Working systematically

  • problem

    Plants

    Age
    5 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Three children are going to buy some plants for their birthdays. They will plant them within circular paths. How could they do this?

  • Tiles on a Patio
    problem

    Tiles on a patio

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    How many ways can you find of tiling the square patio, using square tiles of different sizes?
  • Chocolate
    problem

    Chocolate

    Age
    7 to 14
    Challenge level
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    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?

  • Tea Cups
    problem

    Tea cups

    Age
    7 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Place the 16 different combinations of cup/saucer in this 4 by 4 arrangement so that no row or column contains more than one cup or saucer of the same colour.

  • Consecutive Numbers
    problem

    Consecutive numbers

    Age
    7 to 14
    Challenge level
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    An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.

  • Dienes' Logiblocs
    problem

    Dienes' logiblocs

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
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    This problem focuses on Dienes' Logiblocs. What is the same and what is different about these pairs of shapes? Can you describe the shapes in the picture?
  • Prompt Cards
    problem

    Prompt cards

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    These two group activities use mathematical reasoning - one is numerical, one geometric.

  • Cereal Packets
    problem

    Cereal packets

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    How can you put five cereal packets together to make different shapes if you must put them face-to-face?
  • Multilink Cubes
    problem

    Multilink cubes

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    If you had 36 cubes, what different cuboids could you make?
  • content-03-01-cupboardlove2-sol1.gif
    problem

    Geoboards

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    This practical challenge invites you to investigate the different squares you can make on a square geoboard or pegboard.