Live polling tool. Used in IA lessons to capture class-wide positions in real time and re-poll after debate to measure shift.
Live polling on visual choices with debate
The teacher posts three versions of the same composition (different focal point placement, different colour balance, different cropping). Students vote on Mentimeter for the strongest version, defend in pairs, debate, re-vote.
Tools: Mentimeter
Live algorithm efficiency vote with debate
The teacher presents three different algorithms that solve the same problem (e.g. find the largest number in a list). Each student votes on Mentimeter for the most efficient. The class sees the live spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence. The teacher calls pairs from each side to argue. The class re-votes at the end.
Tools: Mentimeter
Algorithm complexity debate (A-Level)
The teacher posts three different algorithms that solve the same problem (e.g. find a value in a list: linear scan, binary search on sorted, hash lookup). Each student votes on Mentimeter for the most efficient at scale, defends in pairs, debates, re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
Live poll on character motivation with debate
The teacher posts a key dramatic moment from a class play. Students vote on Mentimeter for the strongest interpretation of the character's motivation among three options. The class sees the spread, defends in pairs, debates, re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
Live polling on a poem with class debate
The class reads a poem together (e.g. Carol Ann Duffy's Education for Leisure or Jackie Kay's Old Tongue). After the read, the teacher posts a Mentimeter poll with three competing readings of the central theme. Each student commits to one. The class sees the live spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence of their choice. The teacher calls three pairs from each side to argue; the class re-polls at the end to see who shifted.
Tools: Mentimeter, Google Docs
Coastal management decision vote
The teacher presents a real-world coastal management dilemma (e.g. should the village of Happisburgh be defended or abandoned?). Each student votes on Mentimeter for one of three options. The class sees the live spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence on a class Padlet. The teacher calls pairs from each side to argue. The class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter, Padlet
Source-reliability vote with debate
The teacher posts a single primary source (e.g. a propaganda poster, a witness account, a speech extract). Students vote on Mentimeter for how reliable they think it is on a five-point scale. The class sees the spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence. The teacher calls one pair from each end of the spread to argue. The class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
Source-reliability vote with debate (A-Level)
The teacher posts a single primary source from the A-Level period. Students vote on Mentimeter for how reliable they find it on a five-point scale, plus a free-text reason. The class sees the spread, defends in pairs, debates, and re-votes after.
Tools: Mentimeter
Hypothesis test interpretation lab
The teacher posts a real-world hypothesis test scenario (e.g. is a coin biased?, is the mean grade in this cohort different from the national average?). Students vote on Mentimeter for the strongest interpretation of the test result among three options. The class sees the spread, then in pairs writes a defence on a shared Sheet. The teacher calls pairs to argue and the class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter, Google Sheets
Live polling on melodic choice with debate
The teacher plays three different melodic versions of the same opening (e.g. three different ways to harmonise a folk-song chorus). Students vote on Mentimeter for which they prefer, defend in pairs, debate, re-vote.
Tools: Mentimeter
Live polling on bullying scenarios with debate
The teacher poses a bullying scenario where a friend witnesses unkind behaviour. Students vote on Mentimeter for the most likely friend response among three options. The class sees the spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence of what the right response would be. The teacher facilitates discussion. The class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
Live ethics polling with class debate
The teacher posts a contested ethical scenario (e.g. is it ever right to break a promise?, should we forgive someone who has not apologised?). Students vote on Mentimeter for one of three positions. The class sees the live spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence. The teacher calls one pair from each side to argue, including one religious-perspective position. The class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
Forces investigation prediction wall
Before the teacher demonstrates a forces experiment (e.g. pulling a heavy box with rollers vs without), each pair posts a prediction on a class Padlet about what will happen and why. The class votes on Mentimeter. The teacher then runs the demo and the class compares predictions to outcome, posting one-line reflections on a shared sheet.
Tools: Padlet, Mentimeter
Mock-exam multi-choice debate on a wall
The teacher posts five GCSE-style multi-choice questions where the wrong answers are designed to be plausible. Each student votes on Mentimeter. The class sees the spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence of their answer. The teacher calls one pair from each side. The class re-votes. The teacher reveals the official answer and explains why each distractor sounds reasonable.
Tools: Mentimeter
Spec-point question debate
The teacher posts an A-Level question with a deliberately ambiguous wording. Each student votes on Mentimeter for one of three valid interpretations. The class sees the spread, then in pairs writes a 30-second defence. The teacher calls one pair from each interpretation to argue. The class re-votes.
Tools: Mentimeter
This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and key stage. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.