Mathematics 5.2
Mathematics is a mandatory course that is studied substantially in each of Years 7–10 with at least 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10. This is a requirement for eligibility for the award of the School Certificate.
Course Description
Mathematics is used to identify, describe and apply patterns and relationships. It provides a precise means of communication and is a powerful tool for solving problems both within and beyond mathematics. In addition to its practical applications, the study of mathematics is a valuable pursuit in its own right, providing opportunities for originality, challenge and leisure.
The aim of Mathematics in K–10 is to develop students’ mathematical thinking, understanding, competence and confidence in the application of mathematics, their creativity, enjoyment and appreciation of the subject, and their engagement in lifelong learning.
In order to meet students’ vocational and other learning needs beyond the compulsory years, a variety of mathematical learning experiences are required in Years 9 and 10. The arrangement of content in Stage 5 acknowledges the wide range of achievement of students in Mathematics as they enter the last two years of their compulsory years of schooling. Stage 5.1 content is designed to meet the needs of students who achieve Stage 4 outcomes during Year 9 or Year 10. Stage 5.2 content builds on and includes the content of Stage 5.1 and is designed for students who have achieved Stage 4 content generally by the end of Year 8 or early in Year 9. Stage 5.3 content includes the content for 5.1 and 5.2 and is designed for students who have achieved Stage 4 outcomes probably before the end of Year 8.
What will students learn about?
Students study Number, Patterns and Algebra, Data, Measurement, Space and Geometry. Within each of these strands they will cover a range of topics including:
- fractions
- decimals
- percentages
- consumer arithmetic
- probability
- algebraic techniques
- coordinate geometry
- graphing and interpreting data
- perimeter
- area
- surface area and volume
- trigonometry
- properties of solids
- geometrical figures
- deductive geometry
What will students learn to do?
Students learn to ask questions in relation to mathematical situations and their mathematical experiences; develop, select and use a range of strategies, including the use of technology, to explore and solve problems; develop and use appropriate language and representations to communicate mathematical ideas; develop and use processes for exploring relationships, checking solutions and giving reasons to support their conclusions; and make connections with their existing knowledge and understanding and with the use of mathematics in the real world.
Students who have achieved the syllabus outcomes, up to and including Stage 5.2 outcomes, ask questions that can be explored using mathematics, and use mathematical arguments to reach and justify conclusions. When communicating mathematical ideas, they use appropriate mathematical language and algebraic, statistical and other notations and conventions in written, oral or graphical form. Students use suitable problem-solving strategies which include selecting and organising key information and they extend their inquiries by identifying and working on related problems. Students apply their knowledge of percentages, fractions and decimals to problems involving conversion of rates and consumer situations related to compound interest, depreciation and successive discounts. They express recurring decimals as fractions, and round numbers to a specified number of significant figures.
Students solve non-routine problems in algebra and apply the index laws to simplify, expand and factorise algebraic expressions. They solve linear equations and simple quadratic equations, inequalities and simultaneous equations. On the number plane they draw and interpret graphs of straight lines, simple parabolas, hyperbolas and graphs of physical phenomena. Formulae are used to find distance, gradient and midpoint.
Statistical skills are extended to include descriptions of distributions and the construction of box-and-whisker plots. Student analysis of data includes determining upper and lower quartiles and standard deviation.
Students extend their skills in measurement to calculations of the area and perimeter of complex composite figures, the volume of pyramids, cones, spheres and composite solids, and the surface area of cylinders and composite solids. In geometry, they use deductive reasoning in numerical and non-numerical problems drawing on their knowledge of the properties of similar and congruent triangles, the angle properties of polygons and the properties of quadrilaterals, including diagonal properties.
School Certificate
Satisfactory completion of the mandatory study of Mathematics during Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) will be recorded with a grade on the student’s School Certificate Record of Achievement Part A. In Year 10, students undertaking the Board Developed Course in Mathematics sit for the Mathematics School Certificate test.