CSI: Maths and Literacy Workshops for Primary and Secondary Schools

"Excitement filled the air on Monday as we hosted a thrilling CSI workshop with As Creatives. Pupils became detectives, unravelling the mystery of Michaela Maths, a targeted young athleteImmersed in the investigation, they honed problem-solving skills, unmasking the criminal!" Northfield School

CSI: Storyland (EYFS, KS1 / P1 - P3)

With the help of the elves, the Shoemaker’s fortunes have been restored – and all is well in Storyland. Until, that is, his precious last is stolen! Which of his neighbours could have taken it? After using storytelling techniques to introduce pupils to the crime and the suspects, we'll share with them a range of clues left at the scene. They'll then use their sorting and numeracy skills to reveal the identity of the miscreant! - was it Goldilocks, the Billy Goats Gruff, Little Miss Muffet, the Little Pigs or Red Riding Hood? It’s up to you to find out!

"The students really enjoyed the workshops. They got a sense of wonder and excitement built around maths but also linking in a cross curricular way to literacy and stories they knew well. The workshops were well pitched for the year groups and Jackson delivered them really well engaging all the classes through excellent storytelling. All children were able to feel included and successful and have fun." Minster Infants

CSI: Michaela Maths (KS2 - KS4 / P4 - S5)

If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of one of her teammates, Michaela Maths, one of Britain’s most promising young athletes, would be dead – slain by an unseen hand! The police are baffled by the dastardly deed – and want the children’s help in solving it. Having been introduced to the crime, the suspects and their possible motives, pupils will work in teams on a carousel probing a range of mathematical skills. Taken together, these lead to the suspects being eliminated, one by one – until, if all the calculations are correct, the criminal is unmasked.

“As part of our Maths week, all KS2 children in the School had the CSI:Maths workshop. The children were buzzing about it all week and realised that Maths can be fun! I would highly recommend it and would not hesitate to use you again in the future.” Maths Teacher, St Benedict’s Primary

CSI: Bake-Off (KS2 - KS4 / P4 - S5)

All is not well in the world of the Bake Off – one of the judges, Saul Pinewood, has had food poisoning – and he knows it wasn’t an accident! He’s narrowed the field down to six suspects – and hopes that pupils can use their understanding of fractions, percentages and measurements to help him take the final step.

“CSI: Maths was fun but challenging - exciting, active, different - and really enjoyable! We learnt new things, it made us think - and everyone was involved. It was amazing!" Year 7 Pupils, Weatherhead Media Arts College

CSI: Tunes (KS2 / P5 - P7) up to eight classes in a day

Music industry mogul Harry Wilson has made more than a few enemies in his time - and now one of them has succeeded in making life difficult for him! So who was it who hacked into Harry's precious database, deleting all his business contacts in one fell swoop? Means, motive and opportunity will all have to be factored in as pupils investigate this calculated act of sabotage. Was it Viola de Clerc, the classical violinist? DJ Grime, the garage specialist - or popster Betty B? Boy band Heaven Sent are in the mix as well, as is New Punk exponent Polly Ester - not forgetting Country and Western star Jake Carew!

This exciting and fast-paced workshop invites pupils to pit their wits against the criminal by using their data handling and number skills to reveal his - or her - identity.

"Many thanks for the CSI sessions. The content was great and your delivery was absolutely outstanding. The children had a fantastic time throughout the different age groups." The Downs School

CSI: Ancient Greek Maths (KS2 / P6 - P7)

Mount Olympus is in turmoil – because someone has stolen Zeus’s thunderbolt! We're on the trail of the culprit – but need your help to put all the pieces together as you collate and interpret the data. Mixing maths with mythology, this is definitely one of our more challenging workshops!

CSI: Saxon Maths (Years 3 - 6 / P4 - P7)

Alfred the Great has burnt the cakes … or has he? Test your understanding of number, shape and time as you help right the wrongs of history – and work out who framed him!

CSI: Olympics (KS2 / P6-P7)

This exciting new addition to our CSI: Maths range has been designed to support you in capitalising on the growing interest in this year's Tokyo Olympics and engaging your pupils in some undercover maths. The team of Olympians from the tiny country of Berellia is in turmoil. They're all cyclists, you see - and someone has sabotaged each and every one of their bikes! So children will have to delve deep into the murky underworld of the velodrome as they survey the crime scene, examine the evidence and sift through the suspects - all in a bid to crack The Case of the Criminal Cyclists!

CSI: Rollercoaster (KS2 / P6-P7)

Rollercoaster riders are subject to a whole range of forces as they climb to dizzying heights, plunge at bone-rattling speeds and loop the loop at death-defying angles. CSI: Rollercoaster takes advantage of this by immersing your pupils in a world where someone has sabotaged the world’s most thrilling ride: The Newton.

After being introduced to the crime the suspects and, through a problem solving game, some rollercoaster forces, pupils will take part in a challenging activity asking them to use their existing scientific understanding and transfer it to new areas. This process will release a number of clues, each eliminating one suspect - until only the saboteur remains!

CSI: Forces

CSI: Forces sets your pupils a problem – to use their knowledge and understanding of forces in identifying which of six suspects sabotaged the new Jupiter VII space rocket. They’ll take part in a number of activities, each releasing a force-related clue eliminating one of the possible criminals – until the Police Force becomes the most important force, as the miscreant is hauled before justice …

Outdoor Literacy - CSI: Bookmark

We've got a problem - someone has jumbled up all the entries to a competition for book lovers, and we can't work out who the winner is! Revelling in the fresh air, and recalling a host of stories and books set wholly or partly outdoors, your pupils will link objects they find to fictional characters and, in a frenzy of connection making, save the day!

CSI: Reading Skills

Pupils who tell us they don’t like “reading” are always amazed when they realise quite how much skillfull reading they’ve accomplished by the end of this fun and busy workshop. From inference and deduction to skimming and scanning, from previewing to predicting and from context to content, CSI: Reading Skills makes no bones in drawing connections between the everyday skills required to interpret infographics and play computer games and those required to delve into more formal texts.

Specifically designed to support pupils in making those connections between different ways of “reading”, CSI: Reading Skills sees them working in small teams to help out in a time of national emergency – because a briefcase containing some Top Secret plans was discovered on the 8.42 to Little Padworth, destined for an Enemy Power. The only clues to the identity of the traitor are to be found in a pile of old train tickets, recipe, book reviews and faded photographs. If “read” correctly, however, they’ll allow the pupils to discover who took the plans and why. KS1 pupils will travel to Storyland and use their reading skills to work out who it is that's been sending secret messages to the Big Bad Wolf!