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Teachers, please help.

8 replies

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 20/03/2013 20:42

On Monday I have an observed maths lesson. It must be Using and Applying/problem solving for a mixed age class of y5/6, ranging in ability from Level 2A to 5B. (My maths ability is probably about 4B!) Our topic this term is Ancient Greece or, of course, Easter.
I have no idea what to do or how to structure it.
Any ideas?

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sashh · 21/03/2013 02:13

Pythagoras?

You can get them marking out squares with tape in the hall / outside or from cardboard.

Place the squares onto squared paper so there is a triangle in the middle.

Get them to count the squares. Then get them to measure the sides of the squares.

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Astelia · 21/03/2013 02:50

Making Greek water clocks? Use different sized bowls and different sized holes and investigate to find a bowl/hole combination that times exactly one minute?

Google water clocks, or klepsydra, to find out more. You will need access to sinks and various plastic containers with holes in, stopwatches.

Maths going on= volumes, diameter of holes, units, timing, rates of change

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LaBelleDameSansPatience · 21/03/2013 07:23

ve done the Pythagoras (although maybe not as beautifully simplky as that).Love the waterclock idea, but think that with 32 kids, some with sn/sen and no TA, I will keep it for an occasion when I am not being watched.

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complexnumber · 21/03/2013 07:59

"My maths ability is probably about 4B!"

I really hope that was a 'joke', my own DD has suffered in terms of confidence due to teachers with crap maths skills.

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Astelia · 21/03/2013 08:49

I was hoping that too complex. It depresses me to think of Y5 and Y6 students not having a sound mathematician teaching them.

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LaBelleDameSansPatience · 21/03/2013 21:43

Yep, that's me, crap teacher. We don't get asked what we want to teach, we get told. Asking for help obviously not good strategy.

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knitwitter · 21/03/2013 21:52

Hi, have you looked on TES? Lots of good ideas. Try not to panic. I'm sure you are not a crap teacher, its just the thought of being observed. Good Luck!

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LaBelleDameSansPatience · 22/03/2013 18:54

knitwitter, thank you for saying kind things; I had decided to give up mn!

What I have actually done is postponed the observation, having realised that this week, with planning the Easter service, issues with my dd and my mother having received a terminal diagnosis yesterday, is absolutely not the week for extra stress.

Will have to do something about it next term, though.