Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 10h

I've come across a few things in the optional pure A level Further Maths modules, for example l'Hopital's rule, that the students generally just use as tools at this level without rigorous proof.

1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 11h

I haven't done it myself though I've had a few discussions about it. I think @drbennison.bsky.social advocates that approach.

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 14h

A lot of teachers choose to teach the differentiation of x^n as a formula (perhaps by pattern spotting simple cases) before teaching differentiation from first principles.

1 1

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

Segar Rogers @segarrogers.bsky.social · 14h

What things in maths do we teach before we have taught the maths that shows it is true? #UKMathsChat #iTeachMaths

5 2 2

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 1d

#FridayFive
1. Prayer - Labi Siffre
2. Pray for me - Laura Marling
3. Sabbath Prayer - Topol
4. My Lover's Prayer - Otis Redding
5. Poems, Prayers and Promises - John Denver

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 1d

£90 in Tesco

1 1

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

Paddy MacMahon @paddymacmahon.com · 2d

A bonus area problem for the end of the week, inspired by a post by @mrlevmaths.bsky.social.

Important info from the alt-text: the curve is a parabola.

#ALevelMaths #MathsToday

Paddy MacMahon @paddymacmahon.com · 2d

I saw your labels and thought these represented the actual areas (as in the area of region 1 is 1 unit, of region 2 is 2 units, etc...) which got me thinking that that sort of thing might make a nice problem. Impossible to get regions with those areas using a parabola, but I came up with this:

A parabola passing through the origin and a positive value on the x-axis, with a maximum point in the first quadrant. A straight line with positive gradient intersects the parabola at 2 points in the first quadrant. Vertical line segments are drawn from each of these intersection points to the x-axis, so the area enclosed by the parabola and the x-axis is divided into 4 regions. The left hand region has area 13, the right hand region has area 44 and the top region has area 8. The final region is labelled with a question mark.

1 4

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 3d

cos pi/3 = cos (-pi/3) so the argument could just be pi/3 but it would be a very strange thing to do and then (a) looks to me like it won't work out

1 1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 3d

Looks like there's an error to me

1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you 😃

1

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

MEI @meimaths.bsky.social · 3d

Ritangle 2025 is here!

Answer question 1 (please DO NOT give away the answer below!) then head over to buff.ly/lchWXbU to register your team.

A level maths teachers, don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity for your students!

#ALevelMaths #Ritangle2025

1 10 12

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 3d

There's a nice Integral (I think) matching activity that is just about the limits with sigma notation. I think it's worth putting a bit of time (20 minutes not weeks) into making sure students are clear on this separate from any Further Maths topic.

2

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 3d

Be kind to yourself - I remember only too well that feeling that I wasn't being either a good Mum or a good teacher. It's not the end of the world if some of your lessons become mediocre for a while. And if you are really struggling then let your school know. They won't want to lose you.

1 2

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

Paddy MacMahon @paddymacmahon.com · 5d

#ALevelMaths #MathsToday

Monday area problem. Find the exact value of the green area.

The graph of y=x² is in red, together with the point (sqrt3 / 2, 3/4) highlighted and labelled in blue. Also in red is a circle, tangent to the x-axis and touching the curve at the blue point. The region enclosed by the curve, the circle and the x-axis is shaded green.

1 1 11

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 7d

I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’

I have been forced to move my classes online.

If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.

140 1.5K 4.3K

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 6d

I also don't think algebraic division is easier for students learning a new method from scratch. As teachers, I think the method that we are familiar with often seems to be easier until we get used to a different one.

1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 6d

Yes, questions with unknown coefficients would be what I would look for too

2

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 6d

The main advantage of the method of comparing coefficients is that it's a very useful transferable skill. There are several places later in the course where students will need to compare coefficients whereas algebraic division only does the one job (and students often don't understand why it works)

2

Reposted by Susan Whitehouse

hilaryonline.bsky.social @hilaryonline.bsky.social · 7d

30 more women to tip this over 55k today? The calm, compassionate, inclusive feminists, who might not have seen the amazing support received for the trans community and the rejection of hate so far? Go on…

Not In Our Name (NION) Women @nionwomen.bsky.social · 9d

We expect to hit 55k signatures in support of our open letter this week, perhaps even today. Thank you to everyone who has signed or shared. Let’s keep this going:

notinourname.org.uk

Home - Not in our name

As women we reject the narrative that trans+ people are a threat.

notinourname.org.uk

4 47 83

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 8d

There's presumably some subtext to it, but I don't really want to understand how these people's minds work...

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 8d

I'm not at all convinced that the same thing would have happened the other way round. In fact I'm not at all convinced that the name of the wife of a male Archbishop of Canterbury would have been mentioned anywhere in the article.

1 1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 8d

#FridayFive
1. Bob in the rain and the lizard of hope - Tom Rosenthal
2. Noah's dove - Roary Skaista
3. Famous blue raincoat - Leonard Cohen
4. Echoes in rain - Enya
5. A rainy night in Soho - The Pogues

1 7

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 8d

I think supporting genocide is "unBritish"

5

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 8d

Excellent!

1

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 9d

I like it but I think maybe a desmon would be pluralised to desma not desmos