Practical Mathematics

Year long

The course aims to provide students the skills to have a better appreciation and understanding of mathematics in their everyday life.

With a strong emphasis on the use of mathematics in practical context, the content is designed to build students’ confidence to calculate important day-to-day matters that affect almost every aspect of life, including finance, investing, work-based costings and budgets, and measurement.

This will be achieved through different Modules designed to enable students to acquire different Mathematics concepts as well as a variety of Projects that will provide platforms for their application.

Topics covered may include:

The importance of numeracy

Numeracy is as critical as reading and writing. It impacts everyday life in a range of areas including creating a food budget, putting fuel in a car, tax-related mathematics, buying and selling cars and/or accessing a home loan.

An appreciation for numeracy

Students will learn practical ways to understand numbers and easy ways to develop mental maths skills. This includes games, tricks and shortcuts to multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.

How numeracy applies to money

Students will learn how to quickly and easily calculate pay rates (from hourly to annually), tax, interest rates, inflation and investment returns and how compounding interest works with the comparison of small changes. This section includes practical examples regarding accounting and budgeting (both business and personal), hire-purchases, rental or payment plans and how they compare with a base or up-front cost. How mathematics work in relation to loans and credit cards will also be investigated.

How numeracy applies to measurement

This topic focuses on fundamentals. It includes such concepts as linear measurement, area, volume, weight, speed, energy, heat and time, and techniques showing how to mentally estimate or calculate useful things in day-to-day life.

Time, speed, distance and other conversions are covered in this section.

These are explained in simple, practical terms with visual diagrams and activities. These areas are seen as the foundational skills for mathematics in everyday life.

Students undertaking this subject will utilise the Maths Pathways Flex platform (individualised programs) combined with rich tasks, regular energisers, mini lessons and a number of longer projects, students will develop skills across the entire Mathematics Victorian curriculum.