Seychelles Secondary 3 School Syllabus - Mathematics

This syllabus outlines the mathematics curriculum for Secondary 3 (S3) students in Seychelles. It is designed to build upon the knowledge and skills acquired in previous years (S1 and S2), focusing on developing core mathematical concepts and their application in various contexts. The curriculum emphasizes a balance between theoretical understanding and practical application, encouraging students to explore, investigate, and explain mathematical phenomena.

Numbers

• Operations: Students will extend their understanding of operations to include square roots, powers with negative bases, and scientific notation. They will apply the order of operations, incorporating brackets, powers, and square roots. The concept of additive and multiplicative inverses will also be introduced. Practical applications, such as calculations involving very large or small numbers (using scientific notation), will be explored.
• Percentages and Ratios: Building on prior knowledge, S3 students will further develop their skills in calculating percentages (including percentage increase and decrease) and using the relationship between percentages and ratios to solve real-world problems.

Algebra

Functions: The concept of linear functions (represented as f(x) = ax + b*) will be introduced. Students will learn to interpret gradients and intercepts of linear function graphs, both graphically and in context. Problems involving direct and inverse proportion will be solved using graphical and algebraic representations.

• Expressions and Equations: Students will refine their understanding of the difference between expressions, equations, and formulas. They will manipulate formulas (e.g., circumference, area, volume, speed, density) and simplify algebraic expressions by combining like terms, expanding and simplifying bracket expressions (including quadratic expressions), and factorization. Solving linear equations will also be covered.

Geometry

• 2D Geometry: This topic focuses on identifying equal angles (vertically opposite, alternate interior and exterior, corresponding) and applying this knowledge to geometric proofs (e.g., sum of angles in a triangle).
• Transformations: Students will explore and apply various transformations, including translations, reflections, rotations, and enlargements (with positive scale factors). The impact of these transformations on geometric properties (e.g., area under enlargement) will be investigated.
• Ratios in Right-Angled Triangles: Students will investigate ratios within right-angled triangles, comparing the steepness of different slopes. Practical applications, such as finding the height of an object using ratios and angles, will be explored. Trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan) will not be introduced at this level.
• Measurement: Students will apply formulas to calculate surface areas and volumes of various solids (prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres). They will also manipulate formulas to calculate length when given area or volume, exploring the relationship between area and volume, particularly in optimizing volume for a given surface area.

Statistics and Probability

• Descriptive Statistics: Students will calculate mean, median, and mode from datasets and frequency tables. They will develop strategies to compare datasets using these measures of central tendency, drawing conclusions from their analysis.
• Combinatorics: Systematic counting strategies, such as sample space diagrams and tree diagrams, will be introduced to list all possible outcomes in different arrangements (e.g., choosing a menu, different routes on a grid, seating arrangements). This topic will not cover combinations (nCr) or permutations (nPr) at this level.

This syllabus provides a framework for the S3 Mathematics course, allowing teachers flexibility in their teaching methods and the sequence of content delivery while ensuring that the mandatory learning objectives and competencies are met. The use of technology and digital tools is encouraged to enhance understanding and develop digital competence.