Middle School Maths

Thursday Session 4

Games Session

All students had completed the topic test on Tuesday. With one session remaining for the Semester, I decided to run today’s session as a games session with no purpose other than playing games.

Of course games require the students to think, plan and strategize, which is everything that I want them to do. However, they are doing it without thinking of it as work.

Most students played card games. The usual popular games were chosen. Ah, the rich probabilities that could be explored in these recreational activities, if only we had the time.

I also set a block of chocolate as a prise for any group that could come up with all the happy numbers within certain ranges. Apparently this was quite an incentive. Several students worked very hard to gain their block of chocolate… on the very last session of the term!

Click on this link for an explanation of happy numbers

Mathletics over the holidays

During the break, I will be setting mathletics tasks for your child to do. It is in your child best interests to keep their Maths ticking over during the break.

I am going back through the review exercises in mathletics and picking tasks that your child has not yet done or has achieved less than 85%.

If your child has completed all the review exercises, I will be attempting to provide extension tasks.

The point of setting these tasks is to keep your child doing some Maths every day (if possible). Your child may find the tasks less than challenging. My point is not to challenge your child but to keep your child actively doing some mathematics.

I will be checking regularly to see if your child has done the tasks that I set. Once they have completed the set tasks, I will add further tasks.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Thursday Session 5

Games Session

All students had completed the topic test yesterday. With one session remaining for the Semester, I decided to run today’s session as a games session with no purpose other than playing games.

Of course games require the students to think, plan and strategize, which is everything that I want them to do. However, they are doing it without thinking of it as work.

Most students played card games. The usual popular games were chosen. Ah, the rich probabilities that could be explored in these recreational activities, if only we had the time.

I also set a block of chocolate as a prise for any group that could come up with all the happy numbers within certain ranges. Apparently this was quite an incentive. Several students worked very hard to gain their block of chocolate… on the very last session of the term!

Click on this link for an explanation of happy numbers

Mathletics over the holidays

During the break, I will be setting mathletics tasks for your child to do. It is in your child best interests to keep their Maths ticking over during the break.

I am going back through the review exercises in mathletics and picking tasks that your child has not yet done or has achieved less than 85%.

If your child has completed all the review exercises, I will be attempting to provide extension tasks.

The point of setting these tasks is to keep your child doing some Maths every day (if possible). Your child may find the tasks less than challenging. My point is not to challenge your child but to keep your child actively doing some mathematics.

I will be checking regularly to see if your child has done the tasks that I set. Once they have completed the set tasks, I will add further tasks.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Thursday Session 2

Games Session

All students had completed the topic test yesterday. With one session remaining for the Semester, I decided to run today’s session as a games session with no purpose other than playing games.

Of course games require the students to think, plan and strategize, which is everything that I want them to do. However, they are doing it without thinking of it as work.

Most students played card games. The usual popular games were chosen. Ah, the rich probabilities that could be explored in these recreational activities, if only we had the time.

I also set a block of chocolate as a prise for any group that could come up with all the happy numbers within certain ranges. Apparently this was quite an incentive. Several students worked very hard to gain their block of chocolate… on the very last session of the term!

Click on this link for an explanation of happy numbers

Mathletics over the holidays

During the break, I will be setting mathletics tasks for your child to do. It is in your child best interests to keep their Maths ticking over during the break.

I am going back through the review exercises in mathletics and picking tasks that your child has not yet done or has achieved less than 85%.

If your child has completed all the review exercises, I will be attempting to provide extension tasks.

The point of setting these tasks is to keep your child doing some Maths every day (if possible). Your child may find the tasks less than challenging. My point is not to challenge your child but to keep your child actively doing some mathematics.

I will be checking regularly to see if your child has done the tasks that I set. Once they have completed the set tasks, I will add further tasks.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Wednesday Session 3

Games Session

All students had completed the topic test yesterday. With one session remaining for the Semester, I decided to run today’s session as a games session with no purpose other than playing games.

Of course games require the students to think, plan and strategize, which is everything that I want them to do. However, they are doing it without thinking of it as work.

Most students played card games. The usual popular games were chosen. Ah, the rich probabilities that could be explored in these recreational activities.

I also set a block of chocolate as a prise for any group that could come up with all the happy numbers within certain ranges. Apparently this was quite an incentive. I was 4 blocks down by the end of the session.

Click on this link for an explanation of happy numbers

Mathletics over the holidays

During the break, I will be setting mathletics tasks for your child to do. It is in your child best interests to keep their Maths ticking over during the break.

I am going back through the review exercises in mathletics and picking tasks that your child has not yet done or has achieved less than 85%.

If your child has completed all the review exercises, I will be attempting to provide extension tasks.

The point of setting these tasks is to keep your child doing some Maths every day (if possible). Your child may find the tasks less than challenging. My point is not to challenge your child but to keep your child actively doing some mathematics.

I will be checking regularly to see if your child has done the tasks that I set. Once they have completed the set tasks, I will add further tasks.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Wednesday Session 6

Topic Test

Students sat the topic test today

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Wednesday Session 2

Topic Test

Students sat the topic test today

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Tuesday Session 6

Students sitting topic test today

Maths blogging

I am asking students to log in to their blogs at the end of each school day (that they have maths) and write a short post about that day’s maths session There are two reasons for this request.

1. First, taking a few minutes to reflect on the day’s session will strengthen your child’s learning.
2. Second, it gives me some feedback about your child’s understanding of the topic being studied.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Tuesday Session 4

Revision for test

The topic test is tomorrow. So today we spent the session playing various bingo games as a way to practice the skills.

We played

• Lowest Common Multiple bingo

This involves rolling two dice. Student have to find the lowest common multiple of the two numbers and cross it off their bingo board if they have it.

• Number sequences bingo

Students are required to list out the first twelve terms in certain sequences. These then become the pool for the bingo numbers. The sequences being studied in this topic are Square numbers, Cube numbers, Triangular numbers and Fibonacci numbers.

• Highest Common Factor bingo

This involves rolling two dice. Student have to find the highest common factor of the two numbers and cross it off their bingo board if they have it.

• Operations Bingo

We also played a couple of rounds of bingo where students simply had to add, subtract or multiply the two numbers rolled.

• Happy Numbers

We ran out of time to look at this properly. I asked students to come up with the happy numbers between zero and twenty.

Personal Preparation

Students are allowed to have single page of A4 notes to take with them into the test tomorrow. We have discussed making these notes in class. Each student must prepare their own notes. They had been shown the this Web site again and how to use it to help them prepare.

They will also be allowed a timetables chart.

It is vital that your child has had plenty of practice at these concepts. That’s the reason for mathletics. That’s the reason for keeping this website. So that your child can always be up to date.

Maths blogging

I am asking students to log in to their blogs at the end of each school day (that they have maths) and write a short post about that day’s maths session There are two reasons for this request.

1. First, taking a few minutes to reflect on the day’s session will strengthen your child’s learning.
2. Second, it gives me some feedback about your child’s understanding of the topic being studied.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Tuesday Session 5

Students sitting topic test today

Maths blogging

I am asking students to log in to their blogs at the end of each school day (that they have maths) and write a short post about that day’s maths session There are two reasons for this request.

1. First, taking a few minutes to reflect on the day’s session will strengthen your child’s learning.
2. Second, it gives me some feedback about your child’s understanding of the topic being studied.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .

Monday Session 4

Preparation for Topic Test

Students will sit the topic test this Wednesday.

The list of topics that students should be making notes for can be taken directly from the the Term 2 program

Chapter 3 Number Theory

Multiples

Factors

Primes and composites

Squares and cube numbers

Other special numbers

*Fibonacci

*Happy numbers

*Triangular numbers

Order of operation

If any further clarification is required, you can look back over the updates for your child’s class over the last three weeks

Maths blogging

I am asking students to log in to their blogs at the end of each school day (that they have maths) and write a short post about that day’s maths session. There are two reasons for this request.

1. First, taking a few minutes to reflect on the day’s session will strengthen your child’s learning.
2. Second, it gives me some feedback about your child’s understanding of the topic being studied.

Mathletics Parents report

Click on this link to register for a weekly report on your child’s efforts on mathletics .