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Galileo, a famous inventor who lived about 400 years ago, came up with an idea similar to this for making a time measuring instrument. Can you turn your pendulum into an accurate minute timer?
Can you order pictures of the development of a frog from frogspawn and of a bean seed growing into a plant?
In this article for teachers, Bernard uses some problems to suggest that once a numerical pattern has been spotted from a practical starting point, going back to the practical can help explain. . . .
A game to make and play based on the number line.
Make a spiral mobile.
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
Use the tangram pieces to make our pictures, or to design some of your own!
It might seem impossible but it is possible. How can you cut a playing card to make a hole big enough to walk through?
Follow these instructions to make a three-piece and/or seven-piece tangram.
This article for students gives some instructions about how to make some different braids.
Make an equilateral triangle by folding paper and use it to make patterns of your own.
A group of children are discussing the height of a tall tree. How would you go about finding out its height?
You could use just coloured pencils and paper to create this design, but it will be more eye-catching if you can get hold of hammer, nails and string.
If you'd like to know more about Primary Maths Masterclasses, this is the package to read! Find out about current groups in your region or how to set up your own.
This article for pupils gives an introduction to Celtic knotwork patterns and a feel for how you can draw them.
Make a mobius band and investigate its properties.
Make some celtic knot patterns using tiling techniques
Learn how to draw circles using Logo. Wait a minute! Are they really circles? If not what are they?
More Logo for beginners. Now learn more about the REPEAT command.
Using these kite and dart templates, you could try to recreate part of Penrose's famous tessellation or design one yourself.
Make a ball from triangles!
What do these two triangles have in common? How are they related?
Did you know mazes tell stories? Find out more about mazes and make one of your own.
Kaia is sure that her father has worn a particular tie twice a week in at least five of the last ten weeks, but her father disagrees. Who do you think is right?
Can you make the birds from the egg tangram?
Follow the diagrams to make this patchwork piece, based on an octagon in a square.
A description of how to make the five Platonic solids out of paper.
Have a go at drawing these stars which use six points drawn around a circle. Perhaps you can create your own designs?
Ideas for practical ways of representing data such as Venn and Carroll diagrams.
This package contains hands-on code breaking activities based on the Enigma Schools Project. Suitable for Stages 2, 3 and 4.
Follow these instructions to make a five-pointed snowflake from a square of paper.
Surprise your friends with this magic square trick.
Can you put these shapes in order of size? Start with the smallest.
It's hard to make a snowflake with six perfect lines of symmetry, but it's fun to try!
Learn about Pen Up and Pen Down in Logo
Have you noticed that triangles are used in manmade structures? Perhaps there is a good reason for this? 'Test a Triangle' and see how rigid triangles are.
Make a cube with three strips of paper. Colour three faces or use the numbers 1 to 6 to make a die.
Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
Here are some ideas to try in the classroom for using counters to investigate number patterns.
These models have appeared around the Centre for Mathematical Sciences. Perhaps you would like to try to make some similar models of your own.
Exploring balance and centres of mass can be great fun. The resulting structures can seem impossible. Here are some images to encourage you to experiment with non-breakable objects of your own.
This is the second in a twelve part introduction to Logo for beginners. In this part you learn to draw polygons.
What shapes can you make by folding an A4 piece of paper?
How can you make a curve from straight strips of paper?
Can you lay out the pictures of the drinks in the way described by the clue cards?
This is a simple paper-folding activity that gives an intriguing result which you can then investigate further.
What is the largest number of circles we can fit into the frame without them overlapping? How do you know? What will happen if you try the other shapes?
Here's a simple way to make a Tangram without any measuring or ruling lines.
Use the lines on this figure to show how the square can be divided into 2 halves, 3 thirds, 6 sixths and 9 ninths.
Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.