Shopping Mall

This video resource from Teachers TV is presented by mathematics adviser and performer Isaac Anoom. Filmed in a shopping mall, it raises quick-fire starter questions on: surface area of an octagon, calculating percentages, determining the best buy, probability, ordering fractions using reciprocals and a cake cutting challenge which requires careful consideration.

A question is posed for each topic, offering a pause point for teachers to hold a freeze frame on screen while students discuss the question. The video is designed for teachers to use with an interactive whiteboard. Each starter is available as an individual clip.

Surface Area: Octagon

Isaac demonstrates how, using simple shapes, the octagon can be divided three different ways to solve the problem. To be successful with this challenge, students will have to be familiar with Pythagoras' theorem.

Percentages: Price Discount on Suitcase

Students are given the original price of a suitcase and challenged to find its sale price after a 20% reduction.

Percentages: VAT on Suitcase

The first challenge in this clip is to calculate what the VAT charge would be for an amount of money, without using a calculator, whilst the second is to work out the VAT aspect of a price.

Value for Money: Boxes of Teabags

This is a starter on best buy. Isaac demonstrates two techniques which can be used, depending on the values provided. The first uses values which have a direct ratio, whilst the second requires unit pricing.

Value for Money: Mobile Phone Tariffs

Using graphs, a pay as you go tariff is compared to a monthly deal, plotting minutes against cost, to see which is the better option.

Probability: Assorted Chocolates

Students are given the number of different types of chocolate in a bag and asked to identify the probability of a single event and combining two events.

Fractions: Using Reciprocals

In this lesson starter on fractions students are shown how it is possible to order fractions with different denominators.

Fractions: Cutting a Cake

In this clip, students are invited to explain how a cake can be cut into 12 equal portions, using only four cuts. At first this may seem like an impossible task, before Isaac provides the solution.