MTQ
Maths Investigations
Using and Developing Mathematical Skills and Connections Across the Curriculum
MAT HS INVESTIGATIONS
 The Maths Talent Quest (MTQ) is open to all primary and
secondary students in Victoria and Tasmania.
 The MTQ aims to promote interest in mathematics and foster
positive attitudes amongst students, teachers and parents.
 The focus is on the process of mathematical investigations.
 The MTQ promotes the use and development of mathematical
skills and connections across the curriculum.
 MTQ investigations cater for student diversity.
 They not only provide gifted and talented students, but
students with an interest in Mathematics, the opportunity
to demonstrate their knowledge and learning as they explore
and research a topic of their own choice.
 They also allow students from diverse backgrounds,
particularly those from different cultures and from rural
centres, to show how mathematics relates to their lives.
The Australian Curriculum
&
AusVELS
MTQ -Maths Investigationsusing and developing mathematical skills and connections across the curriculum
The Australian Curriculum & AusVELS
Content and Proficiency
 Mathematics is organised around the interaction of three content strands and four proficiency strands.
 The proficiencies reinforce the significance of working mathematically within the content and describe how the content is explored or
developed.
 ‘The curriculum anticipates that schools will ensure all students benefit from access to the power of mathematical reasoning and learn
to apply their mathematical understanding creatively and efficiently…..’
 ‘It encourages teachers to help students become self-motivated, confident learners through inquiry and active participation in
challenging and engaging experiences.’
General Capabilities
 Aims for students to ‘recognise connections between the areas of mathematics and other disciplines and appreciate mathematics as
an accessible and enjoyable discipline to study.’
 Students need to recognise that mathematics is constantly used outside the mathematics classroom and that numerate people apply
mathematical skills in a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar situations.
 Using mathematical skills across the curriculum both enriches the study of other learning areas and contributes to the development of
a broader and deeper understanding of numeracy
AusVELS Domains
Mathematics, Thinking Processes, Communication, Design, Creativity and Technology, Information and Communications Technology,
Interpersonal Development, English, Languages, Personal Learning, Science, The Arts, The Humanities, The Humanities Economics,
The Humanities Geography, The Humanities History, Civics and Citizenship, Health and Physical Education.
 MTQ -Maths Investigationsusing and developing mathematical skills and connections across the curriculum.
Thinking Processes
The type of skills normally associated with investigations are generally
higher order skills or processes.
•
These processes fall under the broad heading of Working Mathematically-
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developed.
Thinking Processes- AusVELS Domain – students will be developing creative and
The Australian Curriculum proficiencies reinforce the significance of working
mathematically within the content and describe how the content is explored or
critical thinking abilities, and applying them to the expansion of their knowledge
and skills.
•
“We are preparing students for an uncertain future, there will be problems to
solve that probably don’t yet exist.”
•
The aim of developing thinking skills through the investigation process is
- to provide students with the ability to apply and transfer knowledge to new and
different circumstances as they arise throughout life
- to understand and act effectively in the ever changing world in which they live.
 Who can enter?
 How do we enter?
 Entry formats
 Awards
 Getting started
 Classroom management
 Judging Criteria
• All students from P-12
• Entries can be:
- Individual
- groups up to 6
- classes up to 30
• A maximum of 8 entries
per year level
• Visit
www.mav.vic.edu.au/studact/mtq.htm
for the Information Booklet-Entry Costs,
Judging Rubric and further details
• Download the Information Booklet from
the MAV website – this is your ‘Number
1’ source for MTQ information
• Select which entries you are submitting complete school judging if necessary
• Registration opens online Monday 15th
April (go to MAV website)
• Registration closes online Wednesday
17th July
All entries must include a log, a journal
or rough workings.
• Investigation
• Creative writing
• Models
• Posters
• Technology-supported
mathematics
• Games
• Film, video, audio tapes
Registration opens
Monday15th April
Registration closes
Wednesday 17th July
Delivery of entries Latrobe
Wednesday 14th August
Judging
Thursday 15th & Friday 16thAugust,
Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th August
Display of entries
Wednesday 21st August (Morning)
Entry Pick Up
Wednesday 21st August (Afternoon) &
Thursday 22nd August (until 2pm)
Award Ceremony
Thursday 24th October
Must include:
– An abstract
– Mathematical aims
– Observations and results
– Discussion on relevance of
results
– Conclusion
– Log, journal or rough
workings
• Real world Maths or
mathematical situations
• Sequential steps
• Formulate own questions
• Apply prior knowledge and
strategies
• Explore systematically
• Use mathematical
processes
• Justify the results
• Summarize the findings
• An investigation not a
research document or
project
• Essays/stories
• Script for a play
• Must have a cover sheet
showing
• -mathematical aims,
- key mathematical ideas,
- an evaluation
• Log, journal or rough working
must be included
• Must reinforce a
mathematical principle
• Be appropriately
documented-refer
rubric
• No larger than
70cmx70cmx70cm
and 10kg
• Log, journal or rough
workings must be
included
• Sequential presentation of
the Mathematics involved
• Be appropriately
documented-refer rubric
• No larger than A1 and fit a
Postpak cylinder
• Log, journal or rough
workings must be
included
• Must highlight aspects of
mathematics
• Be appropriately
documented including a hard
copy of your project
• Log, journal or rough
workings must be
included
• Windows or Macintosh on
CD ROM
• Show development of
mathematical ideas from
developer and player’s
perspectives
• Appropriately documented
– an evaluation of a trial.
• Original and creative
• Log, journal or rough
workings must be
included
• Must illustrate producer’s
development of
mathematical ideas
• Appropriate documentation
• Script & indexed
commentary
• No longer than 15 minutes
• Log, journal or rough
workings must be
included
•
Certificate of Participation for all
•
Encouragement – Certificate
•
Credit - Certificate
•
Distinction and High Distinction –
Certificates and Book Vouchers
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Outstanding investigations are selected to
represent Victoria in National MTQ
•
Distinction, High Distinction and National
Awards Presentation CeremonyThursday 24th October - La Trobe
University, Bundoora
• Start working with classes early
• Give students ideas and inspiration
• Brainstorm with students
- what are their personal interests?
- sports?
- hobbies?
- controversial questions?
• Excursions/Camps
• Local business or Community
interests
• National or Global issues or interests
•
Individual/s, Group/s or Whole Class
•
MTQ Vs Classwork
•
MTQ Vs Set Project
•
Implementation- Teacher Choice- One
lesson per week, more than one a week,
each day of the week, whole days or
weekly
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Benefits – Working Mathematically
- Inquiry Based
- Real-Life Learning
- Making Connections
- Application
- Understanding
- Engagement
(Please refer to Judging Criteria sheet)
•
The Judging Criteria can be downloaded from the MAV
website at http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/studact/mtq.htm
•
The Judging Criteria sheet has 4 Criteria with a total of
11 categories.
•
Each category is scored as High, Medium, Low or Not
Evident.
•
Each category receives a corresponding score of 4, 3, 2,
or 0.
•
The highest possible score is 44.
(Please refer to Judging Criteria sheet)
1. Communication
(4 categories)
2. Understanding
(4 categories)
3. Ideas & Resources
(2 categories)
4. Presentation
(1 category)
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Interest
Explore
Create
Question
Communicate
Think
Solve problems
Collaborate
Time management
Design
Success
Rewards
Real Life/Meaningful
Mathematics, not presentation or multimedia
expertise, forms the basis of judging decisions•
Topics must be age appropriate
•
Demonstrate student ownership
•
Demonstrate mathematical knowledge and use
•
Provide clear evidence of student/group/class
investigation process and development
•
Context in which project developed is clear
•
Contains a clearly stated acknowledgement of
support
Judging- Thursday 15th & Friday 16th, Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th August
at the State Judging Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora
• It is compulsory for each metropolitan school to
provide a minimum of two hours judging
• Where schools have more than five entries, an
extra two hours of judging must be provided for
every five extra entries or part thereof
• Regional schools are encouraged to participate
in judging
• Judges who are independent of schools are
also encouraged to participate in judging
•Download the General Information Booklet, the Student
Information and the Judging Rubric from the MAV, MTQ website
at www.mav.vic.edu.au/studact/mtq.htm
•Refer to the Questions and Answer section on MAV, MTQ website
www.mav.vic.edu.au/studact/mtq.htm
•Speak to the MTQ coordinators at office@mav.vic.edu.au or
phone 9380 2399
•Contact MTQ coordinators regarding MTQ Teacher/School PD’s
•Photographs are of prior years judging and investigation entries