Mathematical Language

Mathematical language can be difficult for some students to comprehend when they are being taught new topics. Statistics and Probability, Single Variable Data Analysis, is one such area of the Stage 4 NSW Syllabus, that some students may have difficulty when trying to comprehend the mathematical language within the subject area.  At this stage of the students schooling they should have been introduced to statistics and probability, but would most likely not have been introduced to the language needed to successfully complete Stage 4.  Within this stage of the syllabus the students are also expected to use appropriate language learnt within the classroom to explain data.

 

The link below opens a document that;

1. Details of what are the language difficulties that are likely to arise when teaching this topic? What strategies could be employed to overcome these difficulties? How can these strategies be modified to accommodate diversity among learners? 
2. An indicative plan detailing the number of lessons and the assume length of each lesson 
3. The outcomes for each lesson (taken from the draft syllabus) 
4. A brief outline (1-2 paragraphs) outlining the particular language issues and the associated pedagogical strategies to be used in each lesson and a justification of those strategies.
   
   The Document

Stage 5 Statistics and Probaility

Gapminder Assignment

This Gapminder Assignment covers the following in  the  Mathematics Syllabus - Stage 5 (5.1 pathway), Statistics and Probability, Single Variable Data- Analysis

Outcome, a student:

• Uses appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols in mathematical contexts MA5.1-1WMSelects and uses appropriate strategies to solve problems MA5.1-2WM
• Provides reasoning to support conclusions which are appropriate to the context MA5.1-3WM 
• Uses statistical displays to compare sets of data, and evaluates statistical claims made in the media MA5.1-12S

 
The task is a group activity in which each group is to be given a data set to investigate through Gapminder.  The group is to compare Australia with an oceanic country and 2 Asian countries 

of their choice.  Once they have compared the first data set they are then asked to change a variable to come up with a cause or effect.  Each  group then needs to compile a report on their finding along with media articles that are relevant to the data that they have been analysing.

Gapminder Task 
 

Along with the task here is a  sample of a marking rubric that can be used so that the students have a good understanding of what is required of them when completing the report.

Gapminder Marking Rubric

Year 9 Statistics

Survey Monkey

This next activity is based on Stage 4: Statistics and Probability - Data Collection and Representation

Covering the following Outcomes

 A student:

• communicates and connects mathematical ideas using appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols (MA4-1WM)

• recognises and explains mathematical relationships using reasoning

(MA4-3WM)

• collects, represents and interprets single sets of data, using appropriate statistical displays (MA4-19SP)

• communicates and connects mathematical ideas using appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols (MA4-1WM)

 

    The Task

  Students are to create a survey regarding an environmental issue studied in Geography (such as water usage, pollution or deforestation) including details about the people taking the survey, solutions to the problem etc. 

  This survey is to be post on a social media page such as edmondo, facebook page/ twitter/ email it out to all contacts.

After a week the data is to be collected for analyses, once the data has been analysed each group is to create a report based on results, including graphs, data and recommendations.  The report must then be posted back on social media websites to provide feedback.

The completed report will be presented  to their Geography teacher and send to local government representative.

Geogebra Task

Geometry in the Real World

The following activity has been developed to to help students understanding of 2  dimensional shapes and their properties.  Students are asked to apply what they have learnt within the class to a real world scenario, landscaping a garden.  The students have to follow a set requirements that the client has requested.  Once the students have complete their tasks they will have to present their completed plan to the class and a willing local landscaper.  The landscaper can address the class before the presentation and talk about what maths he uses on a daily basis and what tools he uses to create his geometric shapes.

Before the students can undertake this activity they will have to have lessons on GeoGebra on how to construct these shapes (which in turn teaches them about shape properties).   Using GeoGebra the students can learn the geometric shapes properties and verify it using the drag test.

The task

The Perimeter of the Garden

An example plan

The Geogebra plans can easily be created as the same examples given or changed depending on how difficult you would like to make it for you students.

Geogebra

Probability Task

The first of the Tasks that our group presented for EDUC2190 has been created to cover Year 7 N.S4.4 – Solves probability problems involving simple event in the NSW Syllabus.  It particularly focuses on 

• Determine the probability of simple events.
• Solve simple probability problems.
• Recognise complementary events.

Group work has been used so that the students can create a larger amount of sample data to analyse.  This is also the reason why Notebook is used to create the events.  

Notebook is also handy to use because it eliminates students rolling dice and throwing dice all around the classroom.


Probability Task

The link above should send you to a Google document that you will be able to download for easier editing and printing.

 Below is a sample of the Excel Spreadsheet

And a shot of the Notebook screen.  This  is quite easy to create and use through Smartboard Notebook

As a student teacher it is good to be able to have access to quality resources. This page has been created to share what resources I have created as well as the resources that i have found along the way.

Feel free to use what you want, add stuff or even suggest changes that could improve the resources available.