Author(s): Derek Holton

Reference

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and-practice or skills-based learning, especially within mathematics, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class. The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem-solving, collaboration and mathematical skills. Book Three provides nine different class activities suitable for students in lower and middle secondary school (Years 7 to 10), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole-class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular scenario and develops it over four levels. This enables it to be used both at different year levels and with students of differing ability in the same class. All activities are firmly rooted in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and linked to the content descriptors of the Number & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry and Statistics & Probability strands. The companion website provides links to additional information and problem-based activities from around the Web, as well as student-friendly activity worksheets for teachers to download and print for their classes.