Upper KS2 Maths Workshop with Sarah Ogilvie

This 60-minute workshop is based around rhyming story, ‘101’, for 8+ years.  Pupils explore the patterns to be found in large ranges of numbers and how these patterns can be used to solve very tricky-looking problems. 

Pupils work towards producing a poster that explains how to find the total of their chosen range of numbers.  Differentiation is inbuilt, allowing all pupils to succeed whilst extending themselves as far as they wish.

·       Pupils (and adults in the room!) estimate the total of all the whole numbers from 1-100 and estimates are kept for use later in the session.

·       Using Cuisenaire rods and number cards, pupils explore how patterns and pairing can help to find totals efficiently.

·       We read ‘101’ which is based around the true story of a young school pupil who correctly calculated the total of the numbers 1 -100 in less than a minute.  We discuss the emotions felt by various characters in the story and compare the maths from today’s session so far with the maths in ‘101’.

·       We take a brief look at the biography of Carl Gauss and why he is now regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.

·       In pairs, pupils choose a long range of numbers to total and produce a clear poster that explains exactly how to find the total, and why it works.  We also discuss the estimates made at the start of the session.

·       We finish the session by collating results in a line graph which produces yet another beautiful pattern, and proves that our amazing calculations must be correct!