Where's the maths in that?
Take a look at our brilliant collection of extra multi-media resources! They include videos of people explaining where there is maths in their jobs, an inspirational gallery of images to explore and our book recommendations for your Big Maths Party. Enjoy!
Career videos
Where do we find maths in our every day lives? How does it come into the jobs of different people?
Find out in these short videos and profiles from friends of the BIG Maths Party.
Why not speak to the grown ups in your school, family and friends to find out how maths is part of their jobs too?
Chris the mechanical engineer
Where's the maths in that?
Philippa the dog groomer
Where's the maths in that?
Matt the restaurant manager
Where's the maths in that?
Ellie the graduate ecologist
Where's the maths in that?
Nick the joiner
Where's the maths in that?
Images
Where do we find maths in the world around us?
Take a look at our gallery of fascinating images to explore with your class. Each and every one has maths hidden somewhere in it. Can you find the maths in that?
For each image, think:
- What can you see?
- What do you notice?
- What do you wonder?
- What could you measure?
- Could you estimate?
- What could you count?
- What shapes do you see?
- Can you spot any patterns?
Open as slides
Access and download the full image pack to use in your school as a slide presentation.
Book recommendations
There are some fabulous books out there with maths themes running through them. Take a look at some of our recommendations for books to use as part of your Big Maths Party.
What jobs could you do?
by Catherine Barr
‘Follow your imagination to discover lots of exciting jobs you could do – from spy to astronaut, and guide dog trainer to prime minister. Think about where’s the maths in that? What jobs could you do if you love having fun with numbers?
Explore this gorgeous book with your class, it is great for encouraging creative thinking and opportunities to talk and share ideas.
Create a class gallery – I could be a _______ because___
We use Maths
by Kim Hankinson
An amazing book to have at your Big Maths Party! Reveal the hidden maths all around us. People use maths every single day in their jobs, sometimes without realising! From a football coach studying the stats to a chef making sure everyone’s food is ready at the same time, the jobs and occupations at the heart of this super-creative non-fiction read will inspire all children to seek out the everyday maths in the world around us.
What do people do all day?
By Richard Scarry
A classic children’s book packed with things to spot on every page.
‘Everyone is busy in Busytown – from train drivers to doctors, from shopkeepers to sailors, in police stations and on fire engines. Follow lots of busy people working through their busy days!’
Who uses numbers in their job? Who works with money? Who needs to think about how fast things go? Who measures things?
What would like to have a go at? Where’s the maths in that?
How many legs?
by Kes Gray
How many legs would there be if a polar bear came for tea? How high would the leg count go if a squid rode in on a buffalo? As more and more animals join in the fun, count along if you can!
When the music stops, show me the legs of ….. 2 goats, 3 snails or 1 octopus!
At my Big Maths Party…. In came 7 legs? Who could that be?
Where’s the maths in that?
A Trapezoid is not a Dinosaur
By Suzanne Morris
Shape up, shapes! Triangle is hosting auditions for all the best shapes to be in his play. Circle, Square, and Star each get a part. But Trapezoid just doesn't "fit in." Is he even a shape? The others think he sounds like a type of dinosaur. Determined to show off his usefulness, Trapezoid tries to act like the other shapes, to no avail. Eventually, though, Trapezoid celebrates his own distinct shape properties in order to become part of the performance. Which are the best shapes? Who would you invite to your party?
Inch by Inch
by Leo Lionni
A small green inchworm is proud of his skill at measuring anything—a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a toucan’s beak. Then one day a nightingale threatens to eat him if he cannot measure his song. Children will enjoy the clever inchworm’s solution and delight in finding the tiny hero on every page.
Make an inchworm…..what can you measure?
Where’s the maths in that?
Spaghetti and Meatballs for all
by Marilyn Burns
Mr. and Mrs. Comfort are having a family reunion! Mr. Comfort starts cooking up his famous spaghetti and meatballs, while Mrs. Comfort carefully arranges eight tables and thirty-two chairs so that everyone will have a seat. The tables look lovely, the food is ready, and here come the guests--with their own seating plans!
Great fun trying to arrange seats and tables for your party! Thinking about area and perimeter….
How many seeds in a pumpkin?
by Margaret McNamara
"How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. One child guesses that the largest one has a million seeds! Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! "Small things have a lot going on inside of them."
How many seeds are in other fruits? Can we guess and check? How could we use the seeds? How could we use the fruit?
Betcha
by Stuart J Murphy
What do cars, toys, people, and jellybeans have in common? They can all be estimated. Two friends try out their estimating skills and find out that estimating can have real rewards – especially when there’s a contest to enter!
Host a class game of ‘Betcha’ where children work in teams to guess the amounts….. what clues could they use?
A Mathematician Like Me
Dr Shini Somara
Setting off on a camping adventure with her cousin, Aliyah soon discovers that numbers are everywhere, whether it's counting out money at the shops, planning trips on the train or even stargazing in a forest. As Aliyah solves some problems of her own, she learns about the brilliant mathematicians who have helped us understand our world. Soon she can't wait to become a maths whizz too!
Lifesize
by Sophie Henn
Step into the book and see how you measure up against some of the world's most amazing animals. High-five a polar bear to discover who has the biggest paw and peer through the hole to find out how you'd look with a giant squid eye.
An amazing book for all ages! If I know the size of a squid’s eye… how big would the squid be? Great for comparison and measure – Where’s the maths in that?
If you loved Sophie’s first book, try her others too!
The Perfect Fit.
By Naomi Jones
Meet Triangle and all the other shapes in this hilarious picture book about friendships, fun, and finding your place.
No matter how hard she tries, Triangle doesn't roll like the circles, or stack like the squares . . . so she sets off to find friends that look exactly like her. But when she finds the other triangles, playtime isn't as fun. She misses the shapes that roll and stack; she misses having friends of all shapes and sizes!
Can Triangle get all of the different shapes playing and having fun together?
The Perfect Fit is wonderful for sharing with little ones who are learning all about shapes, colours, and friendship!
Try making pictures to show the shapes playing together, who would be the best friends? Who would be the funniest? Who would be the naughtiest?
Ten Black Dots
By Donald Crews
What can you do with ten black dots?
One dot can make a sun, two dots can make the eyes of a fox, and three dots can make a snowman's face.
And that's just the beginning …….
Children will develop visual learning skills, explore creativity, and practice counting numbers, all in one deceptively simple—and fun!—picture book.
How many different pictures can you make using 5 dots? 8 dots? 10 dots?
How Much Does A Ladybird Weigh?
By Alison Limentani
What does a little ladybird weigh? A snail? A swan? In this picture book your children are introduced to a fascinating world of wildlife, weight, numbers and comparisons.
Did you know that five starlings weigh the same as one squirrel - or that three rabbits weigh the same as one fox cub? You will be amazed and amused by every surprising and intriguing page.
Use these facts to work out…. How many squirrels weight the same as 2 fox cubs? The sentence stem If I know……. then I know will be useful alongside this book!