Mathematics Lessons to Look Forward To!: 20 Favourite Activities and Themes for Teaching Ages 9 to 16

by Jim Noble

Overview

This book is essential for anyone involved or thinking about being involved in teaching and learning mathematics at school. It is packed full of practical and fun lesson ideas and activities, combining the author’s infectious enthusiasm for school mathematics with the relentless challenge of engaging students with the nature of the subject. Using humour, enthusiasm and years of teaching expertise, Jim Noble presents the features and potential of ideas and experiments he has used in his classroom. He draws on his extensive experience of using these activities to demonstrate their pros and cons, what you might expect and where they might lead.

In a humorous and engaging account, alongside noting successes the author also includes the moments where things have gone slightly awry. These experiences and the context are used as a vehicle for thinking about the broader goals and issues of mathematics education and challenging some of the stereotypical misunderstandings. Each chapter draws out an important idea for teachers to think about, following a basic three-part structure:

• The lesson and how it works

• What happens and why it matters

• How could it be different? Variations and similar tasks.

Without preaching anything other than the joy of mathematics, this intelligent, humorous and practical book will act as a catalyst and inspiration for teachers looking to develop their own understanding and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032210476
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/01/2023
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jim Noble is a teacher, workshop leader and author. He has been teaching secondary mathematics since 1999 and working with teachers since 2010. Jim trained in the UK and has worked extensively with the International Baccalaureate. He lives and teaches near Toulouse with his family.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Introduction

On Mathematics education

How to engage with this book

Chapter 1 - What’s in the box

Chapter 2 - Cones

Chapter 3 - If the world was a village of 100 people

Chapter 4 - Goodness Gracious Great Piles of Rice

Chapter 5 - How do I love thee, let me count the ways

Chapter 6 - Number Searches

Chapter 7 - Human Loci

Chapter 8 - Statistics telling stories

Chapter 9 - Match Point

Chapter 10 - Prime Pictures

Chapter 11 - Population Growth

Chapter 12 - Starting from scratch

Chapter 13 - Indestructible

Chapter 14 - Dancing Quadratics

Chapter 15 - Hot Wheels

Chapter 16 - Maxbox

Chapter 17 - Dancing Vectors

Chapter 18 - Pleasure at the Fairground

Chapter 19 - Impossible Diagrams

Chapter 20 - Cubism

Back to the staffroom - an epilogue

Appendix 1 - School of Mathematical behaviour

Appendix 2 - Theory of Knowledge

Editorial Reviews

"The book is part memoir, part manifesto, but mainly Jim sharing his favourite activities, gathered from over 20 years in the classroom. Each activity is explained, explored and discussed in detail. [There is] enough in each chapter to persuade and encourage you to work on these activities with your learners." - Mathematics Teaching (ATM)

"I would definitely recommend this book, for both teachers and tutors. It is hard not to be inspired by this book... it had me engaged throughout and created sparks of ideas about designing maths lessons to be purposeful, effective, fun, and memorable." - Becky Bland, Dyslexia Review

From the Publisher