The premise of this activity is that the school is sending a rover to Mars. It is the job of the class to decide where the rover should land on Mars. Children work in groups to investigate 6 potential landing sites and weighing up the pros and...

These five instant maths ideas explore how decimals can be added and subtracted using a number line A resource sheet for students is included in which they use the box method to multiply decimals. An investigation into the nature of the result when a number is multiplied by a decimal value between zero and one and...

This resource contains four instant maths ideas covering: * the usefulness of a number line when understanding decimals * working out numbers that occur in between two other decimals which can be extended to look at finding values that lie between two fractions by converting to decimals * asking the class to count...

This SMILE resource contains two packs of games, investigations, worksheets and practical activities supporting the teaching and learning of decimals, from reading decimals from a scale to multiplying two decimal numbers without a calculator.

Decimals pack one contains fifteen work cards...

Designed to improve confidence in mathematics, these resources from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, focus on decimals and were developed particularly for primary teachers and those non-specialists who teach mathematics in the lower secondary years....

This resource, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, explores the misconception that decimals and fractions are different types of numbers. It illustrates how to write a decimal value as a fraction, as well as how, by using division, most fractions can be expressed with denominators of 10, 100 or...

This computing resource for primary schools introduces the concept of decomposition through dance. Using combinations of hand-jive, clapping or tutting, the lesson demonstrates how complex sequences of instructions (algorithms) can be broken down into smaller chunks. The children are challenged to look for patterns...

This resource, provided by Anne Watson, Els De Geest and Stephanie Prestage, describes how a group of ten teachers taught low attaining groups in secondary school, and what features were seen to be important. The teachers had a shared commitment to improving the attainment of their lowest attaining students by...

The Deep Space Diary resources are a comprehensive series aimed at helping KS2 students find out more about our Solar System, light, colour, infrared and much more. There are six chapters that make up the Deep Space Diary; together they provide over 60 hours learning, but individual activities can also be...

‘Your telescope has captured intriguing data that we need you to analyse’

In this chapter students think about the unique signatures that come back from different objects in space, including:

• analysing infrared images and comparing them to visible light
• looking through datasets that...

‘Plan your telescope’s launch carefully, so that it reaches its destination’

In this chapter students think about the programming challenges involved in deploying a space telescope, including:

• coding a series of commands to navigate it
• encrypting and decrypting messages
• ...

‘Get started by learning about the pioneering astronomers of the past’

In this introduction chapter students describe what they would like to be to discover in the universe, and then do a series of related activities including:

• plotting a constellation,
• creating a map our Solar System...

‘Share your amazing discoveries with your fellow Earthlings, through words and images’

In this concluding chapter students are encouraged to summarise their findings from the other five chapters, by writing and illustrating a newspaper article and by creating a visual dictionary of the new scientific...

‘Build a space telescope big enough to capture light from distant stars’

In this chapter, students think about the designs for a space telescope including:

• designing a suitable mirror
• devising a method of keeping the telescope cool
• designing and building a model of a telescope...