Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
Charlie likes tablecloths that use as many colours as possible, but insists that his tablecloths have some symmetry. Can you work out how many colours he needs for different tablecloth designs?
This resources contains a series of interactivities designed to support work on transformations at Key Stage 4.
When number pyramids have a sequence on the bottom layer, some interesting patterns emerge...
Two circles of equal radius touch at P. One circle is fixed whilst the other moves, rolling without slipping, all the way round. How many times does the moving coin revolve before returning to P?
This is an interactivity in which you have to sort the steps in the completion of the square into the correct order to prove the formula for the solutions of quadratic equations.
The aim of the game is to slide the green square from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner in the least number of moves.
Can you discover whether this is a fair game?
There are thirteen axes of rotational symmetry of a unit cube. Describe them all. What is the average length of the parts of the axes of symmetry which lie inside the cube?
Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?
Show that for any triangle it is always possible to construct 3 touching circles with centres at the vertices. Is it possible to construct touching circles centred at the vertices of any polygon?
We can show that (x + 1)² = x² + 2x + 1 by considering the area of an (x + 1) by (x + 1) square. Show in a similar way that (x + 2)² = x² + 4x + 4
To avoid losing think of another very well known game where the patterns of play are similar.
A red square and a blue square overlap so that the corner of the red square rests on the centre of the blue square. Show that, whatever the orientation of the red square, it covers a quarter of the. . . .
Rotate a copy of the trapezium about the centre of the longest side of the blue triangle to make a square. Find the area of the square and then derive a formula for the area of the trapezium.
The opposite vertices of a square have coordinates (a,b) and (c,d). What are the coordinates of the other vertices?
Start with any number of counters in any number of piles. 2 players take it in turns to remove any number of counters from a single pile. The winner is the player to take the last counter.
Find the vertices of a pentagon given the midpoints of its sides.
Triangle numbers can be represented by a triangular array of squares. What do you notice about the sum of identical triangle numbers?
Find all the ways of placing the numbers 1 to 9 on a W shape, with 3 numbers on each leg, so that each set of 3 numbers has the same total.
Help the bee to build a stack of blocks far enough to save his friend trapped in the tower.
Use Excel to explore multiplication of fractions.
Triangle ABC has equilateral triangles drawn on its edges. Points P, Q and R are the centres of the equilateral triangles. What can you prove about the triangle PQR?
These formulae are often quoted, but rarely proved. In this article, we derive the formulae for the volumes of a square-based pyramid and a cone, using relatively simple mathematical concepts.
Overlaying pentominoes can produce some effective patterns. Why not use LOGO to try out some of the ideas suggested here?
Euler discussed whether or not it was possible to stroll around Koenigsberg crossing each of its seven bridges exactly once. Experiment with different numbers of islands and bridges.
Match pairs of cards so that they have equivalent ratios.
The interactive diagram has two labelled points, A and B. It is designed to be used with the problem "Cushion Ball"
This resource contains a range of problems and interactivities on the theme of coordinates in two and three dimensions.
A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.
Can you give the coordinates of the vertices of the fifth point in the patterm on this 3D grid?
A game for 2 players that can be played online. Players take it in turns to select a word from the 9 words given. The aim is to select all the occurrences of the same letter.
What are the areas of these triangles? What do you notice? Can you generalise to other "families" of triangles?
Here is a chance to play a fractions version of the classic Countdown Game.
A group of interactive resources to support work on percentages Key Stage 4.
This set of resources for teachers offers interactive environments to support work on loci at Key Stage 4.
Can you find all the 4-ball shuffles?
A collection of our favourite pictorial problems, one for each day of Advent.
A tool for generating random integers.
Use an Excel to investigate division. Explore the relationships between the process elements using an interactive spreadsheet.
The classic vector racing game brought to a screen near you.
A point P is selected anywhere inside an equilateral triangle. What can you say about the sum of the perpendicular distances from P to the sides of the triangle? Can you prove your conjecture?
This game challenges you to locate hidden triangles in The White Box by firing rays and observing where the rays exit the Box.
An Excel spreadsheet with an investigation.
How good are you at finding the formula for a number pattern ?
Use an interactive Excel spreadsheet to explore number in this exciting game!
Use an interactive Excel spreadsheet to investigate factors and multiples.
A simple file for the Interactive whiteboard or PC screen, demonstrating equivalent fractions.
Use an Excel spreadsheet to explore long multiplication.
The number of plants in Mr McGregor's magic potting shed increases overnight. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of his gardens, planting one garden each day. How can he do it?