Nice Ideas in One Place: Volume One
The first of two volumes, from SMILE mathematics, of useful and interesting activities covering a wide range of mathematical themes. Teachers describe the ways in which they have used the ideas in the classroom and provide a number of tips and suggestions to help vary the approach taken. Each activity has an information panel containing suggested time allocation, preparation required and materials required.
A giant's ring - estimating the size of a giant given a length of string to represent the giant's ring
Back to back solids - describing solids made from multi-link
Bingo - questions to check off numbers on a bingo card
Carry on the sequence - students have to carry on a sequence given the fist few terms
Centicube boats - making a plasticine boat that will hold the maximum amount of centicubes without sinking
Class scattergram - making a physical scattergram using students as points
Countdown - variation of the numbers game from the TV programme
Displays in newspapers - interpreting graphs found in newspapers
Give us a clue - describing mathematical words to others
Handshakes - classic handshake problem
Helicopters - making a paper helicopter to time the flight and represent the results
How do you do it? - describing the method used to answer simple questions
How true? - collecting and interpreting data to make an argument for or against a statement
Long multiplication - discussing the methods used to solve problems
Multiples and factors - factors and multiples game
Newspaper towers - making the tallest tower with newspaper and sticky tape
Numbers on your back - a game requiring the use of language and good listening skills
People loci - using students as points to define the loci given a rule
Place value - making the largest 3 digit number
Rolling 2 dice together - making bar charts of the sum when two dice are rolled
Scrabble ideas - logic puzzles using scrabble tiles
Splitting a cube - designing nets for the shapes when a cube is split in two
Make me say 20 - the respondent uses a secret rule to generate a number and the other person try to get an answer of 20 by asking questions
Stand up, sit down - puzzle about the number of factors of a square number
Student connect 4 - connect 4 using students as counters
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