Below are a number of great coding projects that are fun to do in class and support problem solving too. Have a browse through, or search by mathematical topic. Each one has a difficulty rating. I would say anything 3 stars is roughly Year 6 age range, Python activities would be difficult for anyone much younger than Year 6 unless they have experienced Python before.
Scratch and Repl.it are both free online tools. Micro:bit is free to use online, but to run the code more effectively you need to have the device, which can be bought with various suppliers
Number | Data and Probability | Shape / Geometry | Algebra |
Number
Scratch Projects:
Guess My Number. ⭐⭐ Create a game to guess the program’s number from 1 – 100 EXAMPLE or watch VIDEO
Times Table Stars! ⭐⭐Recreate a popular maths website in 15 minutes! EXAMPLE or watch VIDEO
Prime Number Finder ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Use Scratch to identify if a number is prime or not – it can find 20,000 primes in about 15 seconds! EXAMPLE! or watch VIDEO
Factor Quiz (or Odd Even Game) ⭐⭐⭐Learn about using remainders (modulo) to create a quick game about factors or odds and evens – a great project to then share to younger year groups EXAMPLE
Is it Prime? ⭐⭐⭐ A basic game using Scratch lists as the player tries to work out if a number under 50 is prime EXAMPLE VIDEO
Make a Money App ⭐⭐⭐ This is only three stars because you have to find the pictures. If you can provide everyone with the coins and notes it is really a two star project. Build a game to practice using money. EXAMPLE
Number Up on micro:bit The classic 1 v 1 game to work out the number you have on your forehead EXAMPLE
Data and Probability
Is it Fair? ⭐⭐⭐ Based on a task by the great Don Steward, create an app to investigate experimental probability and analyse strategies for a dice game. EXAMPLE or watch VIDEO
Jackpot! ⭐⭐⭐ Create a fruit machine style randomised game and learn how to manipluate the probability to create unrealistic jackpot prizes EXAMPLE or watch VIDEO
Nontransitive Dice ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Go one step further with the dice coding and create the mysterious set of dice that can beat each other. Then create your own! EXAMPLE or watch VIDEO
Data Collection With Micro:bit ⭐⭐⭐ Spend a lesson coding simple games and then playing them to collect data such as reaction time or shaking power
Calculate the Average assessment ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Once you have taught how to find the mean, set a coding challenge for Scratch to work out the mean based on a set of numbers.
Shape / Geometry
Angles and Shapes – Maths Art! ⭐⭐ This is a three week lesson plan on learning and using angles in computer and digital art – mainly looking at exterior angles and how to calculate them
Angles Coding Assessment ⭐⭐ This is a little different – no tutorial here – students take a ‘remix’ of the project and create code to draw four shapes using angles. A fun assessment or homework task! One solution is here
Algebra
The Collatz Conjecture Solver ⭐⭐⭐This Scratch Program can check if the Collatz conjecture applies to any number easily up to 10^60! It is pretty easy to make as well – but some knowledge of the conjecture would be good to know first.
Count to 21 game ⭐⭐⭐⭐ There are two versions of this – you can create the simple random game – or play(recreate) the advanced AI version that can win with any target. EXAMPLE
The Quadratic Formula ⭐⭐⭐⭐In terms of coding – it is not difficult but the maths is very difficult to create and understand. Type in a, b and c and Scratch Cat will tell you the solutions for the quadratic, if possible. EXAMPLE
The Quadratic Formula (micro:bit)⭐⭐⭐⭐as above use micro:bit to solve the quadratic. What other formulas could it solve? EXAMPLE
Maths Beyond the Curriculum 