Notes from the emu teacher
Teaching tips, classroom ideas, and lesson planning advice, straight from the classroom.
Whether you're looking for fresh ideas for your literacy and numeracy lessons, practical planning strategies, or just a little Monday morning inspiration, you're in the right place.
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Need to improve sentence structure and support students to write complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions? These Complex Sentence Picture Prompt Cards provide a scaffolded, engaging way to teach grammar and sentence construction while helping students write independently and with confidence.
Using visual prompts, built-in self-reflection checklists and clear conjunction support, students apply grammar knowledge at the point of writing.
HOW YOU CAN USE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ Daily sentence writing practice
πΏ Writing warm-ups and grammar lessons
πΏ Morning work or fast finisher tasks
πΏ Homework and skill consolidation
πΏ Literacy rotations or independent work
πΏ Whole-class modelling
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
π ¦ 40x Picture Prompt Cards
Cards include a subordinating conjunctions list - choose from the acronyms AAAWWUBBIS, ISAWAWABUB or AWHITEBUS
π ¦ 2x Levels Of Differentiation
Cards without and with sentence starter
π ¦ 2x Digital Versions
MS Powerpoint
Google Slides
π ¦ Editable Version
MS Powerpoint template
Canva template
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ No prep required β simply print or assign digitally
πΏ Supports explicit grammar instruction through authentic writing tasks
πΏ Encourages independent writing with built-in self-reflection
πΏ Differentiation supports struggling writers without limiting confident ones
πΏ Flexible for print, digital, whole-class, small group or independent use
πΏ Aligned to Australian Curriculum v9 outcomes - AC9E4LA06 and AC9E4LY06
πΏ Easily adaptable to other curricula, making it suitable for classrooms worldwide
Looking for a purposeful way to help students tackle multiplication and division with confidence and understanding?
This resource is designed to explicitly teach students how to use bar models to represent and solve multiplication and division problems, supporting them to visualise quantities, relationships and unknowns through meaningful word problems.
Rather than relying on guesswork or disconnected procedures, students use bar models to represent partβpartβwhole and comparison relationships, helping them reason logically and choose efficient solution strategies. Each problem promotes flexible thinking, strong number sense and a deeper conceptual understanding of multiplication and division.
HOW YOU CAN USE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ Explicitly teach and reinforce multiplication and division using bar models
πΏ Support students to visualise number relationships in word problems
πΏ Small group or guided maths instruction
πΏ Whole class rotations or maths stations
πΏ Relief-teacher-friendly lessons with minimal prep
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
π ¦ 40x Word Problem Task Cards
π ¦ 4x Levels of Number Complexity Differentiation
10x multiplication problems using 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x tables
10x division problems using 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x tables
10x multiplication problems using 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 11x and 12x tables
10x division problems using 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 11x and 12x tables
π ¦ 2x Levels of Strategy Support Differentiation
Empty strategy model cards
Partially filled strategy model cards
π ¦ PDF Version
2x Colour options - minimal colour and black & white
Empty strategy model worksheet
2x recording sheets
Answers
π ¦ 2x Digital Versions
MS Powerpoint
Google Slides
π ¦ 2x Self-checking options - no teacher marking!
Provide access to the Google Form for checking answers
Print the self-checking cards double sided
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ Explicit strategy support β builds confidence and number sense
πΏ Word problems that encourage thinking & reasoning
πΏ Minimal prep β just print and go or assign digitally
πΏ Works for whole class, small groups or interventions
πΏ Helps students see multiplication and division as strategic thinking
Looking for a low-prep, engaging way to improve story writing and help students write a creative text by sparking story ideas?
This generating ideas for writing bundle offers a low-prep, highly structured approach to imaginative writing. Visual prompts and the brainstorming strategies support students to generate an idea for creative writing while reducing cognitive load and supporting independence.
HOW YOU CAN USE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ Daily narrative and creative writing practice
πΏ Use as a stimulus for NAPLAN writing practice
πΏ Writing warm-ups, fast finishers or literacy rotations
πΏ Homework or consolidation tasks
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
π ¦ 120x Picture Prompt Cards
40x Notice and wonder prompt cards
40x Connections prompt cards
40x SWBST prompt cards
π ¦ Levels Of Differentiation
3x levels in the notice and wonder pack
2x levels in the SWBST pack
π ¦ 2x Digital Versions
MS Powerpoint
Google Slides
π ¦ 2x Editable Versions
MS Powerpoint template
Canva template
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RESOURCE:
πΏ Low-prep and ready to use for story and imaginative writing practice
πΏ Aligned to the Australian Curriculum version 9 β AC9E3LY06, AC9E4LY06, AC9E5LY06, AC9E6LY06
πΏ Differentiated and flexible, making it easy to adapt for different year levels and curriculum contexts
πΏ Multiple use options β print and go, customise templates or use digitally
πΏ Ideal for daily story, narrative and creative writing practice, NAPLAN writing practice, morning work, fast finishers, homework and consolidation
πΏ Supports students in generating ideas for story writing using different strategies