Alien Invasion is a set of four interactive lessons about a full-scale alien attack that coincides with a class visit to Manford City. To set the scene and support the lessons, live television news bulletins, radio broadcasts and telephone messages help to develop the story line. The invasion leads to a series of...

These two books from the Shell Centre focus on applications. The tasks are intended to stimulate students' interest in, and understanding of, the world in which they live. As they pursue these tasks students will be involved in selecting materials and mathematics to use...

In this Nuffield investigation students explore limiting values of an iterative process, using arithmetic, algebra or spreadsheets. Students can move from identifying patterns to forming, verifying and proving conjectures.

This Nuffield exploration is a simulation of a booking system for a small guesthouse. Students have to manage the bookings and, as far as possible, arrange to give people the accommodation they request.

The key...

This activity from Cre8ate maths investigates the lines of horizontal and vertical weakness in walls. Initially students are shown four walls and have to identify the lines of weakness in them, before finding the smallest rectangular solution which has no lines of...

In this Nuffield activity students investigate how different numbers of squares can be joined corner to corner and the effect their arrangement has on the area of the rectangle that encloses the squares.

The key...

In this activity from Cre8ate maths students are encouraged to experiment with different kinds of symmetry to create a suitable logo.

There is an exercise in using symmetrical properties to reproduce previously designed logos and this activity is complemented by Creating a logo, which gives students a free...

In this resource from ESA, students' mission is to design and build a vehicle that will protect their Eggnaut from the perils of re-entry from space. The objective is to have your Eggnaut survive the fall without a crack. The project can be adpated for either primary or secondary students. The resource was produced...

Engaging Mathematics 1, written by David Wells, first invites the reader to ask questions that relate to given situations. Mathematical growth often mirrors the questions and problems posed at the time. The reader is taken through some past developments in order to...

Engaging Mathematics 2, written by David Wells, invites the reader to reflect on their own mathematical activity. Do you tackle mathematics by turning to paper and pen, the computer, experimental apparatus or think in images and/or symbols? It is likely that the reader...

The third booklet in the Engaging Mathematics series, written by David Wells, invites the reader to consider different ways of looking at situations. Being able to relate to situations, experiences, structures, language and form is an important feature of learning. This...

The teacher’s guide from the Shell Centre which accompanies the series of modules to support school-based assessment is the main guide to the materials. It makes some suggestions as to how the materials might best be used. It was not intended that this guide should be...

Scheduling jobs in a fashion workshop is the context for this Nuffield exploration. There are six people in the workshop and a series of jobs to be completed in one day.

The key processes which developed include:...

This Cre8ate maths activity allows the opportunity to discuss the modelling function of mathematics. The tasks allow students to develop their own strategies and to consider the idea of an ‘efficient’ algorithm. In addition, 'First fit and full bins' activity involves work on ratio and pie charts.