CAMBRIDGE

CHECKPOINT
AND BEYOND

Complete

1
Mathematics
for Cambridge
Secondary 1

TEACHER PACK
Deborah Barton

Oxford excellence for Cambridge Secondary 1

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Teacher’s notes for
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dining investigation
This investigation is useful for problem solving.
Specifically the following sections of the syllabus:
Using understanding and
strategies in solving problems
● Identify and represent information or unknown
numbers in problems, making correct use of
numbers, symbols, words, diagrams, tables and
graphs.
● Recognise mathematical properties, patterns and
relationships, generalising in simple cases.
● Work logically and draw simple conclusions.
● Relate results or findings to the original context
and check that they are reasonable.
● Record and explain methods, results and
conclusions.
● Discuss and communicate findings effectively,
orally and in writing.
The aim is to improve students’ ability to apply a
variety of mathematical skills.
Introductory activity
If your students are not used to an investigational
approach to maths then you may wish to discuss
some of the key objectives above. Students may be
unsure how to begin a task such as this. Give them
a copy of the investigation sheet and discuss various
strategies to approach this and write findings.
Investigation
Students are being asked to investigate dining
arrangements for the school dining hall. Individual
tables seat six students as shown below:
C C
C Table C
C C
C = chair
These tables can be arranged in a variety of ways,
however there is clearly a limit to space in a school
dining hall so tables must touch each other. Students
are looking to see if they can find patterns between
the number of tables and the number of chairs for
different seating arrangements.
2 3
Differentiation
To make this investigation simpler you could give Dining investigation
students a writing frame. This consists of a series of You are in charge of seating arrangements in the school dining hall.
subheadings to write under, for example: Imagine that you have a large supply of tables and chairs. A table is a rectangle shape.
● Diagrams
Tables can only seat two people C C
● Patterns seen along each side and one person
● Prediction at each end like this:
● Table of results C Table C
● Formula
● Explaining formula
C C
The investigation already contains extension C = chair
work that some of your students may reach. In the
extension section students may decide themselves There is a limit to space in the school dining hall so the tables must touch each other.
how to arrange tables, after the initial problems
Tables can be arranged end to end like this:
are considered. There is also a suggestion to look
at different shaped tables. If you really want to
challenge your students ask them to think about
minimising the space that the tables and chairs
occupy in the hall as well as trying to maximise the
number of students that can be seated at the tables.
The only limit to this investigation is the time you
give students to do it. A minimum of two hours is
recommended. Investigate the number of people that you can seat in the dining hall by continuing the pattern above.
Consider the following:
Alternative approaches ● How many people will be able to sit at 4 tables?
● How many people can sit at more than 4 tables?
Students can work individually or in small groups to
● Find a formula connecting the number of chairs to the number of tables.
complete this investigation.
● Test your formula and try to explain why it works.
To make the task even more open you could simply
● If the hall was long enough, how many people could sit at 50 tables arranged end to end?
present the problem as:
“You are in charge of seating arrangements in the
school dining hall. Imagine that you have a large Now investigate tables arranged side to side like this:
supply of tables and chairs. Rectangular tables
can only seat two people along each side and one
person at each end like this:
C C
C Table C
C = chair
C C Extension work
Consider other arrangements of the tables.
There is a limit to space in the school dining hall What if you had different shaped tables, for example hexagonal?
so the tables must touch each other. Investigate
the patterns between the number of chairs Can you think of anything else to investigate?
and the number of tables for different seating
arrangements.”
Students could be given card and scissors to make cut
outs of tables and chairs to arrange as they wish.