This Cre8ate maths activity allows the opportunity to discuss the modelling function of mathematics. The tasks allow students to develop their own strategies and to consider the idea of an ‘efficient’ algorithm. In addition, 'First fit and full bins' activity involves work on ratio and pie charts.

In this resource from CensusAtSchool, students are asked to apply their knowledge of the Poisson distribution to real life data in the context of a school problem. This resource is good at contextualising and reinforcing understanding of the Poisson distribution, it requires students to consider developing a...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), this activity for post-16 students demonstrates that the efficiency of a river can be measured using the hydraulic radius; this depends on the cross-sectional area of the river and the wetted perimeter of the...

This resource from ARKive, aimed at key stage two, focuses on handling data, using some of the species that inhabit the African savannah as a context. It involves completing a table on the height and weight of animals and converting heights from metres into centimetres. In a second activity children are asked to...

This resource uses height data from the pilot of CensusAtSchool to encourage Key Stage Three and Key Stage Four students to investigate growth. They are asked to draw conclusions using both calculations and graphs and also consider other factors affecting growth. Students develop skills in interpreting tables,...

Using the data from CensusAtSchool 2006/2007, this data analysis resource looks at trends in life expectancy in populations. Students consider both the primary data collected from CensusAtSchool and secondary data about life expectancy and major causes of death. A plenary asks students to consider what they have...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), this activity for post-16 students shows how regular sampling of a variety of prices is used to get a measure of inflation. There is more than one possible way to do this. A measure of inflation is used to...

In this resource from stats4schools, students are asked if they believe in 'the Force'. One of the questions on the 2001 census asked people about their religion. Some people did put Jedi as a response on their census form and the Office for National Statistics have released this data. Students investigate this...

This resource from the Nuffield Foundation provides the opportunity for students to fit functions to linear and quadratic graphs. It is assumed that students will already have some knowledge of linear and quadratic functions and their graphs, which are used to compare models and comment on their suitability. A...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), this activity shows that it is not possible to be certain what the market will do next. The mathematical ideas covered are:
• Time series
• Percentage change
• Random walks
• Geometric...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), this activity shows that derivatives can help to manage risk. The market in derivatives has grown enormously in recent years. On average, speculators break even. The mathematical ideas covered are:
•...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics for Education and Industry (MEI), this activity for post-16 students shows how money which circulates has a greater effect than could be expected. The activity starts by students predicting on what they will spend their wages when they get a...

The Nappy Changing Challenge from Cre8ate maths provides real data about students for analysis. They undertake a timed, practical, exercise of folding a towelling nappy and putting it onto a toy baby doll. Throughout the task students complete a form for the Nappy challenge and record their completed data in an...

The Nuffield Foundation provide this resource where students are shown how to draw and format cumulative frequency graphs in Excel, showing the hourly earnings of men and women, and then interpret their graphs. Students need to know how to draw cumulative frequency graphs by hand before attempting to draw them...

From the Integrating Mathematical Problem Solving project by Mathematics for Education and Industry (MEI), this activity for post-16 students demonstrates that coffee cools gradually because it is hotter than room temperature and heat is lost to the room. Mixing the coffee with milk also cools it but this effect is...