Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

This is a project based on Benford's law. I had this idea after watching the Numberphile series on YouTube. This is a project based activity that involves many skills including working with large numbers, using percentages, representing data and probability.

Whilst I designed this resource for Adult Numeracy learners, it has found much use over the years across the maths cohorts I've worked with from pre-GCSE to ESOL, and with GCSE learners.

It is in Excel format - 3 tabs for different activities and the second Excel file is the solution sheet.

The sheets are formatted to print off as A4 landscape to allow learners to have their own copies to work on.

This has always worked well as a starter activity with learners in small groups (or teams) and having a competitive edge.

Devised for L1 as a first lesson for ratio utilising practical applications for ratio understanding. Please print the last slide as a worksheet to accompany the PPT.

Editor's notes

Introductory example using a KitKat bar, followed by other everyday applications including screen wash, hair tint and paints.  Also (very nicely) covers equality & diversity with discussion about the proportion of White British players in the 2018 England squad.

I wrote this to add to Timings in a Salon by Carrie Bray (see link left) as I needed to encourage my higher level students in the same area.

I started the session by giving students terminology which they had to define, then work out how much it was worth if a=1p b=2p etc. (see PPT).

I used then used tasks to recap on 24 hour and analogue time next then used the attached worksheets alongside Carrie's worksheet.

I then provided a Tarsia puzzle at the end to recap on time.

Editor's notes

Simple yet very useful and effective templates for depicting and/or visualising fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios.

This is a set of worksheets in a MS Excel workbook that deals with fractions.
- Sheet one: a set of pictures (pie charts) that shows fractions from halves to tenths
- Sheet two: equivalent fractions with two pie charts, learners can input fractions and see if they are equivalent by looking at the shape of the pie charts
- Sheet three: starting to look at fractions being equivalent to decimals with two pie charts one for fractions and one for decimals

My class of adult learners were struggling to associate fractions with real world scenarios so I created this worksheet based on honest situations.
The questions are diverse in difficulty from Entry level 2 to Level 2 making it a good worksheet as a starter or revision.
Editor’s note
With curriculum mapping and answers

A game for 2 players to help with multiplying decimals with or without a calculator.
Learners take turns to choose 2 numbers to multiply, then cover up the answer on the grid. This continues until a player has 4 counters/initials in a row(diagonally, horizontally or vertically).
Prompts can be used for learners to pick a target answer and to try to work out which 2 decimals are going to give that answer.
Editor’s note
Laminate for re-use. A great game.

A set of questions created by a small group of Performing Arts students studying Level 1 Maths.
The questions were made up during their pre-exam revision sessions.
Some questions are not quite what you’d expect to find in the real exam!
Many topics are covered include ratios, metric measures, area & perimeter, time, percentages and money.
The overall emphasis is on showing all working out and checking answers with reverse operations.

A comprehensive list of Level 1 maths topics and descriptions.

Students to match the correct description to each topic. Then RAG (red, amber, green) rate their skills for each one using colour stickers. You can then use results to work on “Top 3 trickiest” skills, etc.

Editor’s note Ideal for start of the term or year, and also for final revision.