Higher Order
Thinking
Lesson Starters & Activities
Putting a different ‘spin’ on a lesson starter is a
great way to introduce younger pupils to higher
order thinking skills and stimulate meaningful
discussion among pupils.
The following activities can be used as lesson
starters or as stand-alone activities (although be
sure to leave plenty of time for sharing answers
and discussion afterwards!)
True or False...?
This is a right angled-triangle
15 cm
5 cm
12 cm
How would you prove your answer?
Find
the
Fibs!
Sarah completed the following lesson starter.
Her final answers are shown in red. She made some silly
mistakes!
1. Calculate 15 - 6 x 2
3
2. Solve the equation 2x - 7 = 15
x=4
3. Calculate
the
perimeter
of
this
shape:
3cm
2
P = 24cm Find her mistakes and
8cm
correct her work.
2x + 5 = 17
Make up as many equations as you can in the
next 5 minutes that have the same answer
as the one above.
Swap equations with a friend and solve them to
check their answers.
Using exactly four 4s it is possible to make
all the numbers between 1 and 20.
For example: 44 ÷ 44 = 1
and (4 x 4) ÷ (4 + 4) = 2
What other numbers can
you make using four 4s?
Answers
1 = (4÷4) x (4÷4)
2 = (4÷ 4)+(4÷ 4)
3 = (4 + 4 + 4) ÷ 4
4 = 4 + 4(4 - 4)
5 = (4 x 4 +4) ÷ 4
6 = 4+((4+4) ÷ 4)
7 = (4+4)-(4÷ 4)
8 = (4+4) ÷ (4÷ 4)
9 = 4+4+(4÷ 4)
10 = (44-4) ÷ 4
11 = 4! / √4 - 4/4
12 = 4 x 4 - √4 - √4
13 = 4! / √4 + 4/4
14 = 4 + 4 + 4 + √4
15 = 4 x 4 - 4/4
16 = 4 x 4 + 4 - 4
17 = 4 x 4 + 4/4
18 = 4 x 4 + 4 - √4
19 = 4! - 4 - 4/4
20 = 4 x 4 + √4 + √4
How many did you get?
Eric’s Broken Calculator
http://www.mathsisfun.com/games/brokencalculator.html
Pyramid Puzzle
http://www.transum.org/Software/SW/Starter_of_the_d
ay/starter_January4.ASP
Justundera Quid
http://www.transum.org/Software/SW/Starter_of_the_
day/starter_July5.ASP