Karen
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karenshancock.bsky.social
Karen
@karenshancock.bsky.social
450 followers 210 following 110 posts
Maths teacher, crafter (mainly knitting), cyclist.
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karenshancock.bsky.social
I'm in the last session - talking about how/why I use and design these, if you are interested.

#MathsConf39
@lasalleed.bsky.social
Maths worksheet focused on estimation. The left side shows a worked example estimating the value of (3.45 × 42.3) ÷ 2.1 as approximately 3 × 40 ÷ 2 = 120 ÷ 2 = 60. The right side poses three reflective questions: the meaning of the ≈ symbol, the use of the equals sign in the second line, and how the estimation would change if the denominator were 7.1 instead of 2.1.
September 30, 2025 at 5:57 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
In #MathsToday (ish - probably last week actually) some activities with Surds.
Answers and better quality versions on the website links.

kshancock.co.uk/lessonresour...

kshancock.co.uk/lessonresour...
Maths worksheet titled 'Multiplying surds'. Students are instructed to pair surds from a 3x4 grid (including values like √7, 2√3, √48, etc.) to match answers in boxes below (e.g., 14, 6√7, 20√7, 144, 60√2, 21√10). A crossed-out calculator icon indicates calculators are not allowed. Maths worksheet titled 'Fully factorise'. It includes an example: √2y − √50x = √2(y − 5x), followed by four expressions to factorise: √3x + √75, √98 + 4√2x, √48 + √12x, and √32y² + √18xy."
September 29, 2025 at 4:47 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
In #MathsToday (well the highlight of this week)
A few nice tasks with my Lower Sixth FM task.
This one certainly challenged them more than I thought on their rules of indices

Pdf available on this page: kshancock.co.uk/aleveltasks....
A selection of expressions in boxes which students have to multiply to find matching products.
September 6, 2025 at 9:22 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Which fjords would you find the mean of in part (b)? #UKMathsChat #ITeachMath
A grouped frequency table of fjord lengths (from 0km to 250km) (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_0f_Norwegian_j0Ms) (a) Work out the number of fiords that have a length of at least 100km. (b) (i) Calculate an estimate of the mean length of these fiords. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
February 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
I guess wearing them to take down the decorations is better than not wearing them at all until December. New socks. #knitting 🧶
A pair of multi motif colourwork Noridc style handknit socks in dsrk green, pink, red, gold and white. Motifs include holly, snowflakes, reindeer, presents, trees, Ho ho ho and bells.
January 5, 2025 at 10:21 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Photos of some of my 2024 projects.
Yearly total was (I didn't take photos of all of them!):
Adult tops: 2
Baby cardigans: 2
Gnomes: 6
Cacti: 2
Trainer socks: 4 pairs
Long socks pairs: 9.5 pairs (ask my sister about the lost sock!)
Hats: 1
Gloves: 1 pair
Birds: 5
#knitting 🧶
January 1, 2025 at 2:17 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
@studymaths.bsky.social I'm attempting a pizza party without a pizza oven and in my, not very large, flat rather than a garden... I've run out of space already!
Six homemade pizza bases on plates on my kitchen work surface.
December 31, 2024 at 6:02 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Now the build up to Christmas can start.
A cup of coffee is on a pub table. I'm holding the book Can Reindeer Fly? The Science of Christmas.
December 20, 2024 at 11:47 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Starting the holidays with a trip to the postbox!
A stack of red envelopes with second class stamps on them. What can't be seen is they all contain handmade cards.
December 16, 2024 at 9:34 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
When your GCSE Stats class put the best greeting inside your Christmas card.
The inside of a card which has hand written: We hope your Christmas is three standard deviations above the norm!
December 12, 2024 at 5:55 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
They are done. 40 handmade cards. - Minus the one I posted to Australia.
#HandmadeChristmas #HandmadeCards
A box of red (and a few green) envelopes. It's not obvious but each envelope contains a handmade card.
December 8, 2024 at 11:44 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
It's growing. #knitting 🧶
A colourwork Christmas sock. Motifs are holly leaves, snowflakes and reindeer.
December 7, 2024 at 5:40 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Christmas sock you say... #knitting
A colourwork hand knit sock in progress. With dark green cuff, and then panels on the leg as follows. Candy cane motif Holly leaves and berries motif Gold zigzag on green background The start of a snowflake motif
December 4, 2024 at 6:09 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
My niece asked for a female gnome in Christmas tree fancy dress. Did I hit the brief? 😂

#knitting 🧶
A hand knitted gnome dressed as a Christmas tree.
November 30, 2024 at 7:41 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Some more Christmas knitting. Decorations this time. #knitting 🧶
A small handknit bird made out of Christmas self striping yarn.
November 24, 2024 at 7:53 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
It's been a while since I've needed to create new self explanation prompts.
Vector Geometry tomorrow.
#MathsEd #MTBoS #ITeachMath
A worked example with self explantion prompts on a vector geometry question.
November 24, 2024 at 4:20 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
If you have an hour to spare, this is a good read.
The book On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is held in the leather gloves hand against a pavement background.
November 24, 2024 at 8:58 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Gloves complete. #knitting
The right hand glove. Knitted in Christmas self striping yarn. There is conductive thread duplicate stitched into the index finger and thumb. The left hand glove. Knitted in Christmas self striping yarn.
November 23, 2024 at 10:16 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
In #MathsToday we covered histograms.
Here's a fun task I wrote - certainly got them thinking. A lot missed the all important 63 in the start of the question.
(With thanks to @nathanday.bsky.social for his input in writing this)
Downloadable version linked here:
kshancock.co.uk/lessonresour...
A histogram question which reads: Erin has collected the following data about 63 members of her local running club and printed off the frequency table and histogram. The printer is running out of ink – so it hasn’t printed clearly Complete the table and the histogram for Erin. The frequency table and histogram are obscured by white splodges with make various values in the table and both sets of axes scales and height of some bars unreadable.
November 21, 2024 at 5:52 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
In #MathsToday, something to consider on algebraic fractions.
RHS A worked example on simplifying algebraic fractions. (6x+12)/(4x+8) LHS Prompts The correct answer can be reached by cancelling the x (6+12)/(4+8) Show that this doesn't work for (6x+8)/(4x+10)
November 4, 2024 at 9:48 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Halloween socks are progressing. #knitting
Colourwork sock. Background is pink self striping. Motif is purple. The motif is surprised ghosts. This is the top of the sock. Colourwork sock. Background is pink self striping. Motif is purple. The motif is surprised ghosts on the leg and a lattice pattern on the sole which has a small ghost in the middle of the pattern. This is the back and sole of the sock.
October 21, 2024 at 5:15 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Way to make me feel old!
Screenshot from Timehop. Text reads 40 years ago In 1984 Norwegian synthpop bans A-ha released Take On Me and its iconic music video which took over MTV
October 19, 2024 at 8:47 AM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Seasonal sock knitting. One done. #knitting #handknitsocks
A single handknit sock. The sock is orange and it has a black bat motif.
September 23, 2024 at 9:35 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Train to and from London and then an hour finishing it when I got home. A gnome keyring. #knitting
A small handknitted gnome in shade of of pink/purple. The hat is attached to a keyring. The keyring hangs from my thumb so my hand is in the background.
September 7, 2024 at 10:20 PM
karenshancock.bsky.social
Didn't go to ResearchEd, but made it up to that there London for dinner.
Look who I bumped into. @amercermaths.bsky.social
Karen and Adam smile at the camera in a photo kindly taken by the neighbouring table. The remnants of their pudding and drinks are on the table.
September 7, 2024 at 7:21 PM