Multi-Toil Panic

Starter of The Day Transum Mathematics Topics

Topics: Starter | Arithmetic | Negative Numbers

8 set 2, Verdin High School Cheshire
Level 1 is too easy for some classes and yet level 2 is too difficult. There needs to be an easier level 2.
Transum,
Dear 8 set 2. Thanks very much for your feedback. On your suggestion the three level scale has now been changed to five levels. The new levels 2 and 3 fit between the old levels 1 and 2 in terms of difficulty.
Having said that, the grids are generated by random numbers so there is a chance that a grid comprising of larger numbers is actually easier to solve. Refreshing the page will repopulate the grid with different numbers at the same level.
The numbers at the heads of the rows and columns are randomly generated so that they are:
Level 1: Up to 10
Level 2: Up to 20
Level 3: Up to 50
Level 4: Up to 100
Level 5: Up to 1000
Margaret,
How do I change the levels?
Transum,
Click on the links underneath the answers below for those who have a Transum subscription.
Miss Reakes, The English College Dubai
This is a fantastic starter as it works their brains at the start of the lesson while I take the register! I've used it a great deal with classes of varying abilities. They ring the values they fill in and I record their scores. We monitor it over a few lessons to see if they have improved or maintained a good accuracy and award house points
Mr Long, Saint John Houghton School
My Year 11 class spotted a pattern. the top left hand square is ALWAYS x
Sue, Plymouth
How about one extra level to have numbers from -12 to 12?
Mr Fox, Holmes Chapel Comprehensive
I agree, a negative numbers grid would be brilliant!
Transum,
Thanks for your suggestion Sue and Mr Fox. There is now the option to include negative numbers as can be seen below.
MAP, MAP
Like using this starter but really wish there was a 1.5 version with 5-12 times tables only. The jump to 20 is too much for my classes.
Please?

[Transum: Especially for you MAP, here is the link you wanted: Level 1.5.]
MAP, MAP
Just noticed a reply to my comment from last year!
Thanks for this, to make it perfect though, could we have a negative/positive version of the 1.5?
Thankyou again.

[Transum: Once again, especially for you MAP, here is the link you wanted: Level 1.5 Negatives.]
Transum,
Teachers, as well as writing on your projected image of this starter with a whiteboard pen you can also type numbers into the empty cells to either record what your class has deduced or by giving additional starting numbers to help those struggling with this starter.
Ms Busby, Thorpe St Andrew
Any chance something could happen to indicate when students have the right answer? They are working on their own devices and would enjoy some celebratory graphics :-).

[Transum: Thanks for your suggestion Ms Busby. This page is designed for the teacher to project onto a large whiteboard and for pupils to work in exercise books or computers. The functionality for typing in answers was intended for use by the teacher during the plenary. I think the message I'm getting is that there also needs to be a student interactive version of Multi-Toil Panic which provides feedback (and awards trophies). I'll add that request to the To Do list. Thanks]
Maths Is Fun Set, United Kingdom
We found this quite hard but when we got used to doing it we loved it. It helps us learn our times tables. We are Year 4.

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

Change the numbers used in this starter

Positive numbers only Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Positive and Negative Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

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It is often very difficult choosing Christmas presents for family and friends but so here are some seasonal, mathematics-related gifts chosen and recommended by Transum Mathematics.

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Before giving an iPad as a Christmas gift you could add a link to iPad Maths to the home screen.

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Christmas Maths

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Click the images above to see all the details of these gift ideas and to buy them online.

Maths T-Shirts

Maths T-Shirts on Amazon

Your access to the majority of the Transum resources continues to be free but you can help support the continued growth of the website by doing your Amazon shopping using the links on this page. Below is an Amazon link. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases which helps pay for the upkeep of this website.

Educational Technology on Amazon

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=February23

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 pupil activity.

Transum.org/go/?Num=841

Curriculum Reference

See the National Curriculum page for links to related online activities and resources.