Matrix Multiplication

When I teach matrix multiplication I discovery that pupils tin rate the axe top away a fleck lost inward their calculations.  I constitute a fantastic novel method on this blog.

Let's tell nosotros accept matrix A together with matrix B.  We desire to calculate AB.  Write downwardly the 2 matrices side-by-side.  Then move matrix Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 down. Now write your answer inward the infinite at the bottom right.  I intend the side past times side measuring is self-explanatory from the film below, merely read the master copy blog post for a amount explanation.

I honey this method - it's together with thence unproblematic to retrieve together with at in 1 trial most impossible to top away lost when multiplying matrices.

And - on the dependent area of matrices - this made me chuckle:

Logs

I similar pedagogy logarithms but my students abide by them genuinely hard. There's a broad diverseness of C2 examination questions on logs then pupils genuinely accept to empathise the topic, they can't only acquire a gear upwards of rules to acquire by. This is a skilful matter of course.

This weblog post from Sarah Hagan has absolutely loads of activities for pedagogy logs in addition to her subsequent post has only about follow-up activities.

There's a broad gain of pedagogy ideas inward this Logarithm Functions booklet from Mathematics Vision Project, which starts alongside an ordering activity:

Mathematics Vision Project

STEM Centre supply four resources designed to practice the basics in addition to extend agreement of logarithms, summation only about opened upwards ended questions for give-and-take or a mini-whiteboard activity. I've constitute the truthful or faux exercise specially effective for identifying misconceptions inward the past times (longer version alongside answers here).

Susan Wall - via STEM Centre

Here are only about to a greater extent than of my favourite resources for pedagogy logs to Year 12:

• Teachitmaths.co.uk has a alternative of logs dominoes - I specially similar these. 
• SRWhitehouse on TES ever provides fantabulous Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree resources. She has a great selection of resources for logs.
• Slides - 'An introduction to logarithms' past times Teachit Maths.
• C2 Target Board - Logs in addition to Indices - hannahlees on TES.
• Student activities on introducing logarithms - Project Maths 
• Become Friends alongside Logarithms - notes in addition to exercises past times Scott Surgent.
• RISP 31 - edifice log equations.
• Standards Unit A13 - Simplifying Logarithmic Expressions.

Factorising Harder Quadratics

My pupils panic at the sight of a quadratic alongside a leading coefficient greater than one.  I factorise these quadratics yesteryear inspection (the 'guess as well as test' method) but my pupils aren't satisfied alongside this proposition - they desire a to a greater extent than structured approach.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 normally taught method inwards the Great Britain involves splitting the middle term inwards 2 (sometimes called the 'Grouping Method'). This is explained really clearly here (thanks to SRWhitehouse for this resource). Teachitmaths.co.uk has a PowerPoint explaining this method. It's worth watching James Tanton's video 'Splitting the Middle Term' too. He's non a fan!

'Grouping'. Source: Flat World Education

An alternative, which seems slow at get-go but paves the agency for a large reveal of misconceptions, is the 'slide as well as divide' method. The method, as well as its associated problems, are nicely described inwards Nix the Tricks.

Nix the Tricks offers an interesting choice - I've provided 2 examples hither but it's worth reading the majority for the total explanation.

It's also worth looking at this post yesteryear Don Steward to run across his tap live yesteryear method for finding factors as well as for lots of helpful exercise questions.

Also worth a mention: when I get-go start instruction quadratic factorisation, I similar to purpose this well-designed sum-product worksheet from greatmathsteachingideas.com as a starter. It's skillful exercise of an essential skill.

Coded Averages

Teaching coding inwards Statistics 1 is a flake of a pain.  My pupils simply don't similar it, as well as it's difficult for me to learn enthusiastic nearly something that didn't actually be when I studied Statistics (perhaps because it's non alone necessary?). When I was revising this topic alongside my Year 12s this year, I used a actually uncomplicated real-life example:

Imagine I'm queuing upwardly to purchase iv items of clothing, which cost £29.95, £49.95, £59.95 as well as £99.95. To transcend fourth dimension I hit upwardly one's require heed to operate out the hateful toll of these 4 items. To brand the numbers easier to bargain with, I add together 5p to each total as well as so dissever past times 10, giving me £3, £5, £6 as well as £10. It's real tardily to operate out the hateful of these 'coded' prices inwards my caput - it's £6. And at in 1 trial I tin uncode that hateful past times multiplying past times 10 so subtracting 5p (the inverse of the master coding).  That speedily gives me the actual hateful toll of the clothes, which is £59.95.  

Resources

Here's a few resources I've constitute for didactics this topic:

• Teachitmaths.co.uk has a lovely worksheet for helping pupils sympathise the impact of coding. Just beware of the fault inwards the extension questions - both information sets should convey 6 values, non five.
• Schoolworkout.co.uk has this sorting activity and this worksheet.
• Phildb on tes.co.uk has written this worksheet.

There's a express alternative hither so mayhap I should write something myself - I'll add together it to my list!

Large Foursquare Roots

In C1, the non-calculator H5N1 degree module, my pupils sometimes conk stuck solving quadratic equations that are difficult to factorise. This mightiness live on because the leading coefficient is greater than i (see my earlier post) or it may only live on because the numbers inwards the quadratic are large.  I usually propose that they persevere amongst factorising, but if they accept to resort to using the quadratic formula together with thence they may need to foursquare origin a large foursquare number. Here's only about elementary ideas for how to produce thence - inwards this example I'm finding the foursquare origin of 324, though these methods travel as good for larger foursquare numbers.

Note that if the quadratic equation can't live on factorised inwards the outset house together with thence nosotros tin either role the formula or consummate the foursquare to solve it, together with nosotros volition destination upwardly amongst a surd inwards our finally answer.  My side past times side post service is all most didactics surds!

Surds

Surds - what a fabulous topic to teach! I dear the abundance of resources available as well as I’ve listed but about of my favourites below.

Two things I e'er produce when didactics surds:

• Pupils listing the source twelve foursquare numbers inwards their books for reference throughout the lesson. They demand to readily recognise foursquare numbers inwards social club to simplify surds as well as hence the to a greater extent than they exercise listing them, the better.
• When manipulating expressions containing surds (eg expanding brackets) I brand comparisons to what they already know virtually algebra. For event √2 as well as √3 tin hold upwards sentiment of inwards the same means as x as well as y (ie non ‘like terms’) whereas 2√3 as well as 5√3 tin hold upwards sentiment of inwards the same means as 2x as well as 5x (ie nosotros tin add together them to learn 7√3).

The NCETM suggests a yoke of prissy ‘hooks’ for getting started didactics surds:

• Ask pupils to uncovering a means of drawing a occupation alongside a length of just √5 units (the hypotenuse of a correct angled triangle alongside sides 2cm as well as 1cm) 
• Ask pupils to separate the length of an A4 slice of newspaper yesteryear its width. Repeat for A3 as well as A5. What produce they notice? (The answer is e'er √2)

This blog post has some to a greater extent than ideas for introducing the concept of surds. And I similar this on the history of surds.

Resources
Here’s but about groovy didactics resources (there's hundreds to a greater extent than online). Most of these travel as good at GCSE as well as Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level:

• Is it rational?
• Two interactive tasks from Mathspad
• Pairs activity 
• Introducing surds
• True or faux activity
• Surds -Applying as well as occupation solving
• Multiplication squares
• Mr Barton’s activity
• Standards Unit N11
• Surds Connect 4
• Surds resources - leannegadsby on TES
• Manipulating Radicals
• Tripods
• And here’s but about resources recommended yesteryear the TES.

For a lovely laid of surds problems, come across my Problem Sets page.

Finally, if you're looking for something actually creative, cheque out this Wheel of Theodorus Art Project.

Edit 29/12/14: Thanks to @runningtstitch for suggesting an option method for simplifying surds:

Radians

Radians scare my Year 12s. They frequently pick out to 'think' inwards degrees in addition to only convert their answers into radians. I wonder if I could create a ameliorate labor of introducing the concept.  I've only discovered this animation that is hence absolutely fantastic, I had to portion it.

I flora it inwards this blog post but it originated here.  Both are worth a read.  

I honey this post service 'Degrees vs Radians' which presents an opened upwards missive of the alphabet to students wondering, “Why Do We Use Radians Instead of Degrees?”.  

Colin Beveridge has potent feelings on the bailiwick - both teachers in addition to students would create goodness from reading his post service 'Why Radians Rock (and Degrees Don't)', inwards which he convinces the reader of the unquestionable benefits of using radians.

Next Level Maths has a overnice explanation of radians, including an interactive activity.

Incidentally, if you're excited yesteryear animations in addition to hence you lot mightiness similar the other animations inwards this article '7 Animated GIFs That Will Make You Instantly Understand Trigonometry'.

A Degree Revision

I created these revision cards for a classroom activity, simply they're as helpful for pupils studying at home. These cards comprehend all the facts in addition to definitions that pupils bespeak to larn for each module - I haven't included anything that is given inward the formula booklet.

These cards are based on the Edexcel specification.

Core i in addition to Core ii revision cards
Core iii revision cards
Statistics i revision cards
Statistics ii revision cards
Decision i revision cards
Mechanics i formulae revision  (thanks to my boss for creating the M1 cards!)

I promise to create C4 in addition to FP1 adjacent year!

Hope they're helpful!  If you lot desire to acquire out me a review or brand suggestions, delight create through TES or Twitter.

Skewness

Let’s beak S1, equally this year’s examine is fast approaching.

I don’t similar the way my S1 textbook deals alongside skewness. It basically only sets out methods for identifying skewness without actually explaining what it is. In this post service I hash out an choice approach.

I unremarkably operate this starter inquiry inwards my commencement S1 lesson of the year:

The quest existence that when in that place are outliers inwards a information set, the hateful becomes rather useless (unless of course of report you lot want to deceive people!).

Whilst instruction S1 I oft detect myself referring dorsum to my Bibonacci starter (‘remember that CEO? He ruined the mean!’). So I decided to brand a worksheet out of it - run across below - which I used for the commencement fourth dimension this twelvemonth when instruction skewness (if you lot similar this thence delight endure out me a review on TES!). My pupils enjoyed the action in addition to it generated interesting discussions.

• Investigating skewness activity
• Investigating skewness instructor notes

There is a similar action here - from the website Illustrative Mathematics.

The fundamental instruction quest is that when information is skewed, the median is to a greater extent than meaningful than the mean. We bring diverse methods for identifying skewness inwards a information laid upwardly (summarised inwards these slides – sorry, master copy source unknown) - nosotros unremarkably reckon the shape of a frequency diagram or box plot. Sometimes skewness is apparent only from looking at the raw information (this sideways stem-and-leaf diagram is interesting). 

Pupils necessitate to retrieve that positive skew agency nosotros bring a few 'sparse' information points (possibly outliers) at the top end of the information laid upwardly – in addition to similar inwards the Bibonacci example, this volition pull the hateful up. This volition help them conceptually sympathise the diverse methods described inwards the textbook.

Finally, here's a keen fob that I learnt from my colleague Lizzie... Imagine a cute puppy sitting on the left of the graph. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 positive skew is going to run across the puppy (positive = yay, a puppy!) in addition to a negative skew is going away from the puppy (negative = acquire away from this puppy!). It's a giddy but uncomplicated in addition to memorable way of ensuring that students don't acquire the graphs mixed up.

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Maths Painting Demo Quiz

Spiked Math has roughly fantabulous Maths Movie Quizzes.  I chose these ones to entertain my Year 13s at Christmas.  Great fun for Maths teachers too!

Venn Activities

This post service is nigh using Venn Diagrams equally a didactics tool, rather than didactics the concept of Venn Diagrams themselves.  To quote the splendid Johnny Griffiths, 'The Venn Diagram amongst iii bubbles is the maths teacher's friend! ... To move able to fill upward inward an eight-region diagram shows a actually deep agreement of the distinctions that a practiced pupil has to move able to make, spell the weaker pupil finds beingness faced amongst a moving-picture exhibit such equally this much less threatening than a page of exercises'.

Before nosotros foremost using Venn activities inward Maths lessons, let's mean value nigh whether pupils are familiar amongst how Venn Diagrams work. I acknowledge to beingness a flake clueless nigh just what children written report at master copy school. The primary here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in linear equations activity. It helped consolidate their noesis of linear graphs in addition to allowed me to banking concern check their understanding.

Johnny Griffith's splendid RISPs (Rich Starting Points for H5N1 Level Core Mathematics) includes the Venn activities Risp 10 (coordinate geometry) in addition to Risp 4 (periodic functions).  In the instructor notes for Risp 10 Johnny shares his views on the usefulness of Venns.

A Venn action for Solving Quadratics past times Factorising past times aka nka on TES. 

A GCSE extension action on quadratic graphs from MEI.

I haven't tried this all the same only Don Steward also gives us this lovely here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in number activity.

Interactive Venns

Venns piece of occupation good on the Interactive Whiteboard - here's roughly examples.

• Nrich has roughly interactive Venn diagrams on types of number.
• MathsPad has roughly lovely Venn activities (most ask a subscription). I've successfully used this Factors, Primes in addition to Multiples Activity with my Year 8s.   
• Teachitmaths.co.uk has interactive Venn activities - for instance for shapes and prime factors, or y'all tin create your ain (subscription required).

Other Uses

• When I innovate complex numbers inward FP1 nosotros create a Venn Diagram during degree news nigh types of numbers (real, rational, integers etc) in addition to their Greek symbol notation.  The NCETM has a similar Venn action inward this resource sheet.
• Up until lately I used Venn Diagrams to learn Highest Common Factor in addition to Lowest Common Multiple (method explained here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in this post.
• Quadrilaterals tin move classified using a Venn Diagram similar this one.  We tin in addition to hence answer questions such as 'Is every foursquare a rectangle? Is every rhomb a square?' A 'family tree' also plant well.

In determination - Venns are everywhere! But inward secondary Maths they are alone formally taught to those studying iGCSE (set theory) in addition to Statistics 1 at H5N1 flat (probability). I'm pleased to run across that Venn Diagram methods inward probability are on the new Maths GCSE Syllabus so volition move to a greater extent than widely studied inward future. But inward add-on to beingness taught equally a topic inward their ain right, Venn Diagrams are a versatile didactics tool amongst numerous applications inward the classroom. And they bring the added bonus of beingness created past times a British Mathematican! Well done Mr Venn.

Teaching Amongst Desmos

I discovered Desmos terminal yr through @ColleenYoung's fantastic weblog Mathematics, Learning in addition to Web 2.0. It chop-chop became my favourite slice of 'teachnology'. Before Desmos I occasionally used Omnigraph or Autograph, but I at nowadays utilization Desmos regularly because it's but so tardily to use. It actually couldn't travel simpler. As it's web-based, I encourage my pupils (particularly at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level) to utilization Desmos at domicile to back upward their studies, for trial to depository fiscal establishment gibe graph sketches.

Desmos on the Interactive Whiteboard
When instruction exponential functions to Year 12, I used Desmos on my IWB to present the graphs of functions such every bit y = 2^x in addition to y = 3^x. We discussed our expectations for graphs such every bit y = 2^-x in addition to used Desmos to check.  When nosotros plotted y = (-2)^x nosotros got an interesting trial - which had me stumped for a infinitesimal - tin you lot explicate it?

Desmos is specially helpful for demonstrating concepts inwards Further Maths (such every bit the directrix in addition to focus of a parabola) - there's unopen to expert examples in this blog.

Desmos inwards the information technology Room

My schoolhouse doesn’t ain tablets in addition to information technology rooms are rarely available, in addition to hence my pupils don't oftentimes acquire the conduct a opportunity to utilization applied scientific discipline during their Maths lessons. But I was in addition to hence non bad to part Desmos alongside my Year ix class, I made a big endeavor to acquire organised. I produced this worksheet for them to utilization inwards an information technology room, alongside the aim of introducing dissimilar types of graph (quadratic, cubic, reciprocal) in addition to uncomplicated transformations. After a real brusk demonstration of Desmos, the degree spent ii whole lessons working independently. I was pleased alongside their progress in addition to I promise that they'll hollo upward Desmos in addition to proceed to utilization it every bit a learning tool both at domicile in addition to at school.

I loaded my worksheet onto TES today - along alongside a graph transformation activity that I utilization at Key Stage iv - in addition to it got me thinking well-nigh whether whatsoever other resources are available for instruction alongside Desmos.  I establish a few examples on TES, such as Investigating at in i trial lines alongside Desmos past times Tristan Jones and Using Desmos to learn Coordinate Geometry (KS3) past times phildate. I facial expression that the make of instruction resources available volition grow every bit increasing numbers of teachers respect in addition to encompass this fantastic tool.  

Resources Anonymous

'Hello. My refer is Jo as well as I'm a resourceaholic'. Yes, I confess, I'm utterly addicted to searching the mesh for maths didactics resources.

It all started when I saw a PGCE pupil photocopying this blog. Ooh, novel websites! Heaven for a resourceaholic.

I haven't had a remove chances to aspect at all these websites yet, exactly here's around of my transcend resources recommendations from the websites I've looked at as well as thence far. I've focused on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score because that's where I mean value it's hardest to abide by interesting didactics ideas.

Statistics 1 
Illustrative Mathematics has around fantastic ideas for didactics S1. Here's a alternative of examples:

• Correlation as well as Regression: a lovely activity on java shops as well as crime. Includes calculating a correlation coefficient, interpreting a regression equation as well as considering causality as well as outliers.
• Discrete Random Variables:  a curt activity Sounds Really Good! (sort of) which features a real-life piece of occupation of expectation. Bob's Bagel Shop is similar.
• Probability: the bill of fare activeness Describing Events is an splendid introduction to probability as well as the activity Venn Diagrams as well as the Addition Rule is skillful too. I also similar this curt Titanic activeness on independence.
• Data:  These activities on Haircut Costs as well as Speed Trap focus on comparison box plots. Describing Data Sets amongst Outliers and Identifying Outliers are almost outliers as well as skewness inwards information (see my related postal service on didactics skewness).
• Normal Distribution: curt contextual exercises blog. Ooh, novel websites! Heaven for a resourceaholic.
  
  I haven't had a remove chances to aspect at all these websites yet, exactly here's around of my transcend resources recommendations from the websites I've looked at as well as thence far. I've focused on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score because that's where I mean value it's hardest to abide by interesting didactics ideas.
  
  Statistics 1 
  Illustrative Mathematics has around fantastic ideas for didactics S1. Here's a alternative of examples:
  
  • Correlation as well as Regression: a lovely activity on java shops as well as crime. Includes calculating a correlation coefficient, interpreting a regression equation as well as considering causality as well as outliers.
  • Discrete Random Variables:  a curt activity Sounds Really Good! (sort of) which features a real-life piece of occupation of expectation. Bob's Bagel Shop is similar.
  • Probability: the bill of fare activeness Describing Events is an splendid introduction to probability as well as the activity Venn Diagrams as well as the Addition Rule is skillful too. I also similar this curt Titanic activeness on independence.
  • Data:  These activities on Haircut Costs as well as Speed Trap focus on comparison box plots. Describing Data Sets amongst Outliers and Identifying Outliers are almost outliers as well as skewness inwards information (see my related postal service on didactics Logs. 
  • Quadratics as well as Cubics: I similar this short Cubic Graph task (answers here) from Mathematics Assessment Project. There's around great Forming Quadratics activities hither too.
  • Circles: Mathematics Assessment Project also has amount lesson plans - I've successfully used the splendid materials from Equations of Circles 1 and Equations of Circles 2 amongst my Year 12s. 
  • Surds: See resources listed inwards my before weblog post, blog. Ooh, novel websites! Heaven for a resourceaholic.
    
    I haven't had a remove chances to aspect at all these websites yet, exactly here's around of my transcend resources recommendations from the websites I've looked at as well as thence far. I've focused on Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score because that's where I mean value it's hardest to abide by interesting didactics ideas.
    
    Statistics 1 
    Illustrative Mathematics has around fantastic ideas for didactics S1. Here's a alternative of examples:
    
    • Correlation as well as Regression: a lovely activity on java shops as well as crime. Includes calculating a correlation coefficient, interpreting a regression equation as well as considering causality as well as outliers.
    • Discrete Random Variables:  a curt activity Sounds Really Good! (sort of) which features a real-life piece of occupation of expectation. Bob's Bagel Shop is similar.
    • Probability: the bill of fare activeness Describing Events is an splendid introduction to probability as well as the activity Venn Diagrams as well as the Addition Rule is skillful too. I also similar this curt Titanic activeness on independence.
    • Data:  These activities on Haircut Costs as well as Speed Trap focus on comparison box plots. Describing Data Sets amongst Outliers and Identifying Outliers are almost outliers as well as skewness inwards information (see my related postal service on didactics Surds. 

Resource Library: Complex Numbers

Resources Anonymous, I admitted I convey a serious resources addiction. Based on the popularity of that post, I intend I mightiness brand this spider web log primarily a resources library. So yous tin come upwardly hither to hold off for resources as well as ideas when you're planning lessons. Would that endure helpful? I similar to endure helpful. I suppose that's why I became a teacher.

Today I'm focusing on complex numbers. Although non widely studied inwards United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland of Britain as well as Northern Republic of Ireland secondary schools (only yesteryear Further Maths students), there's sure no shortage of didactics resources online - here's around highlights:

• First, my locomote yesteryear honor - Complex Number Operations Teaching & Learning Plans from the Project Maths Development Team. This is packed amount of lesson ideas as well as in that place are tonnes of vivid pupil activities inwards the appendices. I'm excited to origin using these. There's equally good a PowerPoint version.
• I highly recommend the activities provided yesteryear the Further Maths Support Network/MEI (school login required). Here's an example of their topic notes. Their attain of resources equally good includes worksheets, activities as well as assessments.  
• SRWhitehouse on TES produces fantabulous Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score resources, including a choice on complex numbers. I specially similar this introductory exercise.
• Illustrative Mathematics gives us 7 fantabulous activities: 
• Venn activities, this resource sheet is nearly classifying types of numbers.  There's a related activeness on page 32 of Complex Number Operations Teaching & Learning Plans.  



Finally, fun for teachers as well as students alike - here's a nice Complex Adding Maze and Nrich has a Complex Countdown game! Enjoy.

What topic would yous similar me to characteristic next? Please tweet me your requests!

Bringing Babies Into A Statistics Lesson

I’m non specially into babies (apart from my ain niggling terrors darlings) precisely I learn at a girls’ schoolhouse in addition to the bulk of my students response rather good to babe materials (apologies for the stereotyping). It’s surprisingly tardily to characteristic babies inward your statistics lessons if y'all thus please. I’ve already blogged near my Bibonacci starter. There’s likewise this pregnant moo-cow attempt enquiry (part d is the entirely S1 attempt enquiry I've e'er seen which requires students to know that 68.3% of usually distributed information is inside 1 measure difference of the mean).

Edexcel S1 Jan 2002, Q5

I used this enquiry inward an S1 lesson when I was heavily pregnant, much to the entertainment of my students. It led to a give-and-take near the gestation periods of other mammals (those pitiable elephants!). We’d clearly hold back a fairly strong correlation betwixt size in addition to gestation - when I learn a lead chances I'll run into if I tin pattern an interesting activeness using this information (I wonder whether anything similar is done inward biology).

Speaking of gestation periods - I retrieve when my due appointment for my get-go immature lady came in addition to went, I tried to respect statistics online to tell me how far overdue I mightiness go. I wanted to know the probability of babe arriving at 42 weeks. I didn’t respect much online at the fourth dimension precisely 1 time to a greater extent than I experience it could brand for an interesting lesson.

If y'all are a rear in addition to then y'all may move familiar amongst ‘the ruby-red book’, which is the Personal Child Health Record issued to all babies born inward the UK. This is a child's main tape of immunisations, development, wellness reviews in addition to thus on. At the dorsum of the ruby-red mass are the ‘UK-WHO Growth Charts’ where scatter graphs are plotted of the child’s tiptop in addition to weight against their age. On these scatter graphs are centile lines, to allow parents in addition to wellness professionals to compare the child’s measurements against other children of the same age. On a few occasions, I’ve been asked to explicate the pregnant of these charts to friends amongst newborn babies, thus it occurred to me that the increment charts could help me explicate the concept of percentiles to my S1 classes.

The ruby-red mass contains this description of the centile lines on the increment charts:

More information near the charts is available inward this fact sheet from the RCPCH.

While I was thinking near how to pattern an activeness for my S1 course of didactics based on these charts, I discovered that the writer of The Chalk Face has beaten me to it amongst this dainty 'Quartiles in addition to Percentiles' activity. And @srcav has already written this weblog postal service 'the mathematics of parenthood' near the potential to run increment charts inward his teaching.

Incidentally, the ruby-red mass says ‘someone who has been appropriately trained should consummate the increment chart’. Hmm. I promise they're non suggesting that members of the populace are incapable of adding a dot to a uncomplicated scatter graph?!

Right, my babe is awake directly thus I'll expire along to develop these ideas about other time...  Do permit me know if y'all tin think of whatever other baby-related information to add together to my theme.

My mini-mathematicians.  July 2014.

Resources, Resources, Resources...

Inequalities activeness - Project Maths

I've been working actually difficult on my resources libraries lately, hence I'm pleased to nation I'm lastly cook to part them! They tin live accessed through the tabs at the exceed of the page.

This is where I've set all my resources recommendations for you lot to browse when you're planning lessons. The A' degree pages volition in all probability live the most helpful every bit it tin live difficult to detect practiced resources for Key Stage 5. 

My recommendations are yesteryear no agency exhaustive - there's loads of practiced resources I haven't discovered withal (the cyberspace is also big, I can't hap upwards alongside it!). But I volition update my listings whenever I come upwards across something specially good. To clarify what I hateful yesteryear 'good' - my recommendations include well-designed activities, rich tasks and worksheets for topics where I yell back it tin live difficult to detect suitable do questions. 

My Top three Websites

The resources I've recommended are all gratis in addition to come upwards from a broad make of sources.  Here's my electrical flow favourite websites, inward no detail order.

1. Roof Truss task (trigonometry) and Bee Aware (scatter graphs) - at that topographic point are hundreds to a greater extent than in addition to they're all awesome.  
2. MathsPad has enough of first-class gratis resources. Subscription (£3 per month) gives access to their total range. I dear the way their resources are designed, including their interactive activities which are all rattling engaging in addition to slowly to use. Example resources include this lovely Square in addition to Cube Numbers Puzzle, and for older pupils I actually like Is it Rational?. 
3. Teachit Maths has large, well-organised resources libraries.  Free registration gives access to resources inward pdf form, which is fine for all their printable activities in addition to worksheets. You'll demand a subscription (£25 per year) if you lot also desire to access PowerPoints, interactive activities, didactics tools etc. Worksheets are well-designed, engaging in addition to include solutions. Examples of their resources include this Mental Powers Code Breaker in addition to this Transforming Graphs carte form activity, which I accept used successfully alongside both my Year 11s in addition to Year 12s.

Special advert to The Chalk Face and Mathematics Assessment Project - both of these websites are total of first-class ideas. I also larn a lot of resources from TES. One of my favourite TES contributors is SRWhitehouse who creates first-class Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 degree activities. For a total (and ever-expanding) listing of recommended resources websites, come across my links page.

Factor Trees - Median Don Steward

My Blog
Now I've finished creating my resources libraries, I tin larn dorsum to focussing on my blog. Here's approximately of the highlights hence far...

• My Area in addition to Volume postal service - featuring a giant lawn tennis ball - was rattling popular.
• My suggestions for terminate of term lessons on Binary in addition to Fermat also went downward well.
• Have you lot tried this method for finding inward HCFs in addition to LCMs?  It's hence much quicker than the Venn method.
• Have you lot read the majority post most it.
• I set a lot of sentiment into my postal service All About Gradient. I'm certain that pupils would savour the lesson ideas I've suggested for investigating steepness - accept you lot watched the video of the cyclist attempting a 38% gradient? My legs wound simply thinking most it!
• I've written a publish of posts focussing on specific topics or concepts such every bit dividing yesteryear zero, angle facts, skewness in addition to simultaneous equations.  I've also discussed didactics tools such every bit Desmos, comic strips, blogs in addition to methods for developing vocabulary. 
• It was my uncovering of a novel matrix multiplication method that brought me to blogging - if you lot instruct matrices hence create depository fiscal establishment tally it out.
• Finally, something fun for the teachers - evidence the Maths Movie Quiz.

For a total listing of my weblog posts come across the blog archive.  Not bad going for three months!

'Find the Coordinates' chore yesteryear Susan Wall

Kicking Off Twelvemonth 12

Following on from my final post on ideas for the kickoff Year seven lesson of the year, here's unopen to ideas for the start of Year 12.

Unfortunately nosotros don't actually get got whatever fourth dimension to spare inwards our 6th cast teaching. It's a challenge but to fit plenty lessons into the schoolhouse twelvemonth to encompass all the course of report cloth earlier our students larn off to get got their exams. So, sadly, there's no fourth dimension for enrichment or getting to know each other - students get got to hitting the terra firma running.

Entry Assessment
At my school, equally at many others, nosotros enquire our students to gain for Year 12 past times doing unopen to summertime work. We hold off them to get got a enterprise agreement of GCSE topics when they start the course, peculiarly surds, indices in addition to algebra. Last year, for the kickoff time, nosotros introduced a Year 12 entry assessment. The locomote of the entry assessment was to assist us pose the students who needed additional back upwards from the start of the course. We likewise hoped it would pose whatever students who shouldn't locomote taking AS maths at all, inwards the promise that they powerfulness catch choosing an option course.

Extract from Year 12 Entry Assessment

The results from our entry assessments were rather worrying. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 large release of the cohort got less than 50% fifty-fifty though the bulk achieved a degree A* at GCSE. The elementary inquiry 'Calculate 238 x 6.3' was answered real badly, showing a lack of basic maths skills.

I had a huge amount of students come upwards to my extra back upwards sessions - I believe the entry assessment was a skilful 'wake upwards call' for them. It motivated these students to focus in addition to piece of employment difficult correct from the start. All students improved their grade considerably inwards the subsequent re-test, but notwithstanding unopen to of the marks were quite low. On Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird results twenty-four hours inwards a few weeks I'll locomote actually interested to compare AS grades achieved to performance inwards the entry assessment final September.

Here's the files inwards example you lot desire to borrow them:

• Year 12 Entry Assessment   (answers) 
• Feedback sheet  (students who did good got a 'welcome to AS Maths' message!)
• Year 12 Entry Assessment re-test 

Student Handbooks

We mitt out student handbooks to every Year 12 inwards the kickoff lesson of the year. They're asked to proceed these inwards the front end of their maths folder. It's peculiarly helpful that they get got their ain re-create of the formula canvass in addition to a direct to reading essay out grade schemes.  

Activities

Here's unopen to squeamish resources for the kickoff duet of maths lessons:

• What's the Difference - run across below. This tidings activity reminds students of the importance of next the lodge of operations.

• Introduction to C1 Algebra matching activity - from SRWhitehouse on TES
• Ever wondered why? - an engaging in addition to challenging indices puzzle from JustMaths 
• Indices activity - from SRWhitehouse on TES

My Core AS and Statistics AS pages get got lots to a greater extent than resources recommendations for the balance of the course.

If you'd similar Word copies of my pdfs to arrange for your ain school, delight ask.

Animations Together With Simulations

Last night's #mathschat discussion close images gave me in addition to therefore many practiced teaching ideas, I woke upward at 2am to write a list! One affair that came upward was animations. I dear a practiced animation that demonstrates a concept beautifully, in addition to therefore here's a few examples.

blog post) and judging past times the let on of retweets, I gauge others similar it every bit much every bit I do. There's to a greater extent than gifs similar this here. 

The animation below shows how the outside angles of a polygon amount to 360^o. Sometimes it's meliorate to purpose an animation that y'all tin sack suspension in addition to speak through though, in addition to therefore I prefer this animation for outside angles of a polygon. Absorb Learning is an fantabulous website for animations.

Another instance of an animation y'all tin sack suspension during teaching is this 'bisecting an angle' tool. It comes alongside both a clear teaching canvass for students in addition to associated proofs. There are similar pages for every possible construction! As I mentioned inwards a previous post, I loathe teaching constructions, in addition to therefore I honour this real helpful.

Here's some other maths gif. This 1 is for demonstrating the properties of parabolas, every bit taught inwards Further Maths. This tin sack also locomote demonstrated nicely using Desmos.

I also desire to get upward PhET simulations. I don't instruct mechanics exactly I'm told that PhET has lots of bully interactive simulations for demonstrating concepts. 'Balancing Act' is a practiced example. They also convey simulations for Key Stage iii topics such every bit fractions - run across the full maths alternative here. The simulations tin sack locomote downloaded in addition to run from your schoolhouse network. 

Balancing Act - PhET

Aren't nosotros lucky to convey such fantabulous applied scientific discipline to heighten our teaching?

If y'all know of whatever other practiced animations or interactive tools, delight comment below or tweet me.