Enthusiasm is not always the first thing we think of when looking at the faces of KS3 pupils as they enter the room for a maths lesson.

And yet it is an easy emotion to achieve.

It happens like this. On the whiteboard waiting for the students is a “Cloud Starter picture”. This is effectively a game through which the students work in small groups and use any of the four operators to create a given number out of nine given numbers.

Then the students take it in turns to come to the board to share one of their ‘sums’. If a student gets ‘stuck’ showing their sum at the board, the others are encouraged to offer them ideas enhancing the co-operative ethos of these classes.

However this activity should not be thought of as just a simple introduction to the lesson. Using Cloud Starter leads to the students confidently using brackets, square and cube numbers, to arrive at the target. An example from one year eight class was 3 (4+5) + 2 (8-6) = 31.

This resource contains 16 powerpoint slides and is £29.99 + VAT.

Once purchased the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school.

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code 10130.

You can order the Cloud Starters CD in any of these ways:

On our website
By phone on 0117 940 6409
By fax on 0117 940 6408
By email (quoting a school order number) to sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
By post to: Classroom Resources, PO Box 1489, Bristol, BS99 3QJ

You can print your own school signs up to A3 size using your laser printer
Everyone knows that some students don’t read signs. But the fact is that signs that look professional and are easily readable and in the right place do help visitors, staff and students to find their way around.

Whether they are signs telling visitors where the reception desk is, signs pointing to particular rooms, signs on toilets, or indeed any other type of signs, the fact is that signs help everyone get to the right place more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

The main reasons why some schools don’t put up enough signs are cost and time.

Until now not only did you have to get quotes and then place the order (which may take a while to arrive), but you may even have the pleasure of paying a delivery charge on top of everything else.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Delivery time has come down to zero, and the cost has dropped beyond belief (and all while the quality has not been affected).

This is all achieved because it is now possible to print signs on your laser printer within school. The Quick-Mark Digital is a unique product that allows you to produce self-adhesive signs, panels and labels up to A3 size, on a standard office laser printer at an extremely low cost and with the highest quality.

All you need is some Quick-Mark Laser Film and Base Sheets and you can then print self-laminating, high quality self-adhesive labels, panels or signs. The signs are highly durable, the laser toner is always sub-surface, and you can work on metal or plastic Base Sheets producing a polycarbonate finish if needed.

There is more information on this unique printing system on our website – http://www.megauk.com/qmd_signs/

Alternatively, call us on 01223 893900 or email us at sales@megauk.com.