MathsClass

The Mathematics General (Stage 6, Years 11 and 12) syllabus in NSW includes numerous content points, considerations and suggest applications involving spreadsheets. But, I suspect, many teachers are not using spreadsheets in their lessons mainly because you get through the course without using them. Yet using a spreadsheet to complete some of the mathematical heavy lifting, can allow for the use of real-life data and the investigation of scenarios.

Today in class, Year 7, I linked to decimals:

• the odometer in my car… rounding 19.999 to 2 decimals places is like 19999 on the odometer kicking over to 20000
• π...
  and the universe
• trains terminating at the end of the line
• Luna Park, because trains terminate behind Luna Park
• and of course, Arnie, the Terminator.

Monday (17/08/15) was a Pythagorean Day (17² = 8² + 15²).

For the second lesson with Year 5 students (the first is here), we created and investigated Spirolaterals.

Just added to MathsStarters: Number of the Day (junior) is for Stage 2/3 students (Years 3 to 6) covering:

•  represent numbers of up to four digits using objects, words, numerals and digital displays

•  identify the number before and after a given two-, three- or four-digit number

•  count forwards and backwards by tens and hundreds on and off the decade

•  arrange numbers of up to four digits in ascending and descending order

•  use place value to partition numbers of up to four digits

•  round numbers to the nearest ten, hundred or thousand

[MA2-4NA; ACMNA052, ACMNA053. Reference: NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum, Mathematics K-10 Syllabus]