Hello and welcome to the May edition of the Maths Week Newsletter

Traditionally May (Bealtaine) in Ireland is considered to be the beginning of summer, The name May is the modern-day English adaption of the Latin word Maius, which has origins going back to the Greek goddess of growth, so May is truly multi-cultural! 

As many of us across the country prepare for exams, spare a though for the students of MIT in 1876 who had this tricky puzzle on their entrance exam - CLICK HERE

If there's anything you would like to see in our newsletter, or if you have something you'd like to share, please drop an email to mathsweek@wit.ie with the subject 'NEWS' 

You can share this newsletter with your friends or colleagues using the links below and there's always lots to see and do on our website mathsweek.ie
Enjoy!

Enrica Amplo
Public Engagement Co-ordinator
Calmast

STEMreach



STEMreach
Now that students are back in school, Calmast STEMreach programme is running once more. The initiative was developed to provide sustained engagement through partnership in the South-East in Ireland. STEMreach connects higher education, industry, governmental and non-governmental bodies with primary and post-primary schools and wider society and is designed to benefit educational attainment, economy and culture in the region. The problem solving module is very popular with maths teachers. 
If you are interested in getting involved with STEMreach for TY in the new academic year please email calmast@wit.ie
Find out more https://www.calmast.ie/stemreach-2/

NI exams:
All GCSE, AS & A level exams have been cancelled in Northern Ireland for 2021. Instead, a student’s grade in each qualification will be based on their school or college’s professional assessment of the student’s performance on the content they have covered. Schools and colleges can submit their so-called Centre Determined Grades from the end of May and students are expected to have their results by the end of August.

RoI exams:
This year’s Leaving Certificate students have the option to sit their exams, opt for an accredited grade or both (in which case the student is awarded the highest grade). The portal for students to make their choice closed over the weekend (1^st May). From student choices on the portal, it seems that students are more likely to sit maths and science subject exams. 84% of students have chosen to sit maths, 85% biology, 87% physics, 88% chemistry and 96% applied maths.

Primary school:
230 3^rd- 6^th class primary school teachers were surveyed ahead of the ESB Science Blast. 2 in 3 of them felt that maths was the subject most affected by school closures due to COVID-19. However, teachers also reported that 36% of students were showing a greater interest in science since the pandemic began. [ESB Science Blast entries to be submitted by 21^st May].
Research from the USA reflects that students are falling behind in maths:
https://phys.org/news/2020-12-students-falling-math-pandemic.html
 

What's On?

 

15th - 23rd May
Bealtaine Living Earth Festival
The 17th Bealtaine Living Earth Festival this year will take place from 15 – 23 May.
Our very popular Living Earth TV will be back this year, with daily broadcasts from 5.30pm daily from 15-23 May. Click below for more details on our broadcast schedule.
www.livingearth.ie


21/05/21             “The Maths of Life and Death”
Every time you look at the world you are building a model. With every new experience these representations of your environment are refined and reconfigured. Each piece of sensory information you perceive makes the model of reality in your head more detailed and complex. The building of mathematical models, designed to capture our complex reality, is the best way we have of making sense of the rules that govern the world around us. The key to exemplifying these rules is to demonstrate their effects on people's lives: from the extraordinary to the everyday. This talk by Dr Kit Yates will relate true stories of life-changing events in which the use (or abuse) of mathematics has played a critical role. We will meet athletes banned by faulty tests and patients crippled by faulty genes; innocent victims of miscarriages of justice and the unwitting victims of mathematical bugs. We follow stories of investors who have lost fortunes and parents who have lost children, all because of mathematical misunderstanding. We wrestle with ethical issues from abortion to anti-vaccination and examine pertinent societal issues like medical screening, political referenda, disease prevention and criminal justice, on all of which mathematics has something profound or significant to say.       
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/maths-covid

07/05/2021         "The “Mathematical Summer in Paris”
This Paris summer school, July 5-9, 2021, will bring together young people who are passionate about mathematics and allow them to discover some of its many facets. Lectures by famous mathematicians will cover a wide range of topics. There will also be problem solving activities.
If you have highly motivated students  between 16 and 20 years of age, or between two years before and two years after your high school degree, and if you love mathematics, then this school should interest them!
The school will be 100% online, and free of charge."
Details:  https://www.mathematicalsummerinparis.fr/


09/06/2021
THE HEAVENTREE OF STARS -DUNSINK OBSERVATORY
Heaventree of Stars is a now annual Bloomsday celebration of astronomy, maths, music and science in Ulysses. Normally a summer’s evening of readings, discussions and music in the original meridian room of the observatory, it will happen online on June 9th.
We will have details in the June Newsletter, but it will book out fast. The James Joyce Centre should have an early listing https://jamesjoyce.ie/ 


26 – 27 June 2021
Robert Boyle Summer School
The 9th Robert Boyle Summer School will take place from 26 – 27 June 2021
This year the theme is “Women in STEM: past, present and future”.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it will take place online. 
The school will celebrate the achievements of women in the history of science before exploring issues for women in STEM today and into the future.
Speakers include
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell 
Dr Michelle diMeo Biographer of Lady Ranael
Visit www.robertboyle.ie for more

Morning, Thursday, 24^th June 2021
Policy Forum for Northern Ireland keynote seminar
Next steps for skills and apprenticeships in Northern Ireland
with Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills, Department for the Economy
and Julian David, Tech UK; Dr Margaret Duddy, Education and Training Inspectorate; Terry Fennell, FDQ; Dr Declan Keeney, Ulster University; John Kennedy, Education and Training Inspectorate; Richard Kirk, Workplus; Philip McNally, KPMG Ireland; Gordon Parkes, Northern Ireland Electricity; Professor Terri Scott, Northern Regional College; and Ken Webb, South Eastern Regional College and College Principals’ Group
Chaired by:
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Chair, Committee for the Economy
Stewart Dickson MLA, Alliance Party Economy Spokesperson and Member, Committee for the Economy
Book online here:
https://www.policyforumforni.co.uk/book/NI-Skills-21

The excitement around the world now is watching the workings of the space probe sitting on Mars at the moment. Pupils become obsessed with space and space travel and, of course, the best videos of this topic is from NASA - https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/videos. There are many topics in which you can inform the pupils that it is through maths that all of the missions could happen.

Why use math puzzles to teach?
The website prodigygame.com is the complete site explaining why puzzling is essential in maths learning and listing classic puzzles and games to accommodate all ages. “I would love to introduce puzzles but we do not have the time because of the curriculum.” You may be ploughing through the programme but are you taking the pupils with you?

Math puzzles encourage critical thinking
“Critical thinking and logic skills are important for all careers, not just STEM-related ones. Puzzles challenge students to understand structure and apply logical thinking skills to new problems. A study from the Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education found that puzzles “develop logical thinking, combinatorial abilities, strengthen the capacity of abstract thinking and operating with spatial images, instil critical thinking and develop mathematical memory. ”All these skills allow young students to build a foundation of skills they’ll draw on for the rest of their lives, no matter what kind of post-secondary route they pursue.”
Instead of yawns and bored stares, get ready to see eager participants and thoughtful concentration.
 
Puzzles of the month (Henry Dudeney 1857 - 1930)
“Simple” arithmetic
I asked two people to give me their ages. They did so, and then, to test their arithmetical powers, I asked them to add the two ages together. One gave me 44 as the answer, and the other gave 1,280. I immediately saw that the first had subtracted one age from the other, while the second person had multiplied them together. What were their ages?
Meeting trains
At Wurzletown Junction an old lady put her head out of the window and shouted:
"Guard! how long will the journey be from here to Mudville?"
"All the trains take five hours, ma'am, either way," replied the official.
"And how many trains shall I meet on the way?"
This absurd question tickled the guard, but he was ready with his reply: "A train leaves Wurzletown for Mudville, and also one from Mudville to Wurzletown, at five minutes past every hour. Right away!"
The old lady induced one of her fellow passengers to work out the answer. for her. What is the correct number of trains?
 
Maths matters in everyday life
The material in this website from Northern Illinois University is ideal for PSHE discussion for 11+ year olds and the opportunity for a range of posters for the classroom wall.
The article lists how people are using maths in their everyday life. Topics include managing money, recreational sports (Are you are darts player?), home decorating and remodelling, cooking, shopping

Resource of the month
From completemaths.com there is a 80-booklet of puzzles which is suited for pupils from 9 years old upwards.

Puzzles of the month solutions
“Simple arithmetic
64 and 20
Meeting trains
Nine trains
Final words
If anybody would like me to do any research for them to find appropriate material for a topic, for a certain group of pupils, for family participation please do contact me.