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What is it?
There is no hiding away from it – the new Maths GCSE is on the horizon, and it will undoubtedly be more challenging than ever before. One thing I have noticed when looking through the Sample Assessment Materials and resources provided from the awarding bodies is that topics will be combined together far more regularly than in the legacy GCSE. This provides a problem for students who have learned and practised topics in isolation. If they are not able to apply and combine different skills, then they are likely to come a cropper. Fortunately, resources like this will help students gain that essential practise.

How can it be used?
This unstructured, challenging problem comprises of a cone, cylinder and hemisphere, with students asked to work out the total surface area. In order to successfully complete this task, it is not enough for students to simply substitute some number into a formula. Indeed, students must call upon their knowledge of Basic Trigonometry, Surface Area, Circumference, Ratio and Pythagoras. They will no doubt find this difficult at first, so it might be worth having some hint cards up your sleeve, or using my Counter technique, where groups can exchange a counter for a question. Whatever you try, please persevere as it is essential the students develop the grit and determination needed to tackle problems such as these.

Thanks so much for sharing

Craig Barton
Download Wooden Fence Post: New GCSE Maths Problem Solving

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