MATHEMATICS AT LEEMING

Every Tuesday, we go to Leeming Senior High School to engage in a Maths and English extension course. There is one word to describe the Maths program: Challenging!

Our teacher, Mr Fung, has set us some very challenging tasks this term. At the end of last term and the beginning of this term we have discussed the best ways to construct a ‘Mineral Oil PC’, which is basically a computer submerged into paraffin or mineral oil. We had a hard time trying to work out ways to improve the Mineral oil PC, and finally, we had to submerge it in mineral oil whilst taking great care due to the properties of the liquid. We had a great time!

Next, we started to work on geometrical mathematics. This means that we had to work with shapes and drawings. It was very challenging, and we learnt so much. We completed questions on oblique and isometric drawings: oblique meaning that a one whole face of a figure must be shown, while isometric is like a point of view from a corner, due to the unique pattern of the 30° parallel lines.

This week, we learnt about a unique puzzle: the Soma Cube! The Soma Cube is a puzzle of seven pieces that we had to put together to make a 3X3X3 cube. We even made other shapes, like a chair, a well, a tunnel and even a castle! It was challenging, as I said before, but we had such a fun time!

-Peng

THE GOLDFIELDS

Get your tools ready, because we’re going to the goldfields. Yes that’s right. Room 22, are currently learning about the Goldfields for our camp to Kalgoorlie in Term 4. So far in our journey we have learnt about when and who founded the goldfields. Paddy Hannan discovered it and later reported discovering 8 pounds of gold nuggets to the mining warden in Coolgardie, and within a matter of days 700 gold diggers were frantically pegging out mining claims around Kalgoorlie. By 1903, Kalgoorlie’s mining had really started booming, the town boasted a population of 30,000, along with 93 hotels and 8 breweries. On our camp to Kalgoorlie we will be visiting a museum on how the mining started booming and also get to go digging for our own gold! Isn’t that amazing? Furthermore, we’ll be learning about the early days of the Goldfields and we will have the opportunity to explore lots of different towns that are now nothing but spooky deserted ghost towns.

- By Lachlan