Magic Maths for Primary Schools

10-12 yr olds Code for 6-7 yr olds

(01) Programmers create resources for others to use. Children enjoy coding for others to enjoy what they create. Here’s an example.  A simple interactive learning resource by 10 – 12 year olds for children 3 or 4 years younger to use. The basic Numeracy level is for 6 to 7 year old children. The code is by 10+ year olds and beyond what you would expect of its users. For the coders, there is greater scope for their imagination. Frogs on the LilyPad could be Pandas feeding on bamboo shoots, Bees in a hive. Examples made by 11 year are shown on the PDF.

10-12 yr olds Code for younger kids

(02) This is another example of young programmers creating a resource for even younger users. The young users complete the four exercises on paper first and then, with the teacher or parent, they check their work using this interactive learning resource. The ‘programmers’ are only a grade or two higher than the target grade. There is great potential for pupils and students at a higher level coding a SCRATCH resource for kids at a lower level (the maths concept could be for 8-9 year olds; the code is by 11+ year olds). The resource could have two or three ‘pages’ of sums, including a SCORE code. Programmers can get creative in their choice of sprites and background context.

Numeracy: The Division Machine

(03) Ignore the code behind this teaching resource. It demonstrates Division as continuous Subtraction. I’ve used ordinary language to simplify the maths terms. The BIG NUMBER (is the Dividend). The continuous TAKE-AWAY NUMBER (is the Divisor). The AFTER TAKEAWAY LIST (is the action of continuous subtraction). The LENGTH of the list tells the number of times you can SUBTRACT the divisor from the Dividend. The REMAINDER is the number that’s too small for another subtr-ACTION. (The happens when the Remainder is smaller than the Divisor). Task at end: Explain what you get when you multiply the Divisor by the Quotient and then add the remainder..

Visual Thinking 1 (Draw and then Code)

(04) Read the following Puzzle Carefully: A new red car comes from a manufacturing line every 7 minutes and a new yellow car comes from another manufacturing line every 5 minutes, both working at the same time. Cars are parked on a transport truck in the order of production, top floor first. Draw and colour a picture to show what the transporter looks like after 8 cars are produced. Ask yourself is it possible to code this puzzle in Scratch to run at the click of a button. Click the link. There is also a link below to a 4-page printable PDF  on Visual Thinking and it’s Mathemagic!

Visual Thinking 2 (3 Puzzles to Solve)

(05) 3 PUZZLES to Solve: Here are three maths puzzles presented by the sprite girl, Avery. Press a button for a Puzzle. Read it slowly in the bottom corner. The butterfly might prove to be helpful as you think of your approach.Click the colour underneath to get to the solution (and the approach). Then Avery will give her solution and how she did it using Scratch code.

Visual Thinking 3 (Fractions of a Quantity)

(06) Fractions in SCRATCH: Coding the fraction of a quantity is similar to a Maths puzzle and the solution algorithms A to F can be easily coded in Scratch. While solving the Maths, you can learn useful coding skills also: (1) How to code a button (2) How to create ‘a logical flow’ using broadcasts (3) How use the divide and multiply Operators to construct solution algorithms in Maths.

7-Piece Tangram with PDF

(07) The cat sprite gives the instructions: (1) Move and rotate the tangram sprite-pieces to make any shape (a to h). (2) Click the cat sprite to spread out the pieces and reveal the red rotate left and right arrows. (3) Click any letter from a – h to see the grey silhouette of the shape you have chosen to make. See the list below (4) Drag/Select the sprite-piece to move/rotate (a yellow dot indicates the currently active piece). Included in the download PDF is: the SCRATCH Code, How to make a Paper Cut-out Tangram and  a Tangram Game for 3 Children. More Mathemagic!

Build a Block Graph (Roll a Die)

(08) text goes here: [Filler text to be replaced] Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: RSC- SCRATCH For Your Kids. Sign up and join now.

Draw & Colour a STAR

(09) text goes here: [Filler text to be replaced] Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: RSC- SCRATCH For Your Kids. Sign up and join now.

Draw and Code 2D Shapes

(10) 2D Shapes: This is the complete Scratch resource for regular 2D Shapes. Test your recognition to choose a shape any of six regular straight-line 2D shapes as well as the Circle and Semicircle. Get angle info on the shape so that you can draw it with pencil, paer and a protractor. Finally get the code to draw the shape in SCRATCH. More Mathemagic with Scratch.

Draw and Rotate a Square

(11) text goes here: [Filler text to be replaced] Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: Teaching with Scratch. You should sign up and join. Many backup resources are shared as PDFs on Facebook group: RSC- SCRATCH For Your Kids. Sign up and join now.

Draw a T-shape for its Area

(12) Click the green flag to see the instructions. You should first draw the T-shape on squared paper and work out its area. Then, in Scratch, click and hide the instructions. From your copybook drawing use the touchscreen tools to trace the T-shape above the transparency. You can simple click the Draw button and the programmed pen will draw the shape. Click the monkey for the algorithm that calculates the area of the shape.

A new block (named draw T) is defined to programme the pen to draw the shape and so save having to draw the shape with keyboard or touchscreen tools. The skill is in defining the path of the pen. Test yourself! Try programming the Scratch pen to draw the outline shape of other letters or other irregular shapes (first on paper, then in Scratch). See the Magic Maths flip book in Scratch For Your Kids (from page 57).

3 Area of a Rectangle

(13) The Scratch code is very easy with the 20px Xy-grid backdrop. You can replicate the whole project on the squared paper of an exercise book. This is explained further in the PDF worksheet. SCRATCH: (a) Set the values of length and height (b) Press the green button to draw the rectangle (c) After the pen draws the rectangle click girl sprite who will calculate the Area and Perimeter  (d) Click ‘See inside’ to  learn how it’s done. the student needs to know the facts to programme the algorithm to make the sprite calculate both the area and perimeter.

4 Code the Area of a Circle

(14) Learn the properties of the Circle. The Scratch code is very easy with the Xy-grid-20px in the Scratch backdrop library. You can replicate the project with Pencil and Compass on the squared paper of an exercise book. SCRATCH: Learn how to code the pen to draw a circle with centre and radius, just like a compass and pencil. Drag the slider to set the number of squares for the radius. The slider maximum keeps the largest possible circle inside the stage limits. Let Scratch calculate the area and perimeter of the circle in square grid units instead of pixels.  This is explained further in the 4-page PDF worksheet.

(Resource 1) Introduce Tens and Units

(15) An important early part of young children’s Numeracy learning is counting actual objects and grouping them into Tens and Units (Ones). Afterwards, the learning objective can be reinforced digitally using this interactive Scratch resource. This is not about learning Scratch. It’s about using it as a real valid resource.

(Resource 2) Counting within 1 to 99

(16) Children at this stage of their Maths learning, can use this Notation Board after hands-on activity lessons with a real board and real counters. The focus is on Numeracy and Maths not on the Scratch code. It exemplifies the correlation between Scratch and physical manipulative resources especially with pencil and paper. Download the PDF for a printable version with counters to mount on cardboard and cut out.

(Resource 3) Add Tens & Units

(17) This is a SCRATCH interactive resource for teachers and parents to use with children who are at this stage of learning Maths Numeracy. Its purpose is to show addition with renaming up to a maximum of 99. There is a link below to a 4-page printable PDF with Transition Board manipulatives and write-on resources available here to download. I suggest you work with the Transition Board first.

(Resource 4) Subtract Tens and Units

(18) This is a SCRATCH interactive resource for teachers and parents to use with children who are at this stage of learning Maths Numeracy. Its purpose is to show subtraction with renaming within a maximum of 99. There is a link below to a 4-page printable PDF printable PDF with Transition Board manipulatives and write-on resources available here to download. I suggest you work with the Transition Board first.