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Target

Use each of the numbers only once with any mathematical operations to make an expression equal to the target.

If you can't make the target exactly, how close can you get to it?

Countdown

A Mathematics Lesson Starter Of The Day

Starter of The Day Transum Mathematics Topics


Topics: Starter | Arithmetic | Mental Methods

  • Mike Moon, Royds School Leeds
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  • I got 173 from 8 x 11 + 5 x 16 + 5
  • Hardip Sahota, Ernesford Grange, Coventry
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  • I did 15 x 14 = 210 then subtract 3 = 207
  • Christine Fraser, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School WELLINGTON TELFORD
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  • Children initially would have liked more information. e.g. Could they use each number more than once.
    Children thought they had to use integers individually not combine to form HTU.
    Solved though!
  • Mike Litoris, Mianus, Nebraska
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  • I was surprised to find that I had found it a different way.
    33 (16) + 8 = 536
    as well as, the one I used, (making a simple answer that much more difficult)
    (8^3) + 6 (1 + 3) = 536.
  • The Best Class Ever (8cd/m2), King Alfred's College OXON
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  • This starter was a nice one to start with for our class. We had two attempts at this one, because somebody shouted out the first answer within 2 seconds(James!!!!!!!!!)
    The sums we had were 49 (which was easy) and 262 (which took longer to do).
    It was a good starter.
  • Chloe Tovell,
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  • I got 226 (one out) by
    8x7=56 then
    16+18x5=170 finally
    56+170=226.
    i really liked this starter of the day and would like to see more like this!
  • Ember, Huddersfield
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  • I had 1008. Numnbers were 1 4 1 18 14. Gives good practice on estimation.20 x 10 x 4 is 1000 take it from there. Finally got there with 18 x 14 x 4 + 1 - 1. It was the last bit that was perplexing. 'Can you do that? questions.
  • Adenike Onifade, London
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  • I find this very good to teach life skills, I told my pupils that often in life our only limitations are the ones we impose on ourselves. The question did not say what you can or can not do, so get creative and do whaever you want to do: HTU by TU, repeat digits,double it, make up your rules. the differentiation is built in, If the whole class can get the answer the I would have imposed certain conditions to make it more difficult. Good idea, welldone.
  • 9-5 King's Grove, Crewe
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  • We found this easier to work backwards. We took the 2 away to work with 390 and when from there. 17+8 = 25 +1 = 26 x 15 = 390 +2 = 392.
  • Jericho And Suheera, East Sheen Primary
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  • Answer for 336
    16x18=288
    3x8 = 24
    24 x 2 = 48
    288 + 48 = 336.
  • Netherlee Primary, Mrs Sweeney's Epic Maths Set
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  • Clearer instructions would have been better. We were confused as to whether we could use the numbers more than once. We enjoyed the challenge though and one girl in the class managed to work it out. We did not use calculators.
  • Alan Brooke-feather, Wolverley High School Worcs
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  • Clearer instructions please, otherwise a good starter my top set yr 7s enjojed it.
  • STEVE EASTOP, MARGATE, KENT.
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  • TARGET: 1573
    NUMBER SELECTION: 2,4,7,13,13
    SOLUTION:
    (13-2) X (7+4) X (13) = 11 X 11 X 13 = 1573!
    I happened to notice at the start that the target figure was indeed divisible by 13 (121 times). It was easy then to get the two 11s needed from the remaining four numbers to multiply by one another to get the 121 necessary to then multiply the other 13 in the five numbers by to get the target!
  • Primary 6, Blackridge Primary School
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  • We thought it was fun and challenging. I took us a while to finish it. Lots of us tried to think outside the box.
  • Transum,
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  • Happy Birthday Countdown! This activity is based on a television programme popular in the UK. Sixty nine series have been broadcast since its debut on 2nd November 1982. With over 5,000 episodes, Countdown is one of the longest-running game shows in the world, along with the original French version, Des chiffres et des lettres, which has been running on French television continuously since 1965. [Source Wikipedia].
  • Miss Pocula, All Saints Academy Plymouth
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  • Target 1890 with 1, 7, 8, 10 & 14
    (14+7) x (8+9) x 10
    From Harry Shock 9A1.
  • Jackie, Leicestershire
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  • I got the number 52224 with a lot of trial and improvement. the numbers were 4 8 8 17 and 12. I did 4 times 8 times 8 times 17 times 12 and it worked, this starter was amazing but tricky.
  • East End Primary, Twitter
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  • Mr Norris And 8Q4, Birmingham
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  • Queensbridge School got 2822.857 with a target of 2828.
    3^9 / 7 = 2811.857
    2811.57 + 11 = 2822.857.
  • Williamston Primary, Twitter
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  • Mattocks Primary School, Primary 7
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  • 14 x 19 = 266
    3 x 7 = 21
    add them together = 287
    Then x 287 by 1 = 287.
  • Pirakeev, Malmesbury Primary School
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  • I got 185 by doing,
    19 + 4 + 14 x ( 1 x 5 )
    23 + 14 x 5
    37 x 5 = 185!

How did you use this starter? Can you suggest how teachers could present or develop this resource? Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for Maths teachers anywhere in the world.
Click here to enter your comments.

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Answers

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How many different sulutions do you think there are?

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Did you use your head, paper or a calculator?

Or did you use all three?

Could a computer help solve this problem?

Would you improve if you practised solving problems like this?

How could a group of students efficiently work together on a problem like his?

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Note to teacher: Doing this activity once with a class helps students develop strategies. It is only when they do this activity a second time that they will have the opportunity to practise those strategies. That is when the learning is consolidated. Click the button above to regenerate another version of this starter from random numbers.
Laptops In Lessons

Teacher, do your students have access to computers such as tablets, iPads or Laptops?  This page was really designed for projection on a whiteboard but if you really want the students to have access to it here is a concise URL for a version of this page without the comments:

Transum.org/go/?Start=November2

However it would be better to assign one of the student interactive activities below.

Laptops In Lessons

Here is the URL which will take them to a related student activity.

Transum.org/go/?to=Expression

Student Activity

 

Also available is the previous, Flash Version of this activity.

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