Year 7 / 8 LEAP Classes

Maths Incursion with The University of Melbourne 

During the final day of Term 1, an exciting event unfolded as students from Year 7 and Year 8 LEAP classes joined forces for a special Maths incursion hosted by The University of Melbourne, School of Mathematics and Statistics. This engaging session was part of the prestigious Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series.

The highlight of the day was the introduction of “The Pebble Game”, a hands-on and interactive activity designed to make learning basic coding concepts both fun and accessible. Through the game's dynamic format, students were able to grasp essential concepts such as sequencing and conditional statements in a tangible and experiential way. With each step, they gained a deeper understanding of the importance of organizing instructions in a logical order to achieve desired outcomes—a skill essential in programming and problem-solving alike.

Throughout this immersive experience, students were actively engaged in the learning process, fostering a sense of empowerment and confidence in their ability to tackle coding challenges. "The Pebble Game" succeeded in demystifying coding concepts, making them not only comprehensible but also enjoyable for our students.

In essence, the introduction of "The Pebble Game" represented more than just a learning activity; It served to spark interest in coding and technology among our students, opening doors for them to delve deeper into the exciting realms of Mathematics and computer science in the future.

Ms Maria Lelekakis

At the Maths and Stats Incursion we all worked on non- binary numbers. First we played a game with eraser. We were split into separate groups. We each took some erasers from the groups. The last person to take an eraser is the loser. We tried to create strategies to win. In the next round we rwere given a chart with lots of tables on it . Everyone wrote the numbers of eraser in three separate groups. Using the binary system, we converted the numbers into binary numbers (1’s and 0’s). We kept filling out the table each go until we found the winner.

Lucky on, 3 lucky people go to verse the presenter, Dom and a year 8 girl won against him! The incursion was great and we all enjoyed it. 

Jack, 7J

If I was to describe the maths and Stats incursion it would be memorable. At first, we were just playing a simple but then it turned into a game where we had to carefully scrutinize every move. We were enlightened on binary and non- binary numbers creating a “special sum” to defeat our opponent. It was educational yet fun to participate in. The game revolved around a bunch of eraser that were divided into three groups where the objective was to receive the last eraser from that pile. Overall, it was a memorable experience which I would love to do again!

Prakarsha, 7J

On the 27th March a few people from The University of Melbourne came to teach up Maths and Statistics. They showed us a game using binary numbers and taught us how these numbers work. A lot of us versed one of the hosts, Dominic but only one person was able to beat him. He taught us how binary numbers work and how to use them to help us win the game. After we were taught the strategy we got better and better.

-Evan, 7J

Dominic from The University of Melbourne, Maths and Stats department came over to show us a little something. We started playing a game with these pin sized erasers. After that we played the game but this time we were tracking our plays with binary numbers. Dom came over to some tables and played against some of us. I played him once and got absolutely demolished. Thing is, Dom knew how to always win and it seemed like nobody could beat him. After what seemed like ages, Dom was defeated. It was a fun experience for everyone, even the teachers!

Dilsanjh, 7J

7j got to experience an incursion to improve our familiarity with converting numbers into their binary form. We got into pairs with somebody of our choice and then got provided with small erasers. We were taught how to play a game called pebbles. At first when they explained the game my friend and I didn't understand how it worked, then a really nice staff member came and helped us understand it by talking through everything with us. I personally think that it was great that the teachers were encouraging and assisting students who needed it. Near the end of the incursion some lucky students got to compete against whoever was at the front and would try to figure out a strategy that would help them win, after no one was able to win, the instructor talked about what his strategy was and how and why it always worked. I feel like this incursion did strengthen my knowledge of binary numbers and it was great that all the staff were incredibly encouraging and assisted students

Emilie, 7J