Keep notation out of it!
Yes, this is controversial, but I think pupils are introduced to the hieroglyphs of fractions before they experience working physically with the parts of ……. The usual activity is to colour in segments of a pie and other shapes but it is important to work with 3-Dmaterials. The favourite lesson for pupils is when dividing a bar of chocolate.
“What you do when you multiply fractions is you cancel the top and bottom numbers, then multiply the numerators together and then the denominators.”
Pupil: “I can do it but I do not knowhow it works.” It is difficult to explain without showing a physical activity.
The two following websites give you 61activities related to the teaching of fractions with several of them appropriate for the “Maths Table” at the back of the classroom. There are quite unique exercises such as “The newspaper fraction dance”, work with Lego and Numicon, hopscotch and several card games.
Teacherstarter.com Weareteachers.com
Expose your pupils to the world of fractions!
Puzzle of the Month (a H E Dudeney infamous conundrum)
Mrs Wilson’ Family
Mrs.Wilson had three children: Edgar, James, and John. Their combined ages were half of hers. Five years later, during which time Ethel was born, Mrs. Wilson's age equaled the total of all her children's ages. Ten years more have now passed, Daisy appearing during that interval. At the latter event Edgar was as old as John and Ethel together. The combined ages of all the children are now double Mrs. Wilson's age, which is, in fact, only equal to that of Edgar and James together. Edgar's age also equals that of the two daughters. Can you find all their ages?
The elements of an effective maths teaching
This is clearly illustrated in this essay found in the website varsitytutors.com:
“A teacher who positively affected my attitude toward education was my middle school math teacher Ms. Ross. She made math easy by explaining the problems clearly as well as by giving shortcuts to solve problems. Additionally, she gave me confidence in my ability to do math as well as methods to use in the future. I believe she has positively affected my attitude towards education because she’s an example of a good teacher who has helped students improve their math skills. Ms. Ross made math simple by giving her students quicker ways to do problems. She also worked out the problems on the board step by step which made it easier to learn. When it comes to math I’m a visual learner and I need a detailed explanation. In addition, she explained everything clearly and was always willing to help her students.
Furthermore, while I was in her class I felt more confident in my math abilities. Math is not a subject I’m strong in so I usually need a really good teacher in order for me to understand the lesson. She taught me skills that I currently use and she made it easy to remember by turning math rules into chants.
To conclude, Ms. Ross has positively impacted my opinion on education because she is one of the few exceptional math teachers I've had. Ms. Ross’ simple teaching method gave me the strategies to be successful in solving math problems. She also wouldn’t hesitate to help her students whenever they were confused. Overall she was a great teacher and pleasant person as well.”
Escape Rooms
Escape Rooms are all the rage and many people are visiting such centres to enjoy the world of puzzling. It is an ideal way to stimulate maths interest and learning in schools.
Are Escape Rooms new? No. In the1970s, on the then basic computers, adventure games, all as text, were being played. The Colossal Cave Adventure was the first such game. Then came the television series The Crystal Maze. Wikipedia lists many activities performed in the television series and many could be adapted for the school environment.
It was difficult to find Escape Room examples as free resources but I did come across mamateaches.com with an Escape Room concentrating on decimal multiplication. TES Resources is also a good website. Much of the material on the site is free but you must register. The Escape Room which the link takes you to is ideal for 12 – 14 year olds.
Escape Rooms are ideal for “wet breaks” and, in the summer, are great disguises of the nature trail. You can let your creativity run wild or give ownership to the pupils to create their own activities.
Mrs Wilson’s family – puzzle solution
The ages must be as follows: Mrs. Wilson, 39; Edgar, 21; James, 18; John, 18; Ethel, 12; Daisy, 9. It is clear that James and John were twins.
Isn’t maths exciting Beyond the Textbook!!!
