K-10 Syllabus
Early Adolescence (8-10) Mathematics Syllabus
The Early Adolescence (8-10) Mathematics Syllabus is designed to support teachers with planning and delivering learning, teaching and assessment programs in the context of the Curriculum Framework. The syllabus details content at each year of schooling across the early adolescence phase of development. When using these advisory materials, teachers will continue to make professional judgements about when to introduce content based on students' prior learning and achievement.
Last Updated: Tuesday, 04 March 2008 11:59
- Purpose
-
Download: Purpose of the Early Adolescence (8-10) Mathematics Syllabus
This syllabus provides teachers with advice about content, planning, teaching and assessment in Mathematics in years 8-10.
Connections with other curriculum policy and support documents
This syllabus is consistent with, and can be used in conjunction with, the following policy and support documents:- Mathematics Learning Area Statement in the Curriculum Framework for Kindergarten to Year 12 Education in Western Australia produced by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia.
The Curriculum Framework establishes the learning outcomes expected of all Western Australian students from kindergarten to year 12. - The Curriculum Council’s Curriculum Framework Progress Maps - Mathematics.
These describe progressive student achievement in Mathematics from kindergarten to year 12 and are a guide for monitoring and planning for student achievement. - The Department of Education and Training’s Outcomes and Standards Framework - Mathematics.
This is similar to the Mathematics Progress Maps but also includes Achievement Targets for years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in WA public schools. - The Curriculum Council’s Curriculum Framework Curriculum Guide - Mathematics.
This describes, in phases of development, content to support students’ progress in Mathematics from kindergarten to year 12. - The MCEETYA National Consistency in Curriculum Outcomes (NCCO) Statements of Learning.
These are statements of learning agreed to by State and Territory Ministers for Education and are intended to provide greater consistency in curriculum outcomes across Australia.
As part of a K-12 approach to mathematics, this syllabus also:- builds on the Middle Childhood (4-7) Syllabus
- prepares students for the more specialised Mathematics courses in years 11 and 12.
- Mathematics Learning Area Statement in the Curriculum Framework for Kindergarten to Year 12 Education in Western Australia produced by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia.
- Rationale
-
Download: Rationale for teaching Mathematics in the early adolescence phase of development
Key features of Mathematics
Mathematics involves observing, representing and investigating patterns and relationships in social and physical phenomena and between mathematical objects themselves. Mathematics develops students’ abilities to:- see the mathematics in situations and choose appropriate mathematics for these situations
- think creatively, critically, strategically and logically
- plan, investigate, make conjectures and decide on levels of accuracy
- reason inventively, analyse options and consider the consequences and implications of decisions.
Organisation of the Mathematics learning area
Nineteen outcomes are identified in the Curriculum Framework Mathematics Learning Area Statement. These are grouped into the following seven areas:- Appreciating Mathematics
- Working Mathematically
- Number
- Measurement
- Chance and Data
- Space
- Algebra.
The scope and sequence statements in this syllabus incorporate the content for the first two areas within that for the last five.
- Phase of Development
-
Download: Mathematics in the early adolescence phase of development
Teaching Mathematics in years 8-10
The Curriculum Framework identifies seven principles of effective learning and teaching:- opportunity to learn
- connection and challenge
- action and reflection
- motivation and purpose
- inclusivity and difference
- independence and collaboration
- supportive environment.
Click here for suggestions on how the principles of effective learning and teaching can be incorporated into the teaching of mathematics in years 8-10 in ways which take account of students’ current stages of development.
- Content
-
Download: Content
Content in this syllabus is organised into:
Download: K-10 overviews
Download: Scope and sequence statements- K-10 overviews of suggested text types for each Mathematics learning outcome
- scope and sequence statements expressed in year levels to provide advice on starting points for learning, teaching and assessment programs.
- Planning
-
Download: Planning for learning in Mathematics
When using the content in this syllabus to plan for learning in Mathematics, teachers need to take into account the following:- relevant policies and curriculum priorities
- students’ achievement and learning needs
- opportunities to integrate learning
- the Curriculum Framework’s principles of learning, teaching and assessment.
- Assessment
-
Download: Assessment in Mathematics
The purpose of assessment in Mathematics is to monitor students' progress to:- provide feedback
- inform planning, teaching and reporting.
When assessing, Mathematics teachers need to take into account the Curriculum Framework’s principles of assessment and keep in mind the following:- assessment relies on teachers’ professional judgements
- assessment should be referenced to common standards as described in the Curriculum Framework Progress Maps - Mathematics / Outcomes and Standards Framework - Mathematics
- Mathematics teachers do not have to formally level or grade every piece of student work
- Mathematics Departments should have an assessment policy which is communicated to students and other members of the school community
- assessment can be undertaken in a variety of ways including via collection and marking of student work, observation, checklists, portfolios, recordings and anecdotal records
- Mathematics teachers can select from a range of published or teacher developed resources to record assessment information.