A Learning Journey

“Mathematics is not a careful march down a well-cleared highway, but a journey into a strange wilderness, where the explorers often get lost and discover more than they thought possible.”

W.S.Anglin

Ken-Ken STARTER

If you don’t know what to do with this then watch here…..

http://www.kenken.com/

Introducing problem solving in Mathematics

Pinpoint key ideas when introducing problem solving to students

Take away ready to use resources

Understand the different ways problem solving can be implemented in Maths

Staircases Investigation

Cubes are used to grow a staircase. Investigate the number of cubes needed to create staircase of height H.

Height 1 Height 2 Height 3 Height 4 Height H

?Whilst discussing and solving the problem in your groups, make a LIST of the strategies which you used to solve the problem.

Going down, the pattern is

Height Number ofCubes

1 1

2 3

3 5

4 7

5 9

Height Number of Cubes×

How many cubes are needed to reach a height of:

a) 10 b) 19 c) 100

Find a general rule linking the number of cubes to the height.

Write the rule in algebra. Can you explain why the rule works.

Add 2

19 cubes

199 cubes

37 cubes

- 1X 2

H Number of cubes

Height 1 Height 2 Height 3

2 cubes are needed to each new height except for height 1 when one of the 2 cubes are missing giving the formula c = 2h – 1.

Design 1. Design 2. Design 3.

Investigate the number of cubes needed to grow a staircase for each of the following staircase designs.

Problem of the week

Get your students enthusiastic about problem solving outside of the classroom.

Set up a strategy how you will manage the weekly problem and advertise this to your students.Get your questions for free and with very little work!

http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/resources/potw.php

Websites you may find useful...

Starter of the day

NGfL

Kenken

Problem of the week