Primary maths activities can be linked to most topics and this includes celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday. Information about Queen Elizabeth II includes so many numbers it would be a shame to miss this opportunity. As well as using money and stamps with the Queen's head you can also base maths activities around the number 90.
Using the data
Let's start with the data. Choose the activities that support the maths you have covered this year. One off topics are a good way to revisit and revise maths skills and concepts.Queen Elizabeth II timeline
A timeline of significant events in the Queen's life is a good way of finding differences, ordering and comparing numbers.
KS1 Write the timeline using the Queen's age, rather than the years. This way your class can find differences, order and compare numbers up to 99.
KS2 Mark the timeline with years so that your class can find differences, order and compare numbers within 100 using 4-digit numbers.
The Queen's offical 90th birthday website has a good timeline. There are pictures of events with titles that would make nice cards for children to place in date order. www.hmq90.co.uk
The BBC also has a timeline and some good video footage to show your class, including the Queen's first radio broadcast at the age of 14. www.bbc.co.uk/timeline
A timeline of significant events in the Queen's life is a good way of finding differences, ordering and comparing numbers.
KS1 Write the timeline using the Queen's age, rather than the years. This way your class can find differences, order and compare numbers up to 99.
KS2 Mark the timeline with years so that your class can find differences, order and compare numbers within 100 using 4-digit numbers.
The Queen's offical 90th birthday website has a good timeline. There are pictures of events with titles that would make nice cards for children to place in date order. www.hmq90.co.uk
The BBC also has a timeline and some good video footage to show your class, including the Queen's first radio broadcast at the age of 14. www.bbc.co.uk/timeline
Your class can add new information to a timeline as they find out interesting facts about the Queen. They can also add their own year of birth. Use the timeline information to create word problems:
KS1 The Queen was 14 when she made her first radio broadcast. She made her first TV appearance 17 years later. How old was she when she made her first TV appearance?
KS2 The Queen made her first radio broadcast in 1940 and first TV apperance in 1957 - how old was she on both occasions? She sent her first email from an army base in 1976. How many years was this after her first TV appearance?
KS1 The Queen was 14 when she made her first radio broadcast. She made her first TV appearance 17 years later. How old was she when she made her first TV appearance?
KS2 The Queen made her first radio broadcast in 1940 and first TV apperance in 1957 - how old was she on both occasions? She sent her first email from an army base in 1976. How many years was this after her first TV appearance?
There are four portraits of the Queen on coins in current circulation, try to find coins showing each different version.
The Queen first appeared on a coin in 1953, in 1971 a new portrait was used for the new decimal coins, a different image of the Queen was used between 1958 and 1997 and this was replaced in 1998 with the Queen looking more mature as she was then in her 70s. A new portrait of the Queen was introduced in 2015.
The Queen first appeared on a coin in 1953, in 1971 a new portrait was used for the new decimal coins, a different image of the Queen was used between 1958 and 1997 and this was replaced in 1998 with the Queen looking more mature as she was then in her 70s. A new portrait of the Queen was introduced in 2015.
Counting a birthday gun salute
The Queen's birthday is on 21 April and there are three gun salutes to mark the occasion. There is a 21 gun salute in Great Windsor Park, a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, London and a 62 gun salute in the Tower of London.
Use a drum to beat a salute to the Queen on her birthday at midday on 21 April and ask your class to count the sounds.
FS2/R can count to 21 using a number line on the wall to help. It is good to do all year round, let anyone with a birthday beat the drum while the class counts how old they are.
KS1 This is a good activity for practising counting up to 99 using all three gun salutes.
KS2 Although this age should find counting up to 99 easy, they count less often and it is a fun way of checking listening skills and concetration as well.
The Queen's birthday is on 21 April and there are three gun salutes to mark the occasion. There is a 21 gun salute in Great Windsor Park, a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, London and a 62 gun salute in the Tower of London.
Use a drum to beat a salute to the Queen on her birthday at midday on 21 April and ask your class to count the sounds.
FS2/R can count to 21 using a number line on the wall to help. It is good to do all year round, let anyone with a birthday beat the drum while the class counts how old they are.
KS1 This is a good activity for practising counting up to 99 using all three gun salutes.
KS2 Although this age should find counting up to 99 easy, they count less often and it is a fun way of checking listening skills and concetration as well.
• Count in 90s from zero to 900.
• The answer is 90. Class challenge - make 90 different calculations all of which have 90 as the answer, include addition, subtraction, mulitplication and division.
• What are the factors of 90?
• There are 90˚ in a right angle. Draw different shapes with at least one right angle.
• 90 challenge - Find 5 consecutive numbers that total 90.
• Bamboo can increase its height by 90cm in one day. How much taller can it grow in a week? How much does it grow in an hour?
• Play 'Target 90'. Two players take turns to roll 4 dice and make two 2-digit numbers that give a total nearest to 90. The other player can try and change the numbers to make a total nearer to 90, the player with the nearest total to 90 wins a counter. If a player makes exactly 90 they get 2 counters. After 5 rolls each, the player with the most counters is the winner.
• What can you do in 90 seconds? How long is this in minutes? Set a timer for 90 minutes. What did you do in that time? How long is this in hours?
• 90 days after the 21 April is 20 July. Keep a class weather chart over this period, each child recording about 3 days. Include weekends and holidays. Measure rainfall on each day and decide which was the dominant single weather feature for each day. Display the data on a pie chart showing how many days were mostly sunny, rainy, windy or cloudy. Make a bar graph to display the rainfall and ask your class to think about the scale. They may show days on the y axis and a range of rainfall on the x axis or the rainfall in cm on the y axis and the range of days on the x axis.
• The answer is 90. Class challenge - make 90 different calculations all of which have 90 as the answer, include addition, subtraction, mulitplication and division.
• What are the factors of 90?
• There are 90˚ in a right angle. Draw different shapes with at least one right angle.
• 90 challenge - Find 5 consecutive numbers that total 90.
• Bamboo can increase its height by 90cm in one day. How much taller can it grow in a week? How much does it grow in an hour?
• Play 'Target 90'. Two players take turns to roll 4 dice and make two 2-digit numbers that give a total nearest to 90. The other player can try and change the numbers to make a total nearer to 90, the player with the nearest total to 90 wins a counter. If a player makes exactly 90 they get 2 counters. After 5 rolls each, the player with the most counters is the winner.
• What can you do in 90 seconds? How long is this in minutes? Set a timer for 90 minutes. What did you do in that time? How long is this in hours?
• 90 days after the 21 April is 20 July. Keep a class weather chart over this period, each child recording about 3 days. Include weekends and holidays. Measure rainfall on each day and decide which was the dominant single weather feature for each day. Display the data on a pie chart showing how many days were mostly sunny, rainy, windy or cloudy. Make a bar graph to display the rainfall and ask your class to think about the scale. They may show days on the y axis and a range of rainfall on the x axis or the rainfall in cm on the y axis and the range of days on the x axis.
• Using the digits 1, 9, 2, 6 what is the largest total you can make from adding any two single numbers. What is the smallest total?
• Using the digits 1, 9, 2, 6 what is the largest 2-digit number you can make? What is the smallest 2-digit number? Repeat making the largest and smallest 3 digit number.
• Using the digits 1, 9, 2, 6 what is the nearest number you can make to 60? 700? 20?
• Using the digits from the Queen's year of birth 1926, how many other 4 digits numbers can you make.
• Write the numbers you have made in order starting with the smallest.
• Using 1926 and < or > write number sentence with the numbers you have made: 1926 < ? or 1926 > ?
• Using the digits 1, 9, 2, 6 what is the largest 2-digit number you can make? What is the smallest 2-digit number? Repeat making the largest and smallest 3 digit number.
• Using the digits 1, 9, 2, 6 what is the nearest number you can make to 60? 700? 20?
• Using the digits from the Queen's year of birth 1926, how many other 4 digits numbers can you make.
• Write the numbers you have made in order starting with the smallest.
• Using 1926 and < or > write number sentence with the numbers you have made: 1926 < ? or 1926 > ?
These activities can be re-used next year in KS1 to link your maths with a history topic on famous people:
BBC - famous people
BBC - famous people
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A new birthday song - with some maths
Try this new birthday song and sing it for the Queen
A new birthday song - with some maths
Try this new birthday song and sing it for the Queen
When to celebrate?
There are three opportunities to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday
• 21 April is her actual birthday and gun salutes will take place as well as lighting beacons across the country.
• 12-15 May The Queens 90th Birthday Celebration will be held every night at Windsor, it isa 90 minute pageant with 900 horses.
• 10-12 June Friday Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's, Saturday The Queens Birthday Parade Tropping the Colour and the Patron's Lunch on the Mall, as well many street partie across the country, on Sunday.
