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.

Notes on how exam marks are typically awarded for integration by parts questions. Includes a writing frame, practice of several questions and answers. Questions taken from the AQA syllabus as shown on document. 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. This is one of a series of three 'How to get exam marks in integration by substitution / differential equations / integration by parts' resources. Also available as a bundle, search for 'Get exam marks in...'

Notes on how exam marks are typically awarded for integration by substitution questions. Includes a writing frame, practice of several questions and answers. Questions taken from the AQA syllabus as shown on document. 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. This is one of a series of three 'How to get exam marks in integration by substitution / differential equations / integration by parts' resources. Also available as a bundle, search for 'Get exam marks in...'

Pupils earn points by solving the equations. Easier questions earn less points so pupils self-differentiate and decide their own level of difficulty for themselves (although the teacher should check that they do this sensibly of course!). I tell pupils that those with most points after a given time period win. The competitive nature of this activity encourages pupils to push themselves more than they would usually and I’m always pleasantly surprised at what equations they can do here. Answers to the equations are included. as well as an easier version (v3) with no negative answers. Tried and tested in the classroom many times. This download includes a files as well as the original word files for easy editing.

This is a space-based KS2 / KS3 / GCSE matchup activity. Pupils consider and then rank relative altitudes of Earth features, satellites (natural & artificial) & stars. Pupils will match up and order the images, numbers and written information about each object. There are loads of maths aspects in here, deliberately included to make pupils think and question the points raised. A good real life ordering task or use as a prompt to introduce scale and scale models. Includes plenty of information to inspire as well as aspects to prompt questions and thinking skills. As well as maths and space science, can also be used as a literacy resource. Tried and tested in the classroom with various groups and ages (Yr5, Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, PGCE students). This download includes three versions of this activity - one specifically for primary pupils. Includes pdf files as well as the original powerpoint/word documents for easy editing.

Loads of files here… MathsTricks.ppt is a collection of some of the best, most engaging, maths questions and ideas that I’ve collected over several years of high school maths teaching. Use as lesson starters, discussion points, presentation/assembly materials or whatever other purpose you desire. Files here include… MathsTricks.ppt is a version to print, laminate and create a set of A5 playing cards where each card is one ‘trick’, like a magician! Includes both an editable Powerpoint file and a PDF. MathsTricksICT.ppt is a version of Maths Tricks to display on the whiteboard. This is same as above but with teacher’s notes removed. Includes both an editable Powerpoint file and a PDF. LinksAndNotes.doc is notes, answers and further links (YouTube videos etc.) for each trick. Includes both an editable Word file and a PDF. GreatQuestionsInMaths.docx is a small but great collection of interesting maths questions suitable for GCSE higher or A Level students. No answers here I’m afraid but some can be found in the links & notes document for the main Maths Tricks file. Includes both an editable Word file and a PDF. All of the Summer Fayre documents are a probability task extension of the original question Maths Tricks question. Files here include… SummerFayre.ppt is a single slide containing the original question TheSummerFayreAnswerAndNotes.doc explains the maths behind this game including the probability of winning / losing and the probability of the school winning / losing over multiple plays. TheSummerFayrePrompts.doc is a few starter questions that you could ask students to get them thinking about the maths behind this game. TheSummerFayreSimulation.xlsx is an Excel file demonstration of the probabilities behind playing this game many times.

This is a great, open ended, rich maths task which encourages students to understand connections - relationships - between many areas of maths. Here is… a number machine, algebra, graph, sentence, sequence and input/output table for students to investigate… and hopefully come to the conclusion that all represent the same relationship in different ways. I’ve tried this a few times with Yr7, 8, 9 students and, although they start off slow and I keep my own input to a minimum, they usually get there and appreciate it all the more after a while. If the class is really struggling then you could use the suggestions for ways to investigate which are on slide 4. To extend this rich, open task students could create their own set of cards. The file ‘Relationships’ is the main activity and the ‘LessonPlan’ goes with this. I suggest print out the main page for pairs of students as well as projecting from of class. A subsequent activity / lesson could be students to complete the number machine, table, sentence and graph from the algebra. The file ‘Relationships2’ are the resources that you’ll need for this with the file ‘LessonPlan2’ as the lesson plan. Tried and tested, and corrected(!), in the classroom many times. This download includes a pdf files as well as the original powerpoint and word files for easy editing.

This is an activity for Yr13 pupils to check and extend their understanding of vectors. This is a a set of questions to really check understanding of several vector concepts including magnitudes of vectors, vector equations of lines, scalar product and closest distance between a point and a line. Answers and workings included for our suggested vectors but you, the teacher, could choose to ask students for their own vector suggestions which would give completely different answers. Bonus Resource 1: Notes on Vectors. This is the set of ‘notes on a page’ that I give to my students doing this topic. Bonus Resource 2: Vector Triangles in 3D Space - A great problem-solving-style, simple question with many approaches and possible answers; Sort these triangles into scalene, isosceles and equilateral. Which are right angled too? The task involves using lots of those key vector techniques that students need to be able to perform. Sorry, no answers here this time though. Tried and tested in the classroom many times. This download includes all files as pdfs as well as the original word files for easy editing.

Here’s a set of really quite challenging percentage questions to really test students understanding of percentages as well as their mathematical reasoning skills. Tried and tested in the classroom many times but I’ve left the answers to you, the teacher, this time around. This download includes a pdf file as well as the original word file for easy editing.

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

KS2, KS3, GCSE matchup activity. Pupils consider order and relative altitudes of Earth features, satellites (natural & artificial) é stars. A good real life ordering task or use as a prompt to introduce scale and scale models. Answer included.

A set of questions for students to check that they really know their way around their calculators; pi, stanard form, fractions, trig, multi-step calcs, reciprocals... Answers included.

** 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.

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.

Notes on the ellipse, hyperbola, parabola, circle. Includes eccentricity, foci and the directrix. A second page tabulates transformations (translation, reflection in y=x, stretch vertical and horizontal). A whole (AQA) FP1 chapter summarised on an A4 side with extension material on the reverse. Making learning easy.

A high school assembly presentation on the search for & implications of alien life. A 10-15 minute talk on various sensible aspects concerned with the question of alien life. Use the commentary alongside the presentation/link. This assembly was very well received by all yeargroups at my school and would also work well as a starting point for a citizenship, physics or applied science lesson.

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!

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. \n\nEasier 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.\n\nTwo tasks, answers, lesson plan, lesson bullet points, internet links and eclipse map included.

Notes and proofs of standard integrals for AQA Core 3. Suggested use in classroom; pupils to read and understand proof of integral involving arctan and then construct a similar proof for integral involving arcsin. Intention is to provide solid proof and argument why this integration introduces arctan & arcsin.

Complete the steps in the table to get from ax^2+bx+c=0 to the quadratic formula. Or, to support, cut out the steps and ask students to arrange them in the correct order. Answers on page 1, empty table on page 2. Best printed on A3. Great for engagement on sixth form open evenings.