What’s new? March 2021

Previous updates

2019-20: Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug

2020-21: Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb

Target X

Last month we started to release a series of Target X sheets, and we have added a few more this month. These sheets contain questions from a mix of topics, are designed to be used with students targeting GCSE grades between 4 and 9. Target 4, Target 5, and Target 6 sheets contain four questions, whilst Target 7, Target 8, and Target 9 sheets each contain two longer questions. The sheets are designed to take students around 10 minutes.

Each sheet is available in three “fixed” versions A, B, and C; these are PDFs containing fixed questions. Additionally, each sheet is also available as a “dynamic” version, which you can use to generate and unlimited number of questions similar to those in the fixed sheets.

More Target sheets for grades 4-9 will continue to be added!


Mashup questions

We have continued to add questions to our shortcut and mashup collection which now features over 40 questions. Here’s an example of a recent addition, requiring knowledge of the cosine rule, area of a triangle using sine, probability, and the fact that a triangle formed by a chord and two radii is isosceles:

The product rule for counting

We have added an applet at N5a that generates diagrams like these, and allows you to demonstrate how many distinct routes there are between the start and the end point. Individual roads can be highlighted, and full solutions, using the product rule for counting, are shown:

Plans and elevations

This applet generates random solids built of cubes. By clicking the buttons, you can animate the change in perspective between plan, front elevation, side elevation and 3D isometric views:

Other applets

We have added and updated a number of other applets on the website. At G17b is a new applet that helps students first see that \(\pi\) is approximately 3, and then be able to see that \(\pi\) is between 3 and 4.

At G7e, we have added a virtual pantograph, that illustrates a enlargement by a negative scale factor. Pantographs are real world devices that have long been used by artists, cartographers, and engravers.