During this academic year, the New Bridge Group has had the pleasure of working with the North West 2 Maths Hub. We have done a project on the use of concrete resources in Maths lessons which have had a massive impact across the Group. Children have been more engaged in Maths lessons and the resources have enabled them to formalise their own ideas within the abstract world of Mathematics.
On Tuesday, the different schools within the New Bridge Group took part in a Mathematics problem solving and team building day. The day was full of extra-large concrete resources and was a fantastic way to finalise the work that we have done on the project. It would not have been able to happen without the funding and the work that the schools have done with the Maths Hub. The New Bridge Group is looking forward to working with the Maths Hub during the next academic year.
Pupils were given the opportunity to take part in a variety of exciting Mathematics activities that they would not normally have the opportunity to do in the classroom setting. The Problem Solving Company were fantastic with all our children, and all the activities were differentiated towards the abilities of our pupils.
Below are some of the problems that the pupils needed to tackle..
The Hexagon Problem
Pupils needed to match the colours on each of the hexagons..
The first problem started with a making a snake..
The next problem to complete was to make a fat snake, as illustrated by Morgan from the Activ8 team..
The ultimate problem was to create a flower, this created a lot of pondering for the pupils. Well done to the pupils that completed this challenge!
The Magic Triangle
This problem was given to the Key Stage 3 pupils at Hollinwood Academy. The pupils needed to try and make a total of 10 or 11 in each row of the triangle. Well done to all the pupils that were successful at this activity, it required some quick mental arithmetic skills! An interactive version of this puzzle can be found here
Pentominoes Problems
These problems required some excellent spatial awareness skills. The more complicated problems also required an element of mental arithmetic skills. Pupils needed to fit the correct Pentominoes together so that the carpet tile was covered. An interactive version of this problem can be found here
This was a great task to see the pupils using their team working skills. Well done to all the teams and pupils that completed this problem.
It was great to also see the AB4 class participating in this activity. A very special well done to Olabamiji!
The Square
It was fantastic see the Spring Brook Upper team using their team building skills to solve the square problem. Mrs Brown, you should be very proud!
The Cube
The cube was the ultimate problem solving task. This required a lot of head scratching by both staff and pupils, team working…and starting again! As illustrated perfectly by Joe and Aiden from our AB group. Well done boys! Great to see you enjoying deconstructing the cube!
Here are a few of the photos of the pupils and staff trying to complete the cube..
Some pupils had creative solutions to completing the cube. Whose head is the best fit?
A massive well done to all the teams and pupils that managed to complete this activity. It was a huge achievement. You showed excellent perseverance skills and determination to succeed!
The Tower of Hanoi
This task was differentiated by the number of blocks the tower had. The task started with 2 blocks, and eventually progressed to 5 blocks. As the number of blocks increased, the dialogue between the teams increased. It was great to see the reasoning between the teams and a lot of finger pointing as to which block needed to be moved next. An interactive version of this problem can be found here
Well done to the teams that managed to complete these problems..
Tangrams
Tangrams are an ancient Chinese Mathematical Puzzle. There are 7 pieces in a Tangram Puzzle (5 triangles and 2 quadrilaterals) and the idea is to make different shapes using ALL SEVEN PIECES. An interactive version of this puzzle can be found here
Well done to all the teams and pupils that managed to complete this task..
It was an absolute pleasure to invite the Problem Solving Company into the New Bridge Group. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day and you have given them problem solving experiences that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to in the classroom – a fantastic day!
