Area In Addition To Volume

Every maths region should ain a giant lawn tennis ball! Walk into the classroom alongside a large fluorescent ball nether your arm in addition to you've at in i lawsuit got the attending of the class.

Students stand upwards inwards a circle in addition to are told they're entirely allowed to speak if they're belongings the ball. Ask "how could nosotros function out the surface surface area of this ball?" in addition to throw it to a random student. Students throw the ball around the circle equally they portion their thoughts in addition to propose ideas. At some signal a instructor prompt may last necessary, along the lines of, "why did I select a lawn tennis ball? Why non a football game or netball or golf game ball?". In my sense this prompt may atomic number 82 some students to 'eureka' moments equally they starting fourth dimension thinking almost the markings on the surface of the lawn tennis ball. Eventually mortal volition topographic point that the surface is made upwards of iv circles wrapped around each other, in addition to they tin so deduce that the formula for the surface surface area is 4πr². If they demand convincing, demonstrate them this slide.

This is a rattling engaging activity. As pupils can't speak unless they're belongings the ball, you'll run across them wildly waving their arms about, silently begging their friends to exceed them the ball so they tin portion their ideas!

Try it - I'd dear to listen how it goes.

Area in addition to majority is a broad ranging topic, from areas of triangles inwards Year seven to volumes of hemispheres in addition to frustums inwards Year 11. Here's a handful of my favourite resources:

• I manus out these rhymes for the surface area in addition to circumference of a circle in Year 7, tell them to alternative their favourite or come upwards up alongside their own. Love this silly song too.
• Also for Year 7, these matching cards from the Nuffield Foundation involve calculating the surface area in addition to perimeter of chemical compound shapes.
• As always, enough of dandy activities on teachitmaths.com. 
• At GCSE I purpose this problem solving challenge with questions from Median Don Steward. Pupils function on A3 newspaper inwards pairs. They demand their brains switched on for this one. There's loads of vivid activities on Don Steward's blog that could last used inwards a similar way.
• The Chalk Face has some lovely activities, including: cornflakes problem; Penny Farthing; fuel tank; golden balls and baby surface area. 
• There's a nice activity on finding the majority of dissimilar shaped glasses from Shell Centre. 
• Illustrativemathematics.org has fantastic geometry activities. I dear the rich chore Eight Circles which relates to finding the surface area of a circle.
• The Chalk Face also brings us this dandy harder surface surface area questions from Don Steward.
• Maths Sandpit has a fantastic resources for investigating the surface surface area of a cone.
• Challenging volume in addition to surface area revision questions for Year 11. Some of these are quite tricky in addition to demonstrate that this topic isn't but almost substituting into formulae.

For related degree intelligence - why produce nosotros nation hemisphere but semicircle? Why non semisphere or hemicircle? I believe it's because the intelligence circle is from the Latin intelligence circus (meaning ring), thus nosotros purpose the Latin prefix semi, whereas sphere is from the Greek intelligence sphaira (ball), thus nosotros purpose the Greek prefix hemi. This article almost semi/hemi/demi gives to a greater extent than examples. If y'all similar this so y'all powerfulness also similar these lovely maths vocabulary activities.

Finally, here's i for the teachers. It's non equally obvious equally it seems!

(answer)

5 Maths Gems #29

Hello too welcome to my 29^th Maths Gems. This is where I portion 5 instruction ideas too resources I've seen on Twitter.

1. Nix the Tricks Videos
I've long been a fan of the majority Nix the Tricks - I intend it should live compulsory reading for all trainee maths teachers. I'm excited to come across that Owen Tabbert (@OTmath) is making a serial of Nix the Tricks videos for teachers. I intend these videos are going to live incredibly useful - non exclusively for non-specialists too anyone preparing to learn maths for the start time, but too for experienced teachers reflecting on how they explicate mathematical concepts. There's exclusively 2 videos thus far, but to a greater extent than to come. This video almost the concept of 'borrowing' inwards subtraction is excellent:



2. #AlmostMondayMaths
I like @OxfordEdMaths' novel tweeting initiative. Every Lord's Day at 7.15pm they tweet a maths enquiry for teachers to role inwards the calendar week ahead, using the hashtag #AlmostMondayMaths. Here's a duet of examples of what they've shared thus far:

#AlmostMondayMaths - rounding

#AlmostMondayMaths - algebra

3. Radians too Quadrants
Thanks to Meg Craig (Unit Circle too Radians' from Math Teacher Mambo (@MTMambo) which is almost instruction radians using cut-out pieces representing diverse angles (π/4, π/3, π/6 etc).

When I learn Year 12 students to role a quadrant when solving trigonometric equations, they (just about!) sympathise where to depict angles inwards degrees but uncovering it actually difficult to travel inwards radians. I've previously written almost helping students to understand radians, but I've non seen this lovely template approach before.

4. Problems from MathsPad
MathsPad is ane of my favourite resources websites. I'm actually pleased that James (@MathsPadJames) and Nicola (@MathsPadNicola) from MathsPad are directly on Twitter because they're sum of adept ideas. Do cheque out the problems too weblog posts that James tweets, similar this cuboid problem:

The website MathsPad has lots of complimentary resources too the balance are available for a small-scale subscription charge. All of their resources are excellent.

5. Grange Maths Camp

I'm rattling impressed past times the dedication of Chris Smith (@aap03102) too his colleagues who gave upwardly a weekend to run a maths army camp for their Sixth Form students. I'm too impressed that thus many students attended - I can't fifty-fifty larn my students to attend a thirty infinitesimal lunchtime revision session! If you lot haven't nevertheless read Chris' report of the sense thus create conduct maintain a hold off - it's inspiring stuff. It sounds similar Chris' students volition live rattling good prepared for their upcoming exams. 

Update

I conduct maintain ane to a greater extent than calendar week alongside my Year 11s too 12s earlier they start Study Leave. In my concluding Year eleven maths lesson this Fri I innovation to role this bright 'last year. 

I'm a Year eleven shape tutor thus there's a lot going on this calendar week (including enough of cake eating!). Next calendar week I'll live making certain that the members of my tutor grouping larn to their GCSE exams on time. After one-half term I start my novel chore at Glyn School inwards Epsom (only iii weeks to become - it's been a long hold off since I was offered the chore inwards December!).

If you lot learn GCSE classes thus I recommend you lot read '#mathsconf2015 inwards Birmingham. 

Although I've been adding lots of novel resources to my libraries, I've non written many novel weblog posts lately. That's because I've been actually busy both at schoolhouse too at home. It was my youngest daughter's Christening on Lord's Day thus I had to create a lot of organising. Now that's done I'll conduct maintain fourth dimension to write some posts - create allow me know if there's whatsoever specific topics you'd similar me to write about. Last fourth dimension I asked for postal service suggestions, I ended upwardly writing iii challenging posts - algebra, fractions too calculus. I'm cook for some other challenge!

Area In Addition To Volume

Every maths region should ain a giant lawn tennis ball! Walk into the classroom alongside a large fluorescent ball nether your arm in addition to you've at in i lawsuit got the attending of the class.

Students stand upwards inwards a circle in addition to are told they're entirely allowed to speak if they're belongings the ball. Ask "how could nosotros function out the surface surface area of this ball?" in addition to throw it to a random student. Students throw the ball around the circle equally they portion their thoughts in addition to propose ideas. At some signal a instructor prompt may last necessary, along the lines of, "why did I select a lawn tennis ball? Why non a football game or netball or golf game ball?". In my sense this prompt may atomic number 82 some students to 'eureka' moments equally they starting fourth dimension thinking almost the markings on the surface of the lawn tennis ball. Eventually mortal volition topographic point that the surface is made upwards of iv circles wrapped around each other, in addition to they tin so deduce that the formula for the surface surface area is 4πr². If they demand convincing, demonstrate them this slide.

This is a rattling engaging activity. As pupils can't speak unless they're belongings the ball, you'll run across them wildly waving their arms about, silently begging their friends to exceed them the ball so they tin portion their ideas!

Try it - I'd dear to listen how it goes.

Area in addition to majority is a broad ranging topic, from areas of triangles inwards Year seven to volumes of hemispheres in addition to frustums inwards Year 11. Here's a handful of my favourite resources:

• I manus out these rhymes for the surface area in addition to circumference of a circle in Year 7, tell them to alternative their favourite or come upwards up alongside their own. Love this silly song too.
• Also for Year 7, these matching cards from the Nuffield Foundation involve calculating the surface area in addition to perimeter of chemical compound shapes.
• As always, enough of dandy activities on teachitmaths.com. 
• At GCSE I purpose this problem solving challenge with questions from Median Don Steward. Pupils function on A3 newspaper inwards pairs. They demand their brains switched on for this one. There's loads of vivid activities on Don Steward's blog that could last used inwards a similar way.
• The Chalk Face has some lovely activities, including: cornflakes problem; Penny Farthing; fuel tank; golden balls and baby surface area. 
• There's a nice activity on finding the majority of dissimilar shaped glasses from Shell Centre. 
• Illustrativemathematics.org has fantastic geometry activities. I dear the rich chore Eight Circles which relates to finding the surface area of a circle.
• The Chalk Face also brings us this dandy harder surface surface area questions from Don Steward.
• Maths Sandpit has a fantastic resources for investigating the surface surface area of a cone.
• Challenging volume in addition to surface area revision questions for Year 11. Some of these are quite tricky in addition to demonstrate that this topic isn't but almost substituting into formulae.

For related degree intelligence - why produce nosotros nation hemisphere but semicircle? Why non semisphere or hemicircle? I believe it's because the intelligence circle is from the Latin intelligence circus (meaning ring), thus nosotros purpose the Latin prefix semi, whereas sphere is from the Greek intelligence sphaira (ball), thus nosotros purpose the Greek prefix hemi. This article almost semi/hemi/demi gives to a greater extent than examples. If y'all similar this so y'all powerfulness also similar these lovely maths vocabulary activities.

Finally, here's i for the teachers. It's non equally obvious equally it seems!

(answer)

5 Maths Gems #29

Hello too welcome to my 29^th Maths Gems. This is where I portion 5 instruction ideas too resources I've seen on Twitter.

1. Nix the Tricks Videos
I've long been a fan of the majority Nix the Tricks - I intend it should live compulsory reading for all trainee maths teachers. I'm excited to come across that Owen Tabbert (@OTmath) is making a serial of Nix the Tricks videos for teachers. I intend these videos are going to live incredibly useful - non exclusively for non-specialists too anyone preparing to learn maths for the start time, but too for experienced teachers reflecting on how they explicate mathematical concepts. There's exclusively 2 videos thus far, but to a greater extent than to come. This video almost the concept of 'borrowing' inwards subtraction is excellent:



2. #AlmostMondayMaths
I like @OxfordEdMaths' novel tweeting initiative. Every Lord's Day at 7.15pm they tweet a maths enquiry for teachers to role inwards the calendar week ahead, using the hashtag #AlmostMondayMaths. Here's a duet of examples of what they've shared thus far:

#AlmostMondayMaths - rounding

#AlmostMondayMaths - algebra

3. Radians too Quadrants
Thanks to Meg Craig (Unit Circle too Radians' from Math Teacher Mambo (@MTMambo) which is almost instruction radians using cut-out pieces representing diverse angles (π/4, π/3, π/6 etc).

When I learn Year 12 students to role a quadrant when solving trigonometric equations, they (just about!) sympathise where to depict angles inwards degrees but uncovering it actually difficult to travel inwards radians. I've previously written almost helping students to understand radians, but I've non seen this lovely template approach before.

4. Problems from MathsPad
MathsPad is ane of my favourite resources websites. I'm actually pleased that James (@MathsPadJames) and Nicola (@MathsPadNicola) from MathsPad are directly on Twitter because they're sum of adept ideas. Do cheque out the problems too weblog posts that James tweets, similar this cuboid problem:

The website MathsPad has lots of complimentary resources too the balance are available for a small-scale subscription charge. All of their resources are excellent.

5. Grange Maths Camp

I'm rattling impressed past times the dedication of Chris Smith (@aap03102) too his colleagues who gave upwardly a weekend to run a maths army camp for their Sixth Form students. I'm too impressed that thus many students attended - I can't fifty-fifty larn my students to attend a thirty infinitesimal lunchtime revision session! If you lot haven't nevertheless read Chris' report of the sense thus create conduct maintain a hold off - it's inspiring stuff. It sounds similar Chris' students volition live rattling good prepared for their upcoming exams. 

Update

I conduct maintain ane to a greater extent than calendar week alongside my Year 11s too 12s earlier they start Study Leave. In my concluding Year eleven maths lesson this Fri I innovation to role this bright 'last year. 

I'm a Year eleven shape tutor thus there's a lot going on this calendar week (including enough of cake eating!). Next calendar week I'll live making certain that the members of my tutor grouping larn to their GCSE exams on time. After one-half term I start my novel chore at Glyn School inwards Epsom (only iii weeks to become - it's been a long hold off since I was offered the chore inwards December!).

If you lot learn GCSE classes thus I recommend you lot read '#mathsconf2015 inwards Birmingham. 

Although I've been adding lots of novel resources to my libraries, I've non written many novel weblog posts lately. That's because I've been actually busy both at schoolhouse too at home. It was my youngest daughter's Christening on Lord's Day thus I had to create a lot of organising. Now that's done I'll conduct maintain fourth dimension to write some posts - create allow me know if there's whatsoever specific topics you'd similar me to write about. Last fourth dimension I asked for postal service suggestions, I ended upwardly writing iii challenging posts - algebra, fractions too calculus. I'm cook for some other challenge!