Graham Colman has been a UK high school and sixth form maths teacher since September 2001. Here you'll find a wealth of great maths and space science resources which have been used, tried and tested and actually work in the classroom. Graham runs his own popular maths website at www.colmanweb.co.uk where you'll find many more resources like these. You can email Graham at grahamcolman@colmanweb.co.uk
Graham Colman has been a UK high school and sixth form maths teacher since September 2001. Here you'll find a wealth of great maths and space science resources which have been used, tried and tested and actually work in the classroom. Graham runs his own popular maths website at www.colmanweb.co.uk where you'll find many more resources like these. You can email Graham at grahamcolman@colmanweb.co.uk
Kinesthetic activity for students. Print out the graphs onto A4 paper, then print the final 6 slides onto accetate and cut up.
Pupils use the accetates to show the required graph transformations.
Smaller print version, this one prints all the original graphs onto two A4 sides and another page on tracing paper for the graphs.
Original exercise is from AQA Core 1/2 textbook, chapter 6. Principal is to make a difficult task easy to learn. This strips away any issues with drawing, tracing, copying etc and enables students to focus on achieving the learning objective.
KS3 and GCSE, circles (circumference formula) activity.
Real life application of circumference of a circle formula to work out the circumference of the Earth using altitude, speed and orbital time of the International Space Station. A good extension task is to then find percentage error between this answer and actual answer.
Teachers notes, internet links, the answer and workings are included, in both miles and kilometres, together with printer-friendly version of main slide.
GCSE higher, inverse proportion activity/worksheet.
Mathematics, Physics cross-curricular task based on applying the inverse square law to Newton’s laws of gravity.
In this real life application of inverse proportion, pupils will investigate how gravity fields on various planets are inversely proportional to their radius and, subsequently, how they are related to their mass. This is followed by some particularly testing questions to really check pupil’s mathematical, physical and logical reasoning.
Answers and internet links included.
**Updated February 2018.
Video guide to this resource at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ7yDRU1vxg.
Write reports easily with this template/writing frame. It will save you hours - aim to create a set of good reports in 20mins per class. With the Lite version of this resource you can write reports on up to 10 students at a time.
An important note… This file uses macros to do all the fancy stuff, but macros do work on Macs so you'll need to run this file on a windows computer. It’s an Apple thing and is the same with all macro-based files.
There is a paid-for, upgraded version of this resource available at https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/report-writer-premium-11845623.
Use the existing maths comments or add your own, following the instructions and formats given. When report day comes around just choose the relevant comments by typing a number and hitting 'create&save' and your reports are written. Simply copy and paste into eportal/sims etc.
If you find this useful please leave a positive comment. Any issues at all, please contact me at grahamcolman@colmanweb.co.uk.
This is the 'lite' version of the paid-for resource here.
This is an Excel file generates endless sets of key mathematical numeracy questions for regular practice to develop student’s fluency in maths.
A workbook for printing sets of questions and separate answers.
Press F9 for a new set of questions.
The paid for version of this resource also includes the following...
1. An upgraded version of the Maths Mental Tests Excel file which includes one sheet to use for printing worksheets, another sheet of the same questions and answers for projecting / displaying on screen.
2. BONUS RESOURCE – A link to a fully interactive and mobile-friendly website of all of the Key Stage 3 Mental Maths audio questions.
3. BONUS RESOURCE – 40 Arithmetic Operations
Another file for generating quick sets of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division or mixed questions for pupils to practice quick arithmetic skills. Designed to print worksheets of 40 questions for students to complete, perhaps against the clock.
Purchase upgraded files here.
** Error now corrected.
Matchup the:
Equation,
Differential equation,
Specific coordinate,
Gradient at specific point,
Stationary points and
Tangent.
Includes two versions; one Core 1, one Core 2 9use this to extend). Includes Geogebra file used (edit the equation to fit) and images of the graphs used (use this to support).
Probably better printed on A3 if possible.
Real life plans and elevations - match the house plans to the images. Not as easy as it looks! There are two sets included here, one easier and one harder.
When was the last time you actually used a plan or elevation to teach this topic? This is a real life task based on real life house plans, great for getting students to discuss their geometrical reasoning and measurements.
AQA Core 2 Revision. All the formulae required on a single A4 side. Word document. Split into those to remember and those given in the formula book.
Tested and much appreciated by students in my class!
Prove the trigonometric identities by matching up the peices, (steps) in the correct order. Supports students by providing the steps, and avoiding alebraic mistakes that confuse the key learning outcomes, whilst challenging them to understand the order and making connections between each step.
Answers Included.
This is a similar triangles activity based on the real life science behind a total solar eclipse. Use the inspiring context of what a total solar eclipse is and why it causes a path of shadow on the Earth to engage students in proportional reasoning.
Easier and harder version of the main task each followed by several extension tasks including a metric/imperial measures exercise and a practical ‘pin hole camera’ activity where students calculate distance to and/or size of the sun.
Two tasks, answers, lesson plan, lesson bullet points, internet links and eclipse map included.
KS2, KS3, GCSE Powerpoint animation about scale and sizes of various astronomical objects.
How exactly do all of those astronomical things shape up? Which are bigger & which are smaller than others?
This Powerpoint animation shows the relative sizes of planets, the solar system, our galaxy and beyond. Possible extensions include using a prompt to explore standard form and/or the speed of light.
Open powerpoint, begin slideshow, prepare to discuss various concepts that arise. Pdf version also included.
A set of real life questions on the topic of standard form based on images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Answers and workings included. Great for teaching problem solving skills, cross-curricular Maths and Physics.
A series of Decision Maths activities based on the London Underground network graph. Includes shortest path, TSP, route inspection and others. Loads of real life application & SMSC here.
Some answers included, more to be added. If you or your class find more before I do, please email grahamcolman@colmanweb.co.uk
Three sets, each of three matchup puzzles, for pupils to practice chain rule, product rule and quotient rule. Answers included together with a blank template for pupils to create their own puzzles.
The fourth file is an easier set of chain rule questions.
This is a set of chain rule, product rule and quotient rule differentiation questions for students to check their understanding (and/or recollection). The activity is divided into one set each of chain, product and quotient rule questions with each set consisting of easy, medium and hard questions (the rows) as well as polynomial, trigonometrical and exponential equations (the columns).
Tried and tested on my Year 13 students (single maths and further maths students) who have enjoyed recapping their knowledge with this task this week.
And the best bit... answers included!
KS3 (with support) & KS4, application of standard (right-angle) trigonometry and transformations of curves.
This task involves students making and using measurements from Hubble Space Telescope images to determine Saturn’s orbital period and then transform the sin curve using the excel file to establish when it will next appear ‘edge-on’. Lots of geometrical reasoning, problem solving and ICT.
Teachers notes, internet links, images, Excel file and Powerpoint animation included.
Video guide to this resource at www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ7yDRU1vxg.
Write reports easily with this template/writing frame. It will save you hours - aim to create a set of good reports in 20mins per class. With this full version of this resource you can write reports on up to 35 students at a time and this version includes more ready made comments.
An important note… This file uses macros to do all the fancy stuff, but macros don’t work on Macs so you’ll need to run this file on a windows computer. It’s an Apple thing and is the same with all macro-based files.
Use the existing maths comments or add/replace with your own, following the instructions and formats given. When report day comes around just choose the relevant comments by typing a number and hitting ‘create&save’ and your reports are written. Simply copy and paste into eportal/sims etc.
This download includes a BONUS RESOURCE – Easy UCAS Report Writer ‘Lite’ Excel file. This file is based on the same style as the original report writer but is adapted for writing UCAS reports with sections for comments including Work Ethic, Teamwork, Written, Verbal, Degree and Tail. With this file you can write up to 5 UCAS subject reports at a time. There is a premium version of this file available too which has more comments and enables you to write up to 35 reports at a time. Upgrade to the full version of this resource at https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/easy-ucas-report-writer-premium-11845636.
If you find this useful please leave a positive comment. Any issues at all, please contact me at grahamcolman@colmanweb.co.uk.
Matchup the graph to its equation. These are all of the type linear/linear.
To extend students there are eight equations but only six graphs; students must work out which are missing and draw the other two.
As a further extension, two equations produce the same graph, how come?
GCSE higher extension, proportion activity.
Mathematics, Physics cross-curricular task based on exploring Keplar’s third law.
Students learn how to apply this to the planets, as they orbit the sun, and then to the moon, space station and geostationary satellites, as they orbit the Earth.
Answers, internet links and lesson plan included.
Set of questions of progressive difficulty, based on variation theory and grouped into clear sections for students to familiarise themselves with the chain rule, answers included. Tried and tested successfully in the classroom many times. This download includes a pdf file as well as the original word file for easy editing.