1.  Magic Squares (Mathematics)

Explanation of what a magic square is:

• Have students create a 3x3 block and change background colour to a light colour.
• let them try to fill the squares with numbers 1 - 9 using each number only once
• show them how to add all the columns and rows so that the total changes as they change the numbers
• show them how to solve the magic square
  • #1 goes in the top middle
  • next number always goes to the right and up one square
  • if you go over the top start at the bottom (so that #2 goes in the bottom right square)
  • if you go over the right side start again on the left (so that #8 goes in the top left square)
  • if you hit another number go down instead

 

The '2' went over so it goes to the bottom,
the '3' went off the side so it goes to the left,
the '4' hits the one so it goes down instead, 
the '7' hits the '4' so it goes down.

• Have students try making 5x5, 7x7 and 9x9 magic squares
• 3 x 3 Magic Square Maker

http://www.grogono.com/magic/magicsquare3.shtml 

• Squaring Magic Squares

  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/alejandre/magic.square/adler/adler.squaresq2.html

   

2.  Create Multiplication Tables (Arithmetic)

• Fill B1 and A2 with the first numbers of the table

  

• use formulas to fill the subsequent squares
  • i.e.. C1 would be 'B1 + 1';  A3 would be 'A2 + 1'; etc
• Have students fill in the chart with the right formulas

3.  Ice-Cream survey (or other surveys)

• students survey classmates to determine favourite flavours

e.g..

• Highlight the selection (A1 to B4) and create a chart

• Copy and paste charts into word processing documents

4.  Compare climates for several cities

• Determine temperature and rainfall in these cities over several weeks 
  or
• use an atlas 
• plot and graph

5.  Three throw

• Have each student throw a large ball with the right arm, left arm and both arms
• measure each throw and fill in chart
• use the spreadsheet to determine median, mode and average
  • the 'sort' option is useful for some of these
• create a chart (using students data on a chart makes it much more meaningful

6.  Effect of exercise on the pulse 

Use a line graph to plot several students pulse at one minute intervals from one minute before exercise to five minutes after exercise.

7.  Interest calculations

• Use a spreadsheet to calculate an annual contribution at a given interest rate.
• create a contribution cell and an interest rate cell
• use these cells to fill in a chart showing: year, contribution, total, annual interest current value and profit.

8.  Pollution and Environmental issues

Chart contributing factors of specific types of pollution -  Refer to this article on Environmental Issues in South Africa.

9. Normality and characteristics

Survey the class or school on average appearance etc

10. Mock elections - polls