YMA Practice

These are are few activities which you may find useful as a starter, in order to see the kinds of challenges that you may be asked to do as part of the Explore Learning "Young Mathematicians' Award".

They require good thinking and problem-solving skills - more than just knowledge of different areas of mathematics.

So, enjoy and give yourself plenty of time.

When you have found a solution then it's good to ask yourself "I wonder what would happen if I . . . .?" Change just one of the rules slightly and re-visit the problem. To think as a mathematician you would then compare the first solution(s) with the second solution(s).

Chocolate

Stage: 2 and 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

There are three tables in a room with blocks of chocolate on each. Where would be the best place for each child in the class to sit if they came in one at a time?

Tiles on a Patio

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

How many ways can you find of tiling the square patio, using square tiles of different sizes?

Newspapers

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

When newspaper pages get separated at home we have to try to sort them out and get things in the correct order. How many ways can we arrange these pages so that the numbering may be different?

Ice Cream

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

You cannot choose a selection of ice cream flavours that includes totally what someone has already chosen. Have a go and find all the different ways in which seven children can have ice cream.

More and More Buckets

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

In this challenge, buckets come in five different sizes. If you choose some buckets, can you investigate the different ways in which they can be filled?

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.