Book review: The end of the maths lesson

Book review: The end of the maths lesson

It is always beneficial to end a lesson on a high note with the students feeling positive about the subject and what they have achieved in it.

The problem is finding the right range of activities and ensuring that one does not repeat an activity that has been done before.

There are, of course, numerous books available in relation to maths games, but not many that relate to maths games and activities for the classroom.

Lesson Fillers – Short Mathematical Activities aims to fill that gap.

The point in each case is to occupy the class in the final 10 minutes or so of a lesson on occasions when the main lesson topic has been completed.

The activities can also be used at the very end of term or when normal lessons are disrupted because a lot of students are absent due to event rehearsals, bad weather or for any other reason.

As a result of undertaking these activities the class see maths as an enjoyable experience and leave the room with a positive attitude to the lesson as a whole.

One of the key points about this book is that it contains a huge variety of types of activity, from straightforward mathematical games to analyses of ways of solving problems relating to filling and emptying two different containers of water.

In each case there are full teaching notes to explain the significant teaching points and the solutions.

You can see examples of two very different types of activity, with the teaching notes at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/maths/T1704.pdf

Some of the activities are truly mathematical and some are more in the nature of game playing. All activities are suitable for KS3 and KS4.

Publishers’ details…

Cat No: 978 1 86083 761 6; Publisher’s Ref T1704emn

The volume is available as…

  • Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the Ring Binder and the CD £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the volume or book or CD…

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