Overview Of Rich Tasks In Units

Some opportunities to engage “Rich Tasks” in the new mathematics Framework. The work contained in the following folders is a collection of tasks relating to various elements of the year 7 Framework for maths. There is one folder relating to year 8. These tasks have been collected together as a result of working with North Wiltshire schools that were keen to update schemes of work to reflect the new emphasis of the revised mathematics Framework in operation from September 2008. The contents of the folders are sourced from various internet sites (often www.emaths.co.uk , http://nrich.maths.org/public/ and the NCETM portal) and from the ideas and the experience of the teachers I have worked with. I hope that none of the original contributors object to the inclusion of any of their resources and I am making no claim over the originality of resources. At the moment the tasks are linked to current year 7 units, such as Algebra 4 because most teachers felt comfortable with starting to address the new Framework from the context of what they are used to. As the new Framework becomes more widely used I envisage maths departments starting to break up these old units and picking bits of maths from various ones to build into new units with a coherent theme to them. For example, lots of schools do the probability unit following the fractions, decimal and percent unit for obvious reasons but perhaps these will start to be taught in one unit where the skills for both units are addressed simultaneously. I am using the phrase “Rich Tasks” to mean “tasks which are good at making students think about the maths they are doing so that they learn it better and can apply it in other situations” rather than the repetitious practising of a procedure. I think there is place for the latter too. As such, lots of teachers are using rich tasks already as their normal practice. I am trying to understand what all of the different parts of the Mathematical Processes and Applications diagram really mean. On each unit plan I have made an attempt to indicate in italics which ones I think the content of the unit is helping to address. Please do not view this as definitive. This is shown on the MPA map at the start of each unit. I have also attempted to refer to the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills which each unit helps to address. Please do not view this as definitive. This is shown as a grid at the start of each unit. As with any scheme of work, you will need to look at the resources and ideas offered and consider which are most appropriate for the students you teach. Students in a “core” set in one school or year group may differ widely from those in a different school or year group. You may find some of these resources suit students in classes older than year 7 – use them as you best see fit. Some unit plans are broken down into lesson sections, some even further into starters, mains and plenaries. I have tried to collect all of the resources needed into each folder. I know that the time pressures of teaching sometimes mean that those good ideas for tackling a topic in a different way are shelved because of the other things you are asked and expected to do after school each day. Please bear in mind that some of the resources need photocopying, card sorts need to be cut up and put in envelopes etc but at least you might not have to go looking for them. If you are lucky enough to have some admin support time for your department you could perhaps get some of the resources laminated and cut up and kept for all to use. Resources for interactive whiteboards are in SmartBoard format. As more are developed I will make them available. I hope eventually to be able to use some web based forum to avoid the need to circulate resources. I will try to keep an up to date index of what is available.

Year group 8

Current unit title content is drawn from HD 2 (HD Minipack)

7

SSM3 Core / Extension groups

7

Number (Fractions)

7

Number (Calculations)

7

SSM2 Angles

7

Algebra (Coordinates and graphs)

7

SSM3 Symmetry

7

SSM3 Transformations

7 7

Symmetry and Position Angle connections

Skills covered in the folder Following the HD cycle poster of skills needed to Specify the problem and plan, Collect data, Process and represent data, Interpret and discuss data. Properties of shapes by folding and discussing. Constructions and nets. Getting used to using and understanding fractions, equivalent fractions, mixed number and improper conversions, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction. Alternative number systems from history. Includes some resources for rounding etc. Does not specifically tackle methods of calculation. This unit addresses angle facts in triangles and in quadrilaterals. It is investigational and quite open and the teacher will need to think about how to direct the investigations. It also looks at tessellations. Covers plotting in first and then all quadrants, plotting lines according to given rules. Uses quite a lot of “body maths” – using students to represent lines and coordinates. These resources work towards understanding different symmetries of shapes. It uses paper folding activities as in the SSM3 Core / Extension resources above. This covers reflection, reflection symmetry, rotation and rotational symmetry and translations. It uses some paper folding and lots of chances for “body maths” – using students to represent the maths. This to be updated soon. This to be updated soon.

Also included in this folder is a blank unit template like the ones used, the program for allowing you to adapt the MPA map yourself (it is called Freemind and you will need to install it on your computer using the .exe file provided) and the blank adaptable MPA template. To use this, install Freemind then right click on the Freemind adaptable template icon and then open it with Freemind. When you have made it, save it as a Freemind file so that you can open and edit it again if you need to, when complete export it as a PDF document and then copy the map into the document you want it in.