Darts

This resource from Teachers TV features Philip New, Head of Year Six at Woodland Middle School, as he utilises an interactive dart board to develop students' mathematical skills. This idea stems from a comment made by Bobby George, a champion darts player, when he said in an interview that the future of darts lies in schools.

Having heard this interview, Philip was inspired to set up a darts club where he noticed a significant change in the attitude to mathematics of its members, prompting him to adapt the resource for use in lessons.

Initially students are given a breakdown of the dart board followed by quick-fire questions to develop their mental calculation skills, before being asked to calculate scores and share how they do their calculations.

He adapts the dart board to tailor lessons according to objectives, abilities and the time available. In addition Philip develops a range of activities, which encourage students to discuss their strategy and provide them with a structure they can use to record data systematically.

Bobby George pays a surprise visit to the darts club and shares a few tips with the students, as well as demonstrating his own mental arithmetic skills. Some students have excelled in mental arithmetic skills and their enthusiasm has transferred into lessons, where they have become more actively involved.