistance/filament lamp/diode, when you increase the potential difference, the
current will … (three cards)
For a resistor of fixed resistance, the relationship between potential difference and current can be
described by the following equation … (three cards)
The graph showing the relationship between potential difference and current for a fixed
resistor/filament lamp/diode looks like … (three cards)
If you have more than one resistor connected in series, the total resistance can be worked out.
© Cambridge University Press 2017 Lesson idea 8.4: Progression of ideas,
self-confidence and revision checklists
These could be adapted to suit the topic and the class and refined as required, but the following stages
would be a good way to first approach this type of task. The students begin the activity in groups and then
reflect and plan the next steps individually.
In groups, students sort the cards into an order that they think makes best sense to learn the topic,
thinking about what ideas should come before others. Not everything needs to be or is hierarchical.
As a group, decide if there are any cards missing and, if so, write the scientific ideas on them and put
them in the correct place in the order.
Individually, for each of the cards students give a RAG rating for how well they know/understand
them. RAG = Red, Amber, Green. Red = Don’t know/understand it at all; Green= Know it very
well; Amber is somewhere between red and green.
Individually, collect all the Red cards and prepare a revision priority checklist of these things that
need most attention, followed by the list of Amber cards and then Green if needed.
Stage Aim Action Time Focus
1 Introduce and Explain to the students that this 5 min Teacher
explain the task activity has three purposes. The first Whole class
is a normal revision/review activity
where they look back over a topic.
The second is to look at how they
think the ideas in a topic build up
and make sense. The third is to
produce a personalised revision
checklist to help them prepare for a
test/exam.
2 Sort the cards, Give each group a set of cards and Around Students
add in missing ask them to sort them and create 10 min, working in
ones new ones if needed (see notes depending groups
above for more detail). upon how
many cards
there are
3 Assessing self- Working on their own, students self- 10 min Students
confidence and asses their confidence with how well working
writing a revision they know/understand the ideas on individually
plan each card. (A RAG approach is
suggested, see above.) Once they
have done this, they write an
individual revision plan starting with
the ones that they are least
confident with. You may wish to ask
them to do this by filling in a table
with three headings:
Idea/Concept (what is on card)
Confidence level (RAG)
© Cambridge University Press 2017 Lesson idea 8.4: Progression of ideas,
self-confidence and revision checklists
What will I do to help me learn
this?
For some classes, you may wish to
produce this as a handout and pre-
populate the first column of this table
with the same list used to prepare
the cards, with some empty rows at
the bottom. Give this out after they
have sorted the cards into the order
their group decides.
© Cambridge University Press 2017 Lesson idea 8.4: Progression of ideas,
self-confidence and revision checklists