Worksheet: Collaborative Maths Quiz

Cover teacher — you need no subject knowledge

Print: this sheet, one per pupil. Put pupils in threes. Each three works in one shared document in the class folder, named quiz-round-TEAMNAME, all three editing it at the same time. No computers? The teams write their round on this sheet and physically swap sheets at step 4 — the collaboration criteria still apply, you just tick "paper" instead of checking version history.

Run: 5 min allocate the three roles · 5 min check the four calibration questions so everyone knows the standard · 15 min write five questions and the mark scheme in the shared document · 10 min swap rounds with another team and sit theirs · 10 min mark the round you were given, using its author team's mark scheme · 5 min each team reads its feedback and records one improvement.

Collect: this sheet from every pupil. You do not need to check the algebra — the worked example sheet shows a complete round with its marking, and teams mark each other.

What you are doing

In a team of three you will write one round of five algebra questions, with a mark scheme that awards marks for method as well as the final answer. Another team will sit your round and mark it with your scheme, and you will sit and mark theirs. You are assessed on how well the three of you divide up, edit and improve a single shared document — not on who is quickest at algebra.

Step by step

Team roles

Calibration questions — this is the level to aim for

Do these together first. The answers are printed so you can see exactly how much working a two-mark question needs.

Choose your five topics

Tick five different rows. One question each — no two questions on the same topic.

Your round

Role	Name	Responsible for
Question setter		Drafting all five questions into the shared document, one per numbered heading.
Answer checker		Solving each question independently and flagging any that disagree with the setter's answer, using a comment rather than overwriting it.
Mark-scheme writer		Splitting each question into method marks and answer marks so it totals 15, and making sure the wording is clear to a stranger.

#	Question	Answer, with the method a marker would look for
1	Expand and simplify 3(2x + 5)	6x + 15. Method: multiply both terms inside the bracket by 3.
2	Solve 5x − 7 = 38	x = 9. Method: add 7 to both sides to get 5x = 45, then divide both sides by 5.
3	Factorise x² + 5x + 6	(x + 2)(x + 3). Method: two numbers that multiply to 6 and add to 5 are 2 and 3.
4	If a = 4 and b = −3, find the value of 2a² − 5b	47. Method: 2 × 4² = 32, and −5 × −3 = +15, so 32 + 15 = 47. The sign is where marks are lost.

Tick	Topic	Suggested marks
	Expanding a single bracket	2
	Expanding and simplifying two brackets	3
	Factorising by taking out a common factor	2
	Factorising a quadratic, or the difference of two squares	3
	Solving a linear equation with the unknown on one side	2
	Solving a linear equation with the unknown on both sides	3
	Substituting values, including a negative, into a formula	2
	Forming and simplifying an expression from a shape or a word problem	3
	Finding the nth term of a linear sequence, or using it in reverse	3

Total must come to 15 marks. Fill in all three columns for every question before you swap.

Marking the round you were given

Round we marked was written by team: ___________________ Total awarded: ______ / 15

What we would change

Success criteria

All three of us contributed to the same shared document, and the edit history shows it.
We agreed who was responsible for what before we started writing, and we stuck to it.
When we disagreed about an answer we left a comment and resolved it, instead of deleting each other's work.
Our mark scheme is clear enough that a team who has never met us could mark our round without asking us a question.
We gave another team specific written feedback on their questions, and acted on the feedback we were given.

#	Question as the other team will read it	Answer and method marks	Marks
1
2
3
4
5
	Total

Collaborative maths quiz