1.
Welcome and Feedback
2.
A Cracking Idea!
3.
Duckworth Lewis
4.
Competition – a winner and a new problem!
5.
Rare INSET date still available in September
6.
PARTY TIME! PUT THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY!
7.
Einstein Says…
8.
Birthday offer on its way!
Welcome to the June Newsletter
Dear Maths Friends- welcome! I hope you are enjoying the drier
bits of the June weather (the weeds in my garden are enjoying perfect
conditions). I have had a couple of attempts at watching Sussex play cricket,
and while one was rained off, the other (a 20-20 against Surrey) was fabulous.
See item 3 for some thoughts on the Maths behind England’s early exit from the
20-20 World Cup.
Also, I have been booked solid this June. I guess that this is
because schools are looking for something a bit different after exams are done
and dusted, but I will be glad when July arrives!
Thank you for your responses to my request last month. I have included
a puzzle from a subscriber this month; I hope you like it.
Grit those teeth if you are still writing reports, marking
exams, etc, and good luck – this month’s quote is for you!
2. A Cracking Idea!
The other day I was leading a workshop during a residential
conference for secondary teachers in Coventry. I had also been booked to
perform a Magic Maths show the night before for the delegates, and at dinner
one of them mentioned an idea I wanted to share with you (with his permission).
When getting children to revise a topic, get them to prepare questions with
multiple choice answers. This is a super idea, as it encourages them to
anticipate what mistakes might be made in order to create the best set of
possible answers. Clever – my thanks to Pietro Tozzi of Hounslow Secondary
School, who gave me his permission to include this.
3. Duckworth-Lewis.
This is a very clever formula that is used to calculate how many
runs a side batting second must score in order to win a one-day match that has
been shortened by rain. It has become very apparent recently however that the
formula does not work very well when applied to 20-20 cricket, (to be fair it
was never designed to do so) and I thought it might be fun to ask subscribers
to come up with a more appropriate model. It certainly seems to have caught the
imagination (and in some cases the indignation!) of cricket fans in the media.
Better still, is this the sort of project you could give to a
class who has completed their curriculum for the year? I will publish any good
solutions I receive after 1st July (which also happens to be my
birthday!). Remarkably, if I tell you that I will once again be in my ‘prime’
after a 2-year absence, you should even be able to work out exactly how old I
am, assuming that I am between 35 and 60!
4. Competition Time!
First, the answer to last month’s problem: the smallest amount
of money that it’s impossible to make with fewer than 6 coins is, surprisingly,
just 88p.
This month I am indebted
to Chris Smith from Newmilns in East Ayreshire, who sent in the following
puzzle, and who is the first lucky winner of a HP
calculator . I liked it because it can be accessed by both primary and
secondary children – good luck!
Can you arrange 15 pool balls, numbered from 1 to
15, into a triangle, so that the number
on each ball is the difference between
the numbers of the two balls above it? This is much harder than it sounds, I
suspect!
See you next month, with the answer, and lots more ideas for
enlivening your classroom.
5. INSET Day, 2nd September 2009
Repeated
from last month’s newsletter:
Due to a cancellation I unexpectedly have 2nd
September available as an INSET day for staff. I am in North Wales in a
secondary school doing INSET on 1st September, and was booked to be
in Bristol on 2nd, but now that the school has through no fault of
its own been forced to postpone the visit I am unexpectedly free. In theory, I
could go anywhere, so if you are interested in filling this slot, let me know
a.s.a.p. I will of course reduce my fees
for subscribers who mention this newsletter-only offer!
6. PARTY TIME! Saturday 5th September
2009
I can now announce the venue for the book
launch party – the party will be at the beautiful and historic Saltdean Lido,
right off the A259 with plenty of free parking, and also on loads of direct bus
routes from Brighton Station. As subscribers
you are all invited, and the evening will include a buffet, drinks and maybe a
few surprises on the night! Please
R.S.V.P. to info@andrewjeffrey.co.uk
by the 20th August at the latest.
7. Einstein Says.
Another guest for the monthly slot this time, aimed specifically
at those of us who are feeling exhausted with the usual end-of-year-treadmill.
I hope it helps. It’s short and perhaps obvious but none the less helpful for
all that!
“Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your
body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. “
Ralph Marston
8. Birthday Offer
As I mentioned, tomorrow (1st July) is my birthday. Unfortunately
I will spend most of it on motorways, as I have to drive up to Macclesfield for
a couple of days work. I am not thrilled about spending the evening on my own
in a hotel, but needs must – I will catch up on some work! However, to cheer
myself up, watch out for next month’s newsletter when I will be giving details
of a very special ‘subscriber only offer’!
Thanks for being a subscriber, and remember, if you enjoy the
newsletter, please encourage others to sign up at http://andrewjeffrey.co.uk/newsletter.asp
AJx
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