maths crimes
for BBC Bitesize
overview
BBC Bitesize asked us to create a series of English and Welsh language animations to explain key topics which form part of the KS4 maths numeracy curriculum in Wales. The challenge was to present these ideas in an engaging way which the target audience of 15-16 year old’s would find funny and informative.
our process
We wanted the humour and the visual style to feel surreal but somehow believable. We developed the character Al Gebra, a gumshoe private detective who solves maths crimes committed in everyday life. Unannounced and uninvited Al would appear randomly and solve people’s real life maths problems, narrating his own life as if he were in a film noir cinematic masterpiece and issuing obscure insults along with practical advice. Starting with the intended learning objectives, we worked closely with educational consultants to produce eight scripts that clearly explained the mathematical concepts.
result
The feedback from students and teachers has been incredibly positive with pupils loving Al’s mysterious tongue-in-cheek tone. Al is a much loved character in the studio and we just hope that he's inspired a budding mathematician or two!
