Challenge your children to think about ways in which calculators can be used to help with complex calculations, and consider the actual maths that's happening when we use them to help us.

Focussing on the order of operations, each lesson builds on the last, adding different types of operation to increasingly complex, long calculations. There's a choice of activity with every lesson, too – so whether you feel your class would benefit from practising the skills they've just learned individually or by playing games together – the resources are there, ready to go!

The Order of Operations

Remind children of the order of operations, then explore ways in which the total of calculations can be altered by placing brackets around different parts. How can we solve calculations including brackets using a standard calculator? Children will discover this, then practise solving long calculations with several operations.

Decimals

In this lesson, children will recap what they've learned about the order of operations, then determine how to add/subtract decimal numbers using mental and written methods. What advantages are there to using calculators to solve these types of calculation? It's quicker, and fewer steps are required! After you've gone through the included teaching input, challenge your class to solve a number of long calculations including numbers with up to two decimal places.

Powers

It's time to build on your class's knowledge of the order of operations, by solving long calculations including square numbers and cube numbers! The included slides explain in clear and concise terms what powers are, and how to solve them using a standard calculator. After that, challenge children to demonstrate their understanding by solving a variety of long calculations including brackets, decimals and powers.

Fractions

Build on your class's growing confidence solving long calculations using calculators to help them, by throwing in some fractions! The included teaching input and slides will help you explain how to convert mixed number fractions and proper fractions into decimals. Following that, challenge children to solve some really tricky calculations with brackets, powers, decimals and fractions!

Tricky Calculations

It's time for your class to show how much they've learned about using calculators, the order of operations, and solving long calculations! Use the included slides to remind children of some of the methods they've practised during the previous lessons, and go back over a written method for solving calculations including decimal numbers. After that, provide one of the two challenges for children to complete with a partner or in a small group!