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?
To kick start the latest series of TES Maths Resource of the Week, it may seem more than a little egotistical to have chosen one of my own resources. But I promise there are good reasons! Firstly, it is not really mine. This is a classic activity that has been working its way around the maths classroom for years. Secondly, this is not just any old version of the Factors and Multiples Game. Oh no – this is the Ultimate Edition! You see, I have been touring this around the country for the last few years, picking up ideas from groups of teachers and students for extensions, variations and lines of inquiry, all of which have to come together in this latest version of the resource. Finally, I have chosen this as it is the ideal activity to use with any class during the first few lessons of the year.
How can it be used?
We use the “Factors and Multiples Game: Ultimate Edition” with our Year 7 classes in the second week of term. Students have met factors and multiples as early as Year 4, so it is a concept that needs to be reinforced but in a different way than students have met it before in order to sustain their engagement. We also use this game to set the tone for maths in secondary school – painting it as a fun and challenging subject. All students start off playing the basic version of the game, and then like all my rich tasks, differentiation comes in the form of different lines of inquiry. These are all listed in the Comments section, and here are some of my favourites:
- If I start with 20, how many different numbers can you choose?
- Do bigger numbers give you more choices or smaller numbers? Explain your answer
- What is the lowest number you can choose and still win?
- How long can you go by avoiding all the prime numbers?
I hope you and your students find this useful.
Craig Barton
Download Factors and Multiples Game: Ultimate Edition
View the author’s other resources