To see all of the work I do for TES Maths, including Resource of the Week, Inspect the Spec, Maths Newsletters and Topic Collections, please visit the TES Maths Blog here

What is it?
Differentiation is a tricky thing to get right in the maths classroom. I have long been a fan of starting all students off on the same task, and then using prompts and lines of inquiry to differentiate as the lesson progresses. Crucially, I am not a fan of giving different students completely different types of work as you lose the cohesion in the class and the flexibility to switch different students between different tasks. That is why I love this lesson. Students all start with the same premise – trying to work out how much each type of earring costs, using skills such as measuring, estimation, formulae, circles, percentages and more. But with subtle differences in price, shape and profit you have the option to deliver this lesson to three completely different ability classes, or better still between different students in the same class.

How can it be used?
Obviously it depends on the specific class you have, but to use my middle set Year 9s as an example, I started them all off on the middle lesson (the orange lesson). If I detected that students were struggling, I could intervene myself, or move students around, or if needed place the Red sheet in front of them. The latter did not have the jarring effect that changing a student’s level of work usually has because the task looked so similar. Likewise, I could use the same technique with the Green sheet for those students who were flying. The whole class felt like they were working on the same task, but students were being supported and challenged appropriately. A fun, engaging lesson thanks to this lovely resource.

Thanks so much for sharing

Craig Barton
Download Cost of Jewellery Lesson

View the author’s other resources