This problem looks at fencing chickens using pens. The challenge is to work out how many lengths are needed to create six separate pens for the roosters.

This combination problem builds up from combinations of three socks to six socks. Can students find a pattern and use it to work out how many socks would be needed to ensure a different pair was available each day for a month?

A sheet is shown containing six calculations that have been partially obscured by juice spilled on the sheet. The challenge is to work out what the calculations were, and their solutions.

This problem provides a gentle introduction to simultaneous equations. Three bags of shopping are shown: two have prices and one does not. The challenge is to find out the price of the final bag of shopping.

These activities, from the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) publication ‘Thinking for Ourselves’, provide a variety of contexts in which students are encouraged to think for themselves.

Activity 1: In the bag – More or less requires students to record how many more or...

This resource, produced by the Centre for Teaching Mathematics at the University of Plymouth, contains ten ‘puzzles to get the brain working!’

Each puzzle is designed to make students think laterally, consider the question carefully and not give the most obvious answer. The puzzles could be used as lesson...

Cre8ate maths provides these activities which investigate the tessellation of regular polygons and its application in construction. Initially students identify which regular polygons tessellate, providing the opportunity to discuss the interior angles of polygons and...

This Double Crossed resource uses the context of the excavation of an Egyptian tomb to learn about the main organs in the human body. The students evaluate evidence from a recently discovered mummy to draw conclusions about the person’s life and the cause of death.

A cut and stick activity is used to...

This excel file has separate sheets dealing with various styles of analogue clock face and different levels of difficulty. It begins with a sheet showing times limited to quarter, half and whole hours. The next two sheets have the numbers removed from the clock face....

This resource from TEMI introduces and explores a mathematical 'magic trick' in which the teacher predicts a random number that is generated by students using a series of number grids.

In order to explain the trick, students must use addition, tables and subtraction, as well as exploring number patterns and...

Times tables 7911; students are presented with fifty questions requiring solutions to times tables questions from the 7, 9 and 11 times tables. Students record how long it takes them to complete the task and how many correct answers they score.

Fill in the blanks: presents students with a partially completed...

This challenge links together the topics area and perimeter. The challenge is to find the smallest area that can be enclosed using 12 toothpicks. The mathematical topics required are areas of rectangles and triangles. This resource is suitable for Key Stages 2 and 3.

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In this puzzle students are asked to identify all of the states in a topological map of the United States of America. The resource contains a few hints to help orientate the map, but students will have to be familiar with the original map to complete the task.

The map was produced by Sian Zelbo and Mark Saul...

This SMILE resource contains one pack of games, investigations, worksheets and practical activities supporting the teaching and learning of topology.

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This resource from stats4schools focuses on which attractions in London are the most popular using data from the National Tourist Board covering the years 1994 to 2001. Students can interpret information from tables, manipulate data, investigate tourism and plan a visit to London.

The resource includes a...