Photocopiable Investigations

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Welcome to hours of mathematical enjoyment!

(Ages 4-7): Make it fair (£0.20)

Raid the games cupboard for hoops and bean bags and you are all set for this engaging talking activity. Children are determined to make it fair and in so doing explore the concepts of odd and even, grouping and sharing.

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(Ages 5-8): How many each and altogether? (£0.40)

How many frogs in each pond? How many ponds? How many frogs altogether?

WORK BIG to get to grips with the key language you need to understand problems with words in them. Extend into the ideas of multiplication and division and how they link together.

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(Ages 5-8): How many fingers? (£0.60)

I wonder how many fingers we have here?
Just 10?
But you have ten, Jamie has ten, Sophie has ten...

A lively and engaging talking investigation exploring counting in 10s and 20s beyond 100.

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(Ages 6-9): Number Chains and Digit Wheels (£0.60)

Make beautiful patterns with this wide-ranging investigation into the digit patterns that you get when you repeatedly add or subtract a single digit to or from a larger number.

Links well both to activities for consolidating adding or subtracting a single digit to or from a 2-digit number, and to activities to support learning the 'stations' of the multiplication tables.

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(Ages 8-11): Chopping up a Metre Stick (£1.90)

Well, not ACTUALLY cutting it up - but imagine...

Suppose you wanted to make 4 pieces or 5 pieces. Where would you chop? How about 3 pieces?

Get totally immersed in how division, fractions and decimals work...

This was particularly challenging and the children enjoyed the open ended investigations.
Year 5 Co-ordinator, Woodnewton School

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(Ages 8-11): Multiplication Rectangles and Factor Rainbows (£1.90)

An engaging investigation into multiplication and the concept of factors.

Investigate which numbers have few factors and which have lots. Explore square numbers and look at the ‘specialness’ of the numbers used for measuring time and angle – 12, 24, 60 and 360.

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(Ages 10-13): Train Journey (£1.80)

Investigate how to use train timetables, calculate journey times, interpret maps, measure distances, use averages and work with scale.

Create an information booklet about a forthcoming train journey.

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(Ages 10-13): The Algebra of Throwing (£1.80)

Children often ask what algebra is FOR. This investigation allows capable pupils at the top end of primary school to use simple algebraic skills to investigate an area of Maths that is normally reserved for upper secondary pupils.

Children love throwing things in the air. By the end of this investigation they will have equations, tables and graphs that will allow them to work out how high they can throw something, and what speed they can throw it at. Beware. It is good fun!

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(Ages 10-13): Handshakes, Cards, Roses and Triangles (£1.20)

An investigation into four related problems which all generate number patterns linked to the triangular numbers: 1, 3, 6, 10 etc. Consolidates pupils' use of problem-solving strategies such as drawing diagrams and using tables and shows how to investigate a problem thoroughly by building a pattern from simpler cases to more challenging ones.

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(Ages 10-13): Formulas for Sequences (£1.20)

Investigate he connection between number sequences and the rules that generate them. Begin by exploring two simple matchstick patterns and develop into investigating line graphs for formulas.

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