Maths Week was established by the New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers (NZAMT) in 1998. It is a premier mathematics event in the New Zealand school calendar, gaining the attention of an estimated audience of more than 250,000 students, teachers and parents from around New Zealand in August each year.
Maths Week 2024 takes place between 12-16 August.
Maths Week 2023
About Maths Week
The Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers sponsor Maths Week. Resources are developed to support teachers and students in years 1–11.They are available free, on-line, to teachers, parents and students.
The aims of Maths Week are to:
- encourage students’ engagement with mathematics and statistics
- provide teachers with useful classroom resources, especially material requiring research or providing extension
- offer materials that can be used electronically
- reveal the fun side of maths and the everyday places where mathematics and statistics exist.
More information about this year’s Maths Week - Maths Week website.
Curriculum connections
Maths week activities provide engaging and practical opportunities for students to explore the mathematics and statistics learning area. Plan for students to develop key competencies, particularly thinking and making sense of language symbols and texts. Guide students to become lifelong learners who are numerate and critical thinkers as outlined in the curriculum vision.
How can you get involved?
The NZ Maths week website contains all the information you need.
Teachers who register for Maths Week will receive helpful notes for themselves and a copy of the answers to all problems posed before Maths Week. Register and include the number of your students.
Instructional Series
Incorporate Maths Week into your literacy programme. You can search by subject at Instructional Series on Tāhūrangi.
Below is an overview of and links to some texts your students might enjoy.
Maths Craft: Connected 2019 Level 4 – Seeing Beyond
An article takes a playful, creative approach to pure mathematics and guides readers through craft activities. Here, students explore the properties of Möbius strips and mathematical knots. The text allows students to think about how mathematicians play look for patterns and relationships.
Captain Cook Charting Our Islands: School Journal Level 4 May 2016
Learn about Captain Cook’s first visit to New Zealand when he charted the coastline. The text focuses on Cook’s abilities as a skilled maker of charts and maps rather than as a great explorer. Because the text examines the maths involved in Cook’s chart making, your students get a real-life example of maths in everyday life.
Predicting Possibilities: Connected 2019 Level 3 – Shifting Views
This article uses real-world examples to show how people use mathematics to predict possible outcomes. The text explores and describes how mathematical models are created and tells about using an equation to make predictions.
Download the reusable content (Google slides) that comes with this Connected.
Learn about mathematicians in Aotearoa New Zealand
Find out about New Zealand mathematicians and the work they do.
Here are few names to get you started:
- Dr Jodie Hunter, Senior Lecturer and Co-director of the Centre for Research in Mathematics Education, Massey University
- Sir Vaughan Jones, one of New Zealand's most celebrated mathematicians
- Alexander Aitken, New Zealand mathematician who served at Gallipoli and in France
Go on a maths trail
Students can experience maths in the real world by going on a maths trail, an organised walk through a designated area. Going on a maths trail helps students see how maths surrounds them.
Use these resources to start your journey or to get ideas for creating your own Maths Trail.
In Finding the beauty of math outside of class Alessandra King shares how she tailored a maths trail to engage students of any age and to meet a range of abilities.
You might like to share this with families and whānau ...
NZ Maths at our house
Tamariki can experience mathematics in everyday experiences and find resources for learning at home. Check out TKI nzmaths. "Maths at our house" for ideas about how you can support learning in all areas of mathematics such as measurement, number, and geometry maths at home.
School stories
Omarumutu School – New opportunities through an old tradition
Students at Omarumutu School in Opotiki developed measuring skills in this integrated learning project as they built shelters young lambs and calves.
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