Shell Centre

The Shell Centre has produced a range of innovative teaching materials for mathematics education, together with research publications and tests. Most of these were developed at the Shell Centre for Mathematical Education at the University of Nottingham, UK. The two collections, Numeracy through Problem Solving and The Red and Blue boxes, offer teachers innovative materials and teaching opportunities for Key Stages 3 and 4. Numeracy through Problem Solving tackles realistic problems in context allowing students to apply and further their mathematical knowledge and processes. There are 5 modules, Be a Paper Engineer, Plan a Trip, Design a Board Game, Be a Shrewd Chooser and Produce a Quiz Show, all of which encourage collaborative group work, discussion, creativity organisational skills and evaluative thinking. The Blue Box, Problems with Patterns and Numbers, focuses on non-routine problem solving in mathematics, and the teaching strategies needed to handle it in the classroom. The Red Box, The Language of Functions and Graphs, focuses on developing fluency in using various mathematical representations to describe and analyse the real world, and on the teaching tactics needed to handle pupil discussion in groups and with the whole class.