Transition Times: Teachers tell us how they approach the freedom of transition year

Oliver Murphy
Belvedere College, Dublin

"Over recent years the maths department in Belvedere has created a five-module maths syllabus for transition year that the students really enjoy. We start with a practical module on probability: playing the lotto, flipping a coin, rolling a dice. It goes down very well with the students, as it gives them a chance to see maths at work in everyday situations. The second module is a more traditional maths subject: sequences and series.

"We follow that with an innovative module on applied maths. We have combined a part of the Leaving Cert applied-maths syllabus, Simpson's rule, with a section of the physics syllabus on accelerated motion. In linking the two subjects we give students a chance to use maths for practical problem solving. It demonstrates the links between physics and maths and gives students a taste of what it is like to study applied maths for the Leaving.

"The fourth module is a do-it-yourself research topic. I have developed a booklet with series of questions and tasks for students to complete on their own. The ultimate goal is to discover the key that links Fibonacci numbers and the golden section.

"Fibonacci numbers occur in nature - in the seeds of a chrysanthemum or the reproduction rates of rabbits, for example. They follow a pattern which never deviates. The golden section is an idea used in art, based on the optimal layout of a work of art or architecture, to make it pleasing to the eye. If, for example, a horizon in a painting lies on or below the centre it does not look right.

"There is an ideal point at which to break up a visual plane, and artists believe that it comes from nature. It can be discovered by measuring the point at which the navel breaks up the body, among other reference points. This module really engages the students' interest, as it is a mix of maths, art, science and life.

"We finish the year with an algebra module, to bring the students back down to earth.

"I used to run a bridge module on the transition-year maths course, because the game uses so much maths. It became so popular that it is now a transition-year course of its own."

For more details of Murphy's maths scheme visit www.discoveringmaths.com