Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

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 data chart of average monthly high and low temperatures for a selection of world cities is used to answer functional maths questions.

Skills tested include accuracy of reading data, ordering positive and negative numbers, calculating the mean and range of data including negative numbers.

There is a tricky anagram to finish off the worksheet, which will appeal to some leaners who like puzzles and wordskills.

The chart could be used separately and many other questions devised from the information it contains.

This is a worksheet based on data supplied by a librarian. The library had been collecting second hand books from people and sent them to BetterWorld Books. The librarian told me that 688 books had been sent and then provided the information of what would be saved, earned or donated if there were 1000 books sent. The worksheet asks the students to work out the quantities for all the books that had been sent. It will be suitable as a group project for lower ability learners but should be suitable for learners at Level 2 to work through on their own.

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.

Print and cut in to 3 sets of cards. Can be used in a number of ways – match the underlined digit with the corresponding card for it’s place value OR match the words with numbers OR use for ordering numbers. Can be differentiated with size of numbers.

Hands-on extension tasks for various Skillsworkshop cocktail and smoothie resources. (Original resources can be found under “see also” below).

I put this together to explore number calculations and word problems with a mixed group of adult learners, looking at estimating, ways of checking your calculations and ways of reversing calculations.

An activity using mobile phones. Students could also do a warm-up by measuring and weighing real phones (switched off)!

The lesson was designed for an E3 young learner class. The last section, using percentage changes, might suit stronger learners (L1 extension).

Editor’s note
Fully mapped to the Functional Maths criteria. Covers rounding whole nos. and decimals, money, percentages, fractions and area.

Using a video from YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6eTr4ldDYg) about the miniature earth I have created this PowerPoint on percentages. It will work well with John Thompson’s easy percentage worker-outer and Margaret Adams’ Calculating percentages as quantities (links below under “See also”).

Place value game involving dice and calculators. Helps build confidence with place value.
Can be used with all ability levels and easy to adapt.
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