What is numeracy? Numeracy can be thought of as mathematical literacy – it includes the essential skills needed for solving problems, processing information, making decisions and interpreting data. Being numerate is about appreciating number relationships and interpreting answers, and not just about doing calculations.
What is numeracy? Numeracy includes: Being able to critically assess statistics used by advertisers or politicians Being able to manage family budgets – credit cards, offers at supermarkets and so on Being able to estimate – in all kinds of situations, e.g. journey speed, time and distance, roughly how much a bill will be or your expected bank balance at the end of the month... Being able to solve problems and make decisions in a numerate way
‘How can you make this better?’ Penny Alexander
Problem Solving What is the problem with the problem? How could you make it make sense? How many students would identify a mistake here? How many students know how to tackle a problem in your subject? A light bulb is expected to last 1000 hours. About how many hours per day in a 365 day year is a company assuming a light bulb will be used?
Problem Solving
Sloppy maths – use of the equals sign Stream of consciousness calculations e.g. 3 x 4 = 12 x 2 = 24 – 5 = 19 Get students to work down the page, only using = to say that two things are the same Sometimes students use = instead of : notation or “represents” e.g. The scale is 1cm = 1km
Sloppy maths – commutative calculations Addition and multiplication give the same answer even if you reverse the numbers. Subtraction and division do not and we MUST not allow this to go unchecked. e.g. 4 – 6 = 6 – 4 = 2 e.g. 12 ÷ 4 = 4 ÷ 12 = 3
Sloppy maths – fractions
Sloppy maths – graphs Our students have a tendency to draw their axes without a coherent scale – sometimes to fit it on the page they squish up the numbers at the top or bottom
Sloppy maths – formulae What are these magic triangles for? Distance Speed Time Mass Density Volume Force Mass Acceleration Voltage Current Resistance Force Area Pressure Where possible, teach where these triangles arise from, so that they make logical sense to the students.
A – Z of NUMERACY
Embedding numeracy in your subject 1. Write a persuasive speech to encourage people to quit smoking. Use facts/statistics to make it sound like you are an expert. a) Work out how much someone who smokes a pack of fags a day spends on them in a year. b) If 1 cigarette cuts 11 minutes off your life, how many hours are cut off your life if you smoke 20 a day for a month? 2. Write a persuasive speech to Barack Obama encouraging him to endorse gay marriage in the US. Work out how many US States currently allow it and how many don’t – turn this into a % to sound more authoritative and convincing.
“I can’t do maths” Or, “I was never any good at maths at school” The ‘I can’t do maths’ attitude is highly damaging; if people repeatedly hear ‘I can’t do maths’, they begin to believe that numeracy isn’t important. YBoWH3nFk
So, what can we do? Promote numeracy especially “grammar” Problem solving tasks Ban the “I can’t do Maths” attitude Links with a maths teacher Use numeracy in your lessons in a meaningful way Is there any assistance the maths team can provide? (graphs, ratios, methods of calculations, using a calculator effectively)
1. Have you ever thought of changing career? If you wanted to join the Navy at the age of 16 you would be tested in the following way? Could you do it???
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1. Correct answer: C
2. Correct answer: C
3. Correct answer: A
4. Correct answer: C
5. Correct answer: B
6. Correct answer: C
7. Correct answer: C
8. Correct answer: C
9. Correct answer: A
10. Correct answer: B
11. Correct answer: C
12. Correct answer: E
What year 7 and upwards should be doing Multiplying: Grid method 23 x 47 Multiplying: Grid method 23 x 47 x Multiplying: Long multiplication (year 6) 47 x Multiplying: Long multiplication (year 6) 47 x
Multiplying: Long multiplication (year 7) 4 7 x Multiplying: Long multiplication (year 7) 4 7 x What year 7 and upwards should be doing 1
Division: NO CHUNKING!! 351 ÷ 9 9 ) x 10 = x 10 = x 10 = –9 x 5 = x 4 = 36 Division: NO CHUNKING!! 351 ÷ 9 9 ) x 10 = x 10 = x 10 = –9 x 5 = x 4 = 36 Short division: 3 9 9) Short division: 3 9 9)
Housekeeping To avoid confusion: 1)“carried numbers” - 2)“borrowing” – clear crossing out, borrowed number to left of digit 123 – x
Same across all subjects Use the same methods across all subjects
Implementing numeracy skills in tutor time Like literacy with weekly spellings, we will also have a weekly problem of the week This may be numeracy based or just problem solving Will start from September as a PowerPoint of problems similar to literacy Problems will come with a hint, for all tutors to get students started during tutor time Weekly s will arrive to remind tutors All tutor groups must have a go during the week Anyone who then wants to submit an answer will be able to on paper into a box at reception Rewards for correct answers along with school policy
1.What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! 2. Try another! Problems will start with:
PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 1
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 2
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 3
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 4
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 5
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 6
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 7
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 8
Does A, B, C or D fit into this pattern? Problem of the week: 9
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 10
Problem of the week: 11
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 12
A, B, C or D – which one fits the pattern? Problem of the week: 13
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 14
Problem of the week: 15
What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see! Problem of the week: 16
Which one comes next – A, B, C or D? Problem of the week: 17
Problem of the week: 18 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
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Problem of the week: 20 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 21 A, B, C or D – which one fits the pattern?
Problem of the week: 22 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
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Problem of the week: 24 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Which one comes next – A, B, C or D? Problem of the week: 25
Problem of the week: 26 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 27 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 28 A, B, C or D – which one fits the pattern?
Problem of the week: 29 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 30
Problem of the week: 31 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 32 A, B, C or D – which one fits the pattern?
Problem of the week: 33 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
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Problem of the week: 35 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Which one comes next – A, B, C, D or E? Problem of the week: 36
Problem of the week: 37 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!
Problem of the week: 38
Problem of the week: 39 What phrase is represented by the diagram? Think Catch phrase Say what you see!