Have a fun maths session starting at 15:00 and ending at 15:15 on 15.12.15. It is always good to have some 'spare moment' maths activities coming up to Christmas and these KS1 and KS2 practice activities are all about the number 15.
FS2/Reception
Counting to 15
Use a calendar showing this month of December and count along the days, using it as a number line from 1 to 15. Repeat using an advent calendar.
Making 15
Make Christmas string decorations with 15 beads, buttons or card stars (with 2 close hole punch holes for threading). Hold up the strings beside a number line to check there are exactly 15 objects on each string by matching. Count along the number line and strings backwards and forwards. KS1
Making 15
Using 15 cubes and squared paper for recording, ask children in groups to find all the possible ways of making a total of 15.They 'snap' their column of 15 in two and each time they make two columns they colour the matching numbers on squared paper to record their results.
Ask them to write the number facts under each pair of columns that total 15. Now ask them to write the facts in order - what do they notice?
Sharing and grouping 15
Using 15 cubes, place three plates on the table and ask children in pairs to share the cubes equally between the plates. How many cubes are on each plate? Using 15 counters and group the cubes into groups of 3. How many groups of 3 are there?
What do they notice about the grouping and sharing? What is the same and what is different?
Repeat using 15 cubes and 5 plates for sharing and then grouping the cubes into groups of 5.
Finding 15
Give each group a set of digit cards 0-9 and ask them to find as many ways as they can to make a total of 15 with 3 cards.Ask them to record their results. Recording results often helps children see patterns.
Look out for those that are systematic, they may use 5 and find all the pairs that total 10. They could then repeat this for 6 and all the pairs that total 9.
Repeating pattern dates 15.12.15
Look at the repeating pattern of this date 15.12.15 - How often did this happen in 2015?
When will be the first year this does not occur at all? Why won't it occur in that year?12 December 2012 had a special date 12.12.12 - How many other dates can you find with the same type of repeating pattern? How many times will it occur in any one year?
Will it happen in 2016?
Related articles:
Consecutive dates - a maths investigation adding 3 consecutive numbers
11.12.13 was the last date for 90 year that the numbers will line up
Did you know 2013 is the first year not to have a repeating digit since 1987?
A great maths date investigation for you class
Palindromic dates - how many can you find?
Think about the convention of writing dates to expand the rules
