Adult Numeracy, Functional Maths, and GCSE Resources

An outstanding set of resources. Developed to prompt discussion on knife crime with parents and children in a family learning setting, they are equally suitable in an FE setting – prompting discussion between students and tutors. The materials can be used to focus on knife crime but are also useful as part of wider discussion about criminal behaviour.

The resources include

[img_assist|nid=4634|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=74|height=100]3 different Tarsia puzzles covering a range of topics including: percentages. converting metric measures, addition/subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, time, etc.

Puzzle 1 – set of 24 dominoes (E3-L2)
Puzzle 2 – 24 triangular pieces (forming a hexagonal puzzle). L1-L2
Puzzle 3 – 12 piece ‘oval’ parquet puzzle (made up of 4 squares and 8 triangles). L1-L2

A really unusual reading comprehension exercise that also tests a range of maths skills (dates, large numbers, distance, etc.). Although the general reading level is around Level1 it is based on an Australian news article about a lottery winner and contains a lot of unfamiliar Australian vocabulary. Thus it also stretches Level 2 learners. An optional glossary is provided; this includes words such as swag, Slikpik, shire and half a dozen more.

Lovely topical set of maths questions based on mostly interesting Wimbledon statistics (men and women’s singles winners, ticket prices and strawberry sales). There’s also a set of questions based on the dimensions of a tennis court. The questions cover number, measures and data handling from E2 to L2; the majority of questions would be suit E3-L1. Many questions involve problem solving, ask the students to give reasons or thoughts, etc. thus making it very suitable for underpinning Functional Maths.

A 40 question practice paper written to provide challenging extra practice after a group of learners participated in a very difficult L2 numeracy test (the levels of the national test certainly do seem to be erratic at times, and definitely harder than when it was first introduced).

Unlike the national test, the questions in this test are not multiple choice – making it equally suitable for initial assessment, homework or revision. All areas of the curriculum are covered (i.e. number, measures and data handling). An answer sheet is included.

Lovely warm-up or “taster “ for L1-2 level groups. The idea could easily be adapted for Entry Level groups.
Just as the quote on the resource says:“The value of the problem is not so much in coming up with the answer as in the ideas and attempted ideas it forces on the would be solver.”
See comments below for some suggested answers. Please add your own answers or suggestions for other suitable groups.

A really interesting quick quiz – originally written to get e2e learners interested in numbers but makes an ideal warm up activity for any group (at any level).

An international themed resource for World Maths day on March 1st 2011 or any other day of the year.
It is also ideal for, and fully mapped to, Functional Maths. Will prompt disucssion on many issues from the UK population through to literacy rates in Peru and the Coral Coast in Fiji!
Includes tips for covering Functional Maths process skills.

A great set of topical questions covering whole numbers, rounding, ratios, fractions, percentages, volume, converting currency and data handling. There is a particular emphasis on working with large numbers. Provides useful revision at any time of year.
40 questions but these are not multiple choice. There is plenty of space for showing working-out and it is fully mapped to L1-2 Functional Maths.

A clever spreadsheet that creates a set of 15 loop or ‘follow me’ cards. Comes with a prewritten set of cards based on multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 100 but can you can easily add your own questions and answers on any topic.