I am an experienced mathematics teacher in New Zealand currently teaching in a polytechnic. My passion is for helping students discover that they can do mathematics and for teaching mathematics that people actually use. I use a variety of activity types and real life applications and love to share the resources I create.
I am an experienced mathematics teacher in New Zealand currently teaching in a polytechnic. My passion is for helping students discover that they can do mathematics and for teaching mathematics that people actually use. I use a variety of activity types and real life applications and love to share the resources I create.
Help students see how useful trigonometry is with these real-life problems. Every problem has a diagram to help students understand each application.
There are two worksheets in this set, each with 8 problems. Worksheet A is a little easier than Worksheet B. You may choose to cut them into cards for group activities.
See also the free resource: Trigonometry Applications – Sample problems.
Problems include:
• Finding angles using trigonometry
• Finding lengths using trigonometry - unknown may be on the numerator or the denominator
• Finding lengths using Pythagoras
• Rounding answers appropriately
Two versions included: Metric units, US units.
pdf files.
Suited to ages 10 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
The skills needed to estimate and assess the reasonableness of answers to real life problems need specific teaching. Use this lesson with 15 teaching slides, followed by the attractive worksheet activities. The lesson, reminds students how to estimate a single number by rounding, then works through two examples of estimating answers to calculations.
The worksheet problems require students to estimate answers to problems that include addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals.
There are three worksheets, A, B and C with 5 problems on each.
Alternatively you can print the worksheets on card and cut into problem cards for group activities.
Answers show suitable rounded values for the measurements as well as the estimate.
Three versions included:
International version has $ and metric units.
UK version has £ and metric units.
US version has $ and US units.
Suited to ages 11 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Help students learn to solve percentage problems with these real life problems that are particularly suited to older and adult learners. We use them in two ways.
• Run a teacher-led problem solving activity with attractively presented problems in the Powerpoint presentation. It works well if students work in pairs as this encourages math talk. Better still, use the problems with shared mini-whiteboards or tablets so that you can see all answers when you ask students to hold them up.
• Alternatively, you can print the worksheet version for students to work through at their own pace.
The 14 problems are suitable for all ages but the interesting real life contexts make them particularly suited to older learners of numeracy skills. The problems include:
• What percentage is…?
• Find given percent of a quantity.
• Increase or decrease by a given percentage.
Files for four versions are included.
International version uses $, and has A4 for printing.
UK version uses £, and has A4 for printing.
EU version uses €, and has A4 for printing.
US version uses $. Formatted for US letter, but you may still need to change paper size to US letter for printing.
Suited to ages 10 to 99.
Would you like to see my other high quality and engaging mathematics resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Use this Powerpoint lesson starter to help students understand how long multiplication works.
It helps you introduce long multiplication visually then focus on the standard strategy followed by a variation of the standard strategy. You can then challenge students who are ready to understand other strategies with the last two slides.
When presenting the Powerpoint file, push the Enter key to progressively show steps within a slide.
Suited to ages 11 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Help students see how useful trigonometry is with these real-life problems. Every problem has a diagram to help students understand each application.
This sample worksheet has 4 problems. You can also cut it into cards for group activities.
For 16 more real life problems see: Trigonometry Applications – Set 1.
Problems include:
• Finding angles using trigonometry
• Finding lengths using trigonometry - unknown may be on the numerator or the denominator.
• Finding lengths using Pythagoras
• Using metric units of length
• Rounding answers appropriately
Metric and US versions included.
pdf files.
Suited to ages 10 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Use these engaging trigonometry tarsia and domino card puzzles to help students learn trig ratios, formulae, radians and Pythagoras. Suited to groups of two or three or use them individually.
Three sets included:
• Trig ratios and Pythagoras for a standard triangle (sides a, b, c, opposite angles A, B, and C respectively).
• Degree and radian conversions using pi.
• Common trig identities and formulae.
Students do lots of thinking and learning. Small groups work really well as there is the shared goal of completing the puzzle. All students contribute as they all work at the same time and at their own pace on the same or different pieces. The activity also encourages maths talk.
I recommend you print the cards onto coloured card, then file and store them for future use. But you can also print them on to paper and ask the students to cut them up.
Formats included:
• Tarsia file for use with the free Formulator Tarsia programme
• pdf files for those without access to the free programme.
• Answers included in both formats. The activity is self-marking.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Help students learn estimating skills and assess the reasonableness of answers to real life problems. Use this Powerpoint lesson introduction and the attractive card activities. Then develop further estimation skills by including number properties and using the further levels of cards.
The problems use addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals.
There are five activities at three graduated levels. There are 6 problems in each set.
Estimation
Set A with A1 answer cards
Set B with B1 answer cards
Estimation and number property skills
Set A with A2 answer cards
Set B with B2 answer cards
Harder problems using both estimation and number property skills
Set C with C answer cards
Files for three versions are included.
International version has $ and metric units.
UK version has £ and metric units.
US version has $ and US units.
Suited to ages 11 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.
Help students learn to solve problems with whole numbers with these real life problems that are particularly suited to older and adult learners. We use them in two ways.
• Run a teacher-led problem solving activity with attractively presented problems in the Powerpoint presentation. It works well if students work in pairs as this encourages math talk. Better still, use the problems with shared mini-whiteboards or tablets so that you can see all answers when you ask students to hold them up.
• Alternatively, you can print the worksheet version for students to work through at their own pace.
The 14 problems are suitable for all ages but the interesting real life contexts make them particularly suited to older learners of numeracy skills.
Files for three versions are included.
International version has $ and metric units.
UK version has £ and metric units.
EU version has € and metric units.
Suited to ages 10 to 99.
Would you like to see my other resources? My shop is called Thinkityink.