Information handling
A Curriculum for Excellence asks teachers to think about their educational aims and values and their classroom practice. It will give teachers more responsibility to use their professional judgement and creativity within broad parameters.
Although the 5-14 curriculum will be with us for the immediate future, use this short Reflection Guide to help you think about adapting your classroom practice in accordance with the principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence.
Combining colours to make flags
Working in pairs gives Primary 2 and 3 pupils confidence to tackle the problem of creating as many flags as possible from three colours.
Finding and making patterns
Spotting the patterns and then making their own colour and number patterns are the problems that these Junior 2 pupils try to solve.
Purple cats: a classification challenge
The teacher of a Primary 1/Primary 4 composite class sets two different challenges to develop thinking skills, including classification and working on a technology challenge.
Sorting and classifying objects
Four Primary 2 pupils use their thinking skills to arrange a collection of objects into different categories.
What comes next? Finding a pattern
Primary 2 pupils work on 'looking for a pattern' using Compare Bears. They make their own patterns with the bears but can they spot the gap when the teacher takes one away?
Cost problems solved and shared
Primary 4 pupils work in threes to solve a problem about the cost of ice creams. They take in turns to record their solutions and report back to the rest of the class.
Working out a school timetable
For their Enterprise topic these primary 4 pupils organised a maths week but they now have to work out a school timetable that lets every class get to all the activities.
Calculating the costs of a class party
The Primary 5 pupils work in groups to plan a party with entertainment and food on a limited budget. They work out the costs using a calculator and play money.
Problems solved by working in stages
This Primary 5 and 7 class works in stages to identify the problem, assesses what information is useful and decides on a strategy to solve it, all of which has helped the pupils enjoy more success in maths.
Working out a class seating plan
Primary 6 pupils work with their 'thinking partners' on a problem involving seating arrangements in class.
Tackling maths through environmental issues
Secondary pupils at Crispin Comprehensive School investigate and discuss environmental issues such as oil spills and population growth using ICT and spreadsheets.