Maths situations in everyday Indigenous family and community life
A resource for Years 3 – TAFE. The problem solving tasks are the tip of the iceberg – teachers can take the learning as deep as their students want to go. The Interactive Numeracies resource is full of numeracy situations translated to the mathematics classroom. Discusses topics such as: what is numeracy, a numerate student, contextual teaching strategies around family organisation, shopping and socialising.
Download Interactive Numeracies Handbook (PDF 3.97MB).
The seven tasks from the resource are: Footy trip, $20 Round off, Chrissy combo, BBQ burnout, Pack a box, Maths Most, and Checkout Challenge.
Professional learning relating to the resource is available along with all seven of the tasks.
$20 Round off
Who can get to $20 first? Take turns to round off the price to the nearest dollar keeping a running total.
- Task card with story and instructions
- 20 x cards to solve the task with
Chrissy Combo
Early in the year you decide to order 3 Christmas hampers. Which ones will you buy and how many combinations can you make?
- Task card with story and instructions
- 12 x hamper cards to solve the task
BBQ Burnout 
Using 3 chops and some sausages, cover the BBQ plate so there are no gaps or overlaps. How many sausages did you need?
- Task card with story and instructions
- Chops and sausages to cut out (and cook!)
Pack a Box
Pack all the wooden shapes into a 3 x 3 x 5 shape just like you’re packing a freezer or eski.
- Task card with story and instructions
- Pack a box instructions to make shapes
Maths Most 
Take it in turns to turn up one card at a time. The aim is to score as many points as possible horizontally and vertically.
- Task card with story and instructions
- You will need a pack of cards and a 2 playing grids 5 x 5 to fit the cards.
Checkout Challenge 
The aim of the game is to have all five of your cards add up to $20 (or $30, $40 or $50!).
- Task card with story
- Pack of 30 grocery cards to cut out
Footy Trip and Numeracy Circles
Three adults are travelling on a dirt track to get to a football game when their car breaks down. How many trips on the motorbike will it take to get to the main road…
- Task card
- You can use all sorts of things for this task, even people! Or try 3 blue counters for the adults and 2 red for the children.
Below is a set of lessons based on Footy trip from the Interactive Numeracies resource which I used as the basis for Numeracy Circles (similar to Literacy Circles but for maths!). Students take on different roles in the problem solving process and learn to problem solve collaboratively while also learning to think like a mathematician.
- Set of lessons Numeracy circles.
You could also use Numeracy circles for the other 6 tasks! Let me know how you go…
Aboriginal learners and maths 
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