The AMSP offers a range of resources developed to engage students with maths. Some are delivered online, some are for teacher use, and some are designed for student use, so may be of particular interest for students who are isolating.
Visualising the Climate Crisis
Our Visualising the Climate Crisis resource might be the perfect post-Christmas challenge! It’s a problem-solving activity that starts with a focus on Christmas jumpers and waste, but could be modified for other items of clothing or contexts. It’s been adapted for use with different ages, including a variation that could be used jointly with feeder schools as a transition project. Students who are isolating at home could use the video as a starting point for an exploration, but are likely to need additional teacher guidance or prompts.
Additional resources
- What is climate change? (National Geographic Kids)
- Love Your Clothes, a charity campaigning to reduce clothes waste:
- What to do with clothing & textiles (Recycle Now)
- Waste prevention (WRAP UK)
- WasteAid, a charity supporting poorer countries to manage waste
Where’s the Maths in that?
Our Where’s the Maths in that? resource is designed for teachers to use in the classroom and is based on using images. It’s been adapted for use with different ages, including a variation that could be used jointly with feeder schools as a transition project. It can easily be modified to suit online learning, and for mixed attainment or mixed age use. It’s a great activity for promoting creativity and helping students to be aware of the breadth of their existing knowledge. It can also be adapted to work for other school subjects, for joint teaching.
Additional resources
11-16 enrichment lessons
There are eight 11-16 enrichment lessons to try, covering a range of enrichment topics that explore maths beyond the KS4 curriculum. Students who are working from home may be able to explore some of these without additional prompts but, for most of the activities, teacher guidance will help them to get started. The easiest lessons to access are the ones with lesson plans. The ideas can be extended or broadened, and some can be used at KS3, for example I have used Josephus Flavius as a Year 9 challenge activity for top sets.
You could also try The Royal Institution Masterclass resources or their free online lecture with Nira Chamberlain, President of The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
FMSP collection
The FMSP collection includes:
- GCSE and A level problem-solving materials
- Posters, including the enrichment set and My Favourite Problems
- The Taking Maths Further podcasts and puzzle collection
- and much more!
Maths Club Activities
The Maths Club Activities may be useful if you’re setting up a new club or if you’re looking for new materials. You may find some of the activities familiar from previous AMSP enrichment events. Some activities may not be suitable for pupils who are working online or in socially distanced classrooms, as they are practical and require materials and/or collaborative work.
Other resources
- Origami in Mathematics (STEM Learning) Please note: you will need to be registered to download these materials.
- Origami in lessons, which provides many ideas for cross-curricular work (ARTFUL MATHS)
- Mathematical Origami, which focuses on polyhedral and variations (Mathigon)
- Mathematical Card Tricks
- Card tricks from NRICH: Counting Cards, Card Trick 1, Card Trick 2, Amazing Card Trick, Cunning Card Trick, Spot the Card, The Best Card Trick?, Mathemagic with a Deck of Cards
Your local Area Coordinator may know other suitable activities, so please get in touch!