Problem solving is such a vital area of mathematics, allowing students to think, be creative and develop key life skills. Many students however really struggle to know where to begin when they see something they do not immediately know the answer to, they lack key skills that quite often teachers mistakenly assume are just ‘known’. In the lessons below a series of some of my favourite problems are presented that encourage a number of these skills. The problems are mathematical in nature and not intended as pseudo real life problems (Whilst real world applications are really important, at an entry level these more often than not come across as highly fake and I don’t like to use them).
A quick overview of the lessons can be found by clicking on the image below. I’ve also included a booklet which outlines the problems and possible extension activities:
Full resources for the 4-5 lessons can be found here:
I hope you and your learners enjoy these, if you have any feedback, comments or suggestions please feel free to let me know! Mr C.