Mathematics is a compulsory course for all Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students.
The Australian Curriculum in Mathematics aims to ensure that students:
- are confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics, able to investigate, represent and interpret situations in their personal and work lives and as active citizens;
- develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency with processes, and are able to pose and solve problems and reason in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability;
- recognise connections between the areas of mathematics and other disciplines and appreciate mathematics as an accessible and enjoyable discipline to study.
The Course:
The Course is organised around the interaction of three content strands and four proficiency strands. These are as follows;
Content Strands (What is to be taught and learnt)
- Number and Algebra
- Measurement and Geometry
- Statistics and Probability
Proficiency Strands (The actions in which students can engage when learning and using the content)
- Understanding
- Fluency
- Problem Solving
- Reasoning
Assessment:
Students’ understanding will be informally assessed throughout the course with such items as Homework Tasks, Quizzes, AVID application and Pre-tests. Common formal assessments will be given to all students studying the same program of instruction for moderation and reporting purposes.
Technology:
Calculators are essential for everyday use within the mathematics classroom and at home. It is assumed that each student has access to a suitable calculator at all times. For Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 a scientific calculator is suitable. However, students intending to study year 11 and 12 maths on a university pathway will need a class-pad calculator in those years, and should consider purchasing such a calculator in Year 10. Baldivis Secondary College supports the Casio class-pad.
Mathematics learning is supported at Baldivis Secondary College with subscriptions to MyMathsOnline, MangaHigh, and Hotmaths. Further, students will find sites such as KhanAcademy.org and DrMaths particularly useful in presenting the same information in a different context and in a pace controlled by the student.
Pathways:
Mathematics, more than most courses, is sequential in nature. Thorough understanding of one level is necessary before success can be expected at the next level. Students who attempt to move too quickly, before having consolidated their understanding of key concepts, will finish up with less achievement, rather than more. Students are allocated to a mathematics class taking into consideration information gained from a range of assessment items, as indicated above. Students are placed in a class which best suits the level of mathematics which, they have demonstrated. During the course of the year, all outcomes are addressed at an appropriate level.
Course Information:
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10