Being Collaborative - Secondary Teachers
American Billions
Play the divisibility game to create numbers in which the first two digits make a number divisible by 2, the first three digits make a number divisible by 3...
What's it Worth?
There are lots of different methods to find out what the shapes are worth - how many can you find?
Got It
A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.
Stringy Quads
This practical problem challenges you to make quadrilaterals with a loop of string. You'll need some friends to help!
Quadrilaterals Game
A game for 2 or more people, based on the traditional card game Rummy.
Shapely Pairs
A game in which players take it in turns to turn up two cards. If they can draw a triangle which satisfies both properties they win the pair of cards. And a few challenging questions to follow...
Property Chart
A game in which players take it in turns to try to draw quadrilaterals (or triangles) with particular properties. Is it possible to fill the game grid?
Transformation Game
Why not challenge a friend to play this transformation game?
Factors and Multiples Game
A game in which players take it in turns to choose a number. Can you block your opponent?
Diamond Collector
Collect as many diamonds as you can by drawing three straight lines.
Connect Three
In this game the winner is the first to complete a row of three. Are some squares easier to land on than others?
First Connect Three
Add or subtract the two numbers on the spinners and try to complete a row of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
Big and Small Numbers in Physics - Group Task
Work in groups to try to create the best approximations to these physical quantities.
All in a Jumble
My measurements have got all jumbled up! Swap them around and see if you can find a combination where every measurement is valid.
Reflecting Lines
Investigate what happens to the equations of different lines when you reflect them in one of the axes. Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Translating Lines
Investigate what happens to the equation of different lines when you translate them. Try to predict what will happen. Explain your findings.
Surprising Transformations
I took the graph y=4x+7 and performed four transformations. Can you find the order in which I could have carried out the transformations?
Jig Shapes
Can you each work out what shape you have part of on your card? What will the rest of it look like?
Developing Good Team-working Skills
Group work depends on effective team work. This article describes attributes of effective team work and links to "Team Building" problems that can be used to develop learners' team working skills.
Making Rectangles
A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Number Match
A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Fraction Match
A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Algebra Match
A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Simplifying Doughnut
An algebra task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Doughnut Percents
A task involving the equivalence between fractions, percentages and decimals which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
How Would You Score It?
Invent a scoring system for a 'guess the weight' competition.
Thirsty?
Can you lay out the pictures of the drinks in the way described by the clue cards?
Arranging Cubes
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Arranging Counters
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Arranging Squares
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
The Solid
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Solids
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Counters in the Middle
This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
Triangles in the Middle
This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
Stick Images
This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.
En-counters
This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.
Coordinate Designs
This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.
Guess the Houses
This task depends on learners sharing reasoning, listening to opinions, reflecting and pulling ideas together.
What Shape?
This task develops spatial reasoning skills. By framing and asking questions a member of the team has to find out what mathematical object they have chosen.
Which Quadratic?
This task develops knowledge of transformation of graphs. By framing and asking questions a member of the team has to find out which mathematical function they have chosen.
Guess the Function
This task depends on learners sharing reasoning, listening to opinions, reflecting and pulling ideas together.
Castles in the Middle
This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
Guess the Dominoes
This task depends on learners sharing reasoning, listening to opinions, reflecting and pulling ideas together.
Which Solid?
This task develops spatial reasoning skills. By framing and asking questions a member of the team has to find out what mathematical object they have chosen.
Quad Match
A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Sociable Cards
Move your counters through this snake of cards and see how far you can go. Are you surprised by where you end up?
What Does Random Look Like?
Engage in a little mathematical detective work to see if you can spot the fakes.
Olympic Records
Can you deduce which Olympic athletics events are represented by the graphs?
What's That Graph?
Can you work out which processes are represented by the graphs?
Sticky Data
You'll need to work in a group on this problem. Use your sticky notes to show the answer to questions such as 'how many girls are there in your group?'.
Magic Letters
Charlie has made a Magic V. Can you use his example to make some more? And how about Magic Ls, Ns and Ws?
Constructing Triangles
Generate three random numbers to determine the side lengths of a triangle. What triangles can you draw?
Developing Good Team-working Skills in Primary Schools
This article looks at team building in the primary context.
Olympic Measures
These Olympic quantities have been jumbled up! Can you put them back together again?
Dice in a Corner
How could you arrange at least two dice in a stack so that the total of the visible spots is 18?
The Dice Train
This dice train has been made using specific rules. How many different trains can you make?
Group-worthy Tasks and Their Potential to Support Children to Develop Independent Problem-solving Skills
In this article for teachers, Jennie Pennant outlines how group-worthy tasks support the development of children's problem-solving skills.
Up, Down, Flying Around
Play this game to learn about adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers
Shape Draw
Use the information on these cards to draw the shape that is being described.
Picturing the World
How can we make sense of national and global statistics involving very large numbers?
Perception Versus Reality
Infographics are a powerful way of communicating statistical information. Can you come up with your own?
Box Plot Match
Match the cumulative frequency curves with their corresponding box plots.
Using National Young Mathematicians' Award Tasks to Develop Problem-solving and Group-working Skills
This article for primary teachers uses National Young Mathematicians' Award tasks as contexts in which to develop learners' problem-solving and group-working skills.