Aims To raise awareness and understanding of the ‘talk for writing’ project To examine how this can be applied to maths Re-engagement (10 mins) Around the room display sufficient pieces of students work (before and after somehow numbered) and ask students to line up in order of mathematical fluency. i.e. communication of solution (not neatness). Tack these to wall. ‘This session will explain how to move students from the back to the front’ (covers objectives). Receive (5 mins) Using slide with NS info, highlight original points of initiative, specifically points of focus at secondary level. Re-engagement (15 mins) In pairs, students tackle a Pythagoras exam question and are specifically asked to communicate their thinking. This is written on the board taking suggestions from the floor and ‘boxed up’. They are then asked to tackle a proportion exam question and ‘box it up’. Again this is written on the board taking suggestions from the floor. KQ: are there any similarities / differences in the structure of the written communication? Is there a story being told? Can we make this story a generic one? Highlight aspects of generic boxing up. Reinforce (20 mins) Students are asked to tackle 2 more ‘written communication’ questions using ‘boxing up’. Does generic fit all? Do we always need to ‘box up’? What if it is difficult? Do all students need to ‘box up’ all questions? Highlight this is a problem solving tool / structure. Show video of students discussing boxing up. Reflect (5 mins & Q&A) Students are asked to PMI boxing up. Looking back at the initial task, should the order be changed? Is there evidence of ‘telling a story’? Q&A EvaluationResources Examples of students work (before & after), Blu-tack, exam questions ( copies of slides 12-14), coloured pens, A3 paper & whiteboard pens, notes Boxing up

Select a piece of work from around the room. Line up in order of mathematical fluency. How to get students to move up the line. To raise awareness and understanding of the ‘talk for writing’ project To examine how this can be applied to maths

‘Talk for Writing is a way of supporting the improvement of learner's writing. It develops their ability to 'read as writers' and enables them to explore the thinking and creative processes involved in generating and planning ideas and incorporating techniques learned from other writers into their own work. It further allows learners to rehearse the structure and sequence of a piece of writing and guides how the text should sound - its style and voice. It also encourages them to generate and rehearse appropriate language and grammar as they work collaboratively to plan, draft and improve their writing.’ For more background info search ‘talk for writing’ on the National Strategies website (www. nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk)

Specific focus on: student discussion teacher / student dialogue structured tools telling a story essay structure boxing up

3cm 4cm 7cm x Find the length of the side labelled x 3cm 4cm 7cm x Find the length of the side labelled x

y is directly proportional to the square of x. When y = 5, x = 4. Find the value of y when x = 8

What is the question asking? What information do I have? Generic ‘boxing up’ What mathematics will I use? Working out / calculations Solution / answer Checking

Source: Edexcel modular GCSE Unit 1 paper November 2010

Using ‘boxing up’ as a problem solving tool PlusMinusInteresting

Q&A Each table has 5 minutes to decide on one question to ask. What will you do next as a result of this session?

3cm 4cm 7cm x Find the length of the side labelled x y is directly proportional to the square of x. When y = 5, x = 4. Find the value of y when x = 8

Source: Edexcel modular GCSE Unit 1 paper November 2010

A chef is preparing a fish meal. These are the jobs he has to do, but they are not in order. Job A Heat and stir the sauce Takes 3 minutes Must be completed just before the fish is served Job B Make the sauce Takes 7 minutes Must be done before heating the sauce Job C Prepare the vegetables Takes 4 minutes Must be done before making the sauce and before cooking the vegetables Job E Cook the vegetables Takes 10 minutes Must be completed just before the fish is served Job F Serve up the meal Takes 2 minutes Job G Cook the fish Takes 5 minutes Job D Skin and bone the fish Takes 5 minutes Must be done before cooking the fish. Source: Bowland assessment task

This plan shows the arrangement of chairs, laid out in two blocks, in the hall. A drama group is putting on Grease in a local hall. The society wants to put as many chairs as possible in the hall for the audience. The chairs are to be arranged in two equal size blocks. Because of local Health and Safety regulations there must be at least a 2 m gangway round the two blocks of chairs. How many tickets can they sell? For the rest of this task you will need to make some sensible estimates. What load, in kg, can someone of your age comfortably carry? Roughly how long would it take to carry this load for a distance of 10m? Three members of the drama group, all about your age, set out the chairs in the hall. All the chairs are stored by the stage. Each chair weighs 4 kg. How many chairs could someone of your age carry in a stack? Sarah sets out the back row. Estimate the total distance she walks doing this. Explain how you arrived at your answer. How long would it take the three members of the drama group to set out all the chairs in both blocks? Jot down any assumptions you make.