5 Maths Gems #35

Hi there. Welcome to my 35^th gems post. This is where I part 5 instruction ideas I've seen on Twitter. The summertime holidays are at nowadays inward total swing thus Twitter has been placidity this week. I hold off it volition acquire busier inward August - results days volition orbit us lots to utter about, as well as and then we'll all start making preparations for September. I'm off on a position unit of measurement vacation side yesteryear side calendar week (including an exciting solar daytime out at Peppa Pig World!) thus somebody volition cause got to fill upward me inward on what I miss! I tweeted my 10,000^th tweet yesterday. I exclusively joined Twitter concluding May thus I retrieve that officially makes me a chatterbox.

1. Angle Chase 
I featured angle chases in Gems 24, Gems 26 and Gems 32 . I find this type of action actually enjoyable. @MathedUp shared a whole charge of angle chases here. I honey these - they're a groovy resources both for classwork as well as for revision.

@mathninja3 suggested putting a permanent angle chase on the classroom wall. This reminded me of the display by @ExplainingMaths pictured below. I retrieve it would live on groovy to pose a large angle chase up, possibly yesteryear sticking record on a large whiteboard or a wall painted amongst whiteboard paint. If anyone has done this inward their classroom, I'd honey to encounter a photo.

2. Presentation Standards
I've written earlier most setting expectations for the presentation of classwork as well as homework. The start of a novel schoolhouse yr is the fourth dimension to create upward one's hear how to approach this. latest post about Analysing Errors is no exception. From September I innovation to start setting regular low-stakes tests. For my Year 10s, I'm thinking of a brusque weekly quiz (perhaps multiple choice, marked amongst Quick Key). As suggested yesteryear Sarah, I innovation to flat these quizzes A, B or Not Yet, amongst anyone scoring a Not Yet having to accept some other test. In Sarah's postal service she suggests that earlier retaking a quiz, students are required to analyse their get-go attempt. She's going to orbit them an mistake analysis sail that does these things:

• Require students to operate out each work correctly
• Ask students to position what they did incorrect when they get-go attempted the problem
• Direct students to reverberate on how they volition avoid making this same mistake inward the future
• Get students thinking most what types of errors they are making

Sarah has produced a fantastic poster to depict dissimilar types of errors. Read her post for to a greater extent than most this as well as to download the poster.

Types of Errors by @mathequalslove

5. The Famous Five

I honey this post from @mccreaemma. It's most an approach called 'The Famous 5' that Emma uses in every lesson. When students move inward the room they are straight off presented amongst a task. The names of 5 students that begin/finish/engage good amongst the chore are written on the whiteboard. Their vantage is to exit the classroom get-go at the destination of the lesson. Emma says that her students honey it (I retrieve this would operate actually good for my students too) as well as it reduces wasted fourth dimension at the start of lessons. Her postal service is good worth a read.

Update
I'm continuing to operate on resourceaholic.com behind the scenes when I acquire a chance. I've added some resources to my libraries as well as made updates to my New GCSE Support page. If you've got some fourth dimension over summertime to brand resources, here's a listing of topics that nosotros demand to a greater extent than resources for:

Huge cheers to post most the additional sequences content on the novel GCSE. It features examples of examination questions as well as resources. I was pleased to acquire a novel method for finding the nth term of a quadratic sequence.

I'm enjoying spending lots of fourth dimension amongst my daughters this summer. It's all going likewise speedily for my liking though! It's August already, which way I'm dorsum to schoolhouse i calendar month today. #mathsconf5 is side yesteryear side calendar month too. Have you lot got your ticket yet?

Finally, I honey this homework for the summertime holidays that's been going circular Twitter. What a lovely idea.

Holiday homework yesteryear Tom Christy

5 Maths Gems #36

One twelvemonth agone today I started my gems series. In my outset gems post I explained my thinking:

"I’m fairly novel to Twitter. My absence over the final few years agency I’ve missed out on thousands of first-class educational activity ideas. Twitter is a rootage of endless inspiration. So I accept a plan. I’m going to write a weekly post highlighting 5 smashing novel ideas I’ve gleaned from Twitter. These posts volition assist me think things. And hopefully my readers volition create goodness too."

I was right - these posts actually create assist me think things. They assist me procedure as well as organise lots of practiced ideas.

Since I returned to function from motherhood learn out inwards Jan I haven't been able to post every week, only I create even as well as thus write a twosome of Gem Awards helpful - this is a post I wrote inwards Apr 2015 where I picked out some of my favourite ideas as well as resources.

Today I acquaint my 36^th gems post. I promise there's something useful for y'all here.

1. Area Maze
I beloved the novel Area Maze puzzles from Naoki Inaba. Alex Bellos featured them every bit his Monday Puzzle inwards The Guardian this week. The aim is to uncovering the missing value marked alongside a inquiry mark. These puzzles tin endure solved using alone whole numbers. Alex's article featured a alternative of Area Mazes, from this example...

... to this.

These are perfect puzzles for students - accessible yet challenging. There's a costless app too.

2. Warm-Ups

I've read some dainty posts nearly lesson starters recently. These are all worth a read if you're looking for fresh ideas to start your lessons:

• Weekly Warm-Up Schedule 2015-2016 yesteryear Sarah Hagan (@mathequalslove) 
• Warm-Ups 2.0 by Mary Bourassa (@MaryBourassa)
• Top 5 for Starters by Christine Norledge (@MissNorledge)

I specially similar Sarah Hagan's Good Things - I innovation to purpose it every bit a weekly activity inwards shape fourth dimension side yesteryear side year.

I've also latterly discovered maths-starters.co.uk, which is currently nether development. I similar Calculate Cascade and Parallel Panic. 

3. Desmos Activities

Polygraph Rocks volition rank y'all a practiced persuasion what it's all about. I'm excited nearly trying out Polygraph Quadrilaterals, Water Line as well as Tile Pile.

Desmos latterly announced the launch of Activity Builder. This allows teachers to construct their ain Desmos activities as well as portion them alongside other teachers for purpose inwards their lessons. There's a blog post hither explaining how it works.

This calendar week I've seen loads of bright novel Desmos activities. Here's iii examples that demo the versatility of this tool:

• Loco yesteryear Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) - a fantastic introduction to loci.
• Polygraph Scatter Plot yesteryear Megan Schmidt (@Veganmathbeagle) - an first-class Polygraph activity. It develops vocabulary for describing scatter graphs.
• blog post.

I also spotted this activity Intro to graphs as well as desmos basics by Sara B. Vaughn ‏(@Vaughn_trapped) which has inspired me to brand my ain activity to innovate Desmos to my students.

4. Pixel Puzzles
Stacy Brookes (@Stacy_Maths) continues to write helpful blog posts nearly where to uncovering resources. She also creates many first-class resources of her own. I similar her novel persuasion - pixel puzzles. In these engaging worksheets, students respond questions as well as uncovering the corresponding answers inwards a grid. They shade the right answers as well as the shaded squares shape a picture. This is a smashing persuasion as well as I await frontwards to seeing to a greater extent than of these from Stacy. I've added them to my resource library.

5. Fractions inwards Geogebra
Here's mortal novel to follow on Twitter: Neil Dickson (Equivalent Fractions which features this Geogebra tool which tin endure used to back upward the educational activity of fractions. Have a play alongside it, it's excellent. I beloved fact that y'all tin drag ane diagram onto the other to run into the equivalence.

Update

I accept a novel Facebook page! It's facebook.com/resourceaholic. Please similar it! I was inspired yesteryear Ed's facebook page facebook.com/solvemymaths which I uncovering actually helpful. It's slow to missy things on Twitter only similar a shot I never missy Ed's posts.

I enjoyed Stuart Price's (Gems 34 - I'd never heard of Pearltrees earlier this). I intend to comport on organising resources inwards my workshop at #mathsconf5. Have y'all got your ticket yet?

That's it for this week. One twelvemonth of maths gems - as well as enough to a greater extent than even as well as thus to come. Happy anniversary to me.

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!

A Degree Resources

At #mathsconf5 I delivered a workshop entitled 'Resources for Teaching Maths at AS Level'. I thought it mightiness hold upwards helpful to portion highlights from that presentation here. I'm going to separate my ideas into 2 separate posts - inwards today's postal service I'll listing recommended sources of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources. In my adjacent postal service I'll utter over some ideas on how to construction Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree lessons, how to operate resources as well as how to organise as well as portion resources.

Here's the slides as well as handout from my conference session.

My Top 10
In my workshop I talked through my favourite sources of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources. I narrowed it downwardly to ten, but in that place were many to a greater extent than I wanted to include.

1. Solomon Worksheets
I tend to operate extracts from Solomon worksheets for starters, plenaries or extension work. For example, if I've taught quadratic inequalities hence the interrogation below makes a overnice starter interrogation inwards the adjacent lesson:

Solomon worksheets come upwards amongst rattling clear worked solutions hence you lot could also give these worksheets to students for independent exercise at home. It's non helpful when teachers tell their students to do ongoing independent report but don't supply (or indicate them inwards the direction of) suitable exercise questions.

You likely direct maintain these worksheets on your network at school, if non hence they tin hold upwards purchased here.

2. Activities from Susan Wall
Susan Wall is considered the queen of rich tasks at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Level. Some of her resources are on Integral, which I'll utter close inwards a infinitesimal - but some other expert agency to discovery her cloth is to search for 'Susan Wall' inwards the National STEM Centre eLibrary.

Have a larn at the interrogation below. It may solely accept you lot a minute, but it's an first-class interrogation for students who discovery this notation tricky (plus anything that involves graph sketching is worthwhile).

I also dearest Susan Wall's integration activity below. Again, this is bully for getting students to intend rather than simply follow procedures.

3. Integral
Every schoolhouse should direct maintain a subscription to integralmaths.org. Provided yesteryear the MEI as well as FMSP, it's an extensive collection of notes, activities, worksheets as well as assessments for every Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree module as well as seek out board. The indices maze below is simply ane instance of MEI/FMSP cloth - there's a huge diversity of resources on Integral hence it's worth spending a hateful solar daytime inwards the holidays exploring.

This guide provides detailed data close the content of Integral. Another instance of an Integral activity is shown below. I dearest this activity!

4. TES - SRWhitehouse

There's loads of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources on TES - my favourite contributor is Susan Whitehouse. I operate her resources inwards almost every lesson. I discovery her materials especially useful when instruction C3 as well as C4 - you'll discovery lots of links to these inwards my A2 resources library.

Her indices activity (extract below) is excellent. I await that most people operate this when instruction indices at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree or GCSE, but it also makes a helpful starter inwards a lesson on differentiating expressions amongst negative as well as fractions indices. Question half dozen as well as vii below frequently stimulate confusion for students - they desire to write both equally 2x^-3.

The logs activity shown below is some other instance of a Susan Whitehouse activity that I operate regularly.

5. Teachit Maths
Teachit Maths is a bully website for Key Stage iii as well as GCSE. PDF resources are available for free. Their collection of Key Stage v resources is growing. I don't frequently operate card-based activities but I do similar their log dominoes. I've used them earlier as well as they worked well.

I similar this Pairs of Lines activity besides - it would piece of employment inwards both a Higher GCSE lesson as well as inwards an AS coordinate geometry lesson.

6. Mathematics Assessment Project
The materials of the Shell Centre) remind me of the Standards Unit materials (more on that inwards a minute). They supply well-designed tasks for formative as well as summative assessment. Although these materials are designed for the United States curriculum, there's enough of first-class resources for Key Stage 3, iv as well as 5. There's 2 lessons that I especially like: Sorting Equations of Circles 1 as well as Sorting Equations of Circles 2. I frequently operate the 'Going circular inwards circles' poster chore (solution shown below). I operate this when I've simply taught students the equation of a circle - instead of giving them a textbook exercise, I give them this grid on A3 paper. Working inwards pairs, they direct maintain to identify diverse equations of circles on the grid.

The 2nd circles lesson is also total of first-class tasks - an extract is shown below.

7. CMEP
We're rattling lucky that the Cambridge Mathematics Enhancement Project - an initiatory to prepare Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources - is currently producing loads of fantastic novel material. If you lot desire to access these resources spell they're nevertheless nether evolution hence you'll demand to register amongst CMEP (although some materials are currently available through NRICH). It won't hold upwards long though until the total collection of CMEP resources are made available to all. Some of their materials are enrichment problems for high attainers, but there's also fluency exercises as well as scaffolded tasks. For instance I similar this 'Logarithm lattice':

as well as this 'Integral chasing' activity:

8. Don Steward
I can't utter close resources without recommending my hero Don Steward. His weblog (Median) contains rich tasks for xi - xvi twelvemonth olds, but many of his higher halt GCSE resources are suitable for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree too. Topics include algebra, quadratics, trigonometry, sequences, surds, indices, cubics, graph transformations as well as coordinate geometry. An instance is his activity 'geometric series, some amongst surds' which was designed for the novel GCSE but is suitable for C2 (Edexcel).

I've already blogged close his 'one wrong simplification' tasks which worked brilliantly on Year 12 induction day.

And here's some other typical Don Steward chore - this ane is on cubics:

9. The Standards Unit
We all know as well as dearest the "Improving Learning inwards Mathematics" (or Standards Units) resources. There's a expert alternative for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree that are good worth exploring. In the yesteryear I've e'er gone instantly for the resources at the back, but late I've discovered that the lesson ideas as well as questioning prompts are also incredibly helpful.  Here's an instance from Matching Functions as well as Derivatives:

10. as well as #mathsTLP
The libraries at resourceaholic.com comprise hundreds of links to hand-picked Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources. My AS Core library is e'er the commencement identify I cheque when planning a C1 or C2 lesson. Resources are grouped yesteryear topic. The extract below is from a 'Fun Sheet' (I can't discovery a re-create of the master copy mass it came from) - it's a lovely activity for simplifying elementary trigonometric expressions earlier coming together trigonometric identities.

On my weblog you'll also discovery lots of Introducing Differentiation, Algebraic Division, Radians, Logs as well as Factorising Harder Quadratics. I frequently characteristic Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree ideas inwards my Gems posts besides - here's ane from John Smith.

Finally, #mathsTLP is every Dominicus eve 7pm - 8pm. This is a Twitter chat inwards which lesson ideas as well as resources are shared. Join inwards to inquire for assist or offering ideas. This is the form of matter you lot mightiness tweet:

More sources
I used to intend that in that place weren't many Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources around, but it turns out there's enough out there. Every schoolhouse needs a difficult working Key Stage v Coordinator to come upwards into schoolhouse during the holidays as well as pass a hateful solar daytime or 2 downloading as well as organising resources! I'll tell to a greater extent than close this inwards my adjacent post.

There were lots of websites that I didn't get upwards inwards the listing to a higher identify that should definitely hold upwards on your radar. If I'd had longer than l minutes for my workshop, I'd direct maintain included the websites listed below (and many more!):

• MathedUp! - lots of first-class Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree links including activities, PowerPoints as well as videos.
• next post volition characteristic to a greater extent than ideas for instruction Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree maths.