Learner Activities
Get your maths learning legends involved in 2024!
An amazing way to promote the power of thinking and acting mathematically…
Welcome to the PMA R-6 Weekly Challenge!
Each week we invite you to explore the challenge, then email us in your theories to share with our learning community!
All learners are encouraged and welcome to explore these challenges.
If you or your site is a member of the PMA MathsSA learning community, then your learners are also invited to go in the weekly prize draw by emailing in their theories to primarymathsPD@bigpond.com
If lots of learners from your learning space take part – select the “best one” and email it in!
One entry from each participating site will be considered as part of the weekly draw.
The learner’s email should have:
-
Their name and year level, class name and school
-
Their educators name and email address
-
Their representation of their theory and their why (justification and/or proof). It could be in a text format, a video format or any other way your learners find useful!
CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR SAMPLE WEEKLY LEARNING CHALLENGES BELOW.....
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE
SIXTEEN
This week we are focused on quantifying!
@JudithKeeney @shankifymaths218
CHALLENGE TWO : Try these two…
Mathsteachercircles.org Source unknown
Investigate each Challenge, then tell us your theory and your justification.
CHALLENGE ONE:
These are “unit chat” images!
How many?
Notice as a mathematician and think about what the cardinal number for the collection in each image could be?
What’s your theory and why?
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE), INVESTIGATE and THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
DID YOU KNOW?
How old are dice? These dice were found at the Colosseum dating back to 900 BCE. The earliest confirmed dice in the world date back to 3 000 BCE. WOW!
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE
FIFTEEN
CHALLENGE ONE: How popular is either the “Royal Adelaide Show” or your local “Show”? Why, why not?
Use the “data collection” process to investigate the question – then tell us your theory and your evidence! ***
ROYAL ADELAIDE SHOW – PART ONE
CHALLENGE TWO: The Royal Adelaide Show has been held since 1844. We would like you to investigate how many “Shows” have been held in South Australia since then. This would include “Country Shows” as well as the City Shows”. Represent your theory about how many and your evidence to justify your thinking.
CHALLENGE THREE: What would be the most efficient route to visit every “Show” in South Australia? Represent your theory about which route, what “efficient” meant to you and your evidence to justify your thinking.
CHALLENGE FOUR: There has been lots of “media coverage” of the cost of entry to the Show this year. We would like you to investigate the cost of entry for different people and whether you think this is reasonable. Will be people be able to afford to attend this year? Represent your theory and your why.
EDUCATORS: Remember to grab the "Producing Data" Thinking Questions Posters
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE FOURTEEN
HOLIDAYS, HOLIDAYS, HOLIDAYS!
CHALLENGE ONE: What was the most popular holiday experience/activity in your learning space, or your site?
Use the “data collection” process to investigate the question – then tell us your theory and your evidence! ***
CHALLENGE TWO: Over the holidays there was LOTS of cold weather. Investigate which locations in SA had the largest and smallest total rainfalls over the holidays, which places had the lowest minimum temperature and the highest maximum temperatures. Provide evidence to back up your theories.
CHALLENGE THREE: What would be the most efficient route to visit the five largest towns/cities in South Australia? Represent your theory about which route, what “efficient” meant to you and your evidence to justify your thinking.
CHALLENGE FOUR: Represent the distance you travelled over the holidays – it might include travel in a car, or by bike or by walking. Make sure you show us your theory and your why!
EDUCATORS: Remember to grab the "Producing Data" Thinking Questions Posters
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE THIRTEEN
In 1790 – the first modern shoelace was invented by Mr Harvey Kennedy in England. It was the first lace to have an “aglet” on it – that’s the plastic/metal part that holds the end of the shoelace together and makes it easy to thread
CHALLENGE ONE: What’s the total length of the shoelaces being worn by the learners and educators in your learning space? Represent your theory and how you worked it out. EXTRA CHALLENGE – total length of the shoelaces in your school…
CHALLENGE TWO – Using the “Producing Data” Thinking Questions as your guide(***), begin by creating a data question that will help you find out a question that interests you about shoes … Represent what you find out on a data display. Send us that and one new question you have as a result of your data collection process
CHALLENGE THREE – Check out the poster (***) of all the different ways you can lace your shoes. Choose one of these questions to explore. What is the most common method used in your learning space? What is the most efficient way in terms of duration (time)? What is the most efficient way in terms of length of lace used? Represent your theory and how you proved it. *** Remember to grab the “Producing Data” Thinking Questions poster *** Remember to grab the “ways of lacing shoelaces poster”
EDUCATORS: EDUCATORS:
Remember to grab Remember to grab the
the "Producing Data" "Ways of Lacing Shoelaces" Poster Thinking Questions
Posters
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE TWELVE
140 years ago this week Thomas Edison launched his “gramophone” – a device for playing music. Since then children and families have enjoyed listening to their favourite songs on lots of different devices!
CHALLENGE ONE: Investigate all the different devices we have had that play music from Mr Edison’s gramophone until today. Create a timeline that represents what you find. Which device do you think was the most innovative for its time?
CHALLENGE TWO – Using the “Producing Data” Thinking Questions as your guide(***), begin by creating a data question that focusses on an aspect of people listening to music that you are curious about eg: do they/don’t they, when, why, what type… Represent what you find out on a data display. Send us that and one new questions you have as a result of your data collection process
CHALLENGE THREE – What is the duration of most songs? Let us know what your theory is and how you worked it out.
CHALLENGE FOUR – Some people say that music and mathematics have a lot in common because they are both based on using patterns.
Would you agree or disagree? Why?
Provide at least four examples that justify your position
EDUCATORS:
Remember to grab the "Producing Data"
Thinking Questions Posters
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE ELEVEN
This week marks the 57th anniversary of the introduction of decimal currency! It’s also an exciting time for our currency as there are lots of changes happening. Here are some “currency” challenges for you to explore…
CHALLENGE ONE: - Check out the people who are represented on our currency – notes and coins. Represent a timeline of their achievements and share it with us! Also tell us who you think is the most “worthy” of this honour and why.
CHALLENGE TWO: – Choose five different people in your circle of family and friends and interview them about what $1 could buy when they were young. Represent this information to show us what you find. Tell us when you think the $1 had the best buying power and explain your theory.
CHALLENGE THREE: – Compare the size of at least six different coins and notes. Represent your comparisons so we can easily see what you found. Remember to tell us which “kind of big/measurable attribute(s) you used
CHALLENGE FOUR: – Decimal currency arrived in 1966. What currency did we have before and how does it relate to our current currency.
EDUCATORS: Check out the article for you about this currency anniversary – might be some interesting conversations for you to have with your learners!
“PMA Insights Archives – 14th Feb….”
“Educator Resource – Exploring Currency and Financial Mathematics”
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE TEN
This week marks the day (6th Feb ) that the very first board game of Monopoly went on sale in the world! Here are some “Monopoly” challenges for you to explore…
CHALLENGE ONE: Design a data question that interests you…for example – how many people have played the game in your class or building or school? How many people like this game? What is people’s favourite property to buy? Make sure you use the “Thinking questions for producing data” that are attached to help you as you go! We cant wait to see your findings!
CHALLENGE TWO – Which is the “biggest” playing token in a Monopoly game? Tell us your theory and how you have proved it!
CHALLENGE THREE – Which would be the three best colours of properties to buy to be able to earn the best rent? Tell us your theory and how you have proved it!
CHALLENGE FOUR – Does everyone have an equal chance of winning in this game? Tell us your theory and why!
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE NINE
Welcome Back to your 2023 Learning Year!
At school this year you are going to learn how to be and become an even more powerful mathematician in 2023!
Do you think you also had to think and act as a mathematician over your holiday break?
Mathematicians invented five different parts of mathematics – this diagram shows them as a set of drawers.
Explain your theory to us and justify it…Did you think and act as a mathematician in the holidays or not? If you did, which “drawers” of mathematics did you use? Which drawer did you use most? Will you use “drawers” of mathematics now you are back at school? Why/why not?
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE EIGHT
IT’S BOOK WEEK ALL AROUND AUSTRALIA –
Here are some mathematical book challenges to get you thinking...
Ch1: How many books do you think have been read this year?
In your learning space?In your school?Across the State in schools?How could you find out and prove your thinking?
Ch2: Why are books usually made so that they have rectangular faces on the top and bottom? Is it possible to make a usable book that has faces of a different shape? Could they be irregular?
Ch3: Choose your favourite book. What is the combined surface area of all the pages and cover in your book? How much of your learning space would it cover?
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE),
INVESTIGATE and
THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES
AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING
CHALLENGE SEVEN
ARE YOU A LEGO MASTER MATHEMATICIAN?
LegoMaster is a program on Channel Nine where teams are challenged to build creations using lego…
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE), INVESTIGATE and THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
This is a creation by Kirsti and Daniel that was about using the lego to tell a story. This creation tells the story of a knight and a dragon off on a quest.
Q1: How tall and wide do you think this creation is?
Q2:How many lego bricks do you think it used?
Q3: If you have some lego bricks at your school, make an animal that would be approximately half the size of the dragon? Make sure you send us a photo of your creation and how you know it is approximately half the size?
Q4: How many lego bricks do you think you would need to make an animal that is one quarter your size?
Acknowledgement: Photos from the Channel 9 legomaster gallery
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE SIX
Masks are the go again for the first few weeks of term 2…
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE), INVESTIGATE and THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
How many masks do you think have been used so far this year:
In your learning space?
In your school?
Across the State in schools?
How much fabric or string would have been used to make the masks used in your learning space or school or across the state?
What’s the smallest piece of fabric you can use to adequately cover your mouth and nose?
Design a linear pattern to go on a mask that uses a “unit of repeat” that has at least four items in it. Share your “unit of repeat” and tell us how many terms will fit on a mask.
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE FIVE
Time is passing quickly....
How much learning time do you have left this year?
Investigate and then share with us:
-
How you worked it out
-
Why you think yours is a valid calculation
-
The actual learning time that is left, calculated in three different units of time
Is it the same for every child at school? Is it the same for every adult at school?
Will it feel fast or slow for you? Why?
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE FOUR
How fast do you walk?
If you walked for twenty eight seconds, what is the furthest you can walk?
What is the shortest distance you can walk in twenty eight seconds?
Is there anyone in your learning space who can beat these distances? Why and how?
Would this change if you walked up or down a slope? How and why?
Do you arms move when you walk? How far do they move in twenty eight seconds?
Is there a relationship between how may times your legs move and your arms move in twenty eight seconds?
Is there a relationship between the size of your foot and how fast you walk?
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE), INVESTIGATE and THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE THREE
Meet our Ellie Echidna! Watch the video of Ellie out for a walk and then choose one of more of the questions to investigate…
Here’s the video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqpY9LJQMqE
How big is Ellie? What do you think her dimensions would be?
How fast do you think Ellie is walking?
How far do you think Ellie has travelled in the video?
How long do you think it would take Ellie to walk one hundred and fifty metres?
If Ellie kept walking for ninety seconds, how far do you think she would travel?
What about if she walked for four minutes – how far would she get?
How many spikes do you think Ellie has on her body?
How long would her longest spike be?
CHOOSE A QUESTION (OR MORE), INVESTIGATE and THEN SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND JUSTIFICATIONS WITH US 😊
This is one of Ellie’s friends!
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE TWO
Sunil shared a theory that you can build every number after twenty seven with a combination of fives and eights. For example 51 = 8+8+5+5+5+5+5+5+5
Is this theory true or false? Make sure you justify your theory
PMA LEARNING CHALLENGE ONE
John shared his story…
He was out walking along the street and he passed five houses. As he walked on the even side of the street he added each numeral on the front of the letterbox as he passed to get the total. The sum was three hundred and sixty. What was the numeral on the first house he passed?
What would be the numerals on the five houses opposite where he was walking?
Represent your theory and your justifications
