cognitive acceleration

This resource responds to the revised Literacy Framework for schools in England, which now incorporates the skills of listening and speaking. There are ten structured and detailed lesson plans for teachers focusing on listening, speaking and drama. The resource offers a template for lessons that can be adapted to a range of contexts and age groups.

The lessons provide opportunities for children to:

• Read a wide variety of different types of texts relating to different contexts;
• Create and develop dialogue, speeches, group improvisations and short dramas;
• Observe and give feedback to other pupils;
• Develop and record complex narratives;
• Hypothesise, make deductions and reach reasoned conclusions and judgements, based on evidence
• Raise issues for debate.

This has 15 main activities and two introductory activities to accustom the children to the way of working in these lessons. The activities are arranged in topics which correspond approximately to the topics of the (English) Key Stage 2 Science curriculum. These (and the following) activities are designed to be used with the whole class but through a series of episodes of group work and whole class discussion.

This has 18 main and two introductory activities and follows the same pattern and methods of LTTS!

This was the first published CA resource and the inspiration for the CA project. Thinking Science is based on the materials developed between 1984 and 1987 by the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) project. There are thirty Thinking Science lessons for pupils aged between eleven and fourteen years. Practical work is used to 'set the scene' and generate data for analysis. It is not used to teach scientific knowledge or develop investigative skills. Schools use Thinking Science in both integrated science situations and where separate sciences are taught.

See some practical guidance on using CASE as part of your secondary science curriculum.

CATE is designed to enhance and develop thinking and reasoning processes at Key Stage 3 within Design and Technology education. It is based on ideas adapted from the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) project and the Somerset Thinking Skills Course (STSC). CATE consists of a Teacher Handbook and a Module (with photocopiable activities for the pupils) for use with years 7, 8 and 9.

Read more about the design and development of CATE for KS3.

These three teaching resources are designed to enhance reasoning in drama, music and the visual arts. The resource are rooted in the principle that art education is not just about self-expression, but also about developing intellectual rigour and mental discipline. They identify Piagetian-like patterns of thinking that are important for reasoning in the arts. These include:

• Classification;
• Developing and dealing with frames of reference;
• Reasoning with different symbolic forms;
• Critical reflection and making judgements;
• Thinking through actions;
• Experimenting;
• Making causal links.

Each book contains ten detailed lesson plans, that can offer templates for a range of arts contexts.