Over this past year I have not been writing as many posts about the Oaka Books Topic Packs as I used too. And it is not because we have stopped using them, it is because I am using a lot of the packs that I used with my oldest with my youngest, so I have already written posts about the packs. But even using them a second time around I am still loving them. They are still one of my “go to” resources for wrapping up and revising a topic. And the games are still major winners with my kids and myself (really wish we had resources like this when I was a kid). But as luck would have it, I actually just used a topic pack with my son that I never wrote a post on so finally I have a good excuse to talk about the Topic Packs again. The Coastal Processes and Landforms KS3 Geography pack.

The Coastal Processes and Landform Topic Pack includes a Topic Booklet (your notes), Write Your Own Notes booklet (where the kids fill in information) and an Active learning game (a mini board game).

The format of the topic booklets is what first attracted us to these topic packs. The pages are split up into boxes of information – all with a diagrams and key facts. It makes it very easy to digest the information and to remember the facts.

And there are never more than 4 blocks on each page so the pages are never crowded (I hate educational resources where they try and crowd too much onto a page).

Then the Write Your own Notes booklet is basically a copy of the Notes booklet but they have left key words and phrases out so that the kids have to recall the information themselves and insert the key words and phrases into the gaps.

I have found this format is really good for kids who are not that keen on making their own notes. And the fact that they do have to recall the information and think a bit about what they just read really does help to ensure they remember the facts. If you are using these packs for the first time please do not ignore the Write Your Own Booklets, I have found this very straight forward step of filling this booklet in helps a great deal.

And finally the game – we love these games. It is always a great way to check what the kids have understood and what we may need to possibly go back over again. The games are always my kids favourite part.

So even though I have not been writing as many posts about the Oaka Books Topic Packs as I used to they are still being used in our house and they are still one of my favourite resources for KS3.

Oh and in case you missed an earlier post we have also been using some of the GCSE packs – which we also love.