This activity is good for problem solving, mental maths and practising times tables.
Using your smartboard, go into the notebook and, from the gallery, paste on two or three tumbling dice.
Pupils come up and touch the dice to change the numbers. Ask them: “What is my answer?” and allow time for them to decide what it will be. For example, dice showing two, three and five could give you the answer 13: (2 x 5) + 3 = 13, or 2 + 3 + 5 = 10, or (3 x 5) x 2 = 30
Pupils need to demonstrate how they worked out their answer. As they become more confident, you can add more dice. It can be done as a whole-class activity or, if you wish to make it competitive, do it in teams for points. You can use ordinary dice if you do not have a smartboard
Valerie Stoddart is a P5 class primary probationer at Aboyne Primary School in Aberdeenshire.
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