There are 71 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Selecting and using information, you may find related items under Thinking Mathematically.
Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Selecting and using information
Through the Window
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
My local DIY shop calculates the price of its windows according to the area of glass and the length of frame used. Can you work out how they arrived at these prices?
Ordering Cards
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
This problem is designed to help children to learn, and to use, the two and three times tables.
What's in a Name?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Here's a very elementary code that requires young children to read a table, and look for similarities and differences.
Going for Gold
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Looking at the 2012 Olympic Medal table, can you see how the data is organised? Could the results be presented differently to give another nation the top place?
The Animals' Sports Day
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
One day five small animals in my garden were going to have a sports day. They decided to have a swimming race, a running race, a high jump and a long jump.
The Games' Medals
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you see who the gold medal winner is? What about the silver medal winner and the bronze medal winner?
How Tall?
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
A group of children are discussing the height of a tall tree. How would you go about finding out its height?
Fifteen Cards
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you use the information to find out which cards I have used?
Discuss and Choose
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
This activity challenges you to decide on the 'best' number to use in each statement. You may need to do some estimating, some calculating and some research.
Order, Order!
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you place these quantities in order from smallest to largest?
Planning a School Trip
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
You are organising a school trip and you need to write a letter to parents to let them know about the day. Use the cards to gather all the information you need.
How Would You Score It?
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Invent a scoring system for a 'guess the weight' competition.
Table Patterns Go Wild!
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Nearly all of us have made table patterns on hundred squares, that is 10 by 10 grids. This problem looks at the patterns on differently sized square grids.
Jig Shapes
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you each work out what shape you have part of on your card? What will the rest of it look like?
Difference Sudoku
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
Children at Large
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
There are four children in a family, two girls, Kate and Sally, and two boys, Tom and Ben. How old are the children?
Sweet Shop
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Five children went into the sweet shop after school. There were choco bars, chews, mini eggs and lollypops, all costing under 50p. Suggest a way in which Nathan could spend all his money.
John's Train Is on Time
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
A train leaves on time. After it has gone 8 miles (at 33mph) the driver looks at his watch and sees that the hour hand is exactly over the minute hand. When did the train leave the station?
Letter Land
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
If: A + C = A; F x D = F; B - G = G; A + H = E; B / H = G; E - G = F and A-H represent the numbers from 0 to 7 Find the values of A, B, C, D, E, F and H.
Approximating Pi
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
By inscribing a circle in a square and then a square in a circle find an approximation to pi. By using a hexagon, can you improve on the approximation?
Birthday Cakes
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Jack's mum bought some candles to use on his birthday cakes and when his sister was born, she used them on her cakes too. Can you use the information to find out when Kate was born?
Who Can Be the Winner?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Some children have been doing different tasks. Can you see who was the winner?
Olympic Cards
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Design your own scoring system and play Trumps with these Olympic Sport cards.
Curve Spotting
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you spot circles, spirals and other types of curves in these photos?
Olympic Logic
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
A Random Rambling Rant
Age 5 to 18
A random ramble for teachers through some resources that might add a little life to a statistics class.
Escape from the Castle
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Skippy and Anna are locked in a room in a large castle. The key to that room, and all the other rooms, is a number. The numbers are locked away in a problem. Can you help them to get out?
Place Your Orders
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Can you rank these sets of quantities in order, from smallest to largest? Can you provide convincing evidence for your rankings?
Pairs of Legs
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
How many legs do each of these creatures have? How many pairs is that?
Order the Changes
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you order pictures of the development of a frog from frogspawn and of a bean seed growing into a plant?
In Order
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you rank these quantities in order? You may need to find out extra information or perform some experiments to justify your rankings.
Four Coloured Lights
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Imagine a machine with four coloured lights which respond to different rules. Can you find the smallest possible number which will make all four colours light up?
Thirsty?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you lay out the pictures of the drinks in the way described by the clue cards?
Which Numbers? (2)
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
I am thinking of three sets of numbers less than 101. Can you find all the numbers in each set from these clues?
Which Numbers? (1)
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
I am thinking of three sets of numbers less than 101. They are the red set, the green set and the blue set. Can you find all the numbers in the sets from these clues?
Sort Them Out (2)
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
Spectrometry Detective
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
From the atomic masses recorded in a mass spectrometry analysis can you deduce the possible form of these compounds?
Carbon Footprints
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Is it really greener to go on the bus, or to buy local?
Time to Evolve
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
How many generations would link an evolutionist to a very distant ancestor?
Twin Equivalent Sudoku
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
This Sudoku problem consists of a pair of linked standard Suduko puzzles each with some starting digits
Twin Line-swapping Sudoku
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
Quadruple Sudoku
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
Pole Star Sudoku 2
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
Problem Solving, Using and Applying and Functional Mathematics
Age 5 to 18
Challenge Level
Problem solving is at the heart of the NRICH site. All the problems give learners opportunities to learn, develop or use mathematical concepts and skills. Read here for more information.
The Naked Pair in Sudoku
Age 7 to 16
A particular technique for solving Sudoku puzzles, known as "naked pair", is explained in this easy-to-read article.
Back to the Practical?
Age 7 to 14
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-maze-ing
Age 7 to 14
Did you know that ancient traditional mazes often tell a story? Remembering the story helps you to draw the maze.
What Does it Say to You?
Age 5 to 11
Written for teachers, this article discusses mathematical representations and takes, in the second part of the article, examples of reception children's own representations.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.