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.

After thinking of a number, a series of steps is given that result in an answer that is independent of the initial number. There is scope to use fractions and directed numbers in the problem....

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...

This resource from Susan Wall contains a number of open–ended questions which explore understanding and allow a variety of approaches.

Each question is easily accessible but can be extended to make a more complex problem. Students are required to justify their answer and, where possible, generalise their...

In this Nuffield probability activity students play a bingo-style game. To maximize their chances of winning, students must decide which numbers are most likely to occur when three dice are thrown and the scores are added.

A photograph of three cubes is presented. The faces of the cubes are decorated with patterns. The challenge is to determine which box is different from the other two. This resource is suitable for Key Stage 3 and could be used as an extension when teaching nets for cubes.

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This maths game is designed to help children practice mental multiplication. Each game-board contains a 4 by 4 grid of numbers with a list of red numbers at the side. The numbers in the grid are products and the red numbers are factors. Children take it in turns to find two red numbers which, when multiplied, will...

In this Bowland assessment task, students are required to use their knowledge of geometry to describe a pattern. They are presented with a pattern consisting of three hexagons made up of triangles and have to what is the same and what is different about each shape. Students are encouraged to consider lengths,...

In this presentation and collection of student worksheets a diagram shows a square and three right angled triangles, with each shape sharing a common side. Some of the lengths are given in surd form, from which students have to find the area of the square.

The solution involves the use of Pythagoras’ theorem...

Tunnelworks is a series of teaching and learning resources linking mathematics and science to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, a major new sewer that will help protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. Background to the project is given in the ...

Tunnelworks is a series of teaching and learning resources linking mathematics and science to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, a major new sewer that will help protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. In this collection of design and technology focused activities the Augmented Reality (AR) app is used...

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 resource aimed at primary, contains an interactive spreadsheet containing problems involving time, they include: calculating the length of time for events, calculating the length of day and night given sunrise and sunset times, using a bus timetable to work out...

This resource, aimed at early years and lower primary, contains an interactive spreadsheet designed to illustrate teaching points on the topics of time and money. Ideal for use with the whole class at the start or end of a lesson it provides screens on the following:...