TickTockMaths

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  • Column Vectors

    Download the PowerPoint here

    Three example problem pairs, and three exercises covering the basics of vectors. Notation, adding and multiplying.

    There’s probably two lessons here.

    No real vector geometry, which I find so difficult to teach. I’m going to need to do a bit of research before I tackle that.

    I quite like these questions that I wrote

    I stole the following idea from Don Steward.
    Quite a nice little thing to do, though.

    I really struggled to present this nicely. Grumble grumble.

    As always, comments, suggestions, corrections and obsequious praise to my Twitter @ticktockmaths.

    Next time : magnitudes of vectors.

  • Interest

    Download the PowerPoint here

    Both simple and compound here. I couldn’t make simple a full lesson.

    I’d separate this into two lessons.

    Also some nice little one slide questions.

    I love this style of question. It’s only 8% needed to double a 10 year investment.

    Pupils should use trial and error.

    There’s also a blooket for lots of practice picking between simple and compound interest.

  • Finding a percentage change

    Download the PowerPoint here

    Again, the language here. Finding a percentage change. It can easily be confused with changing by a percentage. I need to have a sit down and think about how I talk about the language here, and how specific I am. Especially with our EAL learners.

  • One number as a percentage of another

    Get the PowerPoint here

    One thing that redoing some of my percentage PowerPoints has driven home is just how subtle the language around percentages is.

    We can have the percentage of an amount, the percentage change, changing by a percentage and one number as a percentage of another (among others). No wonder pupils get so confused!

    I think next time I teach this topic I’m going to have a long hard look at being more clear with the language that I employ. Maybe that involves picking the wording of some questions apart. Maybe that means looking at some questions and doing some highlighting. Picking from some correct and incorrect solutions.

    As always, chat to me @ticktockmaths on Twitter.

  • Percentage of amount [Non calc]

    Download the PowerPoint/Worksheet here

    Lots of stuff here.

    I use the ‘work out 10% first’ method.

    I stole the mind map idea from Don Steward, who came up with the best tasks.

    I’ve done another Blooket, too.

  • Percentage of amounts [calc]

    Download the PowerPoint/Worksheet here

    I’m going through and updating my percentages PowerPoints so that I have all of percentages done and ticked off. Here’s the percentage of amounts with a calculator one, I’ll upload percentage of amounts without a calculator next. I like to separate the two skills.

    I also make a blooket. You can find that here. I’m currently loving blooket. It’s basically like Kahoot, but with games. I think the games are really well devised, and it’s great for getting kids doing simple, procedural questions. I also like how the best mathematician doesn’t always win. I know that seems counter intuitive, but often with Kahoot, the same person wins every time. Which can demotivate some. It’s also great for getting them doing work over a longer period of time than Kahoot is.

    Again, I’ve actually been really busy updating all sorts of resources. Use the menu at the top to see what I’ve got.

  • Proportion in Context

    Get the PowerPoint here

    As promised, here is a proportion in context lesson.

    Starts with just naming the type of proportion. I love the ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ example I came up with.

    I tend to teach direct, then indirect, then finish with these in context problems.

    I encourage solving both through algebraic methods and using something like MathsBot’s Ratio Boxes, which a really awesome. I used these as starters a few times.

    Most of ratio is now ‘complete’ as a module. If you click the menu up top, you’ll see that there’s a reasonably comprehensive set of resources, which I’ve reviewed and updated.

    As always, feedback and questions to my twitter @ticktockmaths.

    And if you’ve got a topic request, send it my way. I’m using my gained time to update and make as many resources as possible.

  • Inverse Proportion

    Download the PowerPoint here

    Very similar to my last lesson, but looking at indirect.

    This all ties together with a proportion problems PowerPoint which I will upload before the end of the week, where you have to pick if you’re using direct or indirect.

    I’ve also updated the ratio lessons I’ve done and added them to the menu above.

  • Direct Proportion (and being a Gem)

    Download the PowerPoint here

    A really simple PowerPoint covering direct proportion. I’ve deliberately left context out of it here and focused on questions that ask you to use the formula. There’s some example problem pairs and some exercises. Gotta say, I love a good fill in the blanks question. Makes you think forwards and back.

    I’ve included examples here with a negative proportionality constant. Twitter was pretty unanimous that this was OK.

    If you disagree, tweet at me!

    In other news : I got mentioned in Jo Morgan’s end of year ‘gem’ awards. What an honour!

    I won the ‘Hidden Gem’ award. As always, there’s an open offer here. If you want to host any of this stuff, or help it reach a bigger audience (or have feedback as to why it doesn’t), please contact me.

    Next time : Indirect proportion.

  • Factorising Non-monic Quadratics

    Download the PowerPoint here

    Trying to get back into the swing of things.

    I use grid method to do this. I’m a big proponent of grid. Reading through Jo Morgan’s amazing Compendium of Mathematical methods, there’s loads of approaches. But I like to use grid for everything.

    I’ve also updated my expanding double brackets and using the quadratic formula PowerPoints. They’re now simpler, have different questions and just feel a lot more airy and bright.

    As always, tweet me @ticktockmaths for any feedback or questions. I love a good tweet.