This is one in a large series of short videos from NCETM showing how people use maths at work. See the others here.
Jul 082014
Jul 032014
If you have not yet tried Squares and Cubes do this first.
A square root is the opposite of squaring a number. The symbol for square root is √.
So if 3²=9 then √9=3
A cube root is the opposite of cubing a number. The symbol for cube root is ³ √.
So if 3³=27 then ³ √27=3
TrySquares, Square Roots, Cubes and Cube Roots to help you become familiar with the important examples of this.
Jul 032014
To square a number you multiply it by itself. For example 3² =3×3=9
To cube a number you multiply it by itself three times. So 3³=3x3x3=27
If you are studying GCSE it is very helpful to learn the common squares and cubes to save you time in the non calculator exam. This exercise will help you do that-don’t be tempted to use a calculator! For Functional Skills students you can use a calculator. Look for the x² and x³ buttons on your scientific calculator and use these.
Each time you do this exercise you will get a different selection of questions. To do it again click the refresh icon on your browser.
Jun 272014
Here is a dominoes activity to revise sequences and terms. Cut out the dominoes shapes then arrange them so that each question is followed by the answer. If this is hard try this activity first.
Jun 272014
A jigsaw to revise linear graphs and their equations. Do you remember y=mx+c? m is the gradient, c is the intercept on the y axis. If you have forgotten this look here first.
Some of these equations need re-arranging so you can find the gradient and intercept, but others are already in the y=mx+c format.
I think this is one of the best jokes yet! Do you get it?
Jun 272014
This jigsaw will help you revise simplifying expressions, inequalities, expanding brackets and factorisation. Is this the worst joke yet? 
Jun 272014
A jigsaw to help revise simple equations. Hope you like the joke!
Jun 272014
A jigsaw to help revise perimeter and shapes.
Jun 272014
Do you remember the difference between mean, median and mode? Check your knowledge by having a go at this jigsaw.
Jun 272014
Here is a jigsaw to help practice simplifying surds. This is a Higher GCSE topic. If it is too difficult watch the video first. Hope you like the joke!
Jun 052014
Here is a video to help with GCSE revision. The questions come from the second half of a non calculator Foundation paper. These questions were also at the beginning of the Higher paper. They cover important topics you need to be confident with to be sure of getting a Grade C. I strongly recommend you attempt the paper yourself first and then watch the video to see if you got them right and to learn from your mistakes.
May 132014
If you can factorise a quadratic that is the easiest way to solve it. Some quadratics don’t factorise, so then we can use the formula. This video from jayates shows how to do it. If you are studying GCSE Higher you are currently given the formula in the exam so you don’t have to learn it off by heart, but don’t forget to refer to the formula sheet at the front of your exam paper when you need it.
Maths is fun explains this well but don’t worry too much about the “imaginary numbers” at the end. If you are doing Higher you don’t need to know that yet.
Here is a worksheet that you can print off and practice solving quadratics with the formula.
May 132014
Simultaneous equations are when you have 2 or more equations with two or more unknowns. You can solve them using algebra or by drawing a graph of the two equations and seeing where they cross.
This video shows you how to solve simultaneous equations using algebra.
This video shows how to solve simultaneous equations using a graph.
Now you try!
Study Maths (more examples and interactive worksheets)
May 132014
Surds are numbers left in square root or cube root format. We leave them as surds because in decimal form they go on forever, so it uses up lots of ink to write them and accuracy is quickly lost. There are lots of tricks to simplify surds and these two videos from maths520 show them clearly. This topic is important for Higher GCSE students.
Have you got it? Try these questions on BBC Bitesize. then continue to these. Also try the jigsaw.
May 122014
This video is quite long so you might want to watch it in two sittings, but it does explain clearly what higher GCSE students need to know about transformation of graphs. Thank you Ukmathsteacher!
Maths is fun has a good explanation of this with some nice interactive activities and questions. Bitesize activities are here.
May 122014
Here’s a great music video from the Proclaimers.
Listen carefully to the lyrics and add up how many miles are mentioned altogether!
Scroll down to see the answer.
(8×500)+(4×1000) = 8000 miles
May 122014
Thanks to Ron Barrow for this helpful example of how to use probability tree diagrams. 158,411 views is impressive! You need to know this if you are taking the GCSE Higher paper.
This video by Luke Redding is also very clear and takes the topic a bit further because it includes experiments where the item is not replaced.
Maths is fun also explains this well and includes some interactive questions. GCSE Bitesize is another good site to test yourself on this.
May 082014
May 062014
Some students find it incredibly difficult to visualise nets being folded up into 3 dimensional shapes. The best way to gain confidence with this is having fun making lots of different shapes and I have already blogged about an excellent site for this where you can print off all sorts of nets and make some amazing shapes. With exams rapidly approaching you may not have time for that so here is a page from Nrich where you can watch 24 different nets being folded up to make 3d shapes. Before you press play each time try to work out what the shape will look like when it is folded, then see if you were right.
May 062014
Here is a great phone app that will help you with your arithmetic so you don’t need to be afraid when you are faced with that non-calculator exam. It’s called Maths Tricks and shows you lots of short cuts to performing calculations and gives you endless practice to improve your speed and accuracy. Best of all it’s free!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dexterltd.maths.tricks_lite
You can find it on Google Play. I am recommending this because it is good, not because I have any connection to the app.
