News

During the school holidays we found 'The Art of Science' exhibition at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, Castella Street, Lilydale. This is one of the dozen or so images, all of which are life size. (Click an image to reveal it in more detail.)

Created without the intervention of mind, heart or soul by the passionless interaction of laws; of mathematics, physics, chemistry; exposed by techniques and tools of science, engineering, technology; recognised as art, only by us, mere mortals, who can never be its creator.

The displays in this exhibition encourage consideration of careers in STEM ... or literature .... or philosophy ... or theology. The exhibition is open until May 5th. Entry is free. Bookings are not necessary.

In April Al Siraat College arranged a professional development day based around learning to work like a mathematician - half the day for the primary staff and half for the secondary. Just a taster really to help them reconsider curriculum possibilities as this young school (ten years young) continues to grow in the expanding northern fringe of Melbourne.

Some of the comments teachers recorded when asked what they knew at the end of their session that they didn't know at the start are listed here:

• It's about uncovering the curriculum not covering it.
• Teaching children to think like a mathematician.
• The availability of interesting maths resources and lesson ideas.
• The amazing use of Poly Plugs.
• I have been made aware of more sites that can assist me to add fun to my maths lessons.
• The different ways I can engage my students in learning maths.
• That everyone can learn maths differently. It's a matter of opportunity.
• How to use one set of equipment in multiple ways.
• By using calculators at an early age students will have a better number sense.
• The idea of free play in maths has been given a different meaning.
• How to look at something which already exists though a different lens. (The government curriculum through the Working Mathematically Curriculum lens.)
• Using teaching craft to capture children's attention and make the activity fun.
• I don't have to tell the students "what they are going to learn" and they can be learning while playing, then share their learning (less stress).
• That maths can be hands on and very engaging.
• This has reminded me to include more open-ended and problem solving opportunities in my maths lessons and to deepen the level of reasoning I expect from my students.

Task 6, Counter Escape

Easy to state and easy to start. Three boxes A & B & C. Three counters. Any number of counters can be placed in any box. Counters are removed by rolling a dice and using given rules. What is the best way to place the counters so that all are removed in the least number of rolls? The cameo suggest various ways in which the investigation could be approached from Years 4 to 8. Then it surprises with a whole class investigation that includes a story shell and students physically involved in the role played by the counters in the original problem.

The From The Classroom section, contributed by Swedish mathematician and educator Barbro Söderberg, confirms that a good task is indeed the tip of an iceberg. It also confirms that mathematicians do, in fact, work as described on our Working Mathematically page. (See Link List below.)

In the eTask Package this task is in the 'easy to make' set. All you need is three counters and a dice.

Task 139, Squound

Is it really possible for task to have content appropriate from Year 2 to Year 12? Yes! ...and Squound is an example. Its hands-on starting point is appropriate at all levels and the initial content is only a missing number question. A square and a circle (a round) intersect. The intersection shape is the Squound. You have 12 counters and are told the number in the square and the number in the round. The first challenge is to work out the number in the Squound. This can be done by placing counters using the strategy of trial, record and improve or eventually by using what you know about the numbers and an equation. As confidence grows the challenge becomes explaining to someone else how to calculate Squound numbers.

The first examples are all Squound questions using the same total number of counters (12), so the next challenge might be: If I tell you any total number of counters, can you tell me how many Squound questions could be written?.

As all this unfolds (over Years 2 - 12) the content moves through sorting, classifying and counting, to numbers and equations, to Venn Diagrams, to generalisation, to Triangle Numbers to algebra and more.

This cameo is supported by three From The Classroom contributions - one from a professional development session, one from a Year 10/11 and one from a Year 8. It is also linked to a Cube Tube video of two teachers experiencing how it feels to work like a mathematician while investigation Squound.

In the eTask Package this task is in the 'easy to make' set. All you need is the print material supplied and 12 counters.