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Pupils should be taught to know and use the vocabulary of prime numbers, prime factors and composite (non-prime) numbers

Here are some specific activities, investigations or visual aids we have picked out. Click anywhere in the grey area to access the resource.

• Prime Pips in Pots This is a version of Wari, one of the oldest known games to still be widely played today. It involves small prime numbers.
• Prime Numbers Video A reminder of what prime numbers and composite numbers are.
• Prime Numbers Jigsaw Interactive jigsaw puzzles of different types of grids containing prime numbers.
• Factor Trees Create factor trees to find the prime factors of the given numbers.
• Prime Labyrinth Find the path to the centre of the labyrinth by moving along the prime numbers.
• Pick The Primes Pick the prime fruit from the tree as quickly as possible. Practise to improve your personal best time.
• Factor Trees Challenge Can you determine the unique digits that will complete these factor trees?
• Venn Diagram Place each of the numbers 1 to 16 on the correct regions on the Venn diagram.
• Dump-A-Dice Race An online board game for two players involving prime and square numbers and making choices.
• Watsadoo Rotate the cogs to catch the flying numbers in the correct sections.
• Prime Pairs Game A game for two players who take turns to select two numbers that add up to a prime number.
• Three Prime Sum A self-marking challenge to write each of the given numbers as the sum of three prime numbers.
• Scallywags and Scoundrels Arrange the scallywags and scoundrels on the chairs so that the numbers of any two sitting next to each other add up to a prime number.
• Satisfy Place the nine numbers in the table so they obey the row and column headings about the properties of the numbers.
• Sieve of Eratosthenes A self checking, interactive version of the Sieve of Eratosthenes method of finding prime numbers.

Here is an exam-style questions on this statement:

• "Write 250 as a product of powers of its prime factors." ... more

Click on a topic below for suggested lesson Starters, resources and activities from Transum.

• Factors A factor is a whole number that divides exactly into another whole number. We say the first number is a factor of the second number. Prime numbers only have two factors, one and themselves. After becoming familiar with times tables pupils then practise using this knowledge by recognising factors of numbers. There are well known and some less well known divisibility tests that are of some use in solving more complex number problems. Pupils need to know how to find the highest common factor (HCF) of two or more numbers either mentally or using a pen and paper strategy so that they can correctly manipulate fractions and algebraic expressions.