Reordering numbers explores how lists of numbers need not be added in order, but pairs of numbers which add up to ten can be added first. Compensation considers adding 9 by adding 10 and subtracting 1. In each case students are provided with examples and a number of questions to try for themselves.

A case study from Mathematics Matters which looks at how mathematics is applied in the animation industry. The computer animation industry relies on a steady stream of mathematics to produce the fantastic images found on our cinema and television screens. Advanced mathematics also fuels developments in other areas...

In this activity, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), students explore the basic principles of aerodynamics by looking at familiar products that have been designed with speed in mind and identifying features common to these products....

This More Maths Grads resource, from the Maths Careers website, investigates the maths used in transport and is based on the travelling salesman problem.

Students are given a table containing information on the cost of air travel between nine different cities and asked to plan a route that visits each...

The video shows air being pumped into an American football using a hand pump. The person using the pump pauses part way through to press the ball in order to check the pressure. They then continue until a final check is made and the ball is seen to be at the correct pressure. The challenge is to graph air pressure...

The Connect 4 activity requires students to choose a question and use their skill of expanding brackets and simplifying expressions to answer the question. Player one answers their question then finds, and shades in with one colour, the answer on the answer grid. Player two then takes their turn, shading their...

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

Each section offers an overview of a...

This collection from Inquiry Maths contains four algebra themed prompts covering linear sequences, solving equations, simultaneous equations and distance – time graphs. Each seemingly simple prompt is designed to intrigue students, leading to a rich mathematical task that can be explored in a variety of ways...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), these resources are aimed at mathematics practitioners. A range of sessions look at different aspects of algebra. They illustrate a variety of teaching and learning approaches and allow practitioners to reflect and develop their skills. Sessions also...

This SMILE collection contains twelve resources of games, investigations, worksheets and practical activities supporting the teaching of algebra.

The resources cover algebraic structure, equations, graphs, mappings, number and algebra, patterns and generalisations, sequences, and using graphs.

SMILE (...

These activities, from the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) publication ‘What kind of game is algebra?...

Students are presented with a 3 by 3 grid and a series of cards each containing an algebraic statement. Students are required to place the cards on the grid in such a fashion that each row, each column and each diagonal add to give the magic 'number' of 12a + 15b.

Students are then challenged to make up...

This resource from SMILE contains twenty activities focusing on algebra. The activities address different aspects of algebra and are appropriate for a range of learning styles and abilities. The activities in order of difficulty are:

Mapping jigsaws - laws of arithmetic and inverse...