A complete lesson on finding the area of a sector. Activities included: Starter: Collect-a-joke starter on areas of circles to check pupils can use the rule. Main: Example-question pairs, giving pupils a quick opportunity to try and receive feedback. A straight-forward worksheet with a progression in difficulty. A challenging, more open-ended extension task where pupils try to find a sector with a given area. Plenary: A brief look at Florence Nightingale’s use of sectors in her coxcomb diagrams, to give a real-life aspect. Printable worksheets and answers included. Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson for introducing the area rule for a triangle. Activities included: Starter: Questions to check pupils can find areas of parallelograms (I always teach this first, as it leads to an explanation of the rule for a triangle). Main: A prompt to get pupils thinking (see cover image) Examples and a worksheet where pupils must identify the height and measure to estimate area. Examples and a worksheet where pupils must select the relevant information from not-to-scale diagrams. Simple extension task of pupils drawing as many different triangles with an area of 12 as they can. Plenary: A sneaky puzzle with a simple answer that reinforces the basic area rule. Printable worksheets and answers included. Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson for first teaching how to compare fractions using common denominators. Intended as a precursor to both ordering fractions and adding or subtracting fractions, as it requires the same skills. Activities included: Starter: Some quick questions to test if pupils can find the lowest common multiple of two numbers. Main: A prompt to generate discussion about different methods of comparing the size of two fractions. Example question pairs on comparing using equivalent fractions, to quickly assess if pupils understand the method. A set of straightforward questions with a progression in difficulty. A challenging extension where pupils find fractions halfway between two given fractions. Plenary: A question in context to reinforce the key skill and also give some purpose to the skill taught in the lesson. Optional worksheets (ie no printing is really required, but the option is there if you want) 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 for first teaching pupils how to express a number as a product of its prime factors using a factor tree. Activities included: Starter: Three puzzles relating to prime numbers, intended to increase pupils’ familiarity with them. Main: Examples and questions (with a progression of difficulty and some intrigue). Plenary A ‘spot the mistake’ question. No worksheets required and answers included throughout. Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on using SOHCAHTOA and Pythagoras’ theorem with problems in three dimensions. Activities included: Starter: A set of recap questions on basic SOHCAHTOA and Pythagoras. Main: Examples and questions to dscuss, on visualising distances and angles within cuboids and triangular prisms, and understanding the wording of exam questions on this topic. Examples and quick questions for pupils to try, on finding the angle of a space diagonal. A worksheet, in three sections (I print this, including the starter, two per page, two sided so that you have a single page handout), with a progression in difficulty. Starts with finding the space diagonal of a cuboid, where the triangle pupils will need to use has been drawn already. The second section looks at angles in a triangular prism, and pupils will need to draw the relevant triangles themselves. The third section has exam-style questions, where pupils will need to identify the correct angle by interpreting the wording of the question. (eg “find the angle between the diagonal AE and the plane ABCD”). An extension task looking at the great pyramid of Giza. Plenary: A final question to add a bit more depth, looking at the most steep and least steep angles up a ramp. Printable worksheets and worked answers included. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

This started as a lesson on plotting coordinates in the 1st quadrant, but morphed into something much deeper and could be used with any class from year 7 to year 11. Pupils will need to know what scalene, isosceles and right-angled triangles are to access this lesson. The first 16 slides are examples of plotting coordinates that could be used to introduce this skill, or as questions to check pupils can do it, or skipped altogether. Then there’s a worksheet where pupils plot sets of three given points and have to identify the type of triangle. I’ve followed this up with a set of questions for pupils to answer, where they justify their answers. This offers an engaging task for pupils to do, whilst practicing the basic of plotting coordinates, but also sets up the next task well. The ‘main’ task involves a grid with two points plotted. Pupils are asked to plot a third point on the grid, so that the resulting triangle is right-angled. This has 9 possible solutions for pupils to try to find. Then a second variant of making an isosceles triangle using the same two points, with 5 solutions. These are real low floor high ceiling tasks, with the scope to look at constructions, circle theorems and trig ratios for older pupils. Younger pupils could simply try with 2 new points and get some useful practice of thinking about coordinates and triangle types, in an engaging way. I have included a page of suggested next steps and animated solutions that could be shown to pupils. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on the theme of star polygons. An excellent way to enrich the topic of polygons, with opportunities for pupils to explore patterns, use notation systems, and make predictions & generalisations. No knowledge of interior or exterior angles needed. The investigation is quite structured and I have included answers, so you can see exactly what outcomes you can hope for, and pre-empt any misconceptions. Pupils investigate what happens when you connect every pth dot on a circle with n equally spaced dots on their circumference. For p>1 this generates star polygons, defined by the notation {n,p}. For example, {5,2} would mean connect every 2nd dot on a circle with 5 equally spaced dots, leading to a pentagram (see cover image). Pupils are initially given worksheets with pre-drawn circles to explore the cases {n,2} and {n,3}, for n between 3 and 10. After a chance to feedback on this, pupils are then prompted to make a prediction and test it. After this, there is a set of deeper questions, for pupils to try to answer. If pupils successfully answer those questions, they could make some nice display work! To finish the lesson, I’ve included a few examples of star polygons in popular culture and a link to an excellent short video about star polygons, that references all the ideas pupils have considered in the investigation. I’ve included key questions and other suggestions in the notes boxes. Please review 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 the theorem that a tangent is perpendicular to a radius. 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 so that more varied questions can be asked. Please see my other resources for lessons on these theorems. Activities included: Starter: Some basic recap questions on theorems 1 to 4 Main: Instructions for pupils to discover the rule, by drawing tangents and measuring the angle to the centre. A set of six examples, mostly using more than one theorem. A set of eight similar questions for pupils to consolidate. A prompt for pupils to create their own questions, as an extension. Plenary: A proof by contradiction of the theorem. Printable worksheets and answers included. Please do review if you buy, as any feedback is greatly appreciated!

A complete lesson on the alternate segment theorem. 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 so that more varied questions can be asked. Please see my other resources for lessons on these theorems. Activities included: Starter: Some basic questions to check pupils know what the word subtend means. Main: Animated slides to define what an alternate segment is. An example where the angle in the alternate segment is found without reference to the theorem (see cover image), followed by three similar questions for pupils to try. I’ve done this because if pupils can follow these steps, they can prove the theorem. However this element of the lesson could be bypassed or used later, depending on the class. Multiple choice questions where pupils simply have to identify which angles match as a result of the theorem. In my experience, they always struggle to identify the correct angle, so these questions really help. Seven examples of finding missing angles using the theorem (plus a second theorem for most of them). A set of eight similar problems for pupils to consolidate. An extension with two variations -an angle chase of sorts. 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 the theorem that a perpendicular bisector of a chord passes through the centre of a circle. 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 Tangents from a point are equal so that more varied questions can be asked. Please see my other resources for lessons on these theorems. Activities included: Starter: An animation reminding pupils about perpendicular bisectors, with the intention being that they would then practice this a few times with ruler and compass. Main: Instructions for pupils to investigate the theorem, by drawing a circle, chord and then bisecting the chord. Slides to clarify the ‘two-directional’ nature of the theorem. Examples of missing angle or length problems using the theorem (plus another theorem, usually) A similar set of eight questions for pupils to consolidate. An extension prompt for pupils to use the theorem to locate the exact centre of a given circle. 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 area of rectilinear shapes, with a strong problem solving and creative element. Activities included: Starter: See cover slide - a prompt to think about properties of shapes, in part to lead to a definition of rectilinear polygons. Main: A question for pupils to discuss, considering which of two methods gives the correct answer for the area of an L-shape. A worksheet showing another L-shape, 6 times with 6 different sums. Pupils try to figure out the method used from the sum. A second worksheet that is really hard to describe but involves pupils thinking critically about how the area of increasingly intricate rectilinear shapes can have the same area. This sets pupils up to go on to create their own interesting shapes with the same area, by generalising about the necessary conditions for this to happen, and ways to achieve this (without counting all the squares!) A third worksheet with more conventional area questions, that could be used as a low-stakes test or a homework. Most questions have the potential to be done in more than one way, so could also be used to get pupils discussing and comparing methods. Plenary: A final question of sorts, where pupils have to identify the information sufficient to work out the area of a given rectilinear shape. Printable worksheets and answers included. I’ve also included suggestions for key questions and follow up questions in the comments boxes at the bottom of each slide. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on patterns of growing shapes that lead to quadratic sequences. See the cover image to get an idea of what I mean by this. Activities included: Starter: A matching activity relating to representation of linear sequences, to set the scene for considering similar representations of quadratic sequences, but also to pay close attention to the common sequences given by the nth term rules 2n and 2n-1 (ie even and odd numbers), as these feature heavily in the lesson. Main: A prompt to give pupils a sense of the intended outcomes of the lesson (see cover image). An extended set of examples of shape sequences with increasingly tricky nth term rules. The intention is that pupils would derive an nth term rule for the number of squares in each shape using the geometry of each shape rather than counting squares and finding an nth term rule from a list of numbers. A worksheet with a set of six different shape sequences, for pupils to consider/discuss. The nth term rules have been given, so the task is to justify these rules by considering the geometry of each shape sequence. Each rule can be justified in a number of ways, so this should lead to some good discussion of methods. Plenary: Ideally, pupils would share their differing methods, but I’ve shown a few methods to one of the sequences to stimulate discussion. Printable worksheets (2) included. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson for first teaching how to divide fractions by fractions. Activities included: Starter: A set of questions on multiplying fractions (I assume everyone would teach this before doing division). Main: Some highly visual examples of dividing by a fraction, using a form of bar modelling (more to help pupils feel comfortable with the idea of dividing a fraction by a fraction, than as a method for working them out). Examples and quick questions for pupils to try, using the standard method of flipping the fraction and multiplying. A set of straightforward questions. A challenging extension where pupils must test different combinations and try to find one that gives required answers. Plenary: An example and explanation (I wouldn’t call it a proof though) of why the standard method works. Optional worksheets (ie everything could be projected, but there are copies in case you want to print) and answers included. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on using knowledge of gradient to find the equation of a line perpendicular to a given line. Nothing fancy, but provides clear examples, printable worksheets and answers for this tricky topic. Please review it if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on the theorem that the angle in a semicircle is 90 degrees. I always teach the theorem that the angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference first (see my other resources for a lesson on that theorem), as it can be used to easily prove the semicircle theorem. Activities included: Starter: Some basic questions on the theorem that the angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference, to check pupils remember it. Main: Examples and non-examples of the semicircle theorem, that could be used as questions for pupils to try. These include more interesting variations like using Pythagoras’ theorem or incorporating other angle rules. A set of questions with a progression in difficulty. These deliberately include a few questions that can’t be done, to focus pupils’ attention on the key features of diagrams. An extension task prompt for pupils to create their own questions using the two theorems already encountered. Plenary: Three discussion questions to promote deeper thinking, the first looking at alternative methods for one of the questions from the worksheet, the next considering whether a given line is a diameter, the third considering whether given diagrams show an acute, 90 degree or obtuse angle. Printable worksheets and answers included. Please do review if you buy as any feedback is greatly appreciated!

A complete lesson on types of polygon, although it goes well beyond the basic classifications of regular and irregular. This lesson gives a flavour of how my resources have been upgraded since I started charging. Activities included: Starter: A nice kinesthetic puzzle, where pupils position two triangles to find as many different shapes as they can. Main: A slide of examples and non-examples of polygons, for pupils to consider before offering a definition of a polygon. A slide showing examples of different types of quadrilateral . Not the usual split of square, rectangle, etc, but concave, convex, equilateral, equiangular, regular, cyclic and simple. This may seem ‘hard’, but I think it is good to show pupils that even simple ideas can have interesting variations. A prompt for pupils to try and draw pentagons that fit these types, with some follow-up questions. A brief mention of star polygons (see my other resources for a complete lesson on this). Slides showing different irregular and regular polygons, together with some follow-up questions. Two Venn diagram activities, where pupils try to find polygons that fit different criteria. This could be extended with pupils creating their own Venn diagrams using criteria of their choice. Could make a nice display. Plenary: A table summarising the names of shapes they need to learn, with a prompt to make an educated guess of the names of 13, 14 and 15 sided shapes. Minimal printing needed and answers included where applicable. I have also added key questions and suggested extensions in the notes boxes. Please review if you buy as any feedback is very much appreciated.

A complete lesson on solving one step equations using the balancing method. Designed to come after pupils have solved using a flowchart/inverse operations, and as such the introductory slides put the two methods side by side, so pupils can relate them. I’ve also uploaded a lesson on balancing (but not solving) equations that would be a good precursor to this lesson. Activities included: Starter: A set of questions to check that pupils can solve one step equations using a flowchart/inverse operations. Main: Two slides showing equations represented on scales, to help pupils visualise the equations as a balancing problem. Four examples of solving equations, firstly using a flowchart/inverse operations and then by balancing. Then a set of similar questions for pupils to try, before giving any feedback. A second set of questions basically with harder numbers. Not exactly thrilling but necessary practice. A more interesting, challenging extension task in the style of the Open Middle website. Plenary: A prompt of an equation that is best solved using the balancing method, rather than inverse operations (hence offering some incentive for the former method). Printable worksheets and answers included. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!

A complete lesson on the theme of balancing equations. There is no solving involved, and the idea is that this lesson would come before using balancing to solve equations. Activities included: Starter: Pupils are presented with a set of number statements (see cover slide) and then prompted to discuss how each statement has been obtained. Pupils then create a similar diagram with an initial number statement of their choice, then could swap/discuss with another student. Main: Pupils are shown an equation and try to create other equations by balancing. They can use substitution to verify whether their new equations are valid. I would follow this up with a whole-class discussion to clarify any misconceptions. Four sets of equations that have been obtained by balancing, pupils have to identify what has been done to both sides each time. A ‘spot the mistake’ worksheet which incorporates the usual misconceptions relating to manipulating and balancing equations. Plenary: A taster of balancing being used to solve equations. Possible key questions, follow up and extension questions included in notes boxes at bottom of slides. Please review if you buy as any feedback is appreciated!