Includes a worksheet that I think is really good (not blowing my own trumpet) and some random whiteboard questions, along with the usual stuff (example problem pair/questions/answers/learning check). Got some variation theory stuff in there, too. You should check out this resource by @edsouthall to use alongside this PowerPoint. It’s really good NOTE : I change my stuff every time I teach. I add new stuff and correct errors. But I don’t always have time to reupload them to TES. The latest version of the PowerPoint can always be found here.

I’ve kept this as a separate lesson from dividing. I think it’s worth taking the time. Prior knowledge check Example problem pairs Learning check When I come to update this, I will add a section on multiplying then factorising. It wasn’t quite appropriate for the class I designed this lesson for. NOTE : I update my lessons a lot. To correct errors or make them better. I don’t always reupload them here. You can find the latest version of my PowerPoint here.

Loads of stuff here. Example problem pairs, exercises and other stuff. There’s also a ‘vary and twist’ worksheet here. Trying to use variation theory to draw out a bit of understanding. NOTE: My PowerPoints are updates often, but not always reuploaded to TES. The latest version of this PowerPoint can always be found here.

Changelog 9/11/2021 Updated some answers on the second exercise. Starts numerically, looking at rules for multiplying. Lots of practice Problem solving question Learning check at the end

Needs a lot of printing (due to the nature of the topic) NOTE : I update stuff often, chopping and changing or correcting errors or general improvements. The latest version of this PowerPoint can always be found here.

Full lesson Example problem pairs Questions Exam questions Learning check When I come to update this, I need to add more questions where substitution is required. NOTE : I update my PowerPoints a lot, but don’t always reupload them to TES. They’re a work in progress. The latest version of this PowerPoint can always be found here.

Tried to go through from simplifying right through to factorising to simplify. Lots of example/problem pairs Lots of work including some whiteboard work. A learning check. At least two lessons here. NOTE : I make lots of changes to my PowerPoints each time I reteach them, but reuploading them is a hassle. The latest version will always be here.

Some prior knowledge stuff Example problem pairs Exercises involving finding the area, but also finding the radius/angle, although when I reteach this at a later point I think I’ll add more of these in A learning check

Example problem pair Some exercises Learning check Not massively exciting. Open to suggestions on how to inject a little more zip. NOTE: TES has pretty rubbish versioning. I tend to update my PowerPoints every time I teach with them, adding more stuff or correcting errors in presentation and math. The latest version can always be found here

Full lesson Prior knowledge check quite a few questions with nice diagrams learning check NOTE: TES is a bit rubbish for versioning. I often update my PowerPoints to add corrections or tweek the content etc. The latest version of this resource can always be found here

An example problem pair A nice set of questions where students have to decide why two problems have been paired (a bit variation theory-esque) Lots of questions, including a big set of questions on moving between radius/diameter and circumference. Some whiteboard work A problem solving question I came up with A learning check NOTE : TES is annoying for keeping stuff up to date. I often change my powerPoints to add stuff and make them better, or simply to correct errors in maths and presentation. The latest version will always be found here.

Areas of circles lesson. Includes Example problem pairs Lots of activities Links to some mini whiteboard random questions A learning check. Probably two lessons. Quite in-depth.

Colour in the boxes to make a little picture. Includes lots of misconceptions, lots of negatives and some fractional practice.

ppt on collecting like terms. Includes: Discussion on what a like term is Some basic questions Questions about algebraic perimeter Questions on algebra pyramids A problem solving task involving an algebraic magic square Two learning checks.

Not sure how I feel about some of the decisions here. I’ve introduced a bit of index laws towards the end of the sheet. Is this madness? I thought I would add it to reinforce the difference between simplifying powers and simplifying regular expressions. Maybe it’s too much. As usual here’s my little justification for the first 10 questions. A simple one to start If you change the letter, it’s the same process You can have multiples of terms And it doesn’t matter where in the expression they occur You can have 3 terms And it doesn’t matter where in the expression they occur Introducing a negative for the first time. At the end to make it easier But the negative can occur anywhere! Here it actually makes you use negatives unless you collect the terms first Introducing terms like bc. It’s not the same as b + c We can do some division Later questions cover stuff like ab being the same as ba. I quite like the last question

A worksheet attempting to combine Craig Barton’s ideas on variation theory (only changing one part at a time) and Dani and Hunal’s ideas around making students make choices. I’ve tried to build up to that. Maybe by trying to combine both I miss the point of each. Would love criticisms and thoughts.

An attempt at some variation theory This one was hard. I spent ages rearranging questions and looking at what should be added. Specifically, I had a massive dilemma when it came to introducing fractions. I was trying to point out the ways in which simplifying fractions and simplifying ratio were similar, but I’m not sure that I haven’t just led students down the wrong path thinking they’re equivalent. For instance 5 : 6 is 5/11 and 6/11, not 5/6. Hmmmm. The variations I used for section A. An example where you can use a prime divisor The opposite way around. What happens to our answer. Order is important! Half one side. 8 : 5 becomes 4 : 5 One that’s already as simple as possible. Time for some questioning? How do you know you can’t simplify it? It’s not just reducing the numbers down. Here you have to multiply up. Deals with what simple is. I have changed this from the picture to make only one number vary from the previous question. Needs a non prime divisor. This isn’t really a variation, though. It has nothing really to do with the previous questions! Again, double one side Double both. Our answer does not double! Adding a third part of the ratio. Changes the answer significantly. Doubling two parts here. Our parts don’t double in our answer! If you amend this and it works better, please let me know.

Trying to use variation theory My thinking A question to start Reversing the terms. Does balancing still work? A subtraction. How does this effect our balance. Does reversing the terms still lead us to the same answer Increasing the constant by one. What happens? Also: a decimal answer. We can have a negative answer Divide x, instead of multiplying it. Increasing co-efficient of x by one. What happens to our answer? Doubling co-efficient of x. Not sure about these last two. I think they may be a step back from question 7. This is the problem with presenting these in a linear format. These questions are variations on question 1, not question 7. I might experiment with some kind of spider diagram. Doubling the divisor from 7. Again, maybe the linear way these are written is a bit rubbish. Don’t know how I like the order of these questions, but there’s lots to think about and something to tweak. I have found the transition to asking ‘why have they asked you that question? What are they trying to tell you?’ has been difficult for some students, but I think it’s worth devoting time to it. If students are inspecting questions for things like this, maybe they’re more likely to read the question thoroughly and pick out it’s mathematics. Big hope, I know.

Made these as a way of drilling into my students useful facts that they should commit to memory (ie 1/5 = 0.2). Made to be used like old spelling tests. Give out the facts. Students use memory techniques like covering up etc to remember them, Then they can be given a follow up test (included) to see how much they’ve remembered.

Some graphs Are they bad? Why are they bad? What could be improved? Updated 11/5/17