UKS2 Maths Investigations

Ignite your Year 5 & 6 children’s love for maths with this dynamic outdoor unit, where they’ll explore concepts like angles, measurement, shape, and fractions through creative tasks such as obstacle courses, kite-making, and nature-based investigations. With teamwork, problem-solving, and a touch of competition, these low-resource, high-engagement lessons turn the great outdoors into an inspiring mathematical playground.

Lesson Plans

Creating mathematical artwork

During this outdoor lesson your children will complete obstacle courses and create artwork to secure their fluency in various areas of the maths National Curriculum depending. A low resource lesson that’s full of fun!

Learning objective:

To apply mathematical understanding in a different context.

Exploring the Fibonacci spiral

Get your children curious about maths in nature and have them delve into the Fibonacci sequence and spiral. This outdoor lesson gives them the chance to explore your outdoor environment and apply their knowledge in angles, measurement and shape to learn more about this natural occurrence.

Learning objective:

To understand what the Fibonacci spiral is.

Creating a maths game

The main activity of this outdoor lesson gives your children a chance to use their knowledge of various areas of the maths curriculum to create a game for others to complete. Not only will they have the chance to secure their maths knowledge, they’ll also need to collaborate with others.

Learning objective:

To use mathematical concepts to create a new game.

Combining maths and orienteering skills

Combine maths and geography to deliver an outdoor lesson that’s both exciting and challenging! Your children will need to use their compass skills and position and direction knowledge to succeed as a team in this task.

Learning objective:

To use a variety of mathematical skills to solve problems.

Creating and following mathematical routes

The main activity of this outdoor lesson is an open-ended task that your children design and create using their angles, measurement and position and direction knowledge. It will require teamwork and can have an element of competition added in too!

Learning objective:

To use measurement, position and direction skills to create and follow a route.

Using mathematical skills to follow instructions

Have your children apply their knowledge of angles, fractions, measures and shape to follow instructions and create a mathematical kite! Then follow up with some investigation and testing as part of this outdoor lesson.

Learning objective:

To use mathematical skills to follow instructions.

Before you get started

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