Maths

Marshmallow Mathematics  

At the end of last term, 7C had a tasty ‘do now’ activity in Mathematics. They were asked to use their spatial reasoning skills as well as collaborative team building skills to complete a task. They were given mathematical resources in the form of a bowl of marshmallows and a handful of toothpicks. The task was to make a tower that would hold an Easter egg. The winners were the group with the tallest tower, and the prize that they would keep their Easter Egg...

However, after much mess and messy fingers, and some resources being eaten (!), it was decided that all groups made an exceptional tower and everybody received an Easter Egg! 

Wide World of Maths  

The Year 9/10 elective Wide World of Maths were given a task at the end of last term that also resulted in the students receiving Easter Eggs. 

Students formed groups and were each given an identical piece of square paper. Students were set the task to make the largest open rectangular prism possible out of the paper.  

Once they had made their ‘box’ they measured the dimensions in millimetres and then calculated the volume. Peer marking was used where groups had to calculate the volume of others boxes.  

Some students assumed a cube is the 3D shape that has maximum volume to minimum surface area. Usually this is the case. However, not this time. Maybe our readers can investigate why?

Leanne Wilson

Mathematics Curriculum Assistant