News November 2011
Problem Solving Questions.
08 November 2011
Solutions for the Leaving Certificate problem solving questions are now available online. Select the "Problem Solving Questions" tab on our website or click here.
Visit www.projectmaths.ie , select "Problem Solving Questions" and the relevant year group for more information.
Posters
09 November 2011
New posters for graphical displays and "The Empirical rule" are now available under the workshop 5 tab on our website.
Graphical representations poster | The Empirical rule poster
Mind Maps
12 November 2011
Have you introduced your students to the idea of a mind map?
Mind maps can be used to help students visualise, understand, organise and link key concepts. Students sometimes use them to summarise information or as an aid to revision.
In the previous newsletter, we provided some examples of mind maps created by the Project Maths Development Team. We have now received exemplar material created by teachers and students in other schools.
The examples of mind maps below were created by the students in Athy College, County Kildare. Many thanks to their teacher Ms. Murphy for sharing them with us.
Geometry 1 | Geometry 2 | Statistics 1 | Statistics 2 | Statistics 3
If you or your students have developed any resources which you feel may benefit others, why not email them to us at [email protected] and we may share them online.
These mind maps are also available under the "Material Created by Teachers" tab on our website, www.projectmaths.ie
John Hooper Medal Poster Competition 2012
14 November 2011
Minister Sean Sherlock and the Central Statistics Office announced the 2012 John Hooper Medal for Statistics competition. This competition requires students to create a poster that uses statistics to describe or make sense of daily life. Students can win cash prizes for their school and themselves and the winning team will be presented with the beautiful hand crafted John Hooper silver medal. More details >>
Update from NCCA regarding Synthetic Geometry
15 November 2011
What synthetic geometry is required for Leaving Cert Maths candidates in 2012, 2013 and 2014 who opt for the alternative problem-solving question as provided for in Section 2.1 of the Leaving Cert Maths syllabus (page 22)
For all candidates, whether opting for the synthetic geometry question based on section 2.1 (page 22) or the alternative question of a problem-solving nature, 'knowledge of the geometrical results from the corresponding syllabus level at Junior Certificate is assumed' -as stated in the introduction to Strand 2 on page 21 of the syllabus. For students sitting Leaving Certificate in 2012, 2013 and 2014, this refers to the geometry in the JC Maths syllabus they followed at junior cycle i.e. the revised syllabus which was introduced in 2000.
Knowledge from that syllabus at Junior Cert. together with the remainder of the Leaving Certificate Strand 2 (i.e. not including the new material of Section 2.1), can be expected to form the basis for contexts and problems associated with Strand 2 that may arise in Section B of the examination paper at Leaving Cert over the same period of years. More details>>
Circulars from the State Examination Commission
14 November 2011
Throughout the year, the State Examination Commission have sent several circulars to schools regarding Project Maths. If you have missed any of these you can view them below;
Use of Calculators in the Certificate Examinations S.93/05
Formulae and Tables booklet S.92/09
New booklet of Formulae and Tables for use in the State Examinations from 2010 S.56/09
Information regarding Formulae and Tables booklet S.60/09
Alternatively, you can view the circulars under the syllabus tab on our website.
Circulars from the Department of Education and Skills
14 November 2011
Throughout the year, the Department of Education and Skills have sent several circulars to schools regarding Project Maths. If you have missed any of these you can view them below;
Applied Mathematics for Examination at Leaving Certificate in 2012 and subsequent years 0059/2011
Junior and Leaving Certificate Mathematics 0024/2010
Alternatively, you can view the circulars under the syllabus tab on our website.
The Irish Mathematical Olympiad
14 November 2011
The Irish Mathematical Olympiad is an annual contest since 1988 that attracts students from second level schools in Ireland with a particular talent in Mathematics. To help students prepare for it, Mathematics Enrichment classes are held at five centres around the country. The Olympiad contest is held around the beginning of May each year at each of the training centres. The best students are selected for a team to represent Ireland at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in July. This year's IMO will be held in Argentina.
Enrichment classes at the five centres are particularly aimed for students in the Senior Cycle or Transition Year. Most problems just require a good understanding of basic mathematical facts and the ability to think logically, but no specialised knowledge other than what is provided during training.
At the beginning of November 2011, the training centres sent information about this event to most schools in the country with, for the first time, a selection of "Olympiad Round 1" problems that can be given to students in their own schools to pique students' interest in the training.
Students can participate in the Enrichment classes and the Irish Mathematical Olympiad at whichever of the training centres is most convenient for them (University College Cork, University College Dublin, NUI Galway, University of Limerick, NUI Maynooth). Full details of the training schedules for each centre can be found by following the links at http://www.irmo.ie/
We would like to encourage interested teachers to start Maths Clubs in their own schools for students in the Junior Cycle. For support or assistance in setting up a Maths Club, please contact an experienced trainer in one of the five centres mentioned above
