Tag Archives: sequence

317. Pyramid Power

Just a quick post today – it’s such a busy time of year.

I’ve recently used Nrich resources on sequences with Year 7. These two activities encouraged good discussion and practical thinking.

Function machines

Pyramid Numbers

We used multilink to build pyramids which allowed students to develop their ideas. There were four different pyramids commonly built. The discussions the students had showed a real insight into their thinking.

After the lesson this photo of a golf ball stack appeared on my Twitter feed. This provided me with a starter for the following lesson – how many balls in the stack?

239. Introduction to Arithmetic sequences

Here’s a quick post for all those of you teaching Arithmetic Sequences. Whether you are teaching Level 3 Algebra or the C1 A-Level module, the jump from GCSE Nth term to the form ‘a + (n-1)d’ can be unnecessarily tricky. To help with this I’ve written a starter booklet for Arithmetic Sequences. You can download it here:

Introduction to arithmetic sequences

By the way, if your students confuse the vocabulary ‘sequence’ with ‘series’ get them to think about television. A normal television series ends, so an arithmetic series must end too!

212. Crack the Code 1

I love the worksheets produced by danwalker on TES resources. Basically a set of results are combined to make a numerical code. You could have a ‘Kilner’ stye jar with a changeable combination padlock and a prize locked inside as motivation.

Image credit: www.waragainstwork.com

Image credit: www.waragainstwork.com

I’ve started using this style of activity with sleepy sixth formers, unmotivated low ability Year 10 and excitable Year 9s. Dan Walker has released the following activites on TES resources:

Parametric Equations

Binomial Expansion

Percentages

I’ve now created a Code sheet for Number Patterns. It covers term to term rules, using an Nth term rule, finding an Nth term and finding a specified term.

Number Patterns Crack the Safe (pdf)