Cops and Robbers - Knowledge recall on the Indus Valley - Indus Valley - Year 4

In an interactive classroom activity designed for Year 4 pupils studying the Indus Valley, 'Cops and Robbers' is a collaborative game that encourages knowledge recall and sharing. The game is structured to accommodate groups of four pupils. Each pupil starts by spending two minutes jotting down everything they can remember about the Indus Valley on the left side of a chart, focusing on the people who lived there and what is known about them. This part of the activity is done individually, allowing pupils to reflect on their own understanding and memory of the topic.

Following this, the game introduces an element of teamwork and knowledge exchange. Each pupil is given 60 seconds to review the work of the other three members of their group. During this time, they are on the lookout for any information that they did not recall themselves. This is where the 'robbery' comes into play – pupils 'steal' new knowledge by noting down any additional information they have learned from their peers in the 'stolen knowledge' section of the chart. For each piece of information recorded, pupils are awarded two points. The whole activity is designed to be a fast-paced and engaging way to reinforce learning about the Indus Valley civilisation, and it should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.