Applications

These two books from the Shell Centre focus on applications. The tasks are intended to stimulate students' interest in, and understanding of, the world in which they live. As they pursue these tasks students will be involved in selecting materials and mathematics to use for their chosen task, checking they have sufficient information, working methodically and reviewing their progress, interpreting mathematical information presented in oral, written or diagrammatic form, as well as in making and testing hypotheses. The tasks within this cluster concern real life situations, and they are intended to be tackled practically. However, it is important that this practical approach should be followed up using reasoning, calculation and proof, according to the individual need and ability of each student.

Where There’s Life There’s Maths
The lead task is Do you need a water meter?
Water metering was a relatively new idea at the time of publication. The investigation required, reading information from tables, working out rateable values, comparing different methods of payment and making decisions on rating systems.

The alternative tasks are:
• Breaking the record
• Life or death
• Jam tomorrow?
• Seal your fate
• Who's won?
• Price it right

Plan it
The lead task in this book is called The Celebration. The ability to plan and organise is an important skill in everyday life. It usually involves applying basic mathematical knowledge so that more informed decisions can be made. This task provides students with an opportunity to plan and organise a wide variety of events and use elements of planning of time costing, quantity, value, comparing alternatives, data collection, data representation, ratio and proportion, percentage and estimation.

The alternative tasks are
• Relationships
• Kit it out
• Turn it in
• Locations
• Map it out
• Fit to eat

• URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx6av