Problem Pictures 1 cover

Problem Pictures has 184 colour photographs with activities for mathematics teaching.

This resource contains a great mixture of images some of which are attractive, unusual or puzzling. They may challenge you to explain, to investigate, or to answer a question. Other pictures may be the starting point for a survey or a design. If a picture appeals to you, it is perhaps asking you to do something with it. Pose your own problem and then try to solve it.

Each photograph comes with a question or activity. For each there is a page giving hints, solutions and further information. Initially all the photographs can be viewed as a video montage with a music soundtrack.

The activities are intended principally for students in the 9 to 16 age group, although some of them could be tackled by younger and older students. Themes covered by the pictures include symmetry, ratio, number patterns, spirals, games, packaging, mazes and sundials.

Each photograph is saved as jpeg files at two resolutions: 1365 × 1024 and 800 × 600 pixels.

The latest version runs on any computer with an up-to-date web browser.

Badsey Publications prices: £22 (single user) or £84 (primary site licence) or £112 (secondary site licence). No VAT is added. Digital download edition published 2022. ISBN 978-0-95465627-0. Previously published on CD-ROM in 2001/2007.

Problem Pictures logo 1

Here are some sample screenshots. The first two are task pages and the third is an example of an information page.

Problem Pictures sample screen - Box of jelly beans (task page)

Problem Pictures sample screen - Dividing plate (task page)

Problem Pictures sample screen - Three coloured tile pattern (information page)

What is the difference between the Problem Pictures resources?