A Percentages Trick

Just a quick postal service today to portion a non bad tip:

You tin swap the percent in addition to the amount:  16% of £25 is hard to calculate inward your head, only 25% of £16 is just the same amount.

So if you lot desire to rapidly live on out 16% of £25 without a calculator, uncovering 25% of £16 instead (ie split £16 past times 4). Simple!

Think nigh why this works.

Source: www.aperiodical.com

5 Maths Gems #1

I’m fairly novel to Twitter. My absence over the final few years agency I’ve missed out on thousands of splendid pedagogy ideas. Twitter is a source of endless inspiration. So I lead keep a plan. I’m going to write a weekly post highlighting v corking novel ideas I’ve gleaned from Twitter. These posts volition assistance me recall things. And hopefully my readers volition do goodness too.

Today I’ve exceeded my limit too am presenting a listing of 6 ideas from my calendar week on Twitter (not a practiced start! I’ll aim for 5 side yesteryear side week).

1. Practical ideas from Maryse. It sounds similar Maryse (@AllThingsMaths) has done an amazing project transforming mathematics pedagogy inwards her schoolhouse too enthusing her students amongst tonnes of creative ideas. Here’s a alternative of those she’s shared this week:

• Play select handgrip of amongst eggs too run out the relative frequency of smashing.
• Get an one-time tyre, pigment it too gyre it to demonstrate circumference. 
• Have a release employment painted inwards the playground.
• Have discussions almost going dorsum inwards fourth dimension too Doctor Who amongst move graphs. 

I dear these ideas. Follow @AllThingsMaths for lots more.

Mistake Game, Colin Beveridge (My Favorite Liar’. You must read this! It prompted a give-and-take on Twitter almost whether the thought would run inwards maths. I think it would. In your outset lesson amongst a novel class, nation them that you'll nation i prevarication per lesson. Your pupils lead keep to position your lies. In the give-and-take on Twitter nosotros came upward amongst a practiced listing of lies too misconceptions, such equally 'multiplication makes numbers bigger', 'if a release has 6 zeros too so it's inwards the millions' too 'one is a prime number'. The thought is that you lot skid these lies into your pedagogy too promise that your pupils volition straightaway challenge you. And if no-one challenges you lot too so it volition brand a squeamish plenary discussion. Mr Allan (@mrallanmaths) is going to endeavour it out - I’m actually looking forwards to hearing how effective it is. I think, similar the error game, it volition hold out incredibly engaging.

3. Box plots party. In reply to my post almost teaching box plots, Pete Sides of the South Yorkshire Maths Hub (@SYMathsHub) suggested a lovely activeness inwards which pupils utter over the ages of guests at dissimilar types of party, to assistance them sympathize the concept of spread. For event you lot could inquire them to depict a box plot representing the ages of guests at an 18th birthday party, a wedding, a child’s political party etc. I similar this thought so I turned it into a worksheet too added it to my spider web log post.

Trigonometry triangles are similar. I’ve never given much thought to the fact that my students are missing an chance to practise rearranging formulae. I sympathize the argue for mixed views on these methods, but I do rather similar the triangle shared yesteryear Malc Henderson (@malc_henderson) for solving contrary per centum problems. It’s squeamish to lead keep a arrive at of tools to back upward students when they’re preparing for their GCSEs.

6. Display ideas. Clarissa Grandi (@c0mplexnumber) posted a moving painting of her novel ‘vwllss’ corridor display (inspiration from @El_Timbre). It looks fantastic - what a practiced idea!

Other practiced display ideas I’ve seen latterly include circle formulae yesteryear Dawn (@mrsdenyer), a foursquare beginning clock yesteryear Duncan Smart (@duncsmart), too an interactive release puzzle for a maths corridor or classroom, shared yesteryear Mr C Ward (@MrWardMaths).

There you lot go, half dozen maths gems from @mathsjem (my initials are JEM yesteryear the way, it’s non a spelling mistake!). This is only a pocket-size alternative of the practiced ideas I’ve seen on Twitter this week. More to come upward side yesteryear side week!

I’m working on a few posts at the moment, including i on introducing algebra too i on introducing differentiation – if you lot lead keep whatever corking ideas too so delight e-mail resourceaholic@gmail.com or tweet me.

Image sources: lightbulb tampawebdesigner.net; birds techwyse.com

5 Maths Gems #25

Gems 18 I featured v ideas from the starting fourth dimension 100 issues of Chris Smith's newsletters. I promised I'd live on dorsum with to a greater extent than newsletter gems, hence today's post features unopen to highlights from issues 101 - 250.

Chris's newsletters are really pop with maths teachers - he directly has over 1,000 subscribers. Each week's newsletter is total of educational activity ideas, puzzles, jokes together with mathematical trivia - it's e'er a pleasance to read. If y'all don't already subscribe, email Chris to larn on the list.

1. Number Stories
In Issue 123, Chris featured an sentiment for developing mathematical vocabulary. Students do their ain number stories - this tin live on every bit elementary or complex every bit y'all like. Chris included the basic event below for inspiration.

 2. Fractions together with Percentages
Another elementary simply effective activity was featured inward Issue 113. Students dyad off the numbers below (which y'all could impress onto cards) to shape fractions equivalent to the percentages inward the table. One respond is already given.

3. Remembering Bearings

There's 3 cardinal points that students ask to recollect well-nigh bearings. And remembering them is every bit slow every bit 123...

This sentiment originated from @kimmychuck together with featured inward Newsletter 245.

4. Guess Who

In my post well-nigh Desmos Polygraph I described it every bit a digital (and mathematical) version of Guess Who. Back inward Issue 210, Chris wrote well-nigh a similar sentiment (originating from Jennifer Clark) which uses actual Guess Who boards - these are available for £3.50 on eBay. The pic below shows a guessing game for famous mathematicians. Jennifer too suggests putting the numbers i - 24 inward the holders. For event I mightiness select the number 12 together with my partner would accept to inquire me questions (eg is it prime?, is it a multiple of 4? is it square? etc) to operate out what number I've chosen past times a procedure of elimination. This is a prissy agency to prepare vocabulary together with noesis of number properties. It could live on used for other topics eg polygons, linear graphs together with parabolas. I'm non certain it would live on practical to laid this upward for a whole class, simply it would live on a prissy activity for non bad parents to do at habitation with their children if they accept an quondam Guess Who game.

5. Factor Visualisation

These animated factorisation diagrams are lovely. They're worth showing to your students when y'all learn prime number factorisation. The animation moves speedily simply tin live on paused together with reversed. It shows numbers arranged inward accordance with their prime number factors. For example, nine is shown every bit 3 groups of three, 10 is v groups of 2 together with xi is prime, hence at that topographic point is no grouping.

Visualisations of 9, 10 together with 11

The animation is mesmorising.  Background information is available Off on a Tangent - a post well-nigh opportunities to live on spontaneous inward maths lessons together with whether schemes of operate allow us to explore off-topic interesting mathematics.

Stretching Practice - a post well-nigh where to honor challenging exercise questions together with resources.

It's exclusively 3 weeks until La Salle Education's National Mathematics Teacher Conference in Birmingham - I'm actually looking forrad to it (don't forget to larn a gratis ticket if y'all haven't already!). This calendar week I've been busy writing my session, which is all well-nigh choice methods for explaining mathematical concepts. See y'all then!

Joke from Issue 169

5 Maths Gems #33

Hello as well as welcome to my 33^rd gems post. This is where I portion 5 education ideas I've seen on Twitter.

Well it's been fun education inwards this week's heatwave hasn't it?! I long for an air-conditioned classroom. Still, all this lovely sunshine serves every bit a prissy reminder that the summertime holidays are simply some the corner.

1. Pythagoras Pile Up
We've all seen the fantastic #mathsconf4 I was fortunate to listen a fantastic persuasion for education Fractions, Decimals as well as Percentages from Number Resources page.

This calendar week @solvemymaths shared a actually prissy persuasion for education estimator skills which comes from @Ms_Kmp's website mathssandpit.co.uk. Have a expect at her post 'Calculators: The New Hope' to download the resource. And cheers to @solvemymaths for his novel '7 Days of Maths' series, which is good worth following.

4. Maths Videos
Thanks to @mhorley for sharing a link to the BBC's Kick Sum Maths videos - I've non seen these before. They powerfulness come upwardly inwards handy to back upwardly the education of a break of Key Stage 2/3 topics.

5. Self-Descriptive Numbers
Thanks to @LearningMaths for sharing this lovely activity 'Self-descriptive numbers'.

If yous expect through the set of resources from which this activity comes as well as thus you'll encounter that there's enough of other bully materials inwards at that topographic point too.

If yous similar these resources as well as thus you'll beloved cleavebooks.co.uk/trol which is total of splendid activities. For illustration I've long been a fan of the Vocabulary Exercises which would function good inwards an information technology Room or amongst iPads.

Recommended Reading
Here's some links to banking concern jibe out:

• Bruno Reddy (MEI Conference, Pret homework, #mathsconf4 and Favourite Problems. My final gems post - Gems 32 - was 1 of my most pop posts ever.

Finally, I desire to portion a Don Steward activity that I institute peculiarly effective this week. I was running an Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score induction session as well as decided to role the query below every bit a starter to brand a indicate well-nigh algebra skills. The algebra hither should live on straightforward for students who well-nigh to embark on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, but some students struggled to position the answer. I made the indicate that if yous desire to produce Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score Maths as well as thus this form of algebra should come upwardly really naturally. Strong algebra skills - ie the powerfulness to produce this activity effortlessly - should live on embedded yesteryear GCSE as well as are essential to every Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score mathematician.

5 Maths Gems #40

Hello too welcome to my 40^th gems post. This is where I percentage 5 maths education ideas I've seen on Twitter.

I've been education long plenty to know how busy September is, precisely in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than the overwhelming workload has come upwardly equally a shock! New classes, novel tutor group, novel systems, novel policies... I'm certain it volition all calm downwards shortly (well, possibly adjacent July!). However, hence far hence expert - my novel schoolhouse is awesome too I'm enjoying getting stuck into education again.

1. Play With Your Math
Thanks to Craig Jeavons (@Craigos87) for sharing a website I'd non seen earlier -playwithyourmath.com. Maths problems are posted every fortnight - they tin move downloaded equally posters too worksheets. Here's a brace of examples:

2. Estimating Percentages
In #mathsTLP on Sunday @jeff2869 shared a overnice estimation tool - Estimate the Percentage. It's a straightforward activity for the Interactive Whiteboard that volition move useful for assessing agreement of percentages.

3. Ordering Numbers
I similar activities involving ordering numbers, too I especially similar the selection of numbers inwards these 2 activities from Chris Stapel (@StapelMathClass).

4. Number Starters
Back inwards Gems 34 I mentioned www.mathematicshed.com. These are corking warm-up tasks for practising arithmetic.

5. Marking Stickers
I've seen some lovely examples of marker stickers this week. Anthony Biggs (@MathsDirectory) made these for presentation too examination tips:

Miss Bowkett (@MissBowkett) shared her yellowish marker stickers which include feedback on presentation, 'what went well' too adjacent steps.

Update
I've enjoyed coming together all my novel classes over the terminal 2 weeks. I've already used loads of wonderful Don Steward activities - this makes me happy!

3.142 variations

This calendar week I used Find the Factors puzzles for the root time. I used a Level iv puzzle inwards my root lesson alongside Year 10 too a Level 1 puzzle inwards my root lesson alongside Year 7. These puzzles are corking for practising times tables too using logic. Students inwards both classes said they wanted to endeavour to a greater extent than challenging Find the Factors puzzles hence I'll definitely piece of job these again.

Another success this calendar week was my root Memory King tournament - I had a Year eleven pupil recite the root x prime numbers inwards 2.45 seconds!

I've got 3 novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grade classes too am finding that they're all real placidity too hardworking. When they're doing a do exercise yous could withdraw heed a pivot drop. They never inquire for assist or piece of job together. At my previous school, 6th shape students were much chattier during lessons - although they were less focused, they did inquire each other for assist a lot, hence it was a mixed blessing. Hannah (‏@LorHRL) made a helpful proposition on Twitter this calendar week - she said that playing music during lessons helps because too hence students don't lead maintain to suspension the quiet to speak. I took her advice too played placidity classical music during 2 Year thirteen lessons - it worked well. The atmosphere inwards the room was calm too relaxed - students continued to focus precisely were to a greater extent than willing to inquire for assist from me or their peers.

Recent Posts
Last calendar week I wrote a post service nearly High Expectations. I discussed the importance of pitching lessons right precisely non dumbing downwards the content. Do lead maintain a expression if yous missed it.

My school's annual Open Evening is adjacent week. If yous lead maintain 1 coming upwardly too, yous mightiness notice my post service about Open Evening helpful - it has lots of ideas for the Maths Department.

I was going to write a post service nearly literacy precisely I've been equally good busy to plough over it my total attending this week. I decided to summarise 5 golden rules instead - reckon below. I reckon many resources that comprise spelling mistakes, grammatical errors (particularly missing interrogation marks too errant apostrophes) or wrong terminology. Please don't piece of job them! It's non fair on your students.

Coming Soon
I'm hosting #mathscpdchat at 7pm on Tuesday 15th September. The theme is 'What expectations are yous communicating to your Year 10 students equally they start on the revised GCSE course?'. I promise yous tin bring together in.

I also promise you're planning to come upwardly to #mathsconf5 in Sheffield on 26th September (it's non equally good belatedly to register). Do come upwardly too say hello. I'll move around for pre-conference drinks on the Fri nighttime too. I'm rather upset (actually, brand that devastated!) that I'm missing the 1 workshop that I desperately wanted to larn to - unfortunately it clashes alongside my workshop. I would real very much appreciate it if mortal who attends Kris Bolton's session 'The Stories of Maths' writes a detailed post service nearly literally everything he says. Or - fifty-fifty ameliorate - could yous cinema his workshop on your tablet? I'd move hugely grateful.

I'll move out yous alongside these give-and-take points from my school's root maths faculty coming together of the twelvemonth (sorry, I don't know the master copy source). What activeness would yous lead maintain inwards each case? Answers on a postcard please!

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.

5 Maths Gems #79

Welcome to my 79^th gems post. This is where I portion some of the latest news, ideas together with resources for maths teachers.

1. Percentages
Miss Konstantine (blog post about how she teaches percentages of amounts. In it she shared a lovely activeness where the master copy sum isn't given only a dissimilar percent is.

Don Steward liked this thought hence much that he made a really similar activity, which is at i time linked inward my resource library.

2. TES Freebies

I've never bought a resources from TES earlier only final calendar week I establish i that is going to salve me a huge sum of fourth dimension together with printing budget... For my blog post about how she teaches percentages of amounts. In it she shared a lovely activeness where the master copy sum isn't given only a dissimilar percent is.

Don Steward liked this thought hence much that he made a really similar Papers Society I accept to impress a lot of GCSE papers, which is actually expensive given that GCSE papers are unremarkably around twenty - xxx pages long. Thankfully I establish that a teacher (tpayne89) has pose a lot of endeavour into cutting a alternative of GCSE papers downward to brusk A5 booklets - the resources is here. 

I know that some of you lot are hence annoyed that TES at i time sells resources that you'd never contemplate buying one, only the balance of you lot powerfulness produce goodness from the fact that TES are offering a £5 voucher for get-go timer buyers to purchase a resources during Nov (use the code NOVEMBERNEWBIE).

3. Prime on a Lime
Inspired past times 'Elf on a Shelf', Chris Smith (@aap03102) shared this movie on Twitter...

We had fun guessing the rhyming phrase for this movie together with others shared past times Chris... together with and hence other people joined inward together with made their own. Julia Smith (@tessmaths) collected them together inward a padlet - come across if you lot tin gauge them all!

4. Key Stage iii Support
Thanks to Lisa Pollard (@booleanmathshub) for sharing the NCETM's recent publication 'Teaching for Mastery: Questions, tasks together with activities to back upwardly assessment inward Key Stage 3'. It contains lots of useful inquiry prompts that schools could contain into their Key Stage iii Schemes of Work - hither are 2 examples:

5. Mental Arithmetic
This is something that maths teachers volition enjoy! Thanks to Paul Godding (@7puzzle) for sharing arithmetic.zetamac.com. This game is highly addictive! It's fun trying to shell your personal best.

Update
In instance you lot missed them, my recent posts were 'blog post about how she teaches percentages of amounts. In it she shared a lovely activeness where the master copy sum isn't given only a dissimilar percent is.

Don Steward liked this thought hence much that he made a really similar Success Stories: Core Maths' (thank you lot to everyone who commented on this!) together with 'blog post about how she teaches percentages of amounts. In it she shared a lovely activeness where the master copy sum isn't given only a dissimilar percent is.

Don Steward liked this thought hence much that he made a really similar The Wonderful World of Maths Resources'.

If you're an H5N1 score teacher, produce accept a read of the post 'blog post about how she teaches percentages of amounts. In it she shared a lovely activeness where the master copy sum isn't given only a dissimilar percent is.

Don Steward liked this thought hence much that he made a really similar Strength inward Numbers'.

The MA is currently inward talks alongside the other maths bailiwick associations nearly amalgamation. I mean value that the creation of a unmarried maths bailiwick association would hold out a really of import stride frontward for our profession. I encourage you lot to add together your catch here, whether you're a fellow member of the MA or not. Thank you lot to everyone who has already done so.

If you're looking to alter schoolhouse this twelvemonth (or for adjacent September) together with you lot alive inward Surrey or South London together with hence delight produce driblet me an email - my lovely schoolhouse has vacancies. We accept opportunities for trainees, NQTs together with experienced teachers. We're happy to consider requests to move business office time.

I'm off to my get-go e'er MathsJam Annual Gathering adjacent weekend! Exciting stuff. I'm looking frontward to seeing lots of you lot there.

I'll exit you lot alongside this lovely puzzle, shared past times Chris Smith (@aap03102) in his most recent newsletter. If you've non signed up, email Chris to subscribe.