IB Mathematical Studies Yr 1 – Unit Plans

Note that the number of classes given for each topic is not including tests. Unit 1 and
2 should be tested together, and unit 13 will not necessarily include a test at all.
Where possible the tests should be cumulative ( so the test on unit 9 should include
unit 7 and 8 in it ) as the final assessment for this course is cumulative.

There are investigations in almost every chapter of the Haese and Harris textbook.
Doing some of these investigations or assigning them as homework will help prepare
our students for their projects next year.

Vocabulary is a big part of this course. Having a vocabulary wall, or a "word a week"
might be one way to help the students learn the necessary vocabulary.

Many of the word problems in this course are possible SAT questions. Since many
11th grade students will be taking their SAT's, good examples of these word problems
will help them tremendously.

The amount of time students are allotted for questions on their IB exams are usually
indicated by the number of points the question is worth. A small amount of points for
something like 'standard deviation' indicates the use of the calculator is expected.
Unlike the SL and HL courses, the calculator is an important part of the final exam.
Students are expected to be very familiar with their calculators.

Unit Topics Resources/Ideas

#1 – Number - Set language Chapter 1 in Haese and Harris
sets and - Number sets - This information should mostly be review.
properties - Exponential We allow a 'soft opening' into the course
( 3 classes) notation because of the people who start the year late.
- Factors of natural - Students find the number sets particularly
numbers tricky and will forget them immediately.
- Multiples of Reviewing these sets as the year progresses
natural numbers will help the students immensely (since these
- Order of sets are nearly always tested).
operations
#2 – - Time Chapter 2 in Haese and Harris
Measuremen - Temperature - Our students have difficulty with the
t - Imperial standard imperial units because of their unfamiliarity.
( 4 classes ) units - On last year's final exam more than 50% of
- Standard form the students lost marks because of significant
(Scientific notation) figures and rounding errors.
- Rounding - Error and percent error are no longer
numbers absolute values.
- Significant figures
- Accuracy of
measurement
- Error and
percentage error
#3 – Linear - Algebra Chapter 6 in Haese and Harris
and substitution - Useful to show the students how to solve
Exponential - Linear equations these equations on their calculators.
Algebra - Fractional - Students are not expected to know
( 8 classes ) equations logarithms. They may be a convenient way to
- Formula solve exponential equations, but too tricky for
rearrangement the students.
- Simultaneous - Simultaneous equations are often used with
equation word problems, and are one of the few
- Index notation and 'presumed knowledge' topics which is always
laws tested.
- Exponential
equations
- Problem solving
#4 – - Distance formula Chapter 7 in Haese and Harris
Coordinate - Gradient/Slope - Showing students how to solve a lot of these
Geometry - Applications of problems graphically is a good idea. Also
( 7 classes ) gradients should point out the relationship between the
- Midpoints distance formula and Pythagoras.
- Vertical and - Using the midpoint and distance formula to
horizontal lines 'prove' facts about polygons drawn in the
- Graphing lines coordinate plane is a good exercise. For
- Midpoints and example: prove ABCD is a rhombus (given
perpendicular the coordinates of ABCD).
bisectors
#5 – - Products and Chapter 8 in Haese and Harris
Quadratic expansions - Show the students how to solve these
Algebra - Factorizations of equations on their calculator (either
( 6 classes ) quadratic graphically or using the solver).
expressions - The word problems here for our students are
- Quadratic really difficult so numerous examples are a
equations good idea.
- Completing the - The quadratic formula is optional but some
square students find the easiest way to solve straight
- Optional: The forward equations.
quadratic formula - Students are expected to be able to solve by
- Problem solving factoring, but working backward from the
solution found using a different method is
acceptable.
#6 – - Sequences of Chapter 12 in Haese and Harris
Sequences numbers - Students find the relationship between n and
and Series - Arithmetic to be difficult.
( 8 classes ) sequences - Make sure to use the notation and
- Geometric terminology that is similar to the formula
sequences sheet.
- Series - The relationship between geometric series
- Growth and decay and compound interest should be handled in
the Financial mathematics unit.
- Show students how to solve some problems
using the table feature of their calculator.
#7 – The - Chapter 4 in Haese and Harris
Rule of - This is review for most of the students.
Pythagoras - Pythagoras and 3 - Focus on understanding the 3D diagrams.
( 5 classes ) dimensional figures - Lots of word problem examples are a good
- The converse of idea here.
the Pythagorean
theorem
- Bearings and
navigation
- Pythagoras in 3D
- Problem solving
#8 – - Right angled Chapter 10 in Haese and Harris
Numerical trigonometry - SOHCAHTOA
Trigonometr - RAT in 3D - Lots of word problem examples.
y - Areas of triangles - Ambiguous case of the Sine law is NOT part
( 6 classes ) - Cosine rule of the IB curriculum.
- Sine rule
- Problem solving
#9 – - Conversion of Chapter 11 in Haese and Harris
Perimeter, units - Students find conversion of units difficult,
Area and - Perimeter especially when the units are for area or
Volume - Area volume.
( 4 classes ) - Compound figures - Show students how to break down the
- Surface area formulae for cones and cylinders for problems
- Volume with 'open' ends.
- Density - Word problems are tricky for the students
- Problem solving here so lots of examples are a good idea.
#10 – Sets - Set builder Chapter 3 in Haese and Harris
and Venn notation - The notation for union and intersection of
diagrams - Union and sets comes from chapter 1 first unit.
( 5 classes ) intersection of sets - Students find the shading of Venn diagrams
- Complements of tricky. There are some useful web applets out
sets there – try
- Venn diagrams http://unitorganizer.com/javascript/venndiagra
- Problem solving ms/
- Word problems tricky here, lots of examples
are a good idea.
#11 – - Foreign exchange Chapter 13 in Haese and Harris
Financial - Simple interest - To help students with foreign exchange,
Mathematics - Compound focus not on the multiplication or division
( 5 classes ) interest required, but on recognizing the relative
- Depreciation values of the currency so the students
- Loans understand if their answer is reasonable.
- Inflation - Vocabulary here is tricky for some students.
- Using the - Students often have difficulty substituting
calculator the correct values into the compound interest
- Problem solving equation.
- Make sure students know how to use the
Financial mathematics application on their
calculator. This is expected of them for the IB
exam.
#12 – - Evaluating Chapter 16 in Haese and Harris
Exponential exponential - Lots of scope to include fun investigations
and functions/expressio and experiments in this chapter.
Trigonometri ns - This is one of the best chapters for
c functions - Graphing introducing modelling which is useful for
( 10 classes ) exponential students' projects next year.
functions - Using Geogebra for graphing the functions is
- Exponential good, and this is an excellent unit for learning
growth/decay how to use the program. Many students find
- Periodic functions this superior to using their calculators. Note
- The graphs of that they still need to know how to use their
Sine and Cosine calculators to solve some numerical problems.
- Modelling using - Word problems are difficult here so lots of
exponential, Sine examples are a good idea.
and Cosine
functions
- Equations
involving Sine and
Cosine
- Problem solving
#13 – - Describing data Chapter 5 in Haese and Harris
Descriptive and types of - This final chapter should be assessed using
Statistics variables the investigation on page 154/155 of the Haese
( 6 classes ) - Presenting and and Harris textbook. This will help prepare
interpreting data them for their projects next year, should they
- Frequency choose a statistics project. The assessment
distribution tables criteria for this sample project should match
- Outliers those of the IB Mathematical Studies project.
- Measuring the - Students will be familiar with most of the
spread of data material in this chapter and so will be over-
- Box-and-whisker confident. They will not have understood the
plots nuances of the material, so some complex
- Standard deviation examples should be chosen to highlight these
- Statistics on the nuances.
calculator - Students MUST be able to use their
- Problem calculator efficiently to do these problems,
solving/Investigatio they are never expected to work any of these
n out by hand (with the possible exception of
some word problems involving the mean).