Algebra
This collection of resources supports the teaching of Algebra in primary mathematics. These activities are linked to the year groups containing the corresponding content in the National Curriculum.
Here are some favourite activities selected by the NRICH team.
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Break it Up! (Y6) In how many different ways can you break up a stick of 7 interlocking cubes?
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Plenty of Pens (Y6) Amy's mum had given her £2.50 to spend. She bought four times as many pens as pencils and was given 40p change. How many of each did she buy?
These are just a few of the activities on Algebra that you can find on the NRICH curriculum pages.
The activities below, taken from the STEM Learning website, complement the NRICH activities above.
Good ideas for algebra
Seven ideas for investigations which get children exploring patterns and making generalisations. The multilink activity is a great way of getting children to describe patterns and why they predict a certain colour for the 10th, 15th 20th cube and so on. It may be adapted for all levels within a class.
The matchsticks investigation allows children to explore the patterns produced and collate their finding in the form of a table. Plotting the results will allow children to see that it is a linear sequence as it should produce a straight line. Some children may be able to come up with a formula for working out the number of matches in any pattern.
Chessboard Algebra
This short clip shows parts of a lesson on algebra and is a good idea for an investigation in class in which children find patterns and go on to generate a formula. Although not many children will manage to come up with the formula themselves, they will be able to use it to check their answers.
Following investigations such as this is a great way of allowing all children to work on the same thing. It helps to improve the esteem and confidence of weaker students whilst providing a challenge for those children who may begin to start finding out formula for themselves.
Algebra In Action
This short video is a nice way to introduce children to algebra. It uses a story of a cold apple seller who cannot afford to buy a scarf. The apple seller manages to exchange some apples for a scarf. The scarf seller then exchanges some of her scarves for a coat. The story finishes by asking students to work out the formula for how many apples will be needed to buy a coat.
Bridging Units in Mathematics
This unit contains materials which show how to introduce the use of symbols in algebra. In particular, it explores the representation of variables by letters. The unit makes use of the idea of 'function machines', which provide a powerful image or model for future work on understanding functions and expressing generalisations.
