Category Archives: Lesson Support Material

Comparing Mathematical Chance Predictions to Outcome Data

GOAL:  

I can predict chance events and compare my predictions to the outcomes

APK:

Using the cards provided, create  a class numberline, students take a card and think up a chance event that their number represents (e.g- if they chose 75% they might say, the chance I will have a snack as soon as I get home). Students could also come up with a chance word to go with their number- e.g ‘probable’. Add any new vocab to vocab poster.

APPLICATION:

Click on the following link:   dinner spinner 

What are the mathematical chances you’d be happy with dinner in this given spinner?

Make one that would suit your family or your table – what are the chances you’d be happy (extremely satisfied) now?

Use maths to predict what the outcome would be if you spun it 100 times. (say how many times you think each possibility would occur – then turn that into a fraction to show the probability – can you express it as percentage?)

Spin it 100 times and check if turns out as you thought it would.

GOAL REFLECTION:

Did the results turn out as the maths predicted? Why do you think this is?

Cosmic Discovery- lesson 2: Classifying objects in the Solar System

 Solar GIF

Goal:

I can classify objects in our solar system

APK:

Play with http://www.solarsystemscope.com/

Record & discuss interesting things you found out

New Info:

Today we will analyse our new information using CLASSIFICATION.

In 2006 Pluto was officially named a dwarf planet. This is because of the way Scientists have decided to classify ‘planets’.

The definition of planet set in PragueCzech Republic in August 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that, in the Solar System, a planet is a celestial body which:

  1. is in orbit around the Sun,
  2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and
  3. has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet

NASA  wants you to come up with a new way of classifying objects in our solar system

Classify: group similar items together based on similar traits

1. Name items to sort into groups– objects in our solar system- brainstorm- read & take notes on items using these websites:

http://theplanets.org/solar-system/

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm

2. Sort the items and say why they are in a group- how are objects classified at the moment?- make a table and put items into the table- eg.

Stars planets Dwarf planets asteroids comets moons Human made
Sun come up with mnemonic?-e.g: my very easy method just speeds up naming (planets)??-is pluto a planet though??

 Application:

3. How items could go into different groups- brainstorm what other ways we might group them

a new object object x was discovered outside ou

Goal reflection:

4. Tell what you know now (new idea) or could do with the information (new item)-What could be a different sorting system you could recommend to NASA? How might this system be useful?

If time, you may wish to discuss these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet

the classification of the solar system

Problem Solving Maths – Got It

Got It

Got It is an adding game for two players. You can play against the computer or with a friend. It is a version of a well known game called Nim.Start with the Got It target 23 .

The first player chooses a whole number from 1 to 4  .

Players take turns to add a whole number from 1 to 4 to the running total.

The player who hits the target of 23 wins the game.

Play the game several times.
Can you find a winning strategy?
Can you always win?

Does your strategy depend on whether or not you go first?
Tablet/Full Screen Version

 

 

To change the game, choose a new Got It target or a new range of numbers to add on.

Test out the strategy you found earlier. Does it need adapting?

Can you work out a winning strategy for any target?
Can you work out a winning strategy for any range of numbers?

Is it best to start the game? Always?

Away from the computer, challenge your friends:
One of you names the target and range and lets the other player start.

Extensions:

Can you play without writing anything down?

Can you use your knowledge of how to win the game to program our robot called AL to win?

Consider playing the game where a player CANNOT add the same number as that used previously by the opponent.

Cosmic Discovery – Goals

This term our Science Space Unit is based around the Teaching Standards below. Use them to make personal goals for yourself- what are you interested in learning or getting better at and how might that link with any of these standards. Set yourself a goal for each of the Science Understandings, and 1 other goal that uses this unit as a way to get better at something you know you want to improve.

Science Understanding

Science as a human endeavour

Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives

Earth and space sciences

Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the Sun)

Science Inquiry Skills

Recording and processing

Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to record, represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data

Analysing & Evaluating

Suggest improvements to the methods used to investigate a question or solve a problem

Communicating

Communicate ideas and processes using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and to identify simple cause-and-effect relationships

Topic Lesson – Drought

Classifying the effects of a drought

 

Goal

 I can classify/categorise the different types of effects of a drought

APK

Discuss Cape Town Water Crisis

New information:

 When you systematically classify/categorise things, you can use this algorithm to make it rigorous and productive:

Classify: group similar items together based on similar traits

  1. Name items to sort into categories
  2. Decide on possible categories based on possible differences
  3. Sort the items and say why they are in a category
  4. Say how items could go into different categories
  5. Tell what you know now (new idea) or could do with the information (new item)

 

New info & Application:

 1. Name items to sort into categories- things that are affected by drought

Show pictures of drought- list all things that are affected & how they are affected

 

  

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-14/nsw-drought-interactive-panorama-photos/5261242

https://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/sobering-california-drought-30088338/image-30090971

http://drought.unl.edu/NDMCPhotoGallery.aspx

http://www.abc.net.au/science/photos/drought/

 

In peer mentor partners, you should skim and scan this article to find specific effects of drought (10 min)- https://kids.kiddle.co/Drought#Consequences_of_drought

drought effects list

  1. Decide on possible categories based on possible differences– brainstorm possible categories

 

 

 

(e.g- human/ non human;    long term/short term;     living/non living;      plant/animal/non-living;    natural/artificial                                                      things humans can do something about/things we can’t)

Decide on the categorisation process you will use   Write: what are your categories?

 

3. Sort the items and say why they are in a category

Write:  What belongs in each category?

draw a picture /diagram/infographic of a fictional place that labels/lists effects of a drought/ use a system (such as brackets under your labels) to clearly categorise the items you have labeled

 

4. Say how items could go into different groups

Write: Could you create/choose different categories- how would you arrange the items now?

 

Goal reflection:

 4. Tell what you know now (new idea) or could do with the information (new item)

Which type of classification do you think is most useful? Why?

How might different types of categories help us to understand or to respond to drought?

Data for graphs

Use one of the following data sources to create a graph on Excel. What sort of graph best suits the data?

post it on your blog with the original data copied from here. High level work will also include an analysis of the graph- what does it show? What can we tell when we look at it?

 

% of worlds wealth held in 2005
Richest 10% 58.2
2nd Richest 10% 16.8
3rd Richest 10% 10.5
4th Richest 10% 6.5
5th Richest 10% 4.4
6th Richest 10% 2.5
7th Richest 10% 0.9
8th Richest 10% 0.2
9th Richest 10% 0.1
Poorest 10% 0

 

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita means how much a country earns for each person in the country, or the average amount each person earns in that country per year