Tes Maths: Projects, investigations and enrichment tasks

Get excited about going off-plan with these engaging resource packs, lesson ideas and investigative activities

Craig Barton

Tes Maths: Projects, Investigations & Enrichment Tasks For Secondary

With exams nearly over and schemes of work coming to an end, there may be time to do something slightly different in maths lessons. Perhaps an investigation to apply the knowledge and skills students have acquired over the year, a project to allow them to work creatively as a team to produce something special, or an enrichment activity to show pupils just how interesting maths can be.

Whatever you have in mind, the selection of resources below, created and shared by the generous and talented members of the TES Maths community, should inspire you.

Craig Barton, Tes Maths Adviser

Investigations

Investigations offer an opportunity for students to pull together many of the skills and knowledge they have learned over the course of the year and to apply them in a different context.

Assorted Investigations
colinbillett

Assorted Investigations

FREE
(10)
Investigations were once a major part of GCSE until coursework was abolished, and one exam board said 'you can now concentrate on teaching&'. But we are in the business of learning, a word which is taking prominence over the word teaching. I've had fun with these over the years, and always...
Maths Investigations
tafkam

Maths Investigations

FREE
(86)
Based on the Science tasks produced in East Sussex, these investigation starter sheets give an introduction to a topic for investigation, with levelled guidance for progressing the investigation and to allow self- and peer-assessment. Targetted at Y7, these may be suitable for several year groups in...

Projects

Much like investigations, projects prompt pupils to use and apply their knowledge, often with the option to work as part of a team in a fun context.

Build the School Project
Interactive Maths

Build the School Project

FREE
(8)
Combining a vast array of topics from Shape and Measures, this is the ulimate end of year project. The basic idea is to construct a scale model of the school buildings. In doing this, the students must use a whole host of skills they have developed, including: measuring; scales; Pythagoras; Trigonom...
Functional Mathematics: Design a Bedroom
dhoskin

Functional Mathematics: Design a Bedroom

FREE
(6)
LO: To plan and price a bedroom. Overview: Students use a catalogue to buy furniture and then make a scale drawing of a bedroom of their own design. Suggested approach: Use the introduction PowerPoint to engage the students with the task. Once all questions have been answered each st...

Enrichment

The end of the year is the perfect time to stop worrying about whether something is on the GCSE or A-level syllabus and to challenge students with some interesting mathematics.

Maths Code Breaking Ciphers - Big Resource Pack
andrewchambers

Maths Code Breaking Ciphers - Big Resource Pack

FREE
(60)
A large 50 page Code Breaking Resource pack with a big number of codes and ready made lesson handouts for enriching maths lessons. Everything from hidden pictures in binary strings to Caesar shifts and the maths behind credit card numbers. Also 2 Maths Murder Mystery Challenges! (Powerpoint made for...
Isometric Drawing
Owen134866

Isometric Drawing

FREE
(34)
Pupils learn about plan, front and side elevations and how to draw objects on isometric paper. The worksheet has an investigation into making objects with 5 cubes, as well as some challenging questions on building objects based on their elevations, with as few cubes as possible. Please note that the...