Surds MAGIC BOX ACTIVITY

A differentiated activity that gets students out of their seats. A change from worksheet activities. Print each of the PDFs on the appropriate coloured paper. There are 12 different questions in each set. You may need to copy enough for each student to complete all the questions (just in case).

How I use it: Students complete a RAGB differentiated activity to enable them to self-assess and select the appropriate colour to start on (example slide included). They then go to the ‘magic box’ with that colour label, pick out a card, take it back to their desk, stick it in their book, and answer the question. When they have answered 3 questions they self-assess using answers provided (usually turned upside down next to the appropriate magic box). If they get all 3 correct they can move onto the next colour box, or alternatively can decide to complete the remaining 3 questions in that colour for further practice. If they get any wrong, they MUST seek help from a peer or the teacher to understand why. They then complete the remaining 3 questions and avoid making the same mistakes again.

The magic boxes are labelled Red, Amber and Green. I ALWAYS have blue extension activities available for any student who completes the Green activity and needs to be challenged further (usually exam or problem solving questions).