End Of Term!

The summertime holidays are fast approaching. Although I'm a believer inward pedagogy maths correct upwards to the halt of term, it tin live difficult to learn a topic properly when lessons are beingness interrupted yesteryear sports day, assemblies, schoolhouse trips etc. But if nosotros don't deliver worthwhile lessons until the final solar daytime of term, as well as thus nosotros can't complain when parents desire to conduct maintain their children on vacation during term-time.

I'm non against the sentiment of watching a video or playing games inward maths lesson, exactly let's brand certain our students are either learning something novel or becoming to a greater extent than engaged as well as excited yesteryear mathematics.

My schoolhouse has a criterion prepare of challenges, games, projects as well as investigations that nosotros purpose every year, exactly here's a few of my choice suggestions for halt of term activities:

Fermat's Last Theorem as well as Pythagoras
Have you lot read The Simpsons as well as their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh? It's a bright book. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 overnice halt of term lesson could involve you lot explaining Fermat's Last Theorem (or purpose this BBC video to explicate it for you) as well as showing your flat how it features inward the Simpsons (it's actually rather clever that Homer seems to conduct maintain disproved it - inward fact it's a 'near miss' solution - every bit explained yesteryear Simon Singh in this video from Numberphile).

In this lesson your pupils could exercise approximately query into Fermat, or maybe other famous mathematicians - they could create a poster every bit suggested inward this lovely activity from Interactive Maths.  Alternatively, they could await at related Pythagorean problems, such every bit proving Pythagoras' Theorem (which tin live done alongside Origami!), finding Pythagorean triples or investigating Pythagoras alongside other polygons.

BBC iPlayer is currently showing the Fermat's Last Theorem episode of Horizon - although the maths is rather advanced (it made my encephalon hurt!), it's an interesting episode as well as gives an insight into the travel of mathematicians.

If you lot similar these Fermat lesson ideas, you lot mightiness also similar my postal service on teaching binary which features to a greater extent than ideas from Simon Singh's book.

Pascal Investigations
Pascal's Triangle contains lots of amazing patterns as well as you lot tin easily fill upwards a lesson exploring them. Teachit Maths has a swell PowerPoint as well as activity sheet for this lesson. In this short video a maths instructor briefly explains this history of the triangle. For older students you lot could also innovate 'choose' tone as well as link the triangle to binomial expansions.

Pi week
My colleague i time had a Pi themed final calendar week of term alongside i of his classes. The students all brought inward cakes as well as pies, they watched Life of Pi (a lovely cinema exactly non mathematical!) as well as they did Pi-based activities including a Pi recital competition, a freehand circle drawing contest as well as making a giant Pi paperchain (a unlike coloring per digit).

If you lot conduct maintain whatever other creative ideas for halt of term lessons, I'd dear to involve heed them.

Inspiration

I was really lucky to encounter Simon Singh verbalize at the Maths inward Action lectures inward London final year. My schoolhouse took twenty Year 12s to the outcome exactly this yr nosotros conception to conduct maintain xl because it was such a bright solar daytime of lectures. I came away feeling inspired. I actually recommend these lectures, which are for both Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat as well as GCSE students.

Do you lot know what makes the numbers on this jumbotron interesting?  Find out inward this article.