Number and algebra

Maths

Secondary

Students learn about 3D maths, outside of the classroom

A boys' school in south London improves their students' 3D awareness by visiting local buildings, making paper shapes, using student mentors, and looking at the algebra of origami. Woolwich Polytechnic school in London goes on a trip to the Gherkin and Greater London Authority City Hall in central London, both buildings with unique structures. Back at the school, fired up after their excursion, the students create their own structures and in the process find out a lot more about algebra and geometry.

3D Awareness

Games and challenges to engage pupils in algebra

Maths teacher Jonny Heeley inspires a group of Year 10 students from several London schools with an active lesson about algebra. Filmed in a TV studio, this programme observes Heeley as he uses a variety of games and challenges to excite and entertain pupils. In the process, he also provides maths teachers with a number of concrete and accessible ways to teach algebra.

Algebra

Continuous data averages are looked at with KS3 maths students

A group of Key Stage 3 students are given a masterclass in continuous data averages lead by award-winning maths teacher Jonny Heeley. Jonny explores practical ways of looking at continuous data averages using the very practical example of what size gloves a glove company should make. To gets to grips with continuous data such as hand sizes rather than discreet data such as the number of sweets in a jar, Jonny and a group of twenty students demonstrate the usefulness of class intervals and cumulative frequency graphs. The objective is to enthuse teachers and teach students using situations that are easy and practical to set up in a school classroom. Jonny's talent lies in empowering the students and encouraging them to express their thoughts and ideas out loud as together they work towards and understanding of the maths.

Averaging Continuous Data

Eleven mathematic sequences filmed around Gaudi's church in Spain

These 11 short sequences, shot in and around Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, each display a different aspect of mathematics for pupils to explore, investigate and discuss. Each sequence poses a question intended to stimulate mathematical discussion rather than to elicit a correct answer to a computation. The programme is intended to be used in sections, stopping and replaying the video to analyse the information. It can be shown to pupils on a whiteboard where the pictures can be annotated, or worked on by pupils individually, or in groups on PCs or laptops. The mathematical content rewards repeated viewing and provides a rich source of mathematical imagery.

Barcelona's Big Church

Ten maths sequences filmed during a cricket match

Cricket is a game based on numbers and maths, offering questions about how fast a ball travels, how high, what the score is, and why cricket pitches are often oval. These ten short sequences, shot during a Saturday cricket match, each display a different aspect of mathematics for pupils to explore, investigate and discuss. Each sequence poses a question intended to stimulate mathematical discussion rather than to elicit a correct answer to a computation. The programme can be shown to pupils on a whiteboard where the pictures can be annotated, or worked on by pupils individually, or in groups on PCs or laptops.

Cricket Match

Distance/time graphs are explained by measuring sporting fitness

Distance/time graphs are shown through the example of measuring sporting fitness, in a video feed used with KS4 maths students. Fran sends Dave off the gym to do some exercise and to send through data to plot distance/time graphs. Dave races two students in a 200 metre sprint, a 1,000 metre run and a stint on the rowing machines. Fran plots graphs for each activity and can see Dave's slow progress compared to that of the students. Back in the studio, the gradients of the graphs reveal that although the student rower was consistently faster, Dave was faster for the first minute.

Distance/Time Graphs

Games and number puzzles are used in maths lessons

The staff at Comberton Village College in Cambridgeshire motivate students by using games and number puzzles in their lessons. Teaching a range of abilities, the school's use of games enables students to interact with one another and the subject more. Two Year 8 groups create quadrilaterals by joining points on a circle. The higher set see come up with a rule involving the number of points available. While the lower set class make quadrilaterals with a piece of rope before using the same activity to consolidate the names and properties of shapes they make. Meanwhile, Year 7s try a number puzzle which encourages accurate calculations and supports a whole class investigation and Year 9s, use a number game to think about generalisations and proof.

Enrichment Tasks

Inspiring ways to teach linear and quadratic equations to KS3

The challenge of solving linear and quadratic equations is taken on by maths teacher Jonny Heeley and a group of Key Stage 3 students. This video goes from looking at linear equations with basic variables terms to work out the price of a bar of chocolate, to quadratic equations and working out the dimension of a flowerbed once you know the area. The objective is to enthuse teachers and students by using situations that are easy and practical to set up in a school classroom. Jonny Heeley's talent lies in empowering the students and encouraging them to express their thoughts and ideas out loud as together they work towards and understanding of the maths.

Equations

A fun Year 7 Fibonacci numbers maths lesson, involving group work

This planning resource for lessons explaining and investigating Fibonacci numbers for Key Stage 3 mathematics students in Year 7, shows how to make the maths lesson fun and engaging. Maths teacher Asnat Doza, at Comberton Village College, explains how her Year 7 class works through a series of envelopes, each containing a prepared activity about Fibonacci numbers and sequences. Each group moves from one activity to the next at their own pace and the pupils do most of the work, while Asnat works the room to check progress and understanding. She finds her pupils enjoy working together to solve the problems set, which gives her time to observe the learning that is taking place and to witness the mathematical curiosity that this lesson encourages.

Fibonacci Numbers

Divide a cake into 12 equal fractions, as a KS3 lesson starter

A numbers and algebra class can learn how to divide a cake into 12 equal pieces using only four cuts, with this short lesson-starting classroom resource for Key Stage 3 maths. This light-hearted video shows fractions in a practical setting for secondary pupils. The most obvious way of dividing the cake would only create eight pieces but, by using a little cunning, presenter Isaac Anoom shows how to make one cake stretch further.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Secondary Maths

> Number and algebra