Maths Through Ceilidh

A photograph of a group of children ceilidh dancing. Two rows of children are standing opposite each other, arms raised and hands touching to create an arch. A pair of children holding hands is dancing through the created arch, looking forwards at the camera.

To mark Maths Week Scotland's 2023 theme Maths in Motion, National Museums Scotland has partnered with Science Ceilidh to deliver a free online session exploring maths through music and dance. The session has been pre-recorded, for you to run at whatever time is most suitable to your class. The materials include a video and a set of lesson notes.

Level: P5 - P7

Running time: The video runs for 20 minutes 47. With the activities, it can take up to 40 minutes depending on how long you want to extend the activities for.

Curriculum Links: MTH 2 -05a, MTH 2 -12a, MTH2 – 19a, EXA 2 -08a

Learning Outcomes:

  • We will explore counting and understanding the beats underlying different music and time signatures
  • We will explore symmetries through different ceilidh and dance moves
  • We will encourage pupils to get creative and develop their own movements and dances which explore symmetries

Most of the lesson can be done with the learners at their desks being able to see the video. There will be clear points to pause the video to do activities with the class. Please refer to the Lesson Notes (available for download below) for further guidance.

(Click the arrows icon that appears at the bottom right hand corner when you hover over the video, to view in fullscreen. Press escape on your keyboard to return to this page.)

What next?

Check out all other free interdisciplinary resources on the Science Ceilidh website, including further ones developed with Maths Week Scotland and a teaching resource exploring how any STEM theme can be explored with Expressive Arts.

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