5 Maths Gems #50

Hello together with welcome to my 50^th gems post. This is where I part v maths pedagogy ideas.

1. Fractions together with Percentages from Don Steward
I was incredibly happy to have a retention stick inwards the postal service at the commencement of term - it was sent to me past times Don Steward together with it contains all of his PowerPoints for Key Stage 3, iv together with 5. I'm really grateful to cause got access to such fantastic resources. Much of what he sent me is on his blog, only with his slides I've also establish a few things that I've never seen before. This Fractions to Percentages activity is brilliant. I used it equally a starter for my Year 10s this week. This is i of those wonderful 'works good with whatsoever historic menstruation group' activities.

2. Statistics

I establish a lovely website - Stats The Way I Like It - which was created by Allison Horst of the Bren School of Environmental Science together with Management.  Most of the content is alone relevant to academy degree statistics, only the clear explanations of hypothesis testing together with probability density functions mightiness hold upward useful for teachers of S2. This lovely graphic showing the departure betwixt discrete, continuous together with qualitative information (from: What Type of Data Do I Have?) may hold upward useful at Key Stage iii too:

3. Enrichment 
This calendar week I presented an enrichment lecture at schoolhouse based on ideas from Simon Singh's mass 'The Simpsons together with their Mathematical Secrets'. I adapted the slides that Simon provides for teachers - if you'd similar to borrow my presentation together with then you lot tin download it here. It covers Fermat's Last Theorem, Mersenne primes, perfect numbers, narcissistic numbers, binary numbers together with rock-paper-scissors. The slides include footage from The Simpsons, Futurama together with The Big Bang Theory.

To promote my lecture I pose upward posters inwards the Maths Department showing the puzzle pictured above. I was pleased to view students gathered around the posters trying to solve it. This puzzle industrial plant good for whatsoever historic menstruation grouping - I've seen teachers utterly confused past times it together with I've seen a 12 twelvemonth onetime solve it inwards seconds! I gave it to a grouping of Year iv students inwards a principal enrichment session this calendar week - they took a piece to piece of occupation it out only i time they solved it, they all wanted to cause got a re-create habitation for their parents to try.

4. Starter Packs
Thanks to Ed Southall (@solvemymaths) for sharing his starter packs. These tin hold upward printed equally A5 booklets hence each educatee has their ain starter pack. As good equally tasks for 'the basics', the packs include a lovely assortment of puzzles. Ed helpfully provides the answers too.

5. Leap Year Maths
It's 29th Feb on Mon - what a dandy chance for some enrichment inwards your maths lessons. I'm planning to present my Year 10s Matt Parker's (@standupmaths) excellent video Leap Years: We Can Do Better.

Source: harjotbal.com

#mathsconf6
I'm looking forwards to #mathsconf6 adjacent weekend. I'll hold upward inwards Peterborough all solar daytime on Fri - if you're staying at the Park Inn together with then you lot tin encounter me inwards the foyer at 7.30pm if you lot desire to bring together me for the pre-conference drinks.

On Sat I'll hold upward running a contest at the Tweet Up - create come upward along together with bring together in.