Binary

Maths didactics is ofttimes rushed. We encompass topics likewise quickly, nosotros show regularly, nosotros repeat the same affair every year. By Year 10 our pupils are bored. It's too then unnecessary too frustrating. If entirely nosotros spent to a greater extent than fourth dimension on rich Mathematics. I'd dearest to tiresome down, learn off on tangents, allow my pupils investigate too discover... The entirely fourth dimension I learn the run a endangerment to digress from the Scheme of Work is at the goal of the summertime term.  So I seize the chance to engage my pupils inwards interesting concepts too ideas - similar the binary system.

It's slow to learn pupils interested inwards this topic. Here's to a greater extent than or less suggestions:

• Show them a painting present of a binary watch. I i time knew a Year thirteen who genuinely wore i of these to schoolhouse every day! My pupils were intrigued past times this too wanted to know how to read it.
• You could Pb into this theme through other reveal systems (Roman Numerals etc).
• Perform this fantastic binary magic trick.  My pupils loved it! They were desperate to know how it worked.
• Tell them the joke "There are entirely 10 types of people inwards the world: those who sympathise binary too those who don't". 

Here's a few examples of resources y'all could operate inwards a binary lesson:

• Nice PowerPoint 'Binary Bot' from MauveStorm on TES (designed for Key Stage two simply could survive used for Year 7/8)
• The slides that I operate when I learn binary.  Includes how to count binary on your fingers! 
• Binary Window Frames from mathsticks.com (free registration to access)
• A worksheet to do converting to too from binary
• Binary Crossums
• PowerPoint from teachitmaths.co.uk on binary, denary too hexadecimal numbers
• Teaching binary using cups
• Lots to a greater extent than resources listed inwards this blog.

Last twelvemonth I went to a fantastic lecture past times Simon Singh (@SLSingh) well-nigh Maths inwards the Simpsons.  His book 'The Simpsons too their Mathematical Secrets' is absolutely brilliant, a must-read for all Maths teachers.  Singh writes well-nigh a scene inwards the Futurama episode 'The Honking' inwards which Bender is alarmed when he reads the binary code 0101100101. When read inwards a mirror, the code reads '666'.  I told my Year 13s well-nigh this - they loved it. I wanted to present them the clip from Futurama simply all I constitute was this YouTube video in Castilian (?) which they sentiment was hilarious. I also explained the reference to the 'Redrum' scene inwards The Shining - most of them had never seen the celluloid too then I showed them this clip too managed to terrify one-half the class! Myself included. :)

Binary

Maths didactics is ofttimes rushed. We encompass topics likewise quickly, nosotros show regularly, nosotros repeat the same affair every year. By Year 10 our pupils are bored. It's too then unnecessary too frustrating. If entirely nosotros spent to a greater extent than fourth dimension on rich Mathematics. I'd dearest to tiresome down, learn off on tangents, allow my pupils investigate too discover... The entirely fourth dimension I learn the run a endangerment to digress from the Scheme of Work is at the goal of the summertime term.  So I seize the chance to engage my pupils inwards interesting concepts too ideas - similar the binary system.

It's slow to learn pupils interested inwards this topic. Here's to a greater extent than or less suggestions:

• Show them a painting present of a binary watch. I i time knew a Year thirteen who genuinely wore i of these to schoolhouse every day! My pupils were intrigued past times this too wanted to know how to read it.
• You could Pb into this theme through other reveal systems (Roman Numerals etc).
• Perform this fantastic binary magic trick.  My pupils loved it! They were desperate to know how it worked.
• Tell them the joke "There are entirely 10 types of people inwards the world: those who sympathise binary too those who don't". 

Here's a few examples of resources y'all could operate inwards a binary lesson:

• Nice PowerPoint 'Binary Bot' from MauveStorm on TES (designed for Key Stage two simply could survive used for Year 7/8)
• The slides that I operate when I learn binary.  Includes how to count binary on your fingers! 
• Binary Window Frames from mathsticks.com (free registration to access)
• A worksheet to do converting to too from binary
• Binary Crossums
• PowerPoint from teachitmaths.co.uk on binary, denary too hexadecimal numbers
• Teaching binary using cups
• Lots to a greater extent than resources listed inwards this blog.

Last twelvemonth I went to a fantastic lecture past times Simon Singh (@SLSingh) well-nigh Maths inwards the Simpsons.  His book 'The Simpsons too their Mathematical Secrets' is absolutely brilliant, a must-read for all Maths teachers.  Singh writes well-nigh a scene inwards the Futurama episode 'The Honking' inwards which Bender is alarmed when he reads the binary code 0101100101. When read inwards a mirror, the code reads '666'.  I told my Year 13s well-nigh this - they loved it. I wanted to present them the clip from Futurama simply all I constitute was this YouTube video in Castilian (?) which they sentiment was hilarious. I also explained the reference to the 'Redrum' scene inwards The Shining - most of them had never seen the celluloid too then I showed them this clip too managed to terrify one-half the class! Myself included. :)

5 Maths Gems #13

In my gems posts I portion roughly of the best teaching ideas I've seen on Twitter each week. This is my 13th gems post. I promise you're non triskaidekaphobic.

1. Flying Numbers
At Julia Smith's (@tessmaths) creativity workshop at the lastly maths conference, she shared an activeness inwards which students brand 'Flying Numbers' to hang from the ceiling inwards the classroom or corridor. It industrial plant similar this: they direct a release in addition to brand that release from forest inwards Design & Technology (drill a hole at the overstep for hanging). They pigment their release in addition to then role fine markers or chalk pens to decorate it amongst facts virtually that number. This is a lovely chance for students to role the cyberspace to explore release properties in addition to detect out all sorts of wonderful mathematical things that are non on the curriculum. The examples below were made at the maths conference - it was a actually enjoyable exercise.

Ed Southall (post virtually teaching a binary lesson).

Alice inwards FractalLand is a stunning animated slideshow. Show it to your shape in addition to explore sequences, fractals, the golden ratio in addition to more. The text at the bottom explains each concept really clearly. I love this! This is just the kind of affair I was referring to inwards my postal service 'A house for gimmicks?' when I said that nosotros should brand fourth dimension to enrich our students' instruction amongst interesting mathematics that is non on the GCSE syllabus.

The Primary and Secondary Treasure Hunts are really good designed. Full instructions are included in addition to in that place are questions on areas of mathematics such every bit cryptography, primes in addition to probability. The questions are rather challenging for the intended historic catamenia groups - if I was organising an inter-school maths contender in addition to then I mightiness role these questions.

The video collection is due to grow - an exciting prospect if this 2 infinitesimal wordless video exploring triangles is a gustatory modality of things to come. 

3. Imbalance Problems
If you're non familiar amongst Don Steward's resources in addition to then halt reading this postal service straight off in addition to banking concern lucifer out his mobiles', in addition to then 'mobile inequalities' in addition to finally 'mobile moments'.

In mobiles, the activities kickoff amongst release problems that larn progressively harder, in addition to then motion on to algebraic balancing problems. Here's a numerical instance which tin live solved amongst arithmetics in addition to logic (fill inwards the missing weights thence that everything balances correctly). 

There are lots of variations, such every bit this 1 where the weights must add together upwardly to the release inwards the triangle (this is a straightforward example):

The algebraic problems railroad train skills inwards writing algebraically in addition to simplifying expressions. In the occupation below, students accept to consummate the missing weights to brand the combined hanging weight equal to 8n.

These are dandy problems. Check out all 3 posts to run into how Mr Steward developed the idea. It's every bit good worth reading Paul Salomon's (last week's gems post has paid off - both Debbie Hart ‏(@Debbie_Hart_UK) and Jane Appleton (‏@JaneAppleton24) accept tried it.

I've been busy writing a postal service virtually circle theorems which volition live attain soon. Also, later seeing roughly dandy Halloween in addition to Guy Fawkes maths resources, I've started to collate a 'seasonal resources' page. I've seen thence many adept Christmas resources, it's difficult to direct the best only I'm getting there.

So in that place yous go, my 13th gems post. It wasn't scary at all.

Image source: guernseydonkey.com

Resources, Resources, Resources...

Inequalities activeness - Project Maths

I've been working actually difficult on my resources libraries lately, hence I'm pleased to nation I'm lastly cook to part them! They tin live accessed through the tabs at the exceed of the page.

This is where I've set all my resources recommendations for you lot to browse when you're planning lessons. The A' degree pages volition in all probability live the most helpful every bit it tin live difficult to detect practiced resources for Key Stage 5. 

My recommendations are yesteryear no agency exhaustive - there's loads of practiced resources I haven't discovered withal (the cyberspace is also big, I can't hap upwards alongside it!). But I volition update my listings whenever I come upwards across something specially good. To clarify what I hateful yesteryear 'good' - my recommendations include well-designed activities, rich tasks and worksheets for topics where I yell back it tin live difficult to detect suitable do questions. 

My Top three Websites

The resources I've recommended are all gratis in addition to come upwards from a broad make of sources.  Here's my electrical flow favourite websites, inward no detail order.

1. Roof Truss task (trigonometry) and Bee Aware (scatter graphs) - at that topographic point are hundreds to a greater extent than in addition to they're all awesome.  
2. MathsPad has enough of first-class gratis resources. Subscription (£3 per month) gives access to their total range. I dear the way their resources are designed, including their interactive activities which are all rattling engaging in addition to slowly to use. Example resources include this lovely Square in addition to Cube Numbers Puzzle, and for older pupils I actually like Is it Rational?. 
3. Teachit Maths has large, well-organised resources libraries.  Free registration gives access to resources inward pdf form, which is fine for all their printable activities in addition to worksheets. You'll demand a subscription (£25 per year) if you lot also desire to access PowerPoints, interactive activities, didactics tools etc. Worksheets are well-designed, engaging in addition to include solutions. Examples of their resources include this Mental Powers Code Breaker in addition to this Transforming Graphs carte form activity, which I accept used successfully alongside both my Year 11s in addition to Year 12s.

Special advert to The Chalk Face and Mathematics Assessment Project - both of these websites are total of first-class ideas. I also larn a lot of resources from TES. One of my favourite TES contributors is SRWhitehouse who creates first-class Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree activities. For a total (and ever-expanding) listing of recommended resources websites, come across my links page.

Factor Trees - Median Don Steward

My Blog
Now I've finished creating my resources libraries, I tin larn dorsum to focussing on my blog. Here's approximately of the highlights hence far...

• My Area in addition to Volume postal service - featuring a giant lawn tennis ball - was rattling popular.
• My suggestions for terminate of term lessons on Binary in addition to Fermat also went downward well.
• Have you lot tried this method for finding inward HCFs in addition to LCMs?  It's hence much quicker than the Venn method.
• Have you lot read the majority post most it.
• I set a lot of sentiment into my postal service All About Gradient. I'm certain that pupils would savour the lesson ideas I've suggested for investigating steepness - accept you lot watched the video of the cyclist attempting a 38% gradient? My legs wound simply thinking most it!
• I've written a publish of posts focussing on specific topics or concepts such every bit dividing yesteryear zero, angle facts, skewness in addition to simultaneous equations.  I've also discussed didactics tools such every bit Desmos, comic strips, blogs in addition to methods for developing vocabulary. 
• It was my uncovering of a novel matrix multiplication method that brought me to blogging - if you lot instruct matrices hence create depository fiscal establishment tally it out.
• Finally, something fun for the teachers - evidence the Maths Movie Quiz.

For a total listing of my weblog posts come across the blog archive.  Not bad going for three months!

'Find the Coordinates' chore yesteryear Susan Wall

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 #19

Hello in addition to welcome to my 19th gems post. This is where I part approximately of the best didactics ideas I've seen on Twitter each week. Most of my gems convey come upwards from across the Atlantic today.

1. Polygraph
There's been a lot of buzz almost Desmos' novel Polygraph activities. They're mathematical versions of Guess Who, designed to 'foster the pleasance in addition to the ability of words without the drudgery of the lists'. There are currently 4 Polygraph activities:

Let's expect at Polygraph: Parabolas. Students move inwards pairs (a picker in addition to a guesser) on split upwards tablets, phones or computers. The picker selects a graph from a ready of parabolas. The guesser sees the same ready of parabolas - their trace is to position which graph the picker has chosen past times cry for a serial of yes/no questions. For instance they mightiness inquire almost the seat out of roots or the place of the vertex or y-intercept. The guesser types their questions in addition to the picker responds alongside yes, no, or don't know. The guesser keeps cry for questions until they are able to position the chosen graph.

Students in addition to then convey the chance to analyse in addition to refine their questioning, in addition to y'all convey a flat discussion to formalise the mathematical vocabulary.

As alongside Desmos' awesome Gems 13, it's incredibly quick in addition to slow to larn started. I'm going to survive didactics quadratics to Year 10 before long in addition to can't hold back to purpose the Parabolas activity. And I computer program to purpose the Linear Graphs version alongside my Year 9s too.

Extract from Polygraph: Lines

2. Point, Point, Gradient

Tina Cardone (@crstn85) shared this lovely activity 'Point, Point, Slope' past times Michael Fenton (@mjfenton). It's a unproblematic precisely effective lesson stance inwards which students convey to purpose whatsoever digit from 2 to ix to create 2 points - y'all could rank them post-its or seat out tiles to shuffle around. You furnish criteria, such every bit 'create 2 points which create upwards one's heed a trace alongside the greatest possible gradient'. Read the amount post for to a greater extent than ideas. There's loads y'all could create alongside this activity, for instance y'all could inquire your students to use half dozen unlike digits (from 0 - 9) to create iii points which prevarication on the same line. It's a expert agency to railroad train agreement of linear graphs in addition to I cry back it would move good at both GCSE in addition to AS level.

Michael's spider web log is amount of fantabulous ideas. For instance in Two Fractions students house digits in addition to operators inwards the boxes below to brand an facial expression alongside the greatest possible value.

This reminds me of the Blanks activities I featured inwards Gems 17, which y'all tin rank the axe read to a greater extent than almost inwards Sarah Aldous' post Gems 13 I talked almost making your students 'Number Experts'. I shared 2 websites that are useful for finding out properties of numbers (numbergossip.com in addition to numdic.com). Both websites are fantabulous - for example, numbergossip.com tells me that 28 is a perfect, composite, happy number, and numdic.com (which wins the prize for funniest URL) gives me the binary in addition to Roman Numeral representations of 28. I've immediately discovered a novel website - the Number Property Calculator - which I similar because of the agency it gives data almost the important of the seat out properties. Here's a small extract from what comes upwards when I search for 28:

I flora this website when I was browsing through sometime posts on Math Munch. Math Munch is a 'Weekly Digest of the Mathematical Internet'. It's packed amount of fantastic resources in addition to ideas thus it's definitely worth subscribing to have weekly e-mail updates, in addition to y'all tin rank the axe follow them on Twitter also (@MathMunch).

5. Drawing Euclid

Andy Shaw (@Squidworm74) pointed me inwards the direction of these lovely Euclid videos on YouTube past times Shoo Rayner (@shoorayner). They are fantastic videos in addition to I can't hold back to part them alongside my Year vii students. Check out the amount playlist here. Here's an instance almost unlike types of triangles:



That's it for this week. I promise you've flora approximately inspiration inwards this post. I'll move out y'all alongside this bright video past times the always awesome Vi Hart - The Gauss Christmath Special. Thanks to Chris Smith (@app03102) for sharing this.




Have a wonderful Christmas!

End Of Term Resources

It tin sack live difficult to learn on alongside education novel topics when in that place are lots of terminate of term events disrupting the timetable. This ship service lists resources you lot powerfulness notice useful.

Vocabulary Activities
I dear these mathematical crosswords for developing students' noesis of mathematical vocabulary. There's a broad attain of crosswords to travail (maths teachers volition savour the 'branches of mathematics' crossword on on page 34).

Mathematics Instruments
as well as Equipment Crossword

Teacher Resources Online has loads of corking activities including these vocabulary exercises, some of which would function good inward an information technology Room or alongside iPads. 

I similar this polygon word search too.

There are more word searches here.

Crossums as well as Number Searches

Sticking alongside puzzles, there's loads of crossums as well as seat out searches here, including the lovely Number Sets Search pictured below. I gave this to my Year 8 cast this calendar week (we've only done roughly function on basic sets as well as Venns). I also gave them this excellent Number Types action from Churchill Maths as well as nosotros did this interactive whiteboard Drag as well as Drop Venn diagram action from flashmaths.co.uk.

Cryptography

There are loads of corking cryptography resources at Teacher Resources Online and CIMT. The Imitation Game is right away available on DVD if you're looking to brand cryptography a theme inward the final calendar week of term.

Quizzical
There's a prissy gear upwards of maths quizzes from Pinnacle here, including 3 'silly quizzes' at the end.

Magic Squares
Don Steward has a magic squares blog alongside all the magic squares you lot could ever need.

Logic as well as Lateral Thinking
CIMT has lots of logic resources. Maths lessons are in all likelihood the solely house where students convey an chance to prepare the fine art of logical thinking - it's a shame nosotros don't create to a greater extent than of this.

Extract from Plane Passengers (CIMT)

I've also seat a charge of brainteasers inward this dropbox folder.

Investigations
Now is a practiced fourth dimension of yr for students to learn stuck into an investigation. This dropbox folder has a large choice of investigations, including those from Nuffield and Bowland.

Problem Solving
On my problem solving page I listing links to lots of occupation solving resources.

Research
Teachit Maths has a lovely choice of terminate of term resources here. I specially similar the Random Mathematics Research Quiz and the Greatest Mathematics Country Debate, both of which require students to create meshing research.


Durham Maths Mysteries
Thanks to @pwp1303 for pointing me inward the direction of these lovely resources. If you lot desire to proceed doing topic-based maths inward the final calendar week of term thus travail these activities.

Relay Races as well as Team Challenges
Chris Smith (@aap03102) has created roughly fantabulous resources that would function good at the terminate of term. Check out his Maths Relay Races and Maths Group Challenges.

More ideas

• If you're looking to learn exterior the classroom on a sunny day,  try the Maths Scavenger Hunt from Transum. There's loads to a greater extent than lovely activities on the Transum website to explore.
• My students dear these riddles! 
• Find the Factors puzzles are fantabulous (it's ever worthwhile practising times tables). 
• A game of Countdown ever goes downwards well. Put a twist on it alongside Algebra Countdown from @stephenbodman.
• Memory Maths is 1 of my favourites - learn students to depict the grids on mini-whiteboards.
• My colleagues convey enjoyed playing the Lobster Game and the Pirate Game alongside their classes this week.
• Quadratic colouring is a corking action for students who know how to plot quadratic graphs.
• Why non instruct your students Binary? See my post close education this topic. 
• Don't forget the videos on Numberphile. It's solely ii minutes long, but 1 of my favourites is the delightful video '1 - 200 on Google Image Search'.
• I shared roughly ideas for lessons on Fermat as well as Pascal inward my ship service 'End of term!' last year. 

I promise this has been helpful. There's lots to select from. Enjoy the final calendar week of term!