BEYOND the TEXTBOOK – February 2020

MATHEMATICS: BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK – February 2020 DCBEAGLE Challenges ~ Douglas Buchanan www.dcbeagle.com [email protected] One of the rewards of running my programme of challenges is to observe pupils working collaboratively. I only wished I had witnessed this in my early stages of teaching. The discussion between the pairs is constructive, it gives more confidence to the weaker character, it forces them to think in a different way. Of course there are pitfalls with the system but the confidence the pupils gain outweigh the negatives. Working collaboratively An article from the University of Michigan gives you the theory of collaborative learning and practical organisation ideas: “Working collaboratively allows students to tackle more complicated and more conceptually difficult Problems. Carefully managed, collaborative learning can be a powerful tool for teachers to use during classroom instruction. Group work supports the generation of a variety of ideas and strategies to be discussed and considered, and it enhances the perseverance of students in tackling more complicated multistep and multipart Problems.” Student guidelines for group work • Move into your groups quickly and get right to work. • Read the instructions aloud or repeat what the teacher has challenged you to find out. Be sure every group member knows what the challenge is. • Part of group work is learning to listen to each other. Don’t interrupt your classmates. Make sure each person’s ideas are heard and that the group answers each person’s questions. • If you are confused, ask your group to explain. If no one in the group can answer the question, and it is an important question, raise your hand for the teacher. • If someone in your group uses a word or an idea you do not understand, ask for an explanation. You are responsible for learning all you can from your group. You are also responsible for contributing to the work of your group. Your explanations for others will help you to understand better. • Give everyone in the group a chance to talk about his or her ideas. Talking out loud about your thinking will help you learn to express your arguments and clarify your ideas. • If your group gets stuck, go over what the Problem is asking and what you know so far. If this does not give you a new idea, raise your hand for the teacher. • Be prepared to share your group’s ideas, solutions, and strategies and to explain why you think you are correct. Make sure you look back at the original Problem and check that your solutions make sense. • You are responsible for recording your group’s ideas and solutions in your notes. Website: Connected Maths There are also interesting theories and ideas on the TES site. Puzzle of the month A Weird Game Seven men engaged in play. Whenever a player won a game he doubled the money of each of the other players. That is, he gave each player just as much money as each had in his pocket. They played seven games and, strange to say, each won a game in turn in the order of their names, which began with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. When they had finished it was found that each man had exactly £1.28 in his pocket. How much had each man in his pocket before play? Bonus puzzle Start at the centre number and collect another four numbers by following the paths shown (and not going backwards). Add the five numbers together. What is the lowest number you can score? Video of the month The Story of 1 (One the Number) This fascinating video is narrated by the late Terry Jones (Monty Python) which is tracking the history of the number one from ancient civilisation to our modern digital age. It is an hour long but lends itself to be seen in parts. Website of the month Money, money, money As the children can relate more to contact cards rather than coins and notes the “teaching” of money will have to be adjusted for their needs. Pocket money is not as popular as it used to be so how do the children learn to save. Teaching Ideas – click here – an array of activities cover mainly 5 to 11 year olds. Primary Resources – click here – a large library of money puzzles and worksheets. Spring break website https://www.games.co.uk/ Many educational games with a numerical slant. DCBEAGLE Challenges 2020 has started in a manic mode, not only for the number of challenges I am hosting but the number of waiting lists being created at the events. At one there are seventeen waiting for cancellations. Visit the Portfolio page on my website to access the booking forms. Puzzle Solution A Weird Game The seven men, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, had respectively in their pockets, before play, the following sums: £4.49, £2.25, £1.13, 57p, 29p, 15p, and 8p. Bonus puzzle 30 Final Words As days get longer and the temperatures rise slowly our thoughts are on Spring and the summer term. It is a time when we can break down the walls of the classroom and move outside to enjoy exciting and meaningful maths. Next month’s newsletter will give ideas for teaching maths using different approaches .

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