Task Maths 3

In this Year Nine textbook from Task Maths, there are 17 mathematics tasks. There are also useful sets of review exercises after every three tasks and revision exercises at the end. Each task consists of a number of differentiated activities. Many activities are investigative or exploratory and encourage discussion of ideas. Task Maths 3 contains much innovative content which could usefully replace or supplement work in some current texts.

The tasks are:

1. Polygonal rings - Open-ended exploration of rings made by joining polygons which makes extensive use of ATM MATS and ATM Generator tiles

2. Not likely! - Probability, outcomes from combined events, some interesting coincidences and tricks

3. Rectangles and cuboids - Investigating number of ways of decomposing rectangles into squares, leading to algebraic representations

4. The answer is 4t+2 - Representing simple algebraic formula in a range of physical ways

5. Design a chair - Using data and statistical measures to help model the design

6. Find the number - Number puzzles and games of strategy leading to the use of algebra

7. Angles, polygons and circles - Angles of polygons inscribed in circles and polygons, practical approach to loci

8. Windows - Number patterns obtained from ‘Windows’ on a variety of grids and number strips

9. What is trigonometry? - Introduces cosine, sine and tangent

10. Is it true? - Handling data: questionnaire design, sample size, displaying and analysing the data

11. Arithmagons - Wide range of arithmagons at a large range of levels of difficulty

12. Seeing the connection - Co-ordinates: four quadrants, graphing equations of straight lines and simple orderings ending with quadratics and inverse proportion

13. Is it possible? - Large number of problems and puzzles where there may be 0, 1 or more possible answers. Introduces vectors towards the end if the task

14. Intersecting circles - Geometric properties including common chords and tangents

15. At random - Notion of randomness, experimental & theoretical probabilities, tree diagrams

16. Fitting shapes - Fitting shapes inside shapes and looking at what fraction can be filled. Includes some difficult investigations

17. What is the smallest? - Contexts of varying difficulty from smallest perimeter to minimising journeys in 3-D requiring the use of Pythagoras.

The Teachers' Resource Book

Contents

*Introduction The first part of the book covers the approach taken, resources and materials needed and the teacher’s role. The detail on the National Curriculum and Recording is no longer relevant because of subsequent changes.

*Guide to tasks There are typically two or three pages of information on each of the tasks which give answers and brief suggestions for approaches to the activities as well as listing any resources needed.

*Answers to the review exercises are included after every three tasks and answers to the revision exercise answers follow the tasks.

*Copymasters