5 Maths Gems #18

Most of my readers in all probability already subscribe to Chris Smith's lovely maths newsletter. Full of instruction ideas, puzzles, jokes together with mathematical trivia, it's a joy to have every week. Chris has been producing the newsletter since 2007 when he was a wee NQT. Amongst other things, the newsletter is a fantastic machinery for sharing expert practice.

Chris instantly has over 900 newsletter subscribers. This calendar week he published his 303^rd issue. I've exclusively been subscribing for a twosome of months but Chris was variety plenty to part his entire dorsum catalogue alongside me, which I've actually enjoyed reading. The ideas inwards my weekly gems posts are usually sourced from Twitter, but today I characteristic my v favourite ideas from the kickoff 100 issues of Chris's newsletters. Huge cheers to Chris for allowing me to create this!

1. Factorising
Here's a lovely thought for introducing factorising.

2. Connecting numbers
This is a actually squeamish starter action to prepare ideas relating to number properties.

3. Learning yesteryear Rope
This is neat for exploring polygons.

4. Finding a Route
Another squeamish starter activity.

5. Revision notes

In Issue 27, Chris featured an thought from TES which is designed to encourage students to revise for tests.

“I gave each pupil an A4 sail of newspaper alongside their lift together with my signature on it together with told them they had a essay out coming upwards together with they were allowed to choose the blank page inwards alongside them. It was upwards to them what they did alongside the page. If they wrote on it, fine, if they didn't, fine. Immediately ane of the to a greater extent than troublesome pupils shouted out, “Great! I'm going to re-create downward all the examples from my book.” Objective ane achieved. They were going to revise.

At the destination of the test, I collected their sheets to await at them inwards to a greater extent than detail. It was really rewarding when pupils pretty much demanded that they got them back. Objective 2 achieved. My pupils instantly value all of their revision notes."

Puzzles

Each of Chris's newsletters features a puzzle - here's 2 that I peculiarly liked (answers are at the bottom of this post):

And finally, 2 bits of trivia:

That's it from Chris's newsletters for now, but I volition choose yous to a greater extent than or less to a greater extent than newsletter gems later I've read the adjacent 100 issues. Don't forget to follow Chris on Twitter together with email him if you'd similar to have his weekly newsletters.

What I've been upwards to
I've had a busy together with emotional week. My motherhood operate out is coming to an destination together with I'm keen to start planning lessons. I don't accept my timetable yet, then am eagerly awaiting tidings of what classes I'll last instruction inwards 3 weeks. On Tuesday I hosted #mathscpdchat which was all most mutual mathematical misconceptions - yous tin plough over the sack read a summary here. On Wed I had a labor interview inwards which I taught a lesson on indices to a Year 8 course of report - it was fun to last dorsum inwards the classroom together with I'm pleased to tell I got the job, then volition last moving schools inwards May to drib dead an Aspiring Lead Practitioner. I was too really proud to accept an article published inwards Academies Week most the novel maths GCSE together with the associated problems alongside recruitment. Feedback together with comments are really welcome.

Puzzle answers: 1. r = 29  2. Pi/2

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 #44

Hello together with welcome to my 44^th gems post. This is where I percentage maths pedagogy ideas I've seen on Twitter.

1. Problems past times Topic
I've oft featured links to work solving resources inwards my posts but these are rarely organised past times topic. This agency nosotros possess got to trawl through mixed packs of problems to honor something suitable for our lessons. Bravo to Leanne Shaw (@LeanneShawAHS) for creating a really helpful novel website of work solving activities grouped past times topic. This growing collection includes both total lessons together with shorter tasks. The motion-picture exhibit below shows the resources listed nether 3D Shapes hence you lot larn an thought how this website works. It's good worth exploring.

2. Concept Maps
Thanks to Greg Coleman (Concept Maps which are designed to assist students develop their agreement of mathematical vocabulary. Have a read of Greg's postal service for to a greater extent than on this, including templates.

Concept maps past times Greg Coleman

3. Exam Skills
Thanks to @thefeelosopher for sharing the interesting resources pictured below. This is used to analyse the skills that contribute to students' success inwards maths GCSE exams. I've non seen anything similar this earlier together with thought my readers mightiness live interested every bit it raises about word points.

I wonder whether a similar analysis mightiness live helpful inwards Year seven - for illustration at the cease of the commencement term students could live given feedback against criteria such as:

• Do they know their times tables? 
• Is their handwriting legible? 
• Do they enquire for assist when stuck? 
• Do they brand skilful notes inwards class? 
• Do they create sufficient exercise inwards class? 

This would assist teachers together with parents position potential barriers to progress. Do allow me know if your schoolhouse does something similar this.

4. Puzzles 
I honey the fantabulous puzzles that Emma Bell (@El_Timbre) has been sharing. Check out her blog to run across the collection.

5. Lost Questions
Back inwards Gems 18 I featured a lovely thought for pedagogy factorisation - this was taken from Chris Smith's (@aap03102) newsletter. He puts something similar this on the board:

When the degree arrives he demands to know who rubbed the questions off the board. When no-one confesses he asks his students to figure out what the questions were.

Last calendar week Michael Allan (@mrallanmaths) tried this action together with constitute it worked good - he shared a motion-picture exhibit of his board on Twitter. 

This prompted Keith Morrison (@MrKMorrison) to endeavour the same thought for partition together with multiplication.

During #mathsTLP on Lord's Day in that place was a discussion nigh other topics that this mightiness operate for. There were about actually skilful ideas - I especially similar the proffer that this could live used when introducing integration inwards C1.

Update
I wrote a review of about resources for novel GCSE topics - if you lot learn Year 10 together with you lot missed it together with then create possess got a look.

I besides updated my mathsy gifts page inwards fourth dimension for Christmas.

I attended the Debating Education trial at Michaela on Saturday. It was an interesting twenty-four hr menstruum together with all the debates were thought-provoking. The Andrew Old vs Bruno Reddy struggle on mixed powerfulness was especially relevant to maths together with is something I create intend to weblog nigh at about point.

Tickets for the CPD chemical constituent of my Christmaths Party possess got sold out. You all the same possess got a few days left to buy tickets for the eve political party - bring together us for a fun black of mathsy merriment.

School
School is going well, though really busy - I'm incredibly lucky to possess got 2 Inset days coming up, the 2nd of which is a 'Christmas shopping' twenty-four hr menstruum off (to brand upwards for an extra Inset that was added at the start of term). It's perfect timing for a break.

I'm actually enjoying pedagogy Year 10 - nosotros had a skilful become at all the novel sequences GCSE content. I ended the theme amongst these 2 puzzles from @jase_wanner which worked really well. In the commencement action students possess got to create total inwards the gaps together with inwards the 2nd action students are looking for the strange i out.

Year xi is my big challenge because they're doing Linked Pair GCSE which has a lot to a greater extent than content than normal GCSE. This content (Flow Charts, AER, Linear Programming etc) is novel to me. I solely run across my Year xi degree 3 times a calendar week which doesn't give me plenty fourth dimension to learn all the content inwards sufficient depth. I actually am feeling the fourth dimension pressure level together with possess got never taught topics hence speedily before. Tight fourth dimension constraints don't allow for effective pedagogy hence I'm really pleased that my schoolhouse is looking to increase the resources allotment of maths on the timetable adjacent year. As a outcome I shout out upwards we'll in all probability live looking to recruit novel maths teachers hence if you lot fancy coming to operate amongst me (based inwards Epsom, Surrey) together with then create larn inwards touch.

And finally...
Prompted past times about recommendations I read on Twitter, I'm really much enjoying playing the fantabulous Sumaze puzzle app on my telephone at the moment. I'm besides actually looking frontwards to going to Just for Graphs this weekend, together with am really grateful to my hubby for offering to come upwards amongst me.

I passed one-half a meg views of my weblog lastly calendar week - thank you lot really much for reading!

I'll locomote out you lot amongst this lovely visualisation of prime number factorisation which was shared on @edfromo's vivid Google Plus.

5 Maths Gems #75

Welcome to my 75^th gems post. This is where I part some of the latest news, ideas together with resources for maths teachers.

1. New Displays
I of late updated my Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.

2. Algebra Maze
Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.

The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.

3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
I similar a shot convey a page of resources for novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking topics. It's much similar my new GCSE back upward page, simply I'm even together with hence hunting for resources.

Thankfully a few novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking resources convey been published recently:

• Jamie Frost (@DrFrostMaths) has started to part his novel A marking PowerPoints (these accompany the Pearson textbook). On his new Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking page, Jamie has too shared his fantabulous conduct to the Classwiz calculator, his school's novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking scheme of work, together with a compilation of STEP/AEA/MAT questions yesteryear topic.
• Jack Brown (@TLMaths) has shared around 300 videos for students for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. 
• Dr Madas has started adding new specification IYGB papers to his bright collection.
• MEI convey shared some samples of the resources from their novel schemes of work. 

4. Sector Area

In my postal service 'Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.

2. Algebra Maze
Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.

The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.

3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
I similar a shot convey a Polygraph Rocks' I wrote almost the wonderful Desmos classroom activities. There's similar a shot a huge collection of activities on Desmos - they're definitely worth exploring. These lessons are actually slowly to run together with operate good if yous convey access to a decent information technology room or if your students convey tablets or laptops inward the classroom. I spotted 'Sector Area' on Twitter of late together with actually similar the agency it's designed. It's a proportional reasoning activeness inward which students explore the human relationship betwixt circle area, sector area, together with sector angle.

5. xaktly
I institute the website xaktly.com by Dr Jeff Cruzan (@DrCruzan) which is similar an online textbook for maths, physics, chemistry together with biology. The maths section contains really clear explanations together with some helpful graphics on misconceptions, definitions together with methods.

The page on the metric system is a practiced instance - Dr Cruzan's method for unit of measurement conversions is interesting together with worth a look.

There's lots of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking content, including a page on optimisation with really useful instance problems. 

Update
In instance yous missed them, hither are my latest posts:

• Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.
  
  
  2. Algebra Maze
  Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.
  
  
  The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.
  
  3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
  I similar a shot convey a Bridging the Gap... Revisited
• Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.
  
  
  2. Algebra Maze
  Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.
  
  
  The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.
  
  3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
  I similar a shot convey a What did I miss?
• Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.
  
  
  2. Algebra Maze
  Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.
  
  
  The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.
  
  3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
  I similar a shot convey a Strength inward Numbers
• Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.
  
  
  2. Algebra Maze
  Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.
  
  
  The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.
  
  3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
  I similar a shot convey a The Folder Experiment... Revisited

I too published a list of maths teaching conferences for 2017/18 together with my instance written report was featured on mtpt.org.uk.

My Summaths upshot is inward 3 weeks together with similar a shot I've seen the programme of workshops I'm fifty-fifty to a greater extent than excited. I'm too actually pleased that I've had some generous donations of freebies to manus out on the day. There are even together with hence a few tickets left together with booking closes on 14th August.

Do depository fiscal establishment jibe out Maths Word of the Week display from @missradders.

2. Algebra Maze
Last calendar month I joined the MA together with received an exciting package total of publications. This included an edition of Mathematics inward School in which I spotted this algebraic expressions maze from MEI.

The MEI wrote xi consecutive articles for Mathematics inward School together with are presently to start upward again. You tin access all xi of these MEI Insights here - thank yous to @MEImaths for sharing these.

3. New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking Resources
I similar a shot convey a list showing where to purchase the cheapest calculators this summer.

In instance yous missed it, I'll exit yous amongst this wonderful news about the success of the UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland squad at this year's International Maths Olympiad inward Rio. The UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland finished inward 9th place, out of 111 participating countries, together with hold upward yesteryear of all European nations for the kickoff fourth dimension ever.

The UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland is hosting the International Maths Olympiad inward 2019. Incidentally, Dr Geoff Smith's 'Advice to Young Mathematicians' is worth reading.