5 Maths Gems #22

Hello as well as welcome to my 22^nd gems postal service - this is where I percentage v didactics ideas I've seen on Twitter.

I've discovered at schoolhouse this calendar week that alter is hard. It's tardily to nation 'I'm non going to learn it similar that anymore' or 'I cause got a fantastic novel thought for didactics this topic' but when it comes to genuinely delivering lessons it's tardily to stick with tried as well as tested methods as well as resources. We desire our students to accept risks but how oft do nosotros accept risks equally teachers? This has been on my heed a lot this calendar week - I'll write a postal service nearly this soon.

1. 2015

Every twelvemonth Chris Smith features the Math Forum Year Game inward his newsletter. The idea is to role the digits inward the twelvemonth 2015 as well as the operations +, -, x, ÷, ^ (raised to a power), sqrt (square root), as well as ! (factorial), to write expressions for the integers 1 to 100. Answers tin endure submitted through the Math Forum website, or perchance you lot could brand a classroom/corridor display similar these examples:

2015 Challenge classroom display by @Jeremy_Denton

Challenge 2015 display by @c0mplexnumber

post nearly the 2014 challenge is too worth a read if you're going to drive this.

2. The Constant Character
Teaching indefinite integration? I loved this tweet from @inFinnityPi.

This lovely thought originated from @edenspresence who shared the student-decorated constant characters below. When students forget the 'plus C' they cause got to decorate a graphic symbol - a proficient agency to learn far stick!

3. 'I helped'
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 squeamish thought from @GiftedBA - 'I helped' stickers to encourage students to offering each other meaningful aid as well as to recognise those who do so. Download a sticker template here.

4. What's the question?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 genuinely squeamish thought from Marcus Fleet is to write an reply on the board as well as enquire students for possible questions.

It's squeamish that the shape cause got chosen a winning question!

I'm quite surprised to encounter the variety of algebra students are doing inward Year half dozen - it's to a greater extent than advanced than I realised.

In the conversation that followed this tweet, Miss_Ren said that she likes to write a issue on the board as well as enquire what the enquiry could cause got been. It links to all areas of maths as well as requires no printed resources. Paul Godding shared simply about similar ideas - such equally writing 5, ix as well as 10 on the board as well as bespeak for the strange i out (students cause got to come upward up with 2 reasons for each answer). There's charge to a greater extent than fantastic problems similar this on Paul's website 7puzzleblog.com.

5. What the examiner sees
If you're didactics a Year eleven shape I remember it's good worth showing them this motion painting from @TheMathsMagpie to ensure they are aware that they shouldn't run exterior the allocated spaces inward their exams.

This post gives to a greater extent than data nearly the motion painting above. Use it amongst this really helpful laid upward of slides GCSE Maths - Easy Ways to Make Sure You Don't Lose Marks, too from @TheMathsMagpie.

WWW/EBI

I'm resisting the urge to write a weekly postal service reflecting on what went good (and what didn't learn well) at school. Instead I'll simply characteristic i personal reflection inward each of my gems posts.

I'm didactics angles to Year vii at the moment. I gave them a homework inward which they were required to hand reasons for their answers. Some students gave bright reasons as well as I was pleased to encounter the right role of mathematical damage I'd taught them such equally 'supplementary'. But many students simply wrote out their calculations inward words instead of stating the angle facts they'd used.

In their defence, nosotros hadn't practised 'giving reasons' inward class, as well as so I decided to address this yesteryear setting simply about angle problems as well as bespeak for total reasons with each answer. Conveniently Don Steward has simply published a laid upward of angle problems that were the right score of challenge.

It seemed similar a proficient thought but I wouldn't nation the lesson went well. What happened was that my students were writing such detailed reasons inward total sentences that it became genuinely time-consuming (for event solving enquiry 8 to a higher identify involves using 3 unlike angle facts, thus 3 sentences). They were doing as well as so much writing that they weren't doing plenty maths for my liking. Plus you lot could listen a pivot driblet inward my classroom, as well as that makes me uncomfortable. In the halt I told them to halt writing total sentences as well as write one-word bullet points instead (eg isoscoles/triangle/straight line/complementary etc). They were genuinely relieved! I'd dear to listen my readers' thoughts on this - should I cause got persevered with the tedious but of import sentence-writing practice? I'm non sure. Please tweet me your opinion!