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Spreadsheets Make Sense
This resource from SMILE contains 21 activities for using spreadsheets to solve mathematical problems. Teachers' notes give advice on appropriate ways of using the activity and identifying particular support students may need when using a spreadsheet.
The activities are:
Favourite colours - carry out a survey and use ICT to display the data
Multiplication spreadsheet - create a multiplication table
Pocket money - perform repeated calculations quickly
Adding one - investigate the effect of adding or subtracting 1 from the numerator or denominator of a fraction
Dividing investigation - dividing integers by different numbers to categorise as terminating or recurring decimals
Planning a party - create a simple model using a variety of operations
142857 multiplication table - identify recurring decimals
Again and again - generate a sequence using an iterative process leading to limits
Spreadsheet grids - investigate the effect of the size of three or more numbers on their sum and product
Square roots investigation - identify a limit using patterns and algebra
Squidge - use brackets to create an algebraic expression to investigate sequences
A rich aunt - appreciate the power of a spreadsheet to solve real-life problem
Averaging out - use the mean to generate a sequence of numbers leading to a limit
Cuboids - create an algebraic expression for the formulas for surface area, total edge length and volume
Differences - between successive terms of sequences generated from linear, quadratic and cubic mappings
A problem of power - introduce students to modulo function
Marbles - use algebra to model a real life situation
Strings - numbers which are formed from the integer parts of terms of sequences
Converging sequences - the limit of a sequence formed from the ratios of corresponding terms
Geometry sequences - investigate infinite sequences with finite sums
Optimising - use algebraic and graphical methods to model and solve real life problems by manipulate mathematical formulas
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