Starter Activity - These are a few of my favourite things

This was an amazing starter which I tried with all my classes after hearing about it in a physics lesson.

At the start of my A2 Business lesson, I simply asked the class, ‘What are your favourite 3 ratio’s (with the formula)?’. They then wrote them on a mini-whiteboard and held them all up. It was amazing for diagnostic assessment.

I asked why they had chosen the one’s they had and why they hadn’t chosen some of the others. This revealed a number of things. Firstly, it revealed that some of them were unsure of the formula’s (I refuse to tell my class about the formula sheet that they will receive in their exams until after revision).

This then allowed us to go back through them. Secondly, it revealed a real level of understanding. One student said that they chose the acid test and gearing (as well as one more) as these were the best indicator of a firms balance sheet strength. One student then asked why he hadn’t put down the current ratio, to which he replied that the acid test was the ‘true test’. Wow, students actually talking about ratios’!

In a Year 11 class, I did the same thing, but asked students to write down their favourite business studies definition. You could really see the students thinking.

I then took this one step further in my next Year 11 lesson. I got the kids to write down their favourite definition, and then pass it to the person next to them to develop the definition further, with an example or key point perhaps. The results were amazing.

This can only be used once really, although I would like to hear of any adaptions. Maybe their favourite marketing topic etc etc…

Enjoy..............

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