Functional Maths - measures, shape & space

Measures, shape and space activity suitable for Entry 1 learners.

Editor’s note
Used with a gingerbread house bought in Aldi (Christmas 2012) but similar houses are available in other stores.

This is a good starter activity to introduce measures, shape and space. It is also useful in dividing classes into small groups.

Using the templates I created I printed them on to card of different colours. I gave the shapes to the learners as they entered the room and told them to find the table with the same shape on it. When they reached the table they found the shape and some questions to answer.

After five minutes I asked for feedback from the learners.

Editor’s note
With Functional Maths mapping

My L1 learners were really struggling to remember what to do to convert units of measurement and were getting very confused at the initial stage, so I made this resource and laminated it so that it was available for them to look at if they couldn’t remember. Could also be made into a poster.

A resource I created to support my students getting used to what they needed to divide or multiply by to convert between units. Can easily be laminated for repeated use, or increased in size and turned in to a poster.

Functional Skills maths across several levels.
A practical exercise involving estimation (of weight), weighing items and calculating range and mean.

Editor’s note
With detailed Functional Maths mapping

A straightforward addition and subtraction worksheet which can be used a starter or a worksheet for adult learners. Also useful for teenagers doing budgeting, independent living, etc.

This is a practical handling data task at L1 and L2 which uses the Internet to find the necesssary data in order to complete a Expenses claim form.

I work with Landbased students most of whom visit an exhibition at the Bath & West show ground. In this task they have to work out how much it will cost them to travel to the site and how much the entry fee is, then enter this information onto a expenses claim form as if they were submitting it to an employed to reclaim their costs.

For L2 students they need to find the actual cost of the fuel they use for the journey.

Teaching learners at Entry Level I have found that many of them have difficulties using coins to pay for their snacks or checking their change.

This resource includes a collection of worksheets that start with several number sequences counting in twos, then move on to count the total value of different number of 2p coins and finish asking the learner to count the number of 2p coins that they need to make up different amounts. The sequence of worksheets is repeated counting in 5s and using 5p coins, then counting in 10s and using 10p coins.

An updated version of Gordon Noblett’s 2011 resource (see below). This version includes the correct tax allowances and information for 2012-13. It also includes an answer sheet. The original description is repeated below.

Challenging and very functional worksheets where learner must complete the missing information and calculate the take-home pay etc. for various UK tax payers. There are also some interesting open questions that are ideal for Functional Maths interpreting skills.
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A functional skills activity based on production at microbrewery. Mostly covers measures and percentages. Includes a challenging extension section on calculating excise duty.

Editor’s note
Fully mapped to L1-2 Functional maths. Sorry have no time to create an answer sheet – volunteers welcome!
If your learners are E3-L1 try the equally good “Out for a drink” by the same author.

Students fill in how they spend their time. Some may colour code, some may write in the boxes. Then they work out how much time they spend on each activity per week.

It’s up to them (or you!) how they present their answers. For example, as a written report, as bullet points, as a bar chart, pie chart (using a spreadsheet), etc.