Curriculum News

Maths activities to do while at home...

Here is a mathematical trick or is it just magic? I think the real clever trick might be explaining why this is in fact not a 'trick' or magic, but just Maths. Like all good magicians, you should practice by trying them a few times. Can you explain how they work? You might even be able to 'trick' your teacher with these cool Maths tricks!

• Think of a number.
• Double it.
• Add 10.
• Halve it.
• Take away your original number.
• Is your answer 5?

Try this with a different starting number. Did you get a different result? Why does this happen? Write the answer on a piece of paper without letting anybody see it and seal it in an envelope. Have somebody hold the envelope and at the end ask them to open it and reveal the number you wrote at the beginning. Wow, Magic! (Or clever Maths!) 

Nim 7

This is a basic form of the ancient game of Nim. 

You will need: - seven objects such as counters or blocks. 

This is a game for two players.

How to play: 

• Place the 7 counters/objects in a pile and decide who will go first. (In the next game, the other player will have the first turn). Each player takes turns to take away either one or two counters/objects. The player who takes the last counter wins.
• Keep playing until you work out a winning strategy. Does it matter who has the first turn? What happens when you start the game with more counters/objects?

*Credit to NRich Maths for these fun resources!