What the lesson is about

TES maths adviser Craig Barton has put together a collection of maths resources specifically for the start of term. These have been created with the idea of setting the right tone for the year and showing pupils that maths can be both enjoyable and challenging.

Getting started

The Collective Memory - Money activity is great to encourage your new class to work as a team in order to recreate the money poster provided. The1000thtime has shared a resource that will also promote teamwork within the classroom, and will prove particularly popular with girls.

The Amelie Fashion Mystery game challenges children to solve the mystery of whether Amelie makes it to the catwalk. Pupils are presented with a set of cards containing clues, which require various strands of maths to solve them. This resource will test thinking and mathematical process skills, and is suitable for senior pupils.

Taking it further

Maths126 has shared a MatheMagic manual containing 25 tricks for teachers. The tricks and puzzles have been designed with key stage 3 (S1-3) pupils in mind, but would also appeal to older pupils. The activities cover a variety of maths topics, and could be used as lesson starters to warm up pupils’ mathematical thinking.

Not_Just_Sums and Number1 have also shared links to activities that can be used as lesson starters throughout the year, not just at the start of term. Three by One is a puzzle that would be ideal for giving senior pupils a flavour of advanced maths.

Where to find it

www.tes.co.ukback-to-maths.