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Learner-Centred Lessons 'Shell' Activities

'Shell' activities make lessons active, while keeping the focus on academic content.
Each activity's structure is an empty shell (or empty bowl) which can be filled with core
content from any subject discipline.

Here's a collection of various shells (bowls). You and/or your students (or classmates) can
select and use the shells for teaching or review purposes.
Once students are familiar with the basic activity procedures, shell activities can be quickly and
easily used over and over again, with ever-changing 'content' as the months go by.
Shell activities can also help the teacher 'hand over' the responsibility for learning to increasingly
independent learners. Students who are familiar with the steps in a shell activity will enjoy using
course content to create challenges for their peers.

Table of Contents
Using 'Shell' Activities in Learner-Centred Classrooms...................................................................... 2
SLAM...................................................................................................................................................3
Lotto..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Lie Detector .........................................................................................................................................7
Unfinished Sentences........................................................................................................................... 9

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Using 'Shell' Activities in Learner-Centred Classrooms


Each shell activity sheet consists of three sections:
Activity Instructions: purpose, materials and procedure
The first section provides (1) an overview of the activity, (2) a list of the materials needed,
and (3) a step-by-step guide to the procedure
Adapting To Specific Subjects
Sample adaptations for the shell activity to specific subjects
Towards Learner Independence
Suggestions for moving quickly from a teacher/leader-centred whole-class activity to
simultaneous, dispersed learner-centred activities which maximise learner involvement.
These suggestions generally follow similar steps:
Step 1 The teacher/leader does the shell activity with the whole class.
The primary purpose is to foster an easy familiarity with how to do the new shell activity.
For this reason, you may want to begin with easy, high interest (often personal) content.
Step 2 Hand over 'control':
2a to volunteer student leaders, and monitor, comment upon and correct the procedures.
2b to multiple groups and again monitor, comment upon and correct the procedures.
Step 3 Shift the focus to course content.
Challenge each group to use elements of course content as the basis for questions
Further Extension in Learner-Centred Classrooms
Examples of possible group-by-group review or teaching activities (with higher classes):
(eg: 36 students 6 groups of six)
Assign each group a different section of content, but specify which shell activity will be used by all..
Group A

Group B

Group F

Group C

Group E

Group D

Modern History (for example)


Group A: 1850 1910
Group B: 1910 1930
Group C: 1930 1950
Group D: 1950 1970
Group E: 1970 1990
Group F: 1900 2010

Each group 'specialises' by researching their assigned portion of course materials and resources.
They then produce a set of Shell Activity challenges to guide the learning of other groups
challenges to which they themselves have prepared answers.
In rotation, each group can offer their Shell Activity challenges, which can then be rotated through
the remaining (eg: five) groups. As each group completes their answers to another group's 'shell
activity tasks, the original 'specialist' group checks their answers, and clarifies any areas of
uncertainty.
Biology Animal Phyla (for example)
Group A: Phylum Cnidaria
Group B: Phylum Echinodermata
Group C: Phylum Annelida
Group D: Phylum Mollusca
Group E: Phylum Arthropoda
Group F: Phylum Chordata

Literature Short Stories (for example)


Group A: Gift of the Magi (O Henry)
Group B: The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)
Group C: The Lottery (Shirley Jackson)
Group D: The Man Who Was (R Kipling)
Group E: Fall of the House of Usher (E A Poe)
Group F: Rip Van Winkle (Washington Irvine)

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SLAM
SLAM is a quick, easy, effective form of review and lots of fun.
Once the questions are prepared, the activity can take as little as five minutes.
SLAM can be used for any subject or for 'general knowledge' challenges.
MATERIALS
Chalkboard / whiteboard and chalk / markers.
Paper: one piece

TEAM
TEAM

TEAM

PROCEDURE
1. The Leader (at first the teacher, later the students themselves) prepares a list of questions or
statements of fact which can be 'answered' in one word (or short expression).
2. The class is divided into two teams.
One representative from each team stands on one side of the board, ready to listen carefully
to each question / statement and SLAM his / her hand over the correct answer.
3. As the Leader reads each question, Players A and B try to anticipate which answer on the
board will best answer the question.
4. The player whose hand covers the correct answer first wins a point for his/her team.
[New Players A & B can rotate in after a set number (1, 2, 3, 4) of questions.]
Example questions / statements for the 'answers' illustrated above:
1. Mao Tse Tung led his the Communist troops on
2. Both India and China were visited by this explorer.
3. Which capital city is north of Kashmir?

etcetera

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ADAPTING SLAM TO SPECIFIC SUBJECTS


SLAM can very easily be adapted to any subject at any level. Here are some examples from a range
of subjects:
History and/or Geography as illustrated above
Chemistry
H2O

NaCl
exothermic
reduction reaction
C6H12O6
H2SO4
NH3-CH2-COOH
Example questions / statements for the 'Chemistry answers' illustrated here:
1. This is the basic structure of many organic chemicals
2. In water, this compound exists at ions, each with a charge of + or 3. Highly corrosive be careful!
4. Any reaction which produces heat is known as
etc

TOWARDS LEARNER INDEPENDENCE


Once students are familiar with SLAM, they will enjoy taking the role of Leader and crafting
'challenging, yet manageable' questions.
Different groups (or individuals) can be asked to create SLAM questions on different topics covered
in past units or chapters or on material which has been assigned as extra reading.
Students studying for exams may find shell activities such as SLAM an interesting, engaging and
productive way of reviewing key content together.

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Lotto
LOTTO is similar to 'Bingo'. Participants listen to questions or descriptions, and cover a 'square'
containing the item which answers the question or fits the description.
Example Vocabulary -Classroom Objects (Primary 1)

pen

lined
paper

pencil
case

student's
desk

rubber

ruler

chalkboard

textbook

dictionary

notebook

pencil
sharpener

crayon

pencil

chair

teacher's
desk

blank
paper

The LOTTO illustrated here could be done 'silently', with the Teacher / Leader saying NEXT and
then pointing to the next object. Students would need to remember the English name for the object,
and recognize it's written form.
[LOTTO can be used in any language. The activity in this example could be used at any appropriate level
(such as Class 8 students just beginning to study a new language) with the names of 'classroom objects'
written in any language the students are beginning to learn.]

MATERIALS
The Teacher / Leader will have to prepare a list of 16 to 20 items (or a set of items to show).
[Listing 20 items will force participants to choose 16 and omit four. This increases the challenge.]
Participants will each need:
a blank piece of paper on which to draw a 4 x 4 grid of 16 squares.
a pen or pencil
16 objects or 16 small slips of paper to cover squares as the game proceeds.
[Coloured plastic sheets or thick card cut into small squares work well.]
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PROCEDURE
1. Participants use a pen or pencil to draw a 4 x 4 grid of 16 squares on their paper. [Be 'green'?]
2. The Teacher / Leader writes 16 (or up to 20) items on the board.
Participants write one item each at random into the squares on their 'LOTTO board'
[If students do not copy from those nearby, most will end up with a unique 'board'.]
3. The Teacher / Leader reads out a description or question which refers to one of the items.
Eg: A student who wants to find the meaning of a word might use one of these. [dictionary]

4.

Participants continue covering squares:


The first student to cover four in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) shouts LOTTO.
After verifying the items covered, the student (or his team) can be given a point or 'prize'.
5. If you wish, the activity can then be continued until another participant has:
- covered a horizontal & a vertical line
- covered the two diagonal lines (to make an 'X')
- covered all of the outside squares
ADAPTING 'LOTTO' TO SPECIFIC SUBJECTS
Here are two suggested ways in which LOTTO could be used in different subjects at different levels:
Grammar
The words 'red' and 'read' can sound exactly the same...
1. In this sentence, what part of speech is the word you hear as red/read?
John gave Susan a red ball.
[Students should cover adjective]
2. In this sentence, what part of speech is the word you hear as red/read?
Red is my favourite colour.
[Students should cover noun.]
3. In this sentence, what part of speech is the word you hear as red/read?
After dinner, my father read a book.
[Students should cover verb.]
4. What do we call a word which joins to ideas together.
[ cover conjunction.]
5. Cover a word which could complete this sentence:
Richard drove ________ the tunnel.
[Through is one of several prepositions.]
6. The word you covered in Question 5 is an example of:
[ cover preposition.]
7. etcetera
Mathematics LOTTO can also be used as a way of checking completed homework. If more than
16 items were assigned, scatter the answers at random over the board. Read or write out the
equations / questions assigned, and allow the students to refer to their notebooks to identify their
own answer and then to cover the square in which they wrote that answer. Continue
TOWARDS LEARNER INDEPENDENCE
Once the learners understand how this activity works, involve more capable students in making up
sets of questions and in leading LOTTO activities.
Consider having several groups 'playing' LOTTO at the same time. For example, if you have four
student Leaders who have each made up their own LOTTO clues related to four separate topics (or
chapters covered), the class could be arranged into four groups and the four Leaders could rotate
among the four groups. At the end of four LOTTO activities, the class will then have reviewed all
four topics. The student Leaders and the Teacher (as well as the participants themselves) may then
have a reasonably accurate understanding of how well the class as a whole know the material
covered.

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Lie Detector
LIE DETECTOR requires learners to listen very carefully and analyse what they hear.
Factual knowledge and subjective understanding can be tested in a very enjoyable way.
A speaker reads out a number of statements of fact - usually five facts. All except one of the
facts will, in fact, be true. One will be a lie - an incorrect 'fact'. The job of the listeners is to
determine which one of the five statements is incorrect in other words, is a lie.
This is a largely oral activity. It can be run as an inter-group competition. The group which
successfully detects the greatest number of 'lies' wins.
MATERIALS
Paper: The set of (5) statements should be written, so that they can be verified later, if necessary.
Chalkboard / Whiteboard / Chart paper (Optional): You may want to record points for each group.
PROCEDURE
1. The 'Speaker' reads his/her (the group's) five statements aloud slowly and clearly, making
sure all 'Listeners' have heard and understood each statement.
2. While the 'Speaker' is reading the five statements, the 'Listeners' remain silent except if
they need to request repetition or clarification. The 'Listeners' do not respond to the
statements (aloud or in gestures) during the reading.
The 'Listeners' analyse all five statements, and decide which five are 'correct' and which one
statement is a lie.
3. When the reading is finished, each 'Listener' (or group of 'Listeners') writes down one
number (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) he / she (they) believe(s) to be a Lie - and explain why.
The teacher / leader may want to record these choices on the board / chart paper.
4. After all 'Listeners' (or groups) have stated their choice. The 'Speaker' identifies which
statement was incorrect (a lie) - and explains why it is incorrect.
Be prepared for 'hot' discussion when 'Listeners' (or groups) disagree with the 'Speaker's' choice.
These arguments can be very productive. In disagreeing, class members will be giving reasons and
examples which expand upon the topic and some may participants may come to understand
elements of the topic more clearly as a result. Some may be driven back to source materials to
support their arguments.
ADAPTING 'LIE DETECTOR' TO SPECIFIC SUBJECTS
'Lie Detector' can very easily be adapted to any subject at any level Primary to University.
Statements of fact can be made easier or more difficult to analyse by adding specific details. For
example:
Class 3: Before New Delhi, Calcutta was the capital city of India. [True]
Class 8: Before New Delhi, Calcutta was the capital city of India for over 300 years. [False]
Physics Class 9
1. Newton's Third Law of Motion says every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
2. The sky is blue because blue light travels faster than other colours.
3. Stars which are blue in colour are hotter that yellow or red stars.
4. A bucket of hot water will cool at the same rate, measured in either Celsius or in Fahrenheit.
5. When oil and water are mixed, the less dense liquid will rise to the top.

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Geography Class 4
1. The Amazon River is the longest river in the world.
2. Africa is only continent continent located in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
3. The Mediterranean Sea separates Africa and Europe.
4. Mt Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
5. Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes in North America.
TOWARDS LEARNER INDEPENDENCE
Students catch on this activity very quickly and may take great delight in making up their own list
of five statements.
1. Choose a topic relevant to the content you are covering with the class.
2. Assign groups of students to collaborate on five statements, one of which is a lie.
3. These groups then take turns in the role of 'Speaker', which the other groups take their roles
as 'Listeners'.
4. Later (encouraging even more learner autonomy, once your students are familiar with 'Lie
Detector' activities) you can ask members of the 'Speaker' group to collate the responses
from the 'Listener' groups, and to manage any discussion which arises.
A more challenging variation:
For a slower, more challenging version of this activity, ask one student (or group of students) to
make up five statements about a topic or chapter which the others have not yet studied. [This may
have to be done a lesson or two in advance.]
Once the five statements have been read, allow the 'Listeners' (possibly in groups) a specific amount
of time to refer to their textbooks and/or other resource materials, and to skim through the texts /
materials locating information which either confirms or refutes each fact. The 'Listeners' then can
be told to identify a page, paragraph, chart or other source of information which confirms or refutes
each of the five statements.
At the end of the allotted time, each group of 'Listeners' (or individual 'Listeners' if they're working
alone) to state their answers and the supporting information they have found.
The 'Speaker' can confirm and possibly augment what the 'Listeners' have found.

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Unfinished Sentences
UNFINISHED SENTENCES - Be prepared for surprises.
'Unfinished Sentences' is a very open-ended activity. Students are encouraged to communicate their
knowledge and express their opinions in their own words.
This activity can be used
- before beginning a topic (to explore students' existing awareness and interests),
- during studies (as a brief 'check' on what has been understood), or
- after studies as a form of revision or to keep concepts fresh in learners' minds.
- to begin a lesson, when changing activities during a lesson, to end a lesson.

MATERIALS
Paper one piece per student (or per pair / group of students)
Chalkboard / whiteboard (optional)

[Be 'green'?]

PROCEDURE
1. Prepare a list of 'sentence beginnings' generally 3 to 5 words.
2. Write the 'unfinished sentences' on the board, or read them aloud one by one
Keep the pace fast: require a quick response by limiting time to no more than one
minute per sentence (possibly much less, with older, experienced 'players').
3. Individual work: students write their own sentence completions.
4. Group / pair work: students share and discuss their own sentence completions, and
respond to their partners' sentence completions.
5. Consolidation: each group / pair of students can be asked to select one (or two) sentence
completions which they found interesting.
During the group work the teacher / leader can circulate and note the variety and quality of students'
responses. What can you learn about their level of awareness and of engagement with the topics?
ADAPTING 'UNFINISHED SENTENCES' TO SPECIFIC SUBJECTS
Sentence beginnings can range from broad to very specific from subjective. Here are just three
short samples of diverse sentence beginnings from different subjects.
History Indian Independence
1. Independence could have come sooner if ...
2. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was
3. Mahatma Gandhi ended his 1922 civil disobedience because
4. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted
5. The Indian National Congress agreed to 'partition' because

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Biology The Cell


1. The nucleus
2. Plant and animal cells
3. Mitochondria are important because
4. Cell division begins
Literature As You Like It
6. In 'As You Like It', William Shakespeare
7. The journey to Arden
8. Orlando refuses to
9. The most unhappy character is (Why?)
10. My favourite character is ________ because .
11. From beginning to end,
TOWARDS LEARNER INDEPENDENCE
In the beginning, the teacher will have to prepare the 'unfinished sentence' beginnings, and
familiarise the students with the structure of this activity.
On subsequent occasions, the teacher can involve the students in:
writing up or reading out the sentence beginnings
guiding the group discussions and consolidation activities
creating the sentence beginnings
Once the students understand how to do this activity ('Unfinished Sentences'), different groups can
be invited to prepare 'Unfinished Sentence' beginnings for different topic areas. For example:
History Indian Independence: Different groups within the class could prepare 'Unfinished
Sentence' beginnings on different (1) decades, (2) individuals, (3) areas of India, etc.
Biology: Different groups / individuals could be asked to prepare 'Unfinished Sentence' beginnings
on (1) Mitosis, (2) Meiosis, (3) Cytoplasm and (4) Cell membrane
Literature Different groups / individuals could be asked to prepare 'Unfinished Sentence'
beginnings on (1) different characters in a story/play, (2) different poems, (3) plot development, etc

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