Year 6 are starting ‘Algebra’ this week.
Algebra is a branch of mathematics that uses letters (variables) and symbols to represent unknown numbers or changing quantities, extending basic arithmetic to solve equations, model relationships, and describe the world more abstractly, like finding the ‘x’ in ” x+2=5″ or predicting business growth.
It’s essentially a language for mathematical ideas, using familiar operations (+, -, ×, ÷) but with unknowns.
A function machine in maths is a visual tool, like a flow diagram, that shows a rule or formula applied to an input number to produce an output. It helps visualise how mathematical operations (like adding, multiplying, etc.) transform a number, making algebra and solving equations easier by breaking them into steps, and can also be used with letters as inputs for algebraic expressions.
The girls had fun creating and calculating inputs and outputs using function machines to introduce this topic.
