The following resource has been kindly shared on the TES Maths website. It is available to download for free by registering. And to access all the lovely Resource of the Week (ROTW) resources, just click here

What is it?

We have all seen activities like this before, where students have to do something practical like decorate a bedroom, or design a theme park. On the whole they are excellent, the students love them, and if planned and delivered correctly everyone gets a lot out of them. But often I find they like a certain amount of structure, and I have delivered more than one of these lessons in the past where the colour of the wallpaper in the bedroom was the subject of far more discussions than concerning the accuracy of the mathematical calculations employed to work out the cost of that wallpaper. This is certainly not the case with this outstanding activity. Students are faced with the challenge of decorating a few rooms in a house, but there is a tight structure, beautifully prepared worksheets, and even a lovely crib sheet for students to allow for effective differentiation within the task. Moreover, there are suggested predefined roles for each student within the groups to ensure nobody is having a sit off.

How can it be used?

Tasks like these tend to be used towards the end of term once all exams have been completed. And that is fully understandable. But I would like these to be seen as a regular and key part of a school’s scheme of work throughout the year. This project, in particular, is ideal to use at the end of an area and perimeter unit. Students have an opportunity to consolidate the key concepts they have learnt, whilst at the same time applying these to an interesting, practical and challenging setting. With the crib sheets and plenty of opportunities to extend the challenge, such an activity is suitable for all ages and abilities. Lovely stuff.

 

Thank you for sharing!

Craig Barton

 

Download Area and Perimeter

View the author’s other resources