Game on!

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By Ian Gardner — Lecturer University College Northampton

Use sport as a basis for solving mathematical problems

Games appeal to most young people and are something that they can relate to from school and wider experience. The activities described here use this theme as a vehicle to extend confidence and capability in problem solving.

Some of the questions raised in this article are the type that might be asked in real situations – in PE lessons, for example. Wherever possible, ‘contrived problems’ should be realistic and plausible, otherwise the subject is at risk of being seen as irrelevant to everyday concerns.