On 4 January, the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave his first speech of 2023. This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.
Oracy
The Prime Minister has suggested that all school students should keep studying maths up until the age of eighteen. Isn’t that a good way of improving the numeracy of the nation’s young people? Or is it unfair to keep youngsters studying a subject they clearly don’t enjoy? In any case, what essential, useful maths could students possibly learn in two years that they haven’t grasped in the previous twelve? What do you think?
Writing skills
Write a question in the style of a maths word problem that you would like an adult, such as your parents, your teacher or the Prime Minister to solve.
Or
There are a number of different counting songs we learn when we are little, such as One, two, buckle my shoe. Your challenge is to compose a rhyme that would help someone learn a times table. You don’t have to make it too sensible; just make it memorable.
Investigate
Create a timeline to show when various electronic calculators were invented. Try to include between five and ten different versions. If possible, give a brief description of what it could do as well as its name.
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download in our Topical Tuesdays collection.
What is The Week Junior?
The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to The Week Junior website.