 | Brian Scully
Head of Maths Dept |
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| First Year
In first year students follow the same curriculum and remain in mixed ability groups.
Second and Third Year
Students are divided into Higher Level and Ordinary Level groups according to ability. They follow the Junior Certificate Maths Curriculum.
Fourth Year
Students follow a Transition Year Programme designed to help them cope with some of the more difficult topics they will face in the leaving Certificate Programme. | | |
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This year (2009/10), the Transition Year students are following a curriculum close to GCSE maths, in order to help them view maths as an academic subject in a slightly different light. This will be helpful to the students when they enter 5th and 6th Year.
Fifth and Sixth Year
Students follow the Leaving Certificate Programme at either Higher or Ordinary Level |
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| Mathematics - A Fascinating Subject! |
| Mathematics is a fascinating, magical subject relevant to just about everything we do. Travelling, shopping, gambling, eating, playing sports and so many recreational activities involve the use of Maths. |
The Number FIVE
» The number five is an interesting number in Nature.
» Buttercups and many other flowers have 5 petals
» Apple cores have 5 pointed star cores
» Mammals have a 5 digit structure limb |
Fibonacci's Series
An Italian called Leonardo Fibonacci (1170-1240) gave his name to a simple number series. The series starts with 1 and 1, and each subsequent number in the series is calculated by adding the previous two. Fibonacci's series goes like this:
» 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55… and so on.
The series was originally developed so that he could work out how many rabbits he would have if they bred at a particular rate. Fibonacci numbers occur very feequently in Nature especially in plants. Regularly recurring flower petal numbers are 8 and 13. |
| The Golden Ratio (j) - Phi |
 | Phi is (root5 +1)/2. This is approx.= 1.618. This ratio belongs to a particular rectangle with a unique property.
This is a special rectangle of dimensions A x B. If you cut off a square B x B (as shown), the remaining rectangle has exactly the same proportions as the original rectangle. This property is unique to a golden rectangle. The ratio of A to B is 1.618 or phi. |
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Phi also features in every pentagon and five pointed star. If you measure the distance between the tips of the first and third points of a star it is phi times the distance between the adjacent tips.
Also... The ratio between any consecutive pairs of numbers in a Fibonacci series is roughly phi.
Also... Ancient Egyptians were fascinated with this ratio and the face of the Pyramid of Giza is made up from two halves of what is nearly a golden rectangle.
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| Applied Mathematics |
| Applied Mathematics is a subject option for students in the Senior Cycle (Fifth and Sixth Year), usually taught outside normal school hours. |
| Department of Education Syllabus for Music - (DOE Website - June 2009) |
| DOE Syllabus - Junior Certificate Curriculum Syllabus - Pdf Doc |
| DOE Syllabus - Leaving Certificate Curriculum Syllabus - Pdf Doc |
| DOE Syllabus - Applied Maths Leaving Certificate Curriculum Syllabus - Pdf Doc |
