Instead of moving between different parts of Magma on your own, Start Lesson brings key teaching tools together in a purposeful sequence. You can introduce the lesson, review important vocabulary, model examples, give pupils time to work on problems, and round off by discussing pupils' thinking.
The lesson moves through three steps, shown at the bottom of the screen:
1. Launch → 2. Heatmap → 3. Wrap-up
Launch is where you prepare the class. It includes a Welcome screen, Key vocabulary and Example problems. Heatmap is where pupils work on the assignment, and Wrap-up is where you bring everyone back together.
You can move through the lesson at your own pace and switch between the pupil-facing Classroom view and Teacher view whenever you need more information.
Start a Lesson
Open the assignment you want to teach.
Click Start lesson in the top-right corner.
Magma will open Classroom view and guide you through each part of the lesson.
Use the orange button at each step to move on when your class is ready.
Tip: Start Lesson is designed to guide your teaching, not control it. Spend as much or as little time as your class needs at each step. You can also go back at any time using the arrow in the bottom-left corner.
The Parts of a Lesson
1. Launch: Welcome
Start by bringing the class together and introducing what pupils will be working on.
The Welcome screen greets your class by name and shows the topic of the assignment, giving pupils a clear starting point. When you're ready, select Start: Key vocabulary.
1. Launch: Key vocabulary
Review important mathematical language linked to the assignment before pupils start working.
Magma automatically generates four vocabulary cards based on the content of your assignment. Click a card to flip it and show a pupil-friendly definition and an example. Select Show more examples to see more.
Use this part of the lesson to:
introduce unfamiliar terms
activate prior knowledge
ask pupils to explain terms in their own words or give their own examples
connect vocabulary to what pupils are about to work on
When you're ready, select Next: Example problems.
1. Launch: Example problems
Before pupils work independently, use Example problems to model and discuss the maths together.
Magma automatically generates three example problems based on the content and difficulty of the assignment. Click an example to open it, then use the pen, highlighter and other tools to work through it on the board. Select Show answer when you want to reveal the solution.
You might use this time to:
model a strategy
ask pupils what they notice
compare different approaches
anticipate common misconceptions
have pupils explain what they would do first
The aim isn't necessarily to show pupils exactly how to solve every problem. Use the examples to prepare them to think independently when they start working. When you're ready, select Next: Start solving.
2. Heatmap: Start solving
When pupils are ready to work, choose a timer (10, 20 or 30 minutes, or No timer) and select Start solving. Pupils can now start working on the assignment while you monitor their progress.
In Classroom view, the Heatmap shows the class's progress with pupils' names hidden (Pupil 1, Pupil 2 and so on), so it's safe to display on the board. The timer counts down in the bottom-right corner. Select +5 minutes if pupils need more time.
During this part of the lesson, you can respond to common error notifications as they appear and use pupils' work to decide what the class may need next.
Need a closer look?
You can switch to Teacher view at any point, using the toggle in the top-right corner, to see the full Heatmap with pupils' names and take a closer look at their work.
When you're ready, switch back to Classroom view and carry on with the lesson where you left off. When solving time is over, or you're ready to bring pupils back together, select End. Then select Next: Wrap-up.
3. Wrap-up
Bring the class back together to make sense of what happened during the assignment.
The Wrap-up screen celebrates the class's work and shows a summary, including the number of correct answers and good calculations. Instead of ending the lesson as soon as pupils finish working, Wrap-up gives you an opportunity to discuss the maths based on pupils' actual work.
Use this time to:
discuss interesting strategies
address misconceptions
compare different approaches
revisit important ideas
highlight pupils' thinking
reinforce the key takeaways from the lesson
When you're finished, select End lesson, or select Send out follow up to extend the learning.
Follow-up assignments are grouped into Challenge, Revision and Basics, based on how each pupil did. Select Send all to send each pupil the follow-up that suits them.
Classroom view vs Teacher view
Start Lesson separates what pupils need to see from what teachers need to see. Switch between them using the toggle in the top-right corner.
Classroom view
Classroom view is designed to be displayed on the board for pupils.
It keeps the screen focused on the current part of the lesson so pupils have one clear next step at a time. Pupils' names are hidden on the Heatmap.
Use Classroom view while you're:
introducing the lesson
reviewing vocabulary
modelling examples
starting independent work
leading the Wrap-up discussion
Teacher view
Teacher view gives you access to the information you need to make teaching decisions, including the full Heatmap with pupils' names.
Switch to Teacher view whenever you want to take a closer look at how pupils are getting on.
You can switch between Classroom view and Teacher view throughout the lesson without losing your place.
A Typical Lesson in Magma
Here's one way Start Lesson might look in your classroom:
Launch the lesson: Welcome pupils and introduce the focus of the lesson.
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Build understanding: Review Key vocabulary and discuss important mathematical language.
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Model together: Use Example problems to explore strategies and prepare pupils for independent work.
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Pupils work: Set a timer, let pupils start the assignment and monitor their thinking on the Heatmap.
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Discuss what happened: Bring pupils back together and use the Wrap-up to discuss strategies, misconceptions and key takeaways.
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Decide what's next: End the lesson or send out differentiated follow-up assignments based on pupils' results.
Why Use Start Lesson?
Start Lesson helps turn an assignment into a complete learning experience.
Rather than simply giving pupils problems to complete, you can use the assignment to support the entire lesson cycle:
Prepare → Model → Solve → Analyse → Discuss → Follow up
And because Start Lesson brings together tools already available in Magma, such as Key vocabulary, Example problems, Heatmap insights and follow-up assignments, you can spend less time navigating between features and more time responding to what your pupils are doing.
Good to Know
You can start a lesson from any assignment.
You decide when the class moves on to the next step.
You can choose a timer (10, 20 or 30 minutes, or no timer) before pupils start working, and add 5 minutes during solving.
You can switch between Classroom view and Teacher view throughout the lesson.
Classroom view hides pupils' names, and Teacher view shows the full Heatmap with names.
Ending solving time doesn't mean you have to end the lesson – you can carry on into the Wrap-up for discussion.
At the end of the lesson, you can select End lesson or Send out follow up to send Challenge, Revision or Basics assignments.
Start Lesson brings together existing Magma teaching features in one guided lesson flow.