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Feb 212020
Jun 212017
The Sheaf Valley Maths Trail is a short walk starting outside Sheffield City College on Granville Road, along the footpath to Sheffield Station and the steel blade sculpture, behind the station to the steel steps and the amphitheatre, up the hill to the Cholera Monument and then back to college via Clay Wood. Along the way you will answer questions on many different aspects of mathematics. It is suitable for school groups, college students studying Functional Skills, home schoolers and their parents or anyone who would like to have a go!
Download the student booklet here. It is best printed as a booklet.
There are also a teachers booklet and a powerpoint which I will send to you on request. Email graham@mathswithgraham.org.uk to request these. Please let me know who you are planning to use it with.
Topics touched on on the trail include
Number
Counting
Multiplication
Fractions
Time calculations
Reading a timetable
Calculating journey cost
Speed Distance Time calculations
Shape and Space
Measuring length
Estimating length and weight
Symmetry (Line and Rotational)
3 dimensional shape
Angles
Circle calculations
Volume of a cuboid
Area of irregular shapes
Data Handling
Averages
Feel free to adapt the trail by missing out some questions and adding others to make it suitable for your students/pupils.
Split your group into teams of 3 or 4 people. Make sure less able students are paired with more able students. Each team will need a DIY tape measure, a large ball of string, a large protractor, a pencil and a calculator. You need to work out the logistics of ensuring there is someone to help at the various stopping points.
Tell your students to stay together, look after each other and take extra care when crossing roads. If this is a school/college outing you will need to fill in a risk assessment.
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Jul 102016
Use this quiz to practice your tables. Compete against your friends to see who can get 10 right in the quickest time. Can you beat 10 right in 20 seconds?
Nov 232015
There are lots of different methods to do long multiplication. This activity helps you perfect one- the grid method. It also tests you on your car knowledge! Grid multiplication for car lovers!
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Sep 262015
It’s a new term and I’m getting to know my new students. Many of them have something in common. They don’t know their multiplication tables! Here’s a quiz to help you practice. Keep practicing until you can get them all finished within the 5 minute time limit.
Jul 142015
In this exercise you will need to read the information from an Amey press release about the massive Streets Ahead contract. You will then use your skills to answer the questions. You can download a worksheet or use the interactive version here.
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.
Jan 012014
I have just discovered the quiz site Sporcle. Here is a multiplication game to get us started! You have to be really quick at typing as well as arithmetic!
Sep 072013
Have a go at this worksheet to find all the Prime Numbers less than 100.
Now try this much bigger Sieve to find all the Prime Numbers less than 400! Start by clicking on 2 and all the multiples of 2 will be removed. Then click on 3 to remove the multiples of 3 and continue clicking on the prime numbers until you are only left with red prime numbers.
Also take a look at this video
Mar 022013
Here are two clear examples showing how to find the prime factors of a number.
Jan 212013
Ask your teacher (or somebody else) to
1. Write down your house number.
2. Double it.
3. Add the number of days in a week.
4. Multiply by 50.
5. Add your age.
6. Subtract the number of days in a year. (not a leap year)
7. Add 15
The answer is your teachers house number and their age!
Can you explain why this works?
Jan 052013
Many people on a low income are not able to open a bank account.
If they need to borrow money they can be offered loans with massive rates of interest. This exercise looks at how to calculate interest rates and compares different ways of borrowing money.
The video mentions two businesses in particular. Wonga.com and Quick Quid both charge interest rates in excess of 2000%. Do you know of higher rates of interest? Please comment below to name and shame the loan sharks!
The same exercise is here in worksheet format.
Jan 042013
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation research into the minimum income standards for the UK. The Minimum Income Standard for the UK shows how much money people need, so that they can buy things that members of the public think that everyone in the UK should be able to afford.
- Figures are based on public views about a minimum standard that nobody should fall below.
- It does not show you what you require to meet all your individual needs, and is not suitable for use as a personal budgeting tool.
By entering a few details about your circumstances you can compare your income with the MIS, and see how this is made up. For instance my children are now all grown up and have left home, so I live with my wife. When I have entered details about my rent/mortgage. gas/electric/water bills etc it tells me the minimum income I require is £23,099. They break this down into how much I need for food, alcohol. council tax, clothing etc. It makes very interesting reading!
The picture shows the results for a single person.
Go to http://www.minimumincome.org.uk/ and enter your details to see what it suggests for your household.
Try this exercise to find out about a single persons minimum income. It will also help you to calculate percentages.
Jan 022013
How do you work out how much electricity something uses?
This exercise will help you understand “units” of electricity and help you work out how much electricity different things use.
There is a worksheet version of the activity or an interactive version.
Oct 112012
Download, print and cut out the triangles. Work with a friend to try and match all the questions with the correct answers and make a shape
Oct 052012
Download, print and cut out the triangles. Work with a friend to try and match all the questions with the correct answers and make a shape
Oct 052012
Download, print and cut out the triangles. Work with a friend to try and match all the questions with the correct answers and make a shape
Multiply and Divide by 10, 100 and 1000 Jigsaw
Oct 052012
Download, print and cut out the triangles. Work with a friend to try and match all the questions with the correct answers and make a shape.
Oct 052012
Can you arrange the digits to make a correct sum? Compete to see who can do the most in 2 minutes.
