Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

 

Triangular numbers are usually represented as numbers created by organizing rows of dots into equilateral triangles. In other words, if you were drawing triangles that got more prominent by one equal row of beads at a time, you would count the dots that appear inside and outside the triangle. The first digits in the sequence of triangular numbers are 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15.

What is the importance of Triangular Numbers?

Triangular numbers form a pattern and, as such, are a valuable way of getting KS2 and above children to think about algebraic functions and the importance of number formulas. This forms part of a crucial knowledge base for maths students in the future!

Who came up with the Triangular Number theory?

The triangular number formula is widely thought to have originated with the Pythagoreans. They paved the way for other mathematicians by helping to discover the relationship between geometric shapes and numbers.

Meanwhile, Carl Gauss, an 18th-century mathematician, used the formula of triangular numbers to help him calculate the sum of consecutive numbers. He used algorithms at just ten years old to compute the hundredth triangular number!

Triangular Numbers in broader Mathematics

One of the main reasons triangular numbers are essential in mathematics is their close relationship to other number patterns.

For example, square numbers, cube numbers, and other geometric figures follow a similar formula to that used when calculating triangular numbers.

Concord definition

Concord is the need for grammatical agreement between the different parts of speech in a sentence. The word concord comes from the Latin word for understanding.

Concord is needed for our sentences to make sense. All the words in a correction need to have the right relationships with each other. Otherwise, the sentence won’t sound right.

While nine parts of speech make up English grammar, only two are necessary for a sentence: the verb and the subject. For this reason, concord in English is sometimes referred to as subject-verb agreement.

Types of concord in English grammar

There are several different types of concord in English grammar. Here are the ones you’re most likely to come across, with examples to demonstrate how they operate.

Grammatical concord

Grammatical concord is the most accessible type of subject-verb agreement, and we always learn first. But, it means that if the sentence has a singular subject, it must also have a singular verb. If the sentence’s subject is plural, the verb must be plural, too.

The sentence’s subject is the person, animal, or thing doing the action. The subject might be singular or plural. Let’s look at two sample sentences:

• The teacher speaks to the class.
• The teachers talk to the class.

In the first sentence, the subject (the teacher) is singular, so the sentence uses the singular verb ‘speaks.’ There’s more than one teacher in the second sentence, so the plural verb ‘speak’ is used.

Things get a little more complicated when we add an object to the sentence before the verb, as this can sometimes be mistaken for the subject. So we must be careful when looking at these kinds of sentences. For example:

• The books in the cupboard are stacked neatly.
• The dog in the garden is running around.

In the first example, the books are the subject, not the cupboard. Therefore we use the plural verb ‘are.’ However, the issue in the second sentence is singular (‘the dog’), so we use the singular verb ‘is’ in this case.

Grammatical concord with more than one subject

What happens if there are multiple subjects in a sentence? If there’s more than one subject, these work together as a plural subject, so the verb is plural, like this:

• Jack and Ali were caught in the rain.

Because there are two subjects (Jack and Ali), we use the plural verb ‘were’ instead of the singular ‘was.’

However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule.

The first exception is when both subjects are the same person or thing. For example:

• The largest animal and loudest sea creature is the blue whale.
• The singer and songwriter are Harry Styles.

In both cases, the subjects are the same person or animal, so we use the singular verb ‘is’ in both sentences.

The other exception is when two things are invariably linked together in people’s minds to the point where, when spoken about together, we think of them as one thing. Here’s an example:

• Fish and chips are my favorite dinner.

We always think of fish and chips as one dish, even though they’re different and can be eaten separately. When we refer to them together, we use the singular verb ‘is.’

Proximity concord

Proximity refers to the closeness of two things. In the case of sentences, we often show proximity between two subjects by using the correlating conjunctions ‘ either/ or ‘neither / nor.’

If both subjects are singular, the verb takes a particular form, as in these examples:

• Either the Prime Minister or the Chancellor is attending the meeting.
• Neither Mary nor her mother eats meat.

But what happens when one subject is singular and the other is plural? In these cases, the verb takes the form of the subject nearest to it in the sentence, like this:

• Either the Prime Minister or other Government ministers are attending the meeting.
• Neither Mary nor her parents eat meat.

Both sentences put the plural subject closest to the verb, so the verb takes its plural form in both cases. If we reversed these sentences, so the singular subject was second, the verb would take its particular form (‘Neither Mary’s parents nor Mary eats meat’).

Notional concord

The idea of notional concord relates to collective nouns. We use these to refer to a group of people, animals, or things. Some examples include:

• class
• choir
• audience
• congregation
• team
• flock

When using collective nouns, the verb takes its singular form if no action is taken in the sentence. If there is action happening, the verb should be plural, as the people or animals in the collective are all taking action as individuals, even if it’s the same action as each other. Let’s take a look at two examples:

• The class has the best exam results in the school.
• The course is sitting at their desks.

In the first example, no action is taken – the sentence states a fact, so the verb here is singular. In the second example, the children in the class are individually taking the action of sitting at their desks, so we use the plural form of the verb.

Indefinite pronoun concord

Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that refer to things vaguely rather than specifically. They give us ways to talk abstractly about people, items, and quantities. Some examples of indefinite pronouns are:

• anything/anyone/anybody
• something/someone/somebody
• everything/everyone/everybody
• nothing/no one/nobody

When the subject of a sentence is an indefinite pronoun, we always use a singular verb. For example:

• Everyone is coming to the party.
• Something has to be done about this.
• Is anybody there?

Measurement concord

We use all measurements in our speech and writing, so making the verb agree with the size we’re describing is essential. When talking about time, money, amount, or distance measures, Here are some examples:

• Two weeks is not long enough for our Christmas holiday.
• Three hundred dollars is too much to spend on a concert ticket.

So, whether we’re talking about hours, kilometers or teaspoons, we always use the singular form of the verb.

However, things change when we’re talking about percentages or fractions. In these cases, the verb takes the same form as the subject, like this:

• 50% of the building is occupied.
• Half the students are boys.

In the first sentence, the subject (the building) is singular, so the verb is unique, too. In the second case, the issue (the students) is plural, so the verb takes the plural form.

We should also mention comparative measurements here, such as ‘more than’ and ‘fewer than.’ If we’re using these expressions to talk about amounts of something, the verb needs to correlate with the subject, singular or plural. For example:

• More than one child is singing a solo in the concert.
• Fewer than ten days have been dry this month.

We can see here that the first example has a singular subject, so the verb is also unique. We use a plural verb in the second sentence, which has a plural subject.

SMART goals are becoming more frequent in schools, and they help students and teachers set a clear plan to achieve goals. Rather than setting generic targets like getting better at Maths, students and teachers can be more specific about them, making it easier to form a plan.

Teachers can set SMART goals for themselves about what they want to achieve with their students, and they can also select individual SMART goals for every student. Making personal goals rather than class-wide plans can help students get the proper support they need to succeed in education.

How to set SMART goals in education

There are five factors to consider when setting SMART goals in education:

• Specific – clearly state what your goal is.
• Measurable – ensure you can measure your success, e.g., with exam scores or feedback.
• Attainable – make sure you set goals that you can realistically achieve.
• Relevant – set goals pertinent to your education.
• Time-based – set a deadline for when you want to have achieved this goal.

You can work with students to help them develop SMART goals in education for them to achieve. Read on to see how you can set SMART goals in education.

Setting specific goals

Setting specific goals will help you make plans for yourself and your students. For example, instead of the student saying, ‘I want to get better at Maths,’ they could say, ‘I want to achieve 75% on my final Maths exam’. This is a much clearer target and helps them and you to set a plan according to their goal.

Here are some things for the student to consider when setting a specific target:

• What do you want to achieve?
• When do you want to achieve it?
• Why do you want to achieve it?
• How are you going to achieve it?

For example, a specific goal would look like this: ’I want to achieve 75% or higher in my final Maths exam in May next year. I want to accomplish this to progress with my goal of becoming an engineer when I leave school. I will achieve my goal by revising more and using practice tests.’

A specific SMART goal is much easier to work towards and achieve, so the more specific you can be, the better.

Measuring the goal

You need to be able to measure the goal. You can measure it quantitatively using numerical grades, e.g., scoring tests out of a certain amount, like out of 100. Or you could do it qualitatively by giving good or bad feedback on work. Quantitative can work better for subjects such as Maths and Science, whereas qualitative may work better for subjects like Art and PE.

Make the goal attainable

This is one of the most important factors to consider when setting SMART goals in education. For example, if one of your students frequently gets 40% or lower on their Maths tests, setting a goal of achieving 100% would be unrealistic. Instead, you could set a goal of achieving 50%, then increase it to 60%, and so on.

You need to ensure that the student’s goal isn’t too hard but manageable. Students need to feel challenged and supported at the same time. Having an attainable goal can help to motivate students to work hard and achieve that goal. On the other hand, if you set an unrealistic goal, they may feel down-heartened and discouraged when they don’t gain it and lose motivation with their work.

Set relevant goals

This might seem obvious, but it is essential. For example, there wouldn’t be any point in setting a goal to achieve a personal best in running 800 meters if the student isn’t participating in 800-meter races.

You also need to ensure each goal is relevant to each student. Every student will have different areas of strengths and weaknesses. For example, if a student were achieving 90% and above on their Maths tests, there wouldn’t be much point in setting a goal of achieving 80% because they have already achieved and exceeded that target. Instead, you can work on areas where they may not be as strong. For example, they could work on increasing their vocabulary within their writing to make their writing better and at a higher standard or level.

Set a deadline for the target

If you don’t have a deadline for the target, your student will have nothing to work towards, and they might not feel as motivated to achieve it.

When you set a deadline, you must ensure it is realistic. For example, you don’t want to target increasing test scores by 40% weekly because that is unrealistic. Instead, you could set the deadline for six months or a year.

You can also set mini goals between when you start the plan and when you want them to achieve the goal. For example, they could work to improve their score by 5% every month, which will make it easier to increase their score by 20% (or whatever their goal is) in 6 months.

What is a synonym for ‘lesson’?

If there’s one overused word in the teaching world, it’s ‘lesson’! Firstly, let’s start with its meaning. The word ‘lesson’ is a noun.

Definitions of the word ‘lesson.’

• A period of learning or teaching.
• A thing learned or to be known by a pupil.
• Something learned through experience acts as encouragement or warning.
• A passage from the Bible is typically read aloud in a church service.
• In the past, it was also used as a verb to mean instructing or teaching someone, e.g., He was taught the right things to say.

What is a synonym?

A synonym is a word or phrase with the same or similar meaning as another word or phrase in the same language. For example, the words end, finish, and conclude are synonymous because they share the same purpose.

Words with the same meaning can be called cognitive synonyms. At the same time, less exact synonyms like lecture and lesson are called near-synonyms.

Synonymous words can be substituted for each other in one or more contexts. However, they may not be synonyms in every context. So sometimes, interchangeable terms cannot be replaced, like for like, because of differences in the nuances of their meaning.

Take the following, for example.

You might say:

• I am teaching a science lesson.
• I am teaching a science class.

But not:

• I am teaching a science period.

This is because the word ‘period’ is only synonymous with ‘lesson’ in the context of a school timetable.

• The first lesson is English.
• The first period is English.

What is a synonym for ‘lesson’?

Here are some ways you can use the word ‘lesson’ in a sentence:

• With an adjective: Today’s lesson was interesting.
• With a verb: It took a long time to prepare the study.
• With a noun: The teacher had resources and a lesson plan.
• With a preposition: She was teaching a class on synonyms.

How can we use lesson synonyms in different sentences?

Create elegant written and verbal communication variations using synonyms for ‘lesson.’ Here are some examples:

Class

• Ted is the tallest person in the class.
• Today, we’re going to do a pottery class.
• She taught a class of thirty children.

Session

• The teaching assistant led an intervention session.
• She put together a guided reading session for Year 6.
• In this session, we’ll be learning about word processing.

Tutorial

• The teacher gave a tutorial on using a search engine.
• All the children attended a tutorial on fire safety.
• They watched the video tutorial before beginning the task.

Study

• The children began a study on living things and their habitats.
• He was keen to study languages.
• She went to a new school to study drama.

Functional writing is the kind of writing that aims to convey a specific and direct message to a particular audience. It differs from other types of writing, such as creative or academic, and includes several different areas.

Available texts include lists, letters, instructions, recipes, postcards, brochures, and more.

Functional writing is an important skill to teach from a young age, as it allows learners to express information mirrored in real-life. Through practicing practical writing, learners will develop skills that can be applied to a wide range of real-life situations that will be used into adulthood. These include resume writing, making lists, and writing letters.

When teaching functional writing skills in the classroom, try and relate learning to activities that learners will be doing in their daily lives. This prepares children for future life skills and develops skills that will be useful in other areas of their education, both within English and Literacy and beyond.

Functional Writing Tips

When writing a functional text, you should:

• Consider the audience and what you are trying to achieve.
• Tailor your language based on the type of text.
• Write with purpose.
• Use concise and clear language.

Functional Writing Styles

There are three main types of functional writing: expository, descriptive, and persuasive.

• Expository style – This functional writing aims to explain something objectively, without emotion. The goal is to inform the reader about something or explain something; an excellent expository text should be clear and easy to understand. Examples of this are recipes and party invitations.
• Descriptive style – This style of writing depicts something straightforwardly. An example would be a diary entry describing events, places, things, and feelings in depth.
• Persuasive style – This is a text that is trying to convince the reader to do something. This could be buying a product or voting for something/someone.

Examples of Functional Writing

• Posters and leaflets – Posters and flyers are used for various purposes. They can notify readers of an event or persuade them to do or think something. For example, it could be a poster for a music festival, which conveys information about the event, such as the date and time, while trying to convince readers to buy tickets. You could also use posters and leaflets to convey a political message – using persuasive writing to persuade the reader to support an argument or vote for something/someone.
• Informal letters – An informal letter is used when writing to friends and family and is a more chatty way of writing. This type of letter would be inappropriate in certain situations, such as reporting to your manager or someone you don’t know personally.
• Formal letters are used to contact or inquire about a person or group. Formal letters have many more rules than informal letters, with strict formatting, beginnings, and sign-offs.
• Postcards – Similar to an informal letter, postcards are used for contacting people personally close to you. However, they are only used in a specific situation – telling people what you’ve been up to while on holiday!

• Adverts are a specific form of persuasive writing that tries to convince readers to buy something. They can come in many forms, from posters to TV adverts. Standard linguistic features of adverts are alliteration, exaggeration, direct questions, and concise descriptions.

• Shopping lists – This is a list of items used during a shopping trip to remember things to buy.
• Recipes – This instructional text includes information about the ingredients, equipment, and steps involved in baking/cooking something. These are expository and should be objective.
• Book reviews – Book reviews convey the writer’s opinion on a book and share your thoughts. These are subjective and should not be presented as fact.

Brazing is joining two metals together with a molten filler metal. As a result, the filler metal will have a lower melting point than the two joined metals.

What is the difference between welding and brazing?

Brazing includes an additional element of the braze alloy (the joining metal), while welding comprises only the two ‘parent metals’.

What is the process of brazing?

Brazing can be done in many different ways. Two main styles are localized heating, where just the common area is heated, and diffuse heating, where the entire object is heated.

During the brazing process, the joining metal is melted and filled into the joint of the two parent metals by capillary action – that is, the ability for liquids to flow in narrow spaces without the help of gravity. In addition, the lux protects the liquid. The liquid metal is then cooled to join the pieces together.

What is flux?

Unless the brazing process is done in a contained environment, such as a furnace, the braze alloy must be protected by a flux. Flux is a material that keeps the metal from oxidizing during its liquid stage. Instead, the flux flows into the joint during the joining stage and is usually made of a material that prevents oxides from forming, such as borax.

What is the filler material made of?

The alloy used for filler can be a variety of metals.

• Aluminum-silicon
• Copper
• Copper-silver
• Copper-zinc
• Copper-tin
• Gold-silver
• Nickel alloy
• silver

Localized Heating Techniques

Torch Brazing

The brazing is done by a torch fueled with acetylene, hydrogen, or propane, combined with oxygen to melt the filler metal and join the two pieces.

Induction Brazing

This brazing technique uses a coil that sends heat into the metal using a rapidly alternating electrical current.

Diffuse Heating Techniques

Furnace Brazing

The brazing is done inside a furnace, allowing the ability to control the heat at every stage.

Dip Brazing

The entire assembly is dipped into a melted braze alloy. The temperature should be hot enough to melt the braze alloy but not hot enough to melt the parent metal.

A scale is used to weigh items to find out their weight. They are often used in cooking to ensure the same amount of ingredients as in the recipe.

What is a Traditional Scale?

Traditional scales have two bowls hanging from either end of a lever that can pivot up and down, so the bowl with the heaviest object is lower than the other.

This means you can balance several objects with something with a known weight to measure the exact weight of something like flour or sugar.

For example, if you had something that you knew weighed 100 grams in one bowl, called the counter-weight, anything that is put in the other bowl that balances the scales will also weigh 100 grams.

People have used these kinds of scales to measure the weight of items for thousands of years; there is evidence of the Ancient Egyptians using traditional balanced scales for weighing things.

Because traditional scales require a perfect balance to measure weight, they have become the symbol for courts who weigh the evidence and are committed to being fair and balanced in their decisions.

What is a Measuring Scale?

Many other measuring scales have been invented to make weighing items for cooking more accessible and more convenient. However, in 1669 a new kind of measuring scale was created that was more compact and easier to use. The first design, called the Roberval balance, has the measuring bowls on top of the lever instead of hanging on strings.

In the 1770s, a British balance-maker called Richard Salter invented a scale that no longer needed counter-weights. Instead, this spring scale uses gravity and spring to measure the mass of objects, as the item being weighed hangs off the spring, and this pulls the needle on a dial to show the exact weight.

Weighing scales became far more valuable and reliable as more accurate scales were invented to measure the exact weight of items placed on them. The needle on the dial is pushed along the measuring scale by the item’s weight so that you can read the precise measurement, usually given in grams or kilograms.

The most significant upgrade to the design of measuring scales came with the invention of digital technology, as electronic scales can measure items accurately and give you a precise number on the digital display.

What are Bathroom Scales used for?

Bathroom scales are used for measuring a person’s weight and are helpful for people who are watching their weight, are on a diet, or are in an exercise program.

These scales are usually small platforms with a dial or digital display that a person can stand on. It will then measure a person’s weight, and the measurement will appear on the show.

Modern bathroom scales also feature other measurements that can help stay healthy, including BMI and body temperature measures.

What can you measure with a Spring Scale?

A spring scale or balance can measure different things aside from weight. Spring scales work by attaching an item to a spring that hangs down, so the heavier the article is, the more it will stretch the spring, which is connected to the measuring dial.

You may have seen spring scales used by greengrocers for weighing large amounts of fruits and vegetables. Spring scales can also be used to measure force, measured in Newtons.

What are the units of measurement used for weighing?

The mass of an object is measured using these units of measurement:

• A Milligram (mg) is 0.001 gram
• A Gram (g) contains 1000 milligrams
• A Decagram (dag) contains 10 grams
• A Hectogram (hg) contains 100 grams
• A Kilogram (kg) contains 1000 grams
• A Metric Tonne (t) is 1000 kilograms

Some older units of measurement from the Imperial system are still used today. These include:

• An Ounce (oz) is 1/16th of a pound
• A Pound (lb) converts to about 453 grams
• A Stone (st) is 14 pounds
• A Ton (t) is 2240 pounds

Some scales, like spring scales, can also measure units of force. This is measured using Newtons (N). This unit of measurement was named after Isaac Newton, who shaped the study of mathematics as we know it.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story collected by The Brothers Grimm and published in their 1812 volume Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Published initially as Schneewittchen in Germany, the Grimms’ version of the story became widely known worldwide. However, similar reports were circulating in numerous European countries before the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tale collection.

The story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gained extra popularity in the 20th century after Walt Disney released his iconic animated film version in 1937. The film became famous for being the world’s first feature-length animated film and for its engaging story-telling. The film remains a classic to this day.

Fun fact: The dwarfs didn’t have names in the original tale. They were first given names in a play script of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs performed on Broadway in 1912. Disney kept the concept but invented new names for the dwarfs in his 1937 film. The Disney names stuck and are still used for the dwarfs today.

So, now we know some of the histories, let’s look at a short Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs summary to give us a better idea of the plot.

A short Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs summary

Like many other traditional tales, the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs centers around a beautiful princess. However, the report also uses the trope of the evil stepmother, jealous of her stepdaughter’s beauty and goodness.

Snow White is a princess who lives in a castle with her stepmother, who is a witch. The witch uses an enchanted mirror to tell her who is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. When the mirror answers ‘Snow White’, her stepmother takes her to the forest to be killed. The huntsman charged with the task takes pity on the girl and sets Snow White free. She comes across a little house where seven dwarfs live and makes her home with them.

On discovering her stepdaughter is still alive, the witch disguises herself as an older woman and makes her way into the forest. She finds Snow White and gives her a poisoned apple to eat. Snow White instantly falls as if dead. When they return from work, the dwarfs find her, apparently dead, and place her in a glass coffin.

The next day, a prince rides through the forest and sees the beautiful Snow White in her coffin. He asks to take her back to her father’s castle. During the journey, one of the men carrying the coffin trips, and the piece of poisoned apple is dislodged from Snow White’s throat. She instantly wakes up, and she and the prince are married.

This short Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs summary gives you an idea of the story. Now let’s look at this classic fairy tale in more detail.

The Snow White story

Once upon a time, a Queen sat at a window in her castle. She was sewing with the window open to watch winter snowflakes. She pricked her finger with her needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the windowsill. The blood was red, the snow was white, and the windowsill was black.

‘I wish I had a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony,’ said the Queen.

Sometime later, the Queen gave birth to a little girl named Snow White. But sadly, the Queen died giving birth, and Snow White was left without a mother.

The King soon married again. His new wife was excellent, but she was also a witch. The new Queen also had a magic mirror. Every morning, she asked the mirror the same question: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’ The mirror told the Queen she was the fairest of them all every morning. For years, the Queen was content, but one day, when Snow White was seven years old, the Mirror said that the princess was now fairer than the Queen.

The Queen couldn’t bear it. She was so jealous and angry that she ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. She told him to return with her heart as proof of her death.

But, when the Huntsman took Snow White into the forest, he found he couldn’t bear to kill her. As he raised the knife to kill her, Snow White begged for her life. She promised to run far away and never return to the castle again. Reluctantly, as he was terrified of the Queen, the Huntsman agreed and killed a wild animal instead so that he could present the Queen with its heart.

Snow White walked through the forest for hours. Finally, she came to a small cottage. The door was unlocked, so she stepped inside. Everything in the house was small, and there were seven of everything. Snow White was very hungry, thirsty, and very tired. She ate food, drank wine, and tucked herself into one of the beds. She soon fell asleep.

A few hours later, she woke to find seven small men around her. The men were dwarfs, returned from a day of work in the mines. Though initially alarmed at the idea that someone had broken into their home, the dwarfs soon took pity on the little girl when she explained her stepmother’s plan to kill her. However, they agreed that she could stay with them if she took on the cooking and cleaning of the cottage. Snow White was delighted.

‘One final rule,’ said the dwarfs. ‘You must be careful when alone at home. Don’t speak to strangers or let them in the house.’

Ten years passed. Snow White grew into a lovely, beautiful young woman who was getting on well with the dwarfs. However, the evil Queen was still obsessed with the idea of her beauty. So she turned to her mirror again and asked: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’

The mirror told her that Snow White was still the fairest. The evil Queen was incensed. She thought she’d had Snow White killed ten years ago. So she asked the mirror where Snow White was and, because the mirror was always bound to tell the truth, it showed her the cottage in the forest.

Having already been betrayed by the Huntsman, the Queen decided to kill Snow White herself. So, she set out to the cottage disguised as an old peddler. She knocked on the door, and when Snow White answered, she showed her the beautifully laced bodices she was selling. She even offered to show Snow White how to lace them up. Snow White agreed, but as the Queen tied the laces, she pulled so tightly that Snow White couldn’t breathe and collapsed. Thinking Snow White was dead, the Queen left. But luckily, the dwarfs returned and unlaced the bodice just in time. Snow White took a huge gasp and was revived.

Pleased with herself, the evil Queen returned to the castle and turned to her mirror, asking: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’

‘Snow White,’ said the mirror.

Again, the Queen raged. She returned to the cottage, this time dressed up as a tradeswoman. She knocked on the door and showed Snow White a beautiful jeweled comb. She told Snow White how to wear it, but the comb was poisonous. When the Queen tucked it into Snow White’s hair, Snow White collapsed.

Once again, the Queen was convinced that she’d killed Snow White and fled back to the castle. But, when the dwarfs returned home, they removed the comb from Snow White’s locks, and she revived.

The Queen asked her mirror: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’

‘Snow White,’ said the Mirror.

The Queen was livid. One final time, she made her way to the cottage. This time, she was dressed as a farmer’s wife. She knocked on the door and offered Snow White an apple. She cut the apple in half to make Snow White feel more comfortable taking a bite. The evil Queen took the green half and offered Snow White the red half.

‘You see?’ said the Queen, taking a bite. ‘It’s fine.’

Snow White took a bite, and, of course, the red half was poisoned. She fell to the floor and, convinced Snow White was dead; the Queen fled back to the castle.

The dwarfs returned to the cottage and found Snow White lying on the floor. This time, nothing they did could revive her. Together, they placed her in a glass coffin outside and mourned her death.

The next day, a Prince was riding by. He came across the coffin and was struck by the girl’s beauty beyond the glass. He knocked on the door of the dwarfs’ cottage and asked for the story. The dwarfs told him all about Snow White and the witch, how they’d found Snow White lifeless on the floor for a third and final time. The Prince asked if he could take Snow White’s body back to her father’s castle, her rightful resting place. Reluctantly, the dwarfs agreed.

The Prince and his men transported the coffin through the forest. As they walked, one of his men tripped over a root and stumbled. He dropped his corner of the casket, and a piece of apple was dislodged from Snow White’s throat. Once it was free, she was magically revived.

The Prince opened the coffin and immediately asked for Snow White’s hand in marriage. She agreed and went with him to his kingdom. The Prince invited everyone in the land to their wedding except the evil Queen.

Meanwhile, the evil Queen was back at the castle. She consulted her mirror: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’

The mirror explained that a Prince of a nearby kingdom had a new bride. This new bride, the mirror said, was much fairer than the evil Queen.

Furious, the evil Queen went to the wedding to investigate. When she saw the bride was Snow White, she was overcome with rage, fear, and jealousy. Unfortunately, the Prince spotted her just as she was hatching yet another dastardly plan. Remembering the stories the dwarfs and his new wife had told him, he ordered the guards to seize her. As punishment for her crimes, he ordered her to wear a pair of red-hot shoes and dance. Unfortunately, the boots burned her feet, and she hopped from one foot to the other until she died.

Where does the Snow White story come from?

It’s not known precisely where the story comes from. However, there are several possible influences and origins from various places worldwide.

Some scholars believe that the fairy tale is loosely based on the life of Margaretha von Waldeck, the daughter of a medieval German count. Famed for her beauty, Margaretha was sent away from her father’s castle in 1549 after the arrival of a rigorous stepmother and forwarded to the court of Mary of Hungary. Her father owned many copper mines, and most workers were children, a possible connection to the dwarfs in the Snow White story. The children all lived together in single-room huts, like the dwarfs in the fairy tale.

Another connection between the life of Margaretha von Waldeck and the Snow White story is that it’s thought that Margaretha was poisoned. She died aged only 21 in 1554. At the time, however, her stepmother was not a suspect in her murder.

But this is not the only possible source of the story. The Greek myth Chione tells the story of a young woman that is so beautiful that the god’s Apollo and Hermes fall in love with her. The report features old-crone disguises and jealousy between women around beauty and status.

There are also fairy tales from Armenia, Italy, and France that feature similar themes of fugitive princesses and kind woodsmen, dwarfs, or thieves that take her in. Sometimes Snow White is the daughter of a King, sometimes the daughter of an innkeeper. While some versions cast the antagonist as Snow White’s stepmother, she’s her biological mother in other versions. For kids, versions of the Snow White story are sometimes slightly edited, particularly towards the end, so there’s little mention of the evil Queen’s terrible fate.

A text is a passage of words that conveys a set of meanings to the person who is reading it. It’s a body of written work in various forms and structures, which can be words, phrases, and sentences that piece together a passage of written work.

What is a piece of text?

A text is a passage of words that conveys a set of meanings to the person who is reading it. It’s a body of written work in various forms and structures, which can be words, phrases, and sentences that piece together a passage of written work.

To put it as simply as possible, it is a group of words. But it can come in many different forms.

A text can be written materials, such as books, magazines, newspapers, or online content. But it can also be other things that we may not associate with standard text. For example, the text could be movies, scripts, paintings, songs, political cartoons, advertisements, and maps. If we can look at something with words and sentences, explore it, find layers of meaning, and draw information and conclusions from it, we’re looking at a text.

Examples of a text

As noted above, a text can take many forms and be seen within different types of work.

These are just some of the examples of types of different texts:

• Books
• Scripts
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Instruction manuals
• Cartoons with speech and comics
• Notes and references

Texts can be small or large, shot in content, or long, winding novels. Passages of text can be seen above and in various places. For example:

• The safety information in an airplane
• Ingredients on the back of a food product
• Contents of a letter or email
• A text message from a friend
• The contents of a shopping list

Essentially, the text is seen everywhere — passages and groupings of the written word — and can be short or long, coming in vastly different forms.

A tiger is a type of large cat that is found in Asia and southern Russia.

The scientific name for a tiger is Panthera tigris.

Tigers are the largest of the world’s big cats. Male tigers can weigh up to 300 kilograms and measure nearly 13 feet (4 m) in length. Females are smaller, weighing a maximum of 170 kilograms and measuring between 6 and 9 feet (2.74 m) in length.

They are excellent hunters and are considered to be an apex predator. They rely on sight and sound for hunting rather than smell like other animals.

Tigers have incredibly distinctive fur. In addition, most tigers have orange and black stripes all over their body, whereas some types have a black-and-white color variation. This pattern helps tigers to remain camouflaged as they stalk their prey.

According to the IUCN, tigers are currently endangered, with populations in some areas continuing to decrease yearly.

What are the different types of tigers?

There are nine types of tigers, which include:

• Bengal Tiger: Arguably the most famous type of tiger, these tigers have light yellowish fur with black stripes. They are the national animal of both India and Bangladesh.
• Siberian Tiger: These tigers are a much paler orange than most tiger types. They live in much colder environments compared to most tiger types.
• Sumatran Tiger: The minor type of tiger. They have far more stripes than other tiger types.
• Caspian Tiger: Now believed to be extinct, the Caspian tiger had narrow and closely set stripes. It was most similar to the Siberian tiger. The last specimen recorded in the wild was found in the 1970s.
• Indo-Chinese Tiger: These tigers are smaller than most other tiger types. They also have darker fur compared to other subspecies.
• Malayan Tiger: Almost identical to the Indo-Chinese tiger.
• South China Tiger: Unseen for nearly 40 years, the South China tiger has a differently shaped skull than other tiger types. It also has a vibrant yellow coat with narrow stripes.
• Javan Tiger: Also considered extinct, the Javan tiger was also on the small side. It had long thin stripes, which were more numerous than most subspecies.
• Bali Tiger: The Bali tiger is also extinct. They were very similar in description to the Javan tiger.

What is a tiger’s habitat?

A Tiger’s natural habitat can be found in an array of places, including rainforests, grasslands, savannas, and mangrove swamps

Wild tigers live in Asia, whereas larger subspecies are found in Russia and Northeastern China. Smaller subspecies are found in warmer temperatures, such as in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

However, tigers used to have a much more extensive range of habitats. Tigers today only exist in 6% of the areas where they used to thrive. Before tiger populations began to dwindle, they could be found in areas of Turkey to the southern coast of Japan.

A tiger’s natural habitat tends to be in areas with lots of prey to eat. This is because tigers must consume at least one large meal a week to survive. Because of this, tigers prefer dense forests home to various animal species.

What do tigers eat?

A tiger’s diet is incredibly varied. They are carnivores, meaning they eat other animals. Tigers are known to eat anything from insects to elephant calves.

However, tigers generally prefer to eat large-bodied prey such as deer, pigs, cows, goats, and buffalo. They also eat smaller prey when the opportunity presents itself. For example, they will eat monkeys, hares, fish, and birds.

Tigers frequently eat domestic livestock such as cattle, chickens, horses, and donkeys in areas with a lot of farmland and human settlements.

Being apex predators, tigers are also known to eat other less dangerous predators and competitors. Leopards, dogs, bears, and snakes are all known to be eaten by tigers.

In some cases, tigers have even been known to take on much larger animals, such as fully grown elephants and rhinos — though these cases are rare.

Tigers tend to avoid contact with humans. However, there are cases where tigers have seen humans as prey.

Did you know: In 1907, a tigress living in Nepal and India called ‘the Champawat Tiger’ was said to be responsible for the deaths of 430 humans?

How do tigers hunt?

Tigers are mainly nocturnal hunters. This means that they prefer to hunt at night. However, in areas with fewer humans, tigers also hunt in the daytime.

Tigers are incredibly fast, strong, and agile. They can reach up to 40 miles per hour and are strong enough to take on prey much more significant than themselves. They can also pounce great distances and have been witnessed jumping as far as 33 feet (10 m).

Like most cat species, tigers prefer to stalk and ambush their prey. Due to the colors of their coat, they are brilliant at blending into the surrounding environment and getting as close as possible to their target.

Once they’re close enough, tigers use their strength and speed to overpower their prey and get them to the ground. They then use their sharp teeth and powerful bite to subdue them.

Did you know that tigers are so strong that they have been known to kill bears and cattle with a single paw swipe?

Are tigers becoming extinct?

It’s estimated that 3,900 tigers remain in the wild. In some parts of Southeast Asia, tigers are in crisis as they are declining in numbers. They are currently classed as endangered. There are now only six surviving subspecies of tiger: Amur tiger, Bengal tiger, Indo-Chinese tiger, Malayan tiger, South China tiger, and Sumatran tiger. These subspecies live in different environments, but they all suffer as their natural habitats are destroyed.

After nearly a century of decline, numbers have started to rise again. Tiger populations are beginning to increase in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, and China.

The most significant threat to tigers is poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Unfortunately, part of the tiger has been found in the illegal wildlife markets, from the whiskers to its tail.

Tiger adaptations for survival

Despite being huge, powerful, ferocious creatures, tigers have had to adapt to their behavior, physical development, and hunting practices to survive in their environment. These adaptations are both behavioral and physical.

• Camouflage

Although tigers’ famous stripes may be just for decoration, they function as camouflage. This may seem strange, as, in zoos and artificial environments, Tigers’ stripes stand out as very bright and bold. However, in the wild, tiger stripes are very effective in allowing them to blend in with their surroundings. They form similar patterns to the sun beaming through trees and tall grasses. Camouflage is essential to tigers’ survival, making them invisible to predators and prey. Tigers can even use the bright stripes around their eyes to hide their eyes, making it harder for prey to spot them.

• Physical Structure

Another of the tiger adaptations for survival is the tiger’s structural adaptations. Tigers have adapted over time to be ferocious and effective hunters; to do this, they must have a physical structure that suits that lifestyle. Tiger’s structural adaptations include having very flexible spines and long hind legs, which enable them to jump up to 33 feet (10 m) high. Additionally, tigers are built to be incredibly strong, allowing them to swim and run incredibly quickly and leap great distances to catch prey. The tigers’ strength, speed, and explosive actions make them extraordinary hunters.

Additionally, an incredibly important tiger structural adaptation is that they have evolved to take advantage of soft pads on their feet, which allow them to quietly walk on their toes and sneak up on their prey undetected. This will enable tigers to catch their game with minimal effort. However, they are well-equipped to fight when they do get into physical altercations. Tigers have incredibly sharp claws, which they use when fighting and killing their prey.

• Feeding

Feeding is another area of tiger adaptations for survival. Tigers have adapted to be able to expand their throats, allowing them to swallow vast pieces of food. In some cases, tigers can even swallow their prey whole. Tigers can also curve their front legs inwards, which allows them to hold their prey while they eat it. Moreover, tigers have strong jaws and a wide selection of teeth designed for killing, tearing, and biting.

• Senses

Tigers are primarily nocturnal hunters, which they can only do because of their night vision. Tigers generally have perfect eyesight and can see long distances day and night. Furthermore, tigers have a unique adaptation to their retinas, allowing more light to reflect into their eyes. This helps them to see in the dark.

In addition to this, tigers have an empathetic hearing. Their hearing allows them to communicate exclusively using infrasound, which is inaudible to most other species. This infrasound is also an example of how tigers have adapted to their environments. This is because infrasound allows them to communicate over long distances in their forest habitats, as it can pass through trees and other objects.

Lastly, tigers have a highly effective sense of smell, which they rely on to mark their territories.

• Behaviors

An exciting area of tiger adaptations for survival concerns their tiger behavioral adaptations. Hunting is typically a solitary activity for tigers, which allows them to be super stealthy. However, they can hunt in packs when necessary. Moreover, female tigers carry most of the responsibility for raising their cubs. Female tigers are also adapted to be superior hunters to their male counterparts. This is because, until they are a few months old, tiger cubs rely entirely on their mothers to provide food.

• Habitat

Even though the different subspecies of tigers live in other parts of the world, their habitats are all reasonably similar. This is because tigers need to live in areas with dense vegetation, water access, and hoofed prey. For this reason, tigers tend to live in forests. Amur tigers, for example, typically live in snowy coniferous forests, while Bengal tigers can live anywhere from mangroves to temperate forests.

Furthermore, tigers used to live exclusively in India, East, and South China, but as their population grew, they had to adapt to find new areas. This is why we now have tigers like the Siberian tigers, who live in Eastern Russia. Siberian tigers have made many adaptations to survive in the cold, harsh environment of Eastern Russia.

One essential behavioral adaptation of the Siberian tiger is its patients when silently waiting for its prey. This allows it to surprise its prey when they choose to move. In addition, these tigers have also adapted to communicate and mark their territory through claw marks, sounds, feces, and urine. This is vital for tigers’ survival as they would not be able to reproduce without communicating with one another.

Regarding physical Siberian tiger adaptations for survival, they have developed extra skin, which helps them withstand the bitter cold of their surroundings. This excess fat also protects them from biting, kicking, and scratching when hunting.

Siberian tigers have also developed large paws that don’t sink into the snow. This helps them run faster when chasing their prey.

Breeding

Tigers reach sexual maturity at ages 3-5; females mature at ages 3-4, and males at 4-5. Mating can occur any time of the year, although tigers in warmer climates tend to begin this process when it’s colder — preferably in November or April. Tigers in warm temperatures only begin mating in winter.

Female tigers carry their cubs for around 3 to 3.5 months and can give birth to 2-3 cubs at a time. After that, the mother looks after the cubs until they reach independence. Tigers reach independence at two years of age and can live up to 20 in the wild.

Tiger fact file: fun facts about tigers

• Tigers are the largest cat species in the world.
• The Bengal tiger is the most common type.
• Tigers can live up to 20-26 years old in the wild.
• Adult tigers usually live alone.
• Tigers are good swimmers and like water (unlike other cats).
• Cubs are born blind for up to 1-2 weeks after birth.
• Tigers can communicate using scent, sounds, and visual signals.