List

Resilience and Perseverance

In this feature, we have chosen problems designed to promote a positive attitude to challenging mathematical situations. The article, Getting into and Staying in the Growth Zone is packed with information and advice on helping your students become less anxious and more resilient.

Caterpillars
problem
Favourite

Caterpillars

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
These caterpillars have 16 parts. What different shapes do they make if each part lies in the small squares of a 4 by 4 square?
Find the Difference
problem
Favourite

Find the Difference

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Place the numbers 1 to 6 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
Inside Triangles
problem
Favourite

Inside Triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
How many different triangles can you draw on the dotty grid which each have one dot in the middle?
Ladybird Box
problem

Ladybird Box

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Place six toy ladybirds into the box so that there are two ladybirds in every column and every row.
Twenty Divided into Six
problem
Favourite

Twenty Divided into Six

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same total. What was the total and how could this be done?
Which Scripts?
problem
Favourite

Which Scripts?

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
There are six numbers written in five different scripts. Can you sort out which is which?
Number Lines in Disguise
problem
Favourite

Number Lines in Disguise

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Some of the numbers have fallen off Becky's number line. Can you figure out what they were?
Domino Square
problem
Favourite

Domino Square

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Use the 'double-3 down' dominoes to make a square so that each side has eight dots.