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Operations with Negative Numbers: Rich Tasks

You cannot beat a good rich task! For me, a rich task is one that both stimulates and challenges students of all ages and abilities. Here is a selection of some of my favourites.

Contents

Median Rich Tasks and Purposeful Practise keyboard_arrow_up
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There are no words to express how much I love Don Steward and his amazing resources on his Median Blog. They allow for purposeful practise, to enable students to gain fluency in key skills. But they also have more than a sprinkling of richness, that leads students merrily along the path towards hypotheses and generalisations. Amazing.

Directed Number Practise
Directed Number from Patterns
Directed Number Review
Directed Number Target
Directed Number Equations
Matter and Anti Matter
Adding/Subtracting Negative Numbers
Directed Number Magic Squares
Number Shaks
From a French Book
Making 19
Going Bananas
John Colson’s Signed Digit Notation
Balloons
Lowest Value
Directed Number Gaps
Taking Away

NRICH keyboard_arrow_up
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NRICH is simply one of the best websites for rich maths problems in the whole wide world.

Up, Down, Flying Around
Strange Bank Account
First Connect Three
Weights
Consecutive Negative Numbers
Where Can We Visit?

Other Rich Tasks keyboard_arrow_up
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A selection of some of my favourite rich tasks, including – I must confess – some of my own. For my complete collection, including my thoughts on what makes a good rich task, please visit the Rich Tasks page.

Venn Diagram – Negative Number Arithmetic
Build an Army – Negative Numbers (add and subtract)
Build an Army - Negative Numbers Arithmetic

James Tanton's Curriculum Essay October 2012: Why is a negative times a negative a positive?
James Tanton's Curriculum Essay June 2013: Piles and Holes