Emergency Maths Lessons

Transum > Emergency Lessons > Mental Maths

Starter: Halve it - Start with 512. Halve it to get 256. Halve it to get 128. Continue as far as possible.

Make an Expression - Pupils can do this activity using pen and paper (exercise books) or, if they have access to internet connected technology, do the activity online. For some pupils the use of four cards with the numbers one to four on may help but these can be quickly made out of scrap paper. The normal challenge is to make the target numbers one to twelve but as you can see if you follow the link above there are lots of ways this task can be extended.
17 Times Table - As a class watch this video about a quick way of learning any times table. 17 is a good example because you can be certain that nobody in the class knows it already. Pupils should be encouraged to talk back to the video when Jill asks.
Table Legs - Now everyone can demonstrate the mastery of the 17 times table by chanting along as the crooked finger moves up and down the table leg. An alternative activity, if pupils are internet connected, is to Beat The Clock.
Go Figure - Now for some quiet time as pupils work, first individually, then in pairs of this number placing puzzle. There is a strategy that could be used to work out the answer but most pupils will jump in with trial and improvement first.

Finisher: Around The World - People sit in a circle (representing the world!). One person stands behind one of the seated people. The teachers asks a "quick fire" Maths question to the person standing and the person seated in front of them. Whoever gets the correct answer first moves to stand behind the next person in the circle. The other sits. The first person to get all of the way around the world is the winner.
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It doesn’t happen very often but sometimes you find yourself in the position of having to deliver a lesson at a moment’s notice. In the worst case scenario you do not know what the class have previously been learning and you have been given no information about the nature of the pupils from their normal teacher.

These lesson plans have a low threshold, high ceiling so can be great learning opportunities for a wide range of pupils and class dynamics. No preparation is required as all of the activity details can be found by clicking on the links in the plans.

If pupils complete the activities online and earn trophies as a record of their progress teachers (who are Transum subscribers) can see from their class list which pupils have earned which trophies.

Furthermore if pupils do have access to internet connected computers see Laptops In Lessons for more lesson plans. If they have iPads there are some ideas on the iPad Maths page.

Show all Emergency Lesson Plans.

There is a printable page called Lectio Tumultuarios (Latin for Emergency Lesson) designed for Maths tutors (who are Transum subscribers) to have printed and stored in their folder ready to use on the odd occasion when a quick five minute time filler is required.

Transum,

Friday, March 23, 2018

"My extreme emergency lesson (back in the day) was the Four Fours challenge. It was sort of an HCF of all the classes I was likely to have to cover and required no equipment or preparation.

The objective of this challenge is to find the simplest mathematical expression for every integer from one to some maximum (depending on the class), using only common mathematical symbols and four copies of the digit four.

Nowerdays if you want to issue this challenge to a class you could do it using a different digit by using the 4th July Starter page as a projectable visual aid."

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Emergency Maths Lessons

Here are some mathematics lesson plans to be used on the rare occasions when a class is left without their normal teacher and you are stepping in at a moment's notice.

Transum > Emergency Lessons > Mental Maths