Help develop maths skills within science lessons with these practical suggestions…
KS4 science provides many opportunities for students to use and develop their mathematical skills. However, as science teachers, do we currently address these explicitly? Or do we simply teach the mathematical skills alongside the content?
Students need to demonstrate competence to select and apply the appropriate areas of mathematics relevant to the subject as set out under each topic.
There is therefore a strong argument for developing a scheme of work or sequence of lessons that explicitly addresses these skills.
This technical lesson aims to introduce students to the five areas of mathematics specifically addressed in the program of study for science in a way that remains relevant to the current KS4 exam specifications:
- arithmetic and numerical computation
- handling data
- algebra
- graphs
- geometry and trigonometry
Why teach this?
Strong links already exist between mathematics and biology, chemistry and physics, with a good understanding of mathematics being essential to successfully studying the pure sciences at A-level and beyond.
Do we address these skills explicitly in the way we teach? This lesson is intended to suggest a way of approaching maths skills in an independent lesson or sequence of lessons that aims to firmly link mathematics with science in the minds of your students.
Dr Joanna L. Rhodes M.Chem, D.Phil, MRSC is a teacher of science at Shelley College, Huddersfield.
