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Number and algebra

  • The Number System and Place Value
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  • Handling, Processing and Representing Data
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Working mathematically

  • Thinking mathematically
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Advanced mathematics

  • Decision Mathematics and Combinatorics
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For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

From Random to Systematic

We might often suggest to children that they try to 'work more systematically' but do they know what this means? These three tasks all lend themselves to systematic working as they challenge learners to find all possible solutions. The teachers' resources section of each one provides more detail about how you can support learners to develop this invaluable skill.

We suggest that you introduce the tasks in the order below. As a group of three, these problems will give you the chance to focus in particular on the reasoning, problem solving and attitude strands of the rope model.

You can find more tasks which offer opportunities for working systematically in our lower primary and upper primary collections, in addition to our Working Systematically feature.

6 Beads

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

If you put three beads onto a tens/ones abacus you can make the numbers 3, 30, 12 or 21. What numbers can be made with six beads?

Three Ball Line Up

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

Use the interactivity to help get a feel for this problem and to find out all the possible ways the balls could land.

Inside Triangles

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow star

How many different triangles can you draw on the dotty grid which each have one dot in the middle?

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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