I'm a secondary school maths teacher with a passion for creating high quality resources. All of my complete lesson resources come as single powerpoint files, so everything you need is in one place. Slides have a clean, unfussy layout and I'm not big on plastering learning objectives or acronyms everywhere. My aim is to incorporate interesting, purposeful activities that really make pupils think.
I have a website coming soon!
I'm a secondary school maths teacher with a passion for creating high quality resources. All of my complete lesson resources come as single powerpoint files, so everything you need is in one place. Slides have a clean, unfussy layout and I'm not big on plastering learning objectives or acronyms everywhere. My aim is to incorporate interesting, purposeful activities that really make pupils think.
I have a website coming soon!
A complete lesson on compound interest calculations.
Activities included:
Starter:
A set of questions to refresh pupils on making percentage increases.
Main:
Examples and quick questions on interest.
Examples and a worksheet on compound interest by adding on the interest each year.
Examples and a worksheet on compound interest using the direct multiplier method.
A challenging set of extension questions.
Plenary:
A prompt for pupils to think about the graph of compounded savings with time.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on using an nth term rule of a linear sequence to generate the first 5 terms in the sequence.
Activities included:
Starter:
Questions to check pupils can evaluate simple algebraic expressions.
Main:
Introduction to the idea of an nth term rule.
Example-question pairs, giving pupils a quick opportunity to try to generate sequences and receive feedback.
A set of questions on generating the first 5 terms of increasing sequences, with a progression in difficulty and an extension task.
A similar task for decreasing sequences.
Plenary:
A ‘spot the mistake’ question.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on using an nth term rule of a quadratic sequence.
Starter:
A quick quiz on linear sequences, to set the scene for doing similar techniques with quadratic sequences.
Main:
A recap on using an nth term rule to generate terms in a linear sequence, by substituting.
An example of doing the same for a quadratic sequence, followed by a short worksheet for pupils to practice and an extension task for quick finishers.
A slide showing how pupils can check their answers by looking at the differences between terms.
A mini-competition to check understanding so far.
A set of open questions for pupils to explore, where they try to find nth term rules that fit simple criteria. The intention is that this will develop their sense of how the coefficients of the rule affect the sequence.
Plenary:
A final question with a slightly different perspective on generating sequences - given an initial sequence and its rule, pupils state the sequences given by related rules.
No printing needed, although I’ve included something that could be printed off as a worksheet.
Please review if you buy, as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on finding the nth term rule of a quadratic sequence. This primarily focuses on one method (see cover slide), although I’ve thrown in a different method as an extension. I always cover linear sequences in a similar way and incorporate a recap on this within the lesson.
Starter:
To prepare for the main part of the lesson, pupils try to solve a system of three equations with three unknowns.
Main:
A recap on finding the nth term rule of a linear sequence, to prepare pupils for a similar method with quadratic sequences.
Examples on the core method, followed by a worksheet with a progression in difficulty for pupils to practice. I’ve included two versions of the worksheet - a simple list of questions that could be projected, or a much more structured worksheet that could be printed. Worked solutions are included.
A worked example of an alternative method, that could be given as a handout for pupils who finish early to try on the questions they’ve already done.
Plenary:
A proof of why the method works. I’d much rather show this at the start of the lesson, but in my experience this usually overloads students and puts them off if used too soon!
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on interior angles of polygons.
Activities included:
Starter:
A slide showing examples and non-examples of interior angles, for pupils to think about a definition, followed by a set of images where pupils must identify any interior angles (sounds easy and dull, but isn’t!)
Main:
A recap of visual proofs of why the interior angles of a triangle sum to 180 degrees and those of a quadrilateral sum to 360 degrees, leading to the obvious question of “what next?”
Prompts for the usual “investigation” into the sum of interior angles for polygons, by splitting into triangles.
A set of questions designed to be done with mini whiteboards, starting with basic sums of interior angles, interior angles of regular polygons and finally a few variations (see cover image).
A four-part worksheet (one page if printed two-a-side and two-sided) with a similar progression in difficulty.
Plenary:
A slide summarising the rules encountered, together with some key questions to check for any misconceptions.
Printable worksheets and answers included. I’ve also included suggested questions and extensions in the notes boxes at the bottom of each slide.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson for first teaching pupils how to find the nth term rule of a linear sequence.
Activities included:
Starter:
Questions on one-step linear equations (which pupils will need to solve later).
Main:
Examples and quick questions for pupils to try and receive feedback.
A set of questions with a progression in difficulty, from increasing to decreasing sequences, for pupils to practice independently.
Plenary:
A proof of why the method for finding the nth term rule works.
Answers provided throughout.
Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on the theorem that opposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral sum to 180 degrees. Assumes that pupils have already met the theorems that the angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference, the angle in a semicircle is 90, and angles in the same segment are equal. See my other resources for lessons on these theorems.
Activities included:
Starter:
Some basics recap questions on the theorems already covered.
Main:
An animation to define a cyclic quadrilateral, followed by a quick question for pupils, where they decide whether or not diagrams contain cyclic quadrilaterals.
An example where the angle at the centre theorem is used to find an opposite angle in a cyclic quadrilateral, followed by a set of three similar questions for pupils to do. They are then guided to observe that the opposite angles sum to 180 degrees.
A quick proof using a very similar method to the one pupils have just used.
A set of 8 examples that could be used as questions for pupils to try and discuss. These have a progression in difficulty, with the later ones incorporating other angle rules. I’ve also thrown in a few non-examples.
A worksheet of similar questions for pupils to consolidate, followed by a second worksheet with a slightly different style of question, where pupils work out if given quadrilaterals are cyclic.
A related extension task, where pupils try to decide if certain shapes are always, sometimes or never cyclic.
Plenary:
A slide showing all four theorems so far, and a chance for pupils to reflect on these and see how the angle at the centre theorem can be used to prove all of the rest.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on prime factors. Intended as a challenging task to come after pupils are familiar with the process of expressing a number as a product of prime factors (see my other resources for a lesson on this).
Activities included:
Starter:
Questions to test pupils can list all factors of a number using factor pairs.
Main:
Pupils find all factors of a number using a different method - by starting with the prime factor form of a number and considering how these can be combined into factor pairs. Links well to the skill of testing combinations that is in the new GCSE specification. Possible extension of pupils investigating what determines how many factors a number has.
Plenary:
A look at why numbers that are products of three different primes must have 8 factors.
No worksheets required and answers included throughout.
Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on the theorem that tangents from a point are equal.
Assumes pupils can already use the theorems that:
The angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference
The angle in a semicircle is 90 degrees
Angles in the same same segment are equal
.Opposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral sum to 180 degrees
A tangent is perpendicular to a radius
Angles in alternate segments are equal
so that more varied questions can be asked. Please see my other resources for lessons on these theorems.
Activities included:
Starter:
Instructions for pupils to discover the theorem, by drawing tangents and measuring.
Main:
Slides to clarify why this theorem usually involves isosceles triangles.
Related examples, finding missing angles.
A set of eight questions using the theorem (and usually another theorem or angle fact).
Two very sneaky extension questions.
Plenary:
An animation of the proof without words, the intention being that pupils try to describe the steps.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy, as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on finding the gradient of a line that is perpendicular to another. Intended as a precursor to finding equations of lines perpendicular to another. Examples, a range of challenging activities and answers included. Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on exterior angles of polygons. I cover exterior angles after interior angles, so I should point out that the starter does rely on pupils knowing how to do calculations involving interior angles. See my other resources for a lesson on interior angles.
Activities included:
Starter:
Some recap questions involving interior angles and also exterior angles, but with the intention that pupils just use the rule for angles on a line, rather than a formal definition of exterior angles (yet).
Main:
A “what’s the same,what’s different” prompt followed by examples and non-examples of exterior angles, to get pupils thinking about a definition of them.
A mini- investigation into exterior angles.
Prompts to establish and then prove algebraically that exterior angles sum to 360 degrees for a triangle and a quadrilateral. The proofs could be skipped, if you felt this was too hard.
A worksheet of more standard exterior angle questions with a progression in difficulty.
Plenary:
A slide animating a visual proof of the rule, followed by a hyperlink to a different visual proof.
Printable worksheets and answers included. I’ve also included suggested questions and extensions in the notes boxes at the bottom of each slide.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
An open-ended lesson on number pyramids, with the potential for pupils to practice addition and subtraction with integers, decimals, negatives and fractions, form and solve linear equations in two unknowns and create conjectures and proofs.
I used this lesson for an interview and got the job, so it must be a good one!
The entire lesson is built around the prompt I’ve uploaded as the cover slide. I have provided detailed answers for some of the responses that pupils could give, so you can get a clear idea of how the investigation might progress. I would spend the lesson responding to pupils’ work and questions, and probably get pupils to make posters of their findings or discuss their work with other pupils.
Suitable for a range of abilities.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on sharing an amount in a ratio. Assumes pupils have already learned how to use ratio notation and can interpret ratios as fractions - see my other resources for lessons on these topics.
Activities included:
Starter:
A set of questions to recap ratio notation, equivalent ratios, simplifying ratios and interpreting ratios as fractions.
Main:
A quick activity where pupils shade grids in a given ratio( eg shading a 3 x 4 grid in the ratio shaded:unshaded of 1:2). The intention is that they are repeatedly shading the ratio at this stage, rather than directly dividing the 12 squares in the ratio 1:2. By the last question, with an intentionally large grid, hopefully pupils are thinking of a more efficient way to do this…
Examples and quick questions using a bar modelling approach to sharing an amount in a a given ratio.
A set of questions on sharing in a ratio, with a progression in difficulty. Includes the trickier variations of this topic that sometimes appear on exams (eg Jo and Bob share some money in the ratio 1:2, Jo gets £30 more than Bob, how much did they share?)
A nice puzzle where pupils move matchsticks(well, paper images of them) to divide a grid in different ratios.
Plenary:
A final spot-the-mistake question, again on the theme of the trickier variations of this topic that pupils often fail to spot.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on introducing 3-figure bearings.
Activities included:
Starter:
A quick set of questions to remind pupils of supplementary angles.
Main:
A quick puzzle to get pupils thinking about compass points.
Slides to introduce compass points, the compass and 3-figure bearings.
Examples and questions for pupils to try on finding bearings fro m diagrams.
A set of worksheets with a progression in difficulty, from correctly measuring bearings and scale drawings to using angle rules to find bearings. Includes some challenging questions involving three points, that should promote discussion about different approaches to obtaining an answer.
Plenary:
A prompt to discuss how the bearings of A from B and B from A are connected.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A powerpoint with explanations and worksheets covering rounding to decimal places and significant figures, estimation, upper & lower bounds and error intervals.
The first of two complete lessons on distance-time graphs that assumes pupils have done speed calculations before. Examples and activities on calculating speed from a distance-graph and a matching activity adapted from the Mathematics Assessment Project. Printable worksheets and answers included. Please review it if you download as any feedback is appreciated!
A powerpoint including examples, worksheets and solutions on probability of one or more events using lists, tables and tree diagrams. Also covers expectation, experimental probability and misconceptions relating to probability. Also includes some classics probability games, puzzles and surprising facts. Worksheets at bottom of presentation for printing.
A complete lesson for introducing mean, median and mode for a list of data.
Activities included:
Mini whiteboard questions to check pupil understanding of the basic methods.
A worksheet of straight forward questions.
Mini whiteboard questions with a progression in difficulty, to build up the skills required to do some problem solving...
A worksheet of more challenging questions, where pupils are given some of the averages of a set of data, and they have to work out what the raw data is.
Some final questions to stimulate discussion about the relative merits of each average.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson (or maybe two) on finding an original amount, given a sale price or the value of something after it has been increased. Looks at both calculator and non-calculator methods.
Activities included:
Starter:
A set of four puzzles where pupils work their way back to 100%, given another percentage.
Main:
Examples, quick questions for pupils to try and a worksheet on calculator methods for reversing a percentage problem.
Examples, quick questions for pupils to try and a worksheet on non- calculator methods for reversing a percentage problem.
Both worksheets have been scaffolded to help pupils with this tricky topic.
A challenging extension task where pupils form and solve equations involving connected amounts.
Plenary:
A final question to address the classic misconception for this topic.
Printable worksheets and answers included.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!
A complete lesson on drawing nets and visualising how they fold. The content has some overlap with a resource I have freely shared on the TES website for years, but has now been augmented and significantly upgraded,as well as being presented in a full, three-part lesson format.
Activities included:
Starter:
A matching activity, where pupils match up names of solids, 3D sketches and nets.
Main:
A link to an online gogebra file (no software required) that allows you to fold and unfold various nets, to help pupils visualise.
A question with an accurate, visual worked answer, where pupils make an accurate drawing of a cuboid’s net. Rather than answer lots of similar questions, pupils are then asked to compare answers with others and discuss whether their answers are different and/or correct.
The same process with a triangular prism.
A brief look at other prisms and a tetrahedron (the latter has the potential to be used to revise constructions if pupils have done them before, or could be briefly discussed as a future task, or left out)
Then two activities with a different focus - the first looking at whether some given sketches are valid nets of cubes, the second about visualising which vertices of a net of a cube would meet when folded.
Plenary:
A brief look at some more elaborate nets, a link to a silly but fun net related video and a link to a second video, which describes a potential follow up or homework task.
Printable worksheets and answers included where appropriate.
Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!