Australian Maths Challenge
During remote learning, there were 30 students who embarked on the 2020 Maths Challenge. Sixteen students in Year 3 and 4 completed the Middle Primary Challenge and fourteen students in Year 5 and 6 finished the Upper Primary Challenge.
The challenge is a problem-solving activity organised by the Australian Maths Trust (AMT). The problems were challenging and required time, effort and creativity to complete. Students were able to work collaboratively, in small groups of up to three, or work through each problem independently.
Before commencing the challenge, students thought about themselves as maths learners and, from this, developed a mathematical mindset goal. After completing the challenge, students reflected on their learning, and how they can apply this to future learning. Some quotes from each student’s reflections are included below.
Congratulations to all students who participated in the challenge! An amazing effort!
Lou and Oliver checking their strategy
Hannah, Ava, Emma and Kyah persisting through problem four
Reuben, William and Jai trying to understand the problem
Jackson, Oliver and Toby working together
James, Xavier and Nate checking their working out
Eva and Elin sharing the different strategies they used to get the same answer
James and Heidi explaining in their own words what the problem is asking them to do
Hannah and Ava sharing their thinking
Lou and Oliver checking their strategy
Hannah, Ava, Emma and Kyah persisting through problem four
Reuben, William and Jai trying to understand the problem
Jackson, Oliver and Toby working together
James, Xavier and Nate checking their working out
Eva and Elin sharing the different strategies they used to get the same answer
James and Heidi explaining in their own words what the problem is asking them to do
Hannah and Ava sharing their thinking
Middle Primary Challenge Student Reflections
The challenge helped me to think deeper about my maths.
Oliver Renkin
It has pushed me to my potential.
James Carty
The maths challenge helped me to use strategies and I also learnt some more!
Hannah Churchill
I worked more on using different strategies. I worked on it by trying a lot of different questions and also using different strategies.
Matthew Lohmann
It has helped me because it was very fun as well as challenging which is good.
Austin Noye
My goal was don’t give up easily, how I worked on it was if something is challenging think of a different way to work it out.
Lou Dumbell
I feel comfortable being wrong; my mum helped me to calm down.
Elin Hofstra
I found it hard when the question just seemed impossible and my brain hurt from the question before.
Eva Morrow
It challenged me.
Oscar Rondon-Danaher
It was that it was better to understand the question than to get it right. I worked on this with the practice problems and the problems in general.
Loulou Frost
My goal was, 'I REALLY LOVE WHEN MATHS IS CHALLENGING.' I improved by liking when maths is challenging more often.
Charlie Malpas
Not to give up because the questions were making me want to quit.
Nate Anstis
My maths challenge learning goal was trying more than one answer and trying to get different strategies.
Xavier Collison
My maths learning goal was to stay focused and I had time in different spaces and quiet places.
Sonny Wallace
When I make a mistake I don’t get upset anymore.
Austin Rose
My goal was to find more ways to solve a problem.
Nate Bush
Upper Primary Challenge Student Reflections
This maths challenge has been a golden ticket to trial and error which has taught me to keep trying and find other ways to figure out problems.
Bayley Bowring
I have learnt to only focus on the important parts of the question. If you look at the whole question it can be a bit daunting, but by breaking it down, it is easier to comprehend.
Ava Verhagen
It has taught me new things about shapes, numbers and that will help me do maths.
Jamie Lowery
It has improved my learning because at the start I was more focused on getting the question right but now I am more focused on understanding what I got wrong and why I got it wrong. I am now more focused on understanding.
Heidi Bush
It helped me look at challenges in different ways.
Jackson Campbell
The most challenging part of the problem is the little details. The little things in the question that sometimes you just skim over or forget can make a massive impact on the actual answer.
Hannah Dreise
My goal was to enjoy maths when it’s challenging and the maths challenge has helped me because most of the questions have been challenging and I have made it fun by doing it with friends.
Toby Hallam
A hard part was explaining all the work other than just writing the answers because you have to understand the question deeply so you can explain and answer the question.
Jai Petrovics
My maths challenge learning goal was to be more of a creative problem solver. I worked on it by trying to think of different ways to solve the problem and think deeper into the question.
Kyah Williams
My goal was to understand the question. Underlining important words and re-reading the question multiple times and in my own words to get the meaning helped me.
Rueben Cook
The hardest part of the maths challenge was Question 4a. My team and I had lots of trouble with the answers. Shout outs to Jai and Reuben.
William Wallace
The challenge has helped me improve my maths learning because I have learnt problem solving that I will need to use in the real world when I am older.
Emma Rogers
My goal was to look for other ways to solve the question. I worked on that by looking for another way to find an answer because if I managed to find a new answer then I realised that my first answer might’ve been wrong.
Oliver Bentley
It has helped me to regain confidence in myself as a maths learner. When something is hard I try harder, I completed my goal!
Jada Kristapsons