Mathematics

This course aims to link mathematics to the world of students who are not likely to be majoring in subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. MATHS 89F will include several important mathematical ideas within historical, environmental, societal, political, financial, justice, entertainment and cultural contexts. The course will also be guided by the interests of its learners as citizens and consumers, who will be encouraged to draw on the mathematics they are already familiar with.

The semester will commence with study skills, including an introduction to tutorials, how to use a scientific calculator, an introduction to collaborative learning, problem solving techniques and investigation. Skills will be applied and reinforced first in the context of arithmetic, including a study of number sets, large and small numbers, percentages and the metric system. The investigation of patterns lays a foundation for the algebra that follows. Algebra covers manipulation of expressions and formulae, solving equations and inequalities, and the application of these skills to problem solving.

We consolidate the study skills from Semester One, especially in the areas of technology and collaborative learning. We explore trigonometry, mainly in relation to right-angled triangles. Functions and their graphs are the main focus of the semester, particularly the graphs of straight lines and parabolas.