Respect and Responsibility

Number

Students ask questions and explore mathematical problems. They use everyday language, materials and informal recordings to demonstrate understanding and link mathematical ideas.

Students count to 30 and represent numbers to 20 with…pictures, numerals and words…They manipulate objects to model addition and subtraction…

NES1.1, NES1.2,

• Students count up to 30 in their home language. Invite parents to share the experience with students and display the way numbers are written in various languages. Parents share how the numbers are used in their country of origin.
• Print cards with pictures of animals native to different countries. Students use the cards to play addition and subtraction games. Students informally record their strategies.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships

Patterns and Algebra

Students ask questions and explore mathematical problems. They use everyday language, materials and informal recordings to demonstrate understanding and link mathematical ideas…

…Students recognise, describe and continue patterns that increase or decrease…

PAES1.1

• Examine costumes from different cultures. Discuss and identify those with repeating patterns, eg kilt, kimono. Discuss patterns that have cultural significance or belong to particular groups. Students create their own pattern for an item of clothing using pattern blocks or a computer-based drawing or stamping program.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Measurement and Data

Students ask questions and explore mathematical problems. They use everyday language, materials and informal recordings to demonstrate understanding and link mathematical ideas…

…Students identify length…and compare and arrange objects according to these attributes… Students use objects and pictures to create a data display and interpret data…

MES1.1, DES1.1

• Discuss where relatives and friends live in relation to the students’ homes using the terms near, far, nearer, further and closer. Students order their relatives and friends homes or residences from near to far in relation to where they live. As a class, discuss the implications of relatives and friends being near or far away.

• Students create a data display of the types of food brought for lunch. Students devise questions for the data display for the class to answer. When the information is gathered they consider the types of foods and their country of origin. Students organise a cultural day and bring in food to share for lunch.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Space and Geometry

Students ask questions and explore mathematical problems. They use everyday language… to demonstrate understanding and link mathematical ideas…

…Students…sort and describe 2D shapes, identifying circles, squares, triangles and rectangles…

SGEES1.2

• After identifying the cultural backgrounds of students identify national flags from students’ countries of origin. Students select a flag and identify 2D shapes on it. They discuss themes on the flags and why certain shapes are used. Students design their own flag using some of the activities identified.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Number

Students ask questions and use objects, diagrams…to explore mathematical problems. They link mathematical ideas and use everyday language, some mathematical language…to explain how answers were obtained.

Students count, order, read and write numbers…and…add, subtract, multiply and divide.

NS1.1, NS1.2, NS1.3, NS1.4

• Invite a parent or community member, who speaks a language other than English, to teach the class a number song or counting rhyme in their native language. Students perform the number rhymes or counting song at an assembly.

• Adjust wording of mathematical problems to reflect the cultural backgrounds of students when using and applying mathematical operations to real life situations, eg sharing a number of falafels amongst students, dividing a sushi roll, sharing a pizza.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships

Patterns and Algebra

Students ask questions and use …technology to explore mathematical problems. They link mathematical ideas and use everyday language…

…Students describe, create and continue a variety of number patterns…

PAS1.1

• Identify repeating patterns by researching artwork by Indigenous artists and those of other cultural backgrounds represented by the students. Students select a pattern and replicate using a computer-based drawing program. Once completed, students print the pattern and integrate it into their own artwork.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Measurement and Data

Students ask questions…to explore mathematical problems. They link mathematical ideas and use everyday language, some mathematical language and diagrams to explain how answers were obtained…

…Students estimate, measure, compare and record using informal units for…mass… Students gather, organise, display and interpret data using column and picture graphs…

MS1.4, DS1.1

• Gather grocery items that reflect a variety of cultural backgrounds, eg jasmine rice, Italian tinned tomatoes. Students compare the mass of objects from lightest to heaviest. Invite carers to share items of food they use from different cultures.
• Collect data about students, eg colour of eyes, hair. Students represent the data on a picture graph. They devise and ask a range of questions related to the graphs. Students consider how we are the same and/or different. If our eye and hair colour is the same as someone else, then what makes us different?
• Gather information to create a column graph showing students’ countries of origin. Students share the graph with their family and gather information about their family’s history. The information is gathered by the class and displayed alongside the graph. Students discuss the information displayed.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships

Space and Geometry

Students ask questions…to explore mathematical problems. They link mathematical ideas and use everyday language, some mathematical language and diagrams to explain how answers were obtained…

…Students identify, describe, sort…3D objects and 2D shapes…

SGS1.1, SGS1.2

• Identify 2D and 3D shapes in pictures of buildings from around the world. Students use 3D shapes to construct models of their favourite building.
• Invite cultural representatives, or use the internet, to share images of national monuments and buildings, eg Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Gladesville Bridge, Anzac Bridge. Look at shapes that are significant from a cultural perspective. Students look at lines and shapes of the buildings and draw 2D images of their own building.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Number

Students ask questions and use appropriate mental or written strategies, and technology, to solve problems. They use appropriate terminology to describe and link mathematical ideas…

Students count, read and record numbers…and use mental and written strategies…to solve addition and subtraction problems…They use mental strategies to recall multiplication facts…and related division facts… Students…compare and represent simple fractions and recognise percentages in everyday situations and they model compare, represent…add and subtract decimals… Students perform simple calculations with money and conduct simple chance experiments…

NS2.1, NS2.2, NS2.3, NS2.4

• Students gather samples of currency from various countries and share with the class. If they have travelled to other countries they share the experiences they had with foreign currencies and compare similarities and differences with Australian currency, eg denomination, shape, texture, mass, design.
• Students survey the school community gaining information on the cultural backgrounds of all students in the school. Create addition and subtraction problems based on the data. Students solve the problems and record their solutions.
• Explain the Ancient Egyptian method of long multiplication. Students produce their own two-digit multiplication problems and use this method to solve them.
• Collect menus from different restaurants. Use them as source material for activities such as halving and doubling amounts, sharing an imaginary bill.

Refer to Mathematics K–6 Sample Units of Work p 96

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships

Measurement and Data

Students ask questions and use appropriate mental or written strategies, and technology, to solve problems. They use appropriate terminology to describe and link mathematical ideas, check statements for accuracy and explain reasoning…

…Students estimate, measure, compare and record…volume, capacity and mass using formal units…Students gather and organise data to create and interpret tables and graphs…

MS2.2, MS2.3, MS2.4, DS2.1

• Collect recipes for simple meals from different cultures. Students select a recipe and convert ingredients required to cater for the class group. Measure ingredients and make the recipe. Invite parents or carers to participate.
• Estimate the number of students or families in the different cultural groups in the school. Gather data and compare with estimates. Round numbers to nearest ten and graph results.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships

Space and Geometry

Students ask questions and use appropriate…strategies…to solve problems. They use appropriate terminology to describe and link mathematical ideas, check statements for accuracy and explain reasoning…

…Students use coordinates to describe position and compass points to give and follow directions.

SGS 2.3

• Students locate their country of origin or choose a country from the world map. They locate north and then find other compass points. They use the compass rose to locate countries north, south, east or west of a given country. They pose their own questions using directional language.
• Students work in pairs and play a game with one student providing directions. The other students follow the directions, trying to locate and guess the name of the country. Students change roles.

Refer to Mathematics K–6 Sample Units of Work p 118

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Number

Students ask questions and undertake investigations, selecting appropriate technological applications and problem-solving strategies. They use mathematical terminology and some conventions…making connections with existing knowledge and understanding.

Students read, write and order numbers…selecting and applying appropriate… strategies… They compare, order and perform calculations with simple fractions, decimals and simple percentages and apply the four operations to money in real-life situations…

NS3.1, NS3.4, N3.5

• Students survey the population of the students’ countries of origin and list each in ascending order.

• Research currency values from the countries identified above. Select a currency and track its performance in relation to the Australian dollar over a period of time.
• Sample a group of students and ask them the countries they have visited. Students predict and compare results according to the information gained during the data collected in the above activities. Students discuss the likelihood of visiting nominated places and share experiences of their travels.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness

Measurement and Data

Students ask questions and undertake investigations, selecting appropriate technological applications and problem-solving strategies. They use mathematical terminology and some conventions and they give valid reasons when comparing and selecting from possible solutions, making connections with existing knowledge and understanding…

…Students select and use the appropriate unit to estimate, measure and calculate length… They use 24-hour time in real-life situations… Students draw and interpret a variety of graphs…

M3.1, MS3.5, DS3.1

• Students collect travel brochures for various countries they plan to visit. They record and plan a trip to a number of countries. Students can use up to 30 000 kilometres of travel. They are challenged to visit as many countries as possible including the trip home. They include a cultural feature of each country visited and strategies employed for working within the allocated kilometre limit.
• Pose questions related to different time zones. Use websites related to time zones to answer questions. Establish email communication with a school in another time zone.
• Collect information on the numbers of people in cultural groups in Australia. Convert to percentages and represent information in graph. Devise and answer questions related to the data, eg What is the largest cultural group? Is there evidence of this in our community?

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Inter-school Programs

Space and Geometry

Students ask questions and undertake investigations, selecting appropriate technological applications and problem-solving strategies. They use mathematical terminology and some conventions and they give valid reasons when comparing and selecting from possible solutions, making connections with existing knowledge and understanding…

…[Students]…make simple calculations using scale.

SGS3.3

• Look at different flight routes to destinations around the world. Students work in pairs to find the shortest route to nominated destinations. Invite a travel agent to share information and answer questions about travel and the features of the different countries.

Dimensions of respect and responsibility:

• Cultural Awareness
• Community Partnerships