Online Investigations

Scroll down to browse the listor use the filter on the left to select a topic.

Welcome to hours of mathematical enjoyment!

(Ages 6-9): Metres and Centimetres (FREE!)

Investigate how to change whole numbers of metres to centimetres and then explore combinations of metres and centimetres. How many centimetres altogether?

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(Ages 6-9): Metres and Centimetres with Simple Halves (FREE!)

Investigate half metres and their equivalences with centimetres using a metre stick.

Turn the stick over and put blu-tac on the back to show where half a metre is. Discuss what numbers of centimetres will match with no halves, one half and two halves.

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(Ages 6-9): Metres and Centimetres with Mixed Number Halves (FREE!)

Use a metre stick to discuss the meaning of one half and how it is written.

Explore the meaning of 1½m and 2½m etc.

Explore their equivalences in centimetres.

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(Ages 6-9): Missing Numbers on the Number Line (FREE!)

Explore the patterns that you get on the numbers line when you divide a section of the line into smaller pieces. Investigate counting in 5s, 10s, 20s, 25s and 50s.

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(Ages 7-10): Millimetres and millilitres (FREE!)

Change between metres and millimetres, litres and millilitres.

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(Ages 7-10): Kilometres and Kilograms (FREE!)

Change kilometres to metres and kilograms to grams.

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(Ages 7-10): Decimal Tenths and Halves (FREE!)

Draw a line on the board from zero to 1 and ask if there are numbers in between. Discuss ½, 0.5 etc as appropriate.

Discuss where you would cut to chop a metre stick in into tenths and what these would be as decimals (0.1m, 0.2m etc). Count in 0.1s and explore equivalences between decimal tneths of metres and centimetres (eg 1.9m = 190cm etc).

Recap on where you would cut to chop a metre stick in half, and that ½m = 50cm.

Use two metre sticks to explore that 1½m = 150cm. Recap that ½ = 0.5 and explore 1½ = 1.5. Then explore equivalences between decimal half metres and centimetres (eg 1.5m = 150cm etc).

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(Ages 8-11): Decimal Tenths, Hundredths and Quarters (FREE!)

Use a metre stick to consolidate learning about tenths and hundredths and use this to explore decimal equivalences for halves and quarters.

Use a metre stick to recap on tenths and hundredths. Establish the position of 0.1, 0.2 etc and 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 etc. Turn the stick over and put blu-tac on the back to show where the halves and quarters would be. Recap that ¼m= 25cm etc. Establish that this would be 0.25m using decimals. What about ¾?

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(Ages 9-12): Metres, Centimetres, Millimetres with Decimals (FREE!)

Use a metre stick and explore patterns to help with decimal metric conversions within 1 metre.

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(Ages 10-13): Heights of Buildings Using Shadows (FREE!)

Investigate how to use the lengths of shadows to find the heights of buildings and learn all about how ratio works.

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(Ages 10-13): Mixed Metric Equivalences with Decimals (FREE!)

Establish that milli-metres/litres/grams are 1000 times smaller than metres/litres/grams and kilm-oetres/grams are 1000 times larger. Consolidate the understanding that since millimetres are smaller you will need more of them, km are larger so you will need fewer. Explore the idea that changing between these measurements is then just a matter of multipiying or dividing by 1000, by moving numbers relative to the position of the decimal point.

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(Ages 10-13): Train Journey (FREE!)

Use self-checking tools to work out the time taken, distance travelled, and average speed on various sections of a train journey.

Supports the paper-based investigation with the same name.

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