Curiosity
Questions, puzzles and predictions bring children’s ideas into the lesson and give them something worth figuring out.
Shadow Makers · Light and SoundHow could we make this shadow bigger?
Our approach
Children deserve learning worth
thinking about.
We make room for children’s ideas, give them something to investigate, and teach the science that helps it make sense.
The ingredients of a Give Spark lesson.
Exploration
Children investigate, test their ideas and gather evidence through purposeful, hands-on experiences.
Battle of the Beaks · Plant and Animal StructuresWhy do birds have different beaks?
Explanation
Clear teaching helps children connect what they have noticed with the science that explains it.
Making sense · Light and SoundConnect the shadow we see to the path of the light.
Application
Children put their knowledge to work: solving problems, developing designs and creating something with a purpose.
Rockstar Headphones · PBLUse sound science to design and test a solution.
Reflection
Children revisit their ideas, explain what they understand and consider what the evidence has helped them see differently.
Revisiting our ideas · Student journalsWhat do I think now, and what helped me understand?
Who makes Give Spark
Designed by a teacher, for teachers.
I’m Vicky Brooks. I taught for over a decade, was named Teacher of the Year in 2015/16, and hold a BA (Hons) in Education and a PGCE.
Give Spark started in my own classroom, where I wanted lessons that were hands-on and rigorous at the same time, and couldn’t find them. The design decisions in every unit come from that experience: a prediction before the investigation, exact questions in the teacher guidance, and journals that ask children to explain rather than fill in blanks. Over 5,000 teachers have reviewed the resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, with an average rating of 4.9.