Know Weigh

218g

920g

1968g

7896g

Cuboids

?

The weight of a cuboid depends on its colour. What is the weight of the four cuboids, one of each colour, on the scales immediately above? No calculators allowed!

A Mathematics Lesson Starter Of The Day


Topics: Starter | Algebra | Arithmetic | Problem Solving

  • The Best Maths Class Ever 7cd/m2, King Alfreds, Oxfordshire, Wantage
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  • We all found the first two quite BORING because they were too easy but We all found the 3rd one very hard. The last one was a bit hard. Louis, Liam, Jasper and Sir all got the 3rd one right. Everyone got the 1st and 2nd right.
  • Mrs Tanner, Darrick Wood Junior School
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  • We used it as a revision for chunking. We all felt confident with the bus stop method so we had stopped thinking about chunking for larger numbers.
  • Year 6, Brookfield Primary Langwith Junction
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  • We thought this was difficult until we thought about it, and then found them quite easy. DO NOT be defeated by BIG numbers!!!!
  • Transum,
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  • This Starter was updated in 2014. The original activity involved slightly larger numbers. The comments above refer to that previous version of this starter which you can find below as the extension activity.

    This is another one of those starters that doesn't seem particularly interesting, puzzling or funny but it is part of the range of activities pupils should participate in. Your main lesson theme for today might be on geometry but it is so important to keep those vital numeracy skills well practised. When did your pupils last do this kind of calculation without a calculator?

How did you use this starter? Can you suggest how teachers could present or develop this resource? Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for Maths teachers anywhere in the world.
Click here to enter your comments.

Previous Day | This starter is for 18 June | Next Day

 

Answers

109g + 184g + 328g + 987g = 1608g

Note to teacher: Doing this activity once with a class helps students develop strategies. It is only when they do this activity a second time that they will have the opportunity to practise those strategies. That is when the learning is consolidated. Click the button above to regenerate another version of this starter from random numbers.



Extension

The Starter above was redesigned in 2014. The original starter contained some slightly larger numbers:

DIVIDE and ADD

1575 ÷ 5

3294 ÷ 18

736 ÷ 23

68448 ÷ 368

Find the four quotients above then add your answers together. No calculators allowed!


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Online Maths Shop

Laptops In Lessons

Teacher, do your students have access to computers such as tablets, iPads or Laptops?  This page was really designed for projection on a whiteboard but if you really want the students to have access to it here is a concise URL for a version of this page without the comments:

Transum.org/go/?Start=June18

However it would be better to assign one of the student interactive activities below.

Laptops In Lessons

Here is the URL which will take them to a related student activity.

Transum.org/go/?Num=849

Student Activity


The answer to the extension activity is 315 + 183 + 32 + 186 = 716

Curriculum Reference

See the National Curriculum page for links to related online activities and resources.

Apple

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