Project Maths in a year?

Meller

For people repeating the LC next year who did the old Maths course, how difficult do you think it will be to cover the Project Maths course in a year? Is most of the old course still going to be relevant?

MathsManiac

The course is being phased in over three years. There are five strands in the new syllabus, and the first phase involves bringing in strands 1 and 2 only. So the remainder of the course is exactly as in 2011.

At all three levels, paper 1 will be unchanged. Paper 2 will be entirely on the new strands at higher level. At Ordinary and Foundation level, the area and volume stuff is as before, and the rest of paper 2 will be on the new strands.

It's obviously trickier than simply repeating an unchanged syllabus, but should be quite manageable for a repeat student to adapt to.

Meller

MathsManiac wrote: »

The course is being phased in over three years. There are five strands in the new syllabus, and the first phase involves bringing in strands 1 and 2 only. So the remainder of the course is exactly as in 2011.

At all three levels, paper 1 will be unchanged. Paper 2 will be entirely on the new strands at higher level. At Ordinary and Foundation level, the area and volume stuff is as before, and the rest of paper 2 will be on the new strands.

It's obviously trickier than simply repeating an unchanged syllabus, but should be quite manageable for a repeat student to adapt to.

Thank you. Do the 'new strands' still involve knowledge of the old course, or is it almost entirely new and unrelated?

cifahy

Hi Meller,

For a very simple idea of the course, may I suggest the NCCA information sheet for Parents: http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Post-Primary_Education/Project_Maths/Information_on_Project_Maths/Info_note_for_parents_June_2011.pdf

For resource Material for the Course, I recommend checking out:
http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Post-Primary_Education/Project_Maths/Resources/Project_Maths_student_resource_materials.html

Also, you may find this quite helpful:
http://www.projectmaths.ie/students/cd-strand1and2/default.asp

Textbooks

New Concise Maths: This deals with Strand 1 & 2. It's excellent and currently, to my knowledge, the only textbook available which deals with Strand 1. I think it costs around 15 euro so maybe not worth the investment just yet unless you are certain you're repeating.

Texts & Texts 4: Project Maths Supplement: This deals with Strand 2 only. It's also excellent and costs, if I recall correctly, 5 euro in Easons. So it might be good to pick that up just to take a look.



Rough Breakdown
Strand 1: Probability & Statistics

In Probability, I would suggest half your work is done if you have covered the old course. You will have to learn some new concepts; Bernoulli Trials, Probability Distribution, Venn Diagrams etc. but much of that is complimentary to Stats.

In Statistics, I would say only a quarter of your work is done in the old course. (With Mean & Standard Deviation and a good knowledge of some parts covered in J.C) Here there is much more to do. You will need to pay special attention to points such as Hypothesis Testing, but also understanding Statistical Distributions and how they look. This will probably require much of your time.

Strand 2: Geometry and Trigonometry

Trigonometry: I would say you've covered at least 2/3 of this module. Much of the basics are still the same. However, you will need to understand how functions look on a graph, periods. You still need to be able to derive Trig Functions.

Coordinate Geometry: I would say this is very similar. I would say you've covered over 2/3 with the Line and the Circle. However, Coordinate Geometry does not seem to be as important in the exam as Synthetic Geometry (at least in terms of marks).

Synthetic Geometry: You wont have seen this before. Unless you did Technical Graphics for Junior Cert or something in that area. There are 20 Constructions you need to be able to do (15 would have been from Junior Cert). Also, an understanding of a large number of Geometric rules to do with lines, circles and so on will be required. Again some of this you will have covered at Junior Cert. But how much you remember may be the problem. Also, there are 3 proofs required here. (Which isn't too much really).

To answer your particular question, I think it will be more difficult for you to repeat this year then if you would have had to repeat last year. That much is true. However, I don't think it will be much more difficult.

To summarise, about half the old course (for Paper 2) is relevant and all the old course for Paper 1 is relevant. I hope that offers you some encouragement.

Cillian

Meller

Thank you so much, cifahy.

It does look a bit messy, but manageable.

AnnaKin

well as a person who has done the course for the LC 2012... i do ordinary.. we got the course of project maths done in 5 months and as for the HL students well theres a lot of stuff for them to do but they said it wasnt unmanageable!

kate.m

This might be a little of topic but there are some select schools that will still be doing the Old maths course next year.
You could go to one of these schools?

I *think* a certain grind school in Dublin is among them.

Meller

kate.m wrote: »

This might be a little of topic but there are some select schools that will still be doing the Old maths course next year.
You could go to one of these schools?

I *think* a certain grind school in Dublin is among them.

So there's still going to be a paper on the old Maths course available for students to take in 2012? I didn't know that was an option- where can I find information about it?

Bbbbolger

I asked some people in my school who were in 5th year this year and they said they just covered all the old stuff in 5th year so if I was to repeat I'd be on the exact same level as them. We'd all be doing all the new stuff in one year. Maybe your school is like this. I doubt many schools did all the new stuff in 5th year so ask in whatever school you may have to repeat in.

kate.m

Meller wrote: »

kate.m wrote: »

This might be a little of topic but there are some select schools that will still be doing the Old maths course next year.
You could go to one of these schools?

I *think* a certain grind school in Dublin is among them.

So there's still going to be a paper on the old Maths course available for students to take in 2012? I didn't know that was an option- where can I find information about it?

Couldn't be sure but I'll ask my friends about it and get back to you! I was told by two of my friends who are planning on repeating next year, both doing HL. Their teacher mentioned it

Funny_Bones

Meller wrote: »

So there's still going to be a paper on the old Maths course available for students to take in 2012? I didn't know that was an option- where can I find information about it?

I don't imagine the State Examinations Commission will be making a paper just of the old syllabus. To my Knowledge everyone next year will have to do at least the strands one and two. I think you should find these managable. Are you taking higher or odinary? (by the way you have decided early to repeat!) Either way you shouldn't have any major problem adapting to it:)

Meller

Funny_Bones wrote: »

I don't imagine the State Examinations Commission will be making a paper just of the old syllabus. To my Knowledge everyone next year will have to do at least the strands one and two. I think you should find these managable. Are you taking higher or odinary? (by the way you have decided early to repeat!) Either way you shouldn't have any major problem adapting to it:)

Yeah, that's what I assumed. I'm taking higher - I haven't decided to repeat yet, I'm just weighing out all my options (and I fear I may have failed Maths).

Funny_Bones

Sure try to be optimistic!! You would prob just find the syllabus tricky at the start but a little bit of your time and it should be fine!!