Mathematics & STEM

Maths during the holidays

It has been fantastic to see students engaged in so many Maths activities throughout Term 2. Each class has covered numerous topics across the number and algebra, measurement and geometry and statistics and probability areas within the curriculum. 

All students have also been working on their mental computation strategies by counting forwards and backwards from various starting points within different number ranges. 

Over the holidays, students can continue to explore mathematical concepts within their everyday environment. Here are some suggestions on how Maths can be included as incidental learning whilst on holidays:

• Baking cookies - challenge your child to a bake off and explore the different measurements you need and the various shapes you could make.
• Paper planes - investigate the best way to make a paper plane and think about the different ways you could measure the length of its flight path.
• Giving directions without a map - set up an obstacle course and have your child give directions to help a friend move between different points. Remember to encourage the use of directional language such as left, right, clockwise, anti-clockwise, around, over, under or between.
• Car cricket - players take it in turns to ‘bat’. When a car drives past in the opposite direction, the ‘batter’ scores ‘runs’ based on the colour or type of vehicle (eg. white/silver cars are worth 1 run, black and coloured cars are worth 2 runs, motorbikes are worth 4 runs, buses are worth 6 runs and red cars are a wicket and you are out). Take it in turns to ‘bat’ and have your child work on their mental computation to keep track of the ‘runs’.
• Packing your suitcase - build your child’s understanding of capacity when packing a suitcase. How many items can your suitcase hold? Have all your items out and then ask your child to decide which suitcase would be the most appropriate to fit all the items in.

Children are exposed to Maths in everything that they do, so any Maths activities that they engage in over the holidays should be fun and part of their normal routine.

STEM in Prep

The Prep students have been learning about Location in Maths by using directional language to explain where different objects are. Within this, they have been coding and thinking about the directions they need to give in order to move an object through a course. The Prep students used a Cubetto to put in a code and move it left, right and forwards on the map. They also have been using Code.org to move the character with directional instructions. 

Jess Conway and Bridie Slater

Mathematics Leaders