Teaching Ideas
In this section, I will demonstrate some ideas I have used to teach Basic Skills numeracy to Entry Level learners and practical applications of maths to BTEC SCIENCE students.
Teaching time - Making time
Making clocks with entry level students
After we completed a unit on telling the time, we made our own clocks using parts ordered off Ebay. Mine sits proudly on my desk. Clock parts can also be bought quite cheaply from: http://www.clockparts.co.uk/index.html
Whole group rounding activity
Kinaesthetic activity - match each number with the correct rounded figure. The group has to work together to match each number rounded to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000. They stick the correct pair of solutions onto the whiteboard. Students always enjoy this activity. You can download this activity from the link below the photo. [With thanks to Forough]
| rounding_find_your_partner.doc |
Entry level addition
Tarsia puzzles can brighten up any maths topic. In this lesson the learners worked in pairs to solve basic adding questions. The proud winners are shown here.
Subtraction circles
Okay they are actually ellipses (what are you a maths teacher?) but I prefer the alliterative title. Each sector has a question which has to be matched to the central answer to make a full circle (or ellipse). There are four different answers, each having four separate questions. A practical way of performing long subtraction questions. Can be adapted for mixed ability classes.
| e3_subtraction_circles.doc |
Human Scattergrams - Shoe size against Height
positively correlated students
After collecting raw data from students and placing labels on the floor, I asked them to position themselves in the room where they thought they should be. The students' results were correctly positively correlated. I resisted the urge to draw a line of best fit over them.
| feet_inches_to_cm_converter.doc |
Don't be so negative
Tactile whole class activities enable all learners to get involved
Ordering Fractions - Group Activity
Print out each fraction card on A4 paper double-sided with the corresponding letter on its back. The whole set spells 'Equal Fractions' when ordered correctly and has been used successfully as an interactive whole class activity.
| equal_fractions_large_cards_surya.docx |
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When in doubt..take them to the museum
A trip to the Bank of England, can help set the scene for teaching money management. Book in advance for a guided tour. Fascinating history of the UK's money supply. Be aware that, for security purposes you cannot take photos inside the building.
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk
Introduce a little healthy competition..
Split the class into groups and challenge them to see who can complete the task first. And the winners are....?
Well done guys.
Pendulum Experiment to Find Acceleration due to Gravity
Equipment needed, metal stand, string, metre ruler, bob, stopwatch
This BTEC science group managed to get estimates for gravity of between 10.5 and 8.5 m/s². One student came the closest with an impressive value of 9.88m/s².
This BTEC science group managed to get estimates for gravity of between 10.5 and 8.5 m/s². One student came the closest with an impressive value of 9.88m/s².
| experiment_to_find_gravity_from_a_pendulum.pptx |
| the_simple_pendulum_2007.doc |
Experiment to find the Link between the Length of a string and its Frequency
Any excuse to bring my guitars into work. There is a mathematical connection between the frequency of a note and the length of the string which produces it. In this lesson I used tuning forks to find the fundamental frequency of each note, but these days mobile phone apps (such as 'Guitar Tuner') produce stunning results and are much easier to use.
| frequency_of_a_string_and_its_length.pptx |
| music_frequency_and_string_lengths.xlsx |
Chocolate is a girl's best friend..
These chocolate playing cards and hazelnut flavoured dice are a delicious way to end any lesson and check learning on probability, fractions, fluid dynamics, trigonometry, Shakespeare's Sonnets, Carbonic chemistry, macroeconomics...
Chocolate dice, playing cards and other assorted goodies, I mean teaching resources, can be ordered from: http://www.chocolatetradingco.com/
Chocolate dice, playing cards and other assorted goodies, I mean teaching resources, can be ordered from: http://www.chocolatetradingco.com/