A homeschool adventure
Five mysterious letters have been delivered. Open each one to find out what's going on.
About this lesson
This is a story-driven maths lesson about perimeter. A series of urgent (and increasingly suspicious) letters arrive from TrustUs Corporation, each demanding that your children calculate the perimeter of a shape and buy the right amount of slug tape to protect their money box. The fifth letter reveals the whole thing was a scam — and recruits the children as crime-fighting agents.
How to run it
Learning outcomes
We regret to inform you of a terrible mutant slug that has escaped a science laboratory in your area. You are completely safe, but the slug has an appetite for money!
Considering how rich you both must be, you are probably wondering how to keep all of your money safe. Believe us, these slugs are as quick as lightening, odourless and armed with… arms! No matter what precautions you concoct, these unstoppable mutant slugs will find and eat your money. No more lego for you two.
Luckily for you, we of the TrustUs Corporation have invented a mutant slug proof vault to keep your life savings safe! It is the only scientifically proven device that these slugs cannot penetrate. Believe us, this is the only thing you will need, and out of the kindness of our hearts we are offering you an exclusive deal!
Order one Money Vault in the next 30 seconds and we will only charge you £100! After 30 seconds the price of the Money Vault will be £1,000,000 so act now, hurry!
Your trustworthy friends,
TrustUs Corporation Limited
Mr Sneak E. Man
We regret to inform you that THE SLUGS HAVE MUTATED AND MULTIPLIED! Our Money Vaults cannot withstand this new breed of slugs! They have mutated their antennae into hammer fists that can crack open the vaults with one swing! You MUST purchase our new product immediately to protect your life savings!
"Slug Tape For Square Things" is a unique invention that fits around the perimeter of your Money Vault. Use this order form below to enter the quantity of tape you require. The price of the tape is £1 per cm of tape.
Your trustworthy friends,
TrustUs Corporation Limited
Mr Sneak E. Man
Bad news! The slugs have developed pincers to SNIP through the "Slug Tape For Square Things" and thousands of people have lost all of their money already!
Never fear, your trustworthy friends have created a brand new pincer proof product. Introducing the… "Slug Tape For Rectangle Things"!! It attaches to any rectangle!
Simply find yourself a rectangle shaped item, fill it with money and send us your life savings using the order form below:
Your trustworthy friends,
TrustUs Corporation Limited
Mr Sneak E. Man
Terrible news! The slugs are teaming up with hawks to air drop them from an enormous height to speed back down to earth and crash through the armoured "Slug Tape For Rectangle Things" with their latest mutation: an iron tail beak!!
AHHHHH! (Please beware, normal slugs have tried copying and end up splatting the money vaults!)
Do not lose your life savings to these fiends! We are here to fight alongside you! To do so we have created the marvellous "Slug Tape For Triangle Things", that is iron beak AND splat proof!
You know what to do! Send us an order form with the length you require, but hurry, the slugs are coming!
Your trustworthy friends,
TrustUs Corporation Limited
Mr Sneak E. Man
The owner of Trustworthy Corporation — "Sneak E. Man" — has been selling fake products to you. There are NO mutant slugs.
Sneak E. Man has fled and taken your money with him. We are doing everything we can to track him down and his accomplice "Barky Frog", but we may need your help.
We are recruiting a special team of agents to solve the clues that Sneaky and Barky are leaving behind. The Police would like to hire you two as clue cracking, criminal tracking, crime fighting special agents!
Sign below to be initiated into our ranks:
On behalf of,
The Police