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!