Bikes and Certainty
Key ideas: Knowledge, Certainty, Proof
Resources
- A4 white board or similar surface to draw on
Starter
- On a white board draw and upside down 'V' (hidden from the children’s eyes to add suspense) then reveal it. See Fig 1
Questions
- What is it?
- Why is it [a mountain]?
- Who thinks it is something else?
- Ask children for a number of ideas and write them down or keep them in your head.
Main activity
- Pick up the white board and (hiding it from their prying eyes) add a couple of lines to the picture. See fig 2.
Questions
- What is it?
- Is it a (insert one of their ideas from the previous picture like ‘mountain’)?
- Are you sure?
- 'Show me if it’s definitely a mountain – thumbs up.
- Definitely not a mountain – thumbs down. Or,
- Might be a mountain – half-way, uncertain thumb.'
- Children often say that it is a mountain because “it’s got a pointy bit”
- Make sure you follow up with, questions like ‘So is it definitely a mountain?’
Continue to add bits to the picture (see pics attached) and reveal to the class, asking the questions above.
- Can it be a bike if it doesn’t have wheels?
- If it looks like a bike does that mean it is?
- Can it be 2 different things?
Extension activity/game:
Teacher or children to draw a simple line or shape on the whiteboard. Then ask who can make it into something by adding a line or continuing the drawing in some way e.g. I draw a line on the board and ask ‘who can finish the picture?’ A child comes up at draws another line across it ‘It’s the letter 't'" For example
