Maths Enrichment Resources for Years 7 and 8

 

MCS has a long history of successful community partnership activities. And although we prefer to engage with our friends and partners face to face, this has of course been impossible during the coronavirus pandemic. We are therefore pleased to launch a growing collection of learning resources crafted by our expert teachers and made freely available to everyone. 

This inspiring selection of downloadable Maths worksheets has been created by Mr Tim Elton, who  designed the materials to be used by individuals in class or shared online using remote learning platforms.

The aim of these resources is to enrich pupils’ mathematical interest and understanding, with activities that are challenging, engaging and sometimes surprising!

The worksheets are free to use, copy, adapt and share, in whole or in part.

For older pupils, we also work with partner schools nationwide to provide practice interviews for maintained school pupils applying to study Maths at university. Scroll to the end of the page to learn more.

"As a teacher working with colleagues on MCS partnership projects, I created these ‘off-the-shelf’ Maths resources for something inspiring yet accessible to extend and enrich a Year 7 or 8 student in any secondary school."

Mr Elton, MCS Maths teacher

Mr Elton explains that the emphasis in all the activities is on extending sideways rather than forwards. The ideas, results and investigations are, broadly, ‘off-curriculum’ rather than ‘on-curriculum but brought forward’. The activities are self-contained without the need for teacher input. They are suitable to be used by competent year 7 and 8 secondary school pupils, but can also provide enrichment to older students as standalone tasks.

 

Original worksheets
Discovery tasks
Comprehension tasks
Arithmetic challenges

The resources fall into three categories

 

  • Discovery Tasks
  • Comprehension Tasks
  • Arithmetic Challenges

Within each category, the tasks are numbered, but each stands alone, so there is no obligation to do them in order. Each worksheet is accompanied by answers and solutions; some include further thoughts or ideas for investigation.

Some of the discovery tasks and comprehension tasks explore maths that gives rise to an unanswered question, such as the concepts Collatz Conjecture and Langton’s Ant.

Online

These resources can be used at home, without a teacher, and are ideal for enriching and extending online learning of the current Maths curriculum.

 

In the classroom

These resources can also be used in the classroom when a pupil has successfully finished a task well before the end of the lesson, but others in the class could benefit from more time and teacher input.

Ten Discovery Tasks

These are investigative in nature and guided by questions. Each task is on a single double-sided sheet: questions on the first side, and answers with commentary on the reverse followed by suggestions to find out more.

You can download pdfs of the worksheets here:

Task 1: Squaring Fractions Task 6: Introduction to modulo 3
Task 2: Digit Multiplication Sequences Task 7: 2-Colourings
Task 3: Unlimited 3s and 7s Task 8: Colouring Maps
Task 4: Sum of Some Squares Task 9: Sum of 2 Squares
Task 5: Collatz Conjecture Task 10: Vertices, Edges and Regions

Ten Comprehension Tasks

Each of these tasks is on two double-sided sheets. The first is a 2-page article on some (hopefully new) maths, with the second sheet containing some questions about the maths in the article.

As well as being an exercise in mathematical comprehension, students should find the content engaging, and sometimes surprising. For anyone familiar with the comprehension component of the MEI Maths A Level, these tasks are ‘mini-comprehensions’, designed for a much younger audience, yet still rich in mathematical interest.

You can download pdfs of the worksheets here:

Task 1: Langton’s Ant Task 6: Fermat’s Last Theorem
Task 2: Taxicab Geometry Task 7: Malfatti
Task 3: Perfect Abundant and Deficient Numbers Task 8: Prisoner’s Dilemma
Task 4: Really Big Numbers Task 9: Where’s the centre of the triangle?
Task 5: How Many Primes? Task 10: The 7 Bridges of Konigsburg

 

Five Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenges

These are puzzles, all of the same type, designed to enhance a pupil’s problem-solving imagination by means of an appealing personal challenge.

You can download pdfs of the worksheets here:

Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenge 1
Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenge 2
Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenge 3
Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenge 4
Fridge Magnet Arithmetic Challenge 5

 

"Teaching is about sharing knowledge and developing understanding. Now, in a remote learning culture we need standalone Maths resources more than ever. "

Linda Earnshaw, MCS Maths Partnership Coordinator

Practice interviews for maintained school pupils applying to study Maths at university

MCS and independent partner schools nationwide offer interview practice for pupils applying to study Maths or Maths-related subjects at Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group universities.

Established by the school in 2021, the project is run in collaboration with the Advanced Maths Support Programme (AMSP), a part of Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI). An independent educational charity, MEI is committed to improving lives through advances in Maths education and the enhancement of Maths teaching.

We are seeking more interviewers as we look to continue to increase the number of pupils that can access this opportunity.

In 2024/25, the practice interviews will take place over three weeks (likely 25 November 2024 to 13 December 2024).

To express an interest in being an interviewer, please complete this very brief survey in the link below. Alternatively, if you have any questions or require further information, please contact Linda Earnshaw, Maths Partnerships Co-Ordinator (learnshaw@mcsoxford.org).

 

Interviewer Survey

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